http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17261359
By Jonathan Amos B.B.C. Science correspondent
"Come August, we'll be right in the middle of the London Olympics - the greatest show on Earth. But you'll excuse me if I'm a little distracted towards what is sure to be the greatest show off Earth.
This will be the landing on Mars of Nasa's Curiosity rover, also known as the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)."
Curiosity rover on Mars
‘Six minutes of terror’
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Curiosity rover on Mars
#1 
by DougC » Mar 07, 2012 8:49 pm
To do, is to be (Socrate)
To be, is to do (Sartre)
Do be do be do (Sinatra)
SUBWAY(1985)
To be, is to do (Sartre)
Do be do be do (Sinatra)
SUBWAY(1985)
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#2 by Zwaarddijk » Mar 07, 2012 9:19 pm
Human-built machinery on other worlds or even just heading onwards into the infinity or sitting in orbit somewhere far off is all very exciting. Mars' tiny robot population is proof we're living in the future.
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#3 by DougC » Mar 07, 2012 9:25 pm
DAILY MARTIAN
headline:-
INVADERS FROM EARTH
WHEN WILL IT END!
headline:-
INVADERS FROM EARTH
WHEN WILL IT END!
To do, is to be (Socrate)
To be, is to do (Sartre)
Do be do be do (Sinatra)
SUBWAY(1985)
To be, is to do (Sartre)
Do be do be do (Sinatra)
SUBWAY(1985)
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#4 by CdesignProponentsist » Mar 07, 2012 9:39 pm
Yay! Awaiting some off world awesomeness. I hope it lasts as long, if not longer that Spirit and Opportunity.
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#5 by jaydot » Mar 11, 2012 8:37 pm
the olympics comes around every four years, bigger, gaudier and more yawn-inducing with every episode.
the mars rover curiosity is a once-in-a-lifetime event far more rivetting than watching bunch of people expending energy to no productive output. i hope it lands ok and look forward to what it can tell us.
the mars rover curiosity is a once-in-a-lifetime event far more rivetting than watching bunch of people expending energy to no productive output. i hope it lands ok and look forward to what it can tell us.
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#6 by mraltair » Mar 11, 2012 9:28 pm
Curiosity is one hell of a badass robot.
It even carries it's own spare change.
-Project costed at $2.5bn; will see initial surface operations lasting two Earth years
- Onboard plutonium generators will deliver heat and electricity for at least 14 years
- 75kg science payload more than 10 times as massive as those of earlier US Mars rovers
- Equipped with tools to brush and drill into rocks, to scoop up, sort and sieve samples
- Variety of analytical techniques to discern chemistry in rocks, soil and atmosphere
- Will try to make first definitive identification of organic (carbon rich) compounds
- Even carries a laser to zap rocks; beam will identify atomic elements in rocks
It even carries it's own spare change.
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Curious about Mars
#7 by Evolving » Jul 30, 2012 11:57 am
This is pretty cool; and there is a programme about it on the BBC this evening.
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Re: Curious about Mars
#8 by Pulsar » Jul 30, 2012 11:53 pm
Just watched it, excellent programme. But damn, that landing procedure looks just insane. The people involved are having trouble sleeping these days, I reckon. Fingers crossed...
"The longer I live the more I see that I am never wrong about anything, and that all the pains that I have so humbly taken to verify my notions have only wasted my time." - George Bernard Shaw
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Re: Curious about Mars
#9 by CdesignProponentsist » Jul 31, 2012 12:18 am
Pulsar wrote:Just watched it, excellent programme. But damn, that landing procedure looks just insane. The people involved are having trouble sleeping these days, I reckon. Fingers crossed...
That is why they call it the 'seven minutes of terror'.
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Re: Curious about Mars
#10 by theropod » Jul 31, 2012 1:34 am
I worry about the cable deployment phase. I'm not sure why.
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#11 by lucek » Aug 01, 2012 9:41 am
Just under 5 days now.
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#12 by Evolving » Aug 01, 2012 9:44 am
Had overlooked this thread.
Suggest merging mine with it.
Suggest merging mine with it.
How extremely stupid not to have thought of that - T.H. Huxley
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#13 by twistor59 » Aug 01, 2012 9:49 am
I was watching the BBC documentary on it this week. The task of getting that huge thing delivered to the planet surface in one piece is phenomenally difficult. Huge great parachute then lowered from a hovering sky crane. If this works it'll be a pant-wettingly glorious achievement.
A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earthbound misfit, I
Condition grounded but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies
Tongue-tied and twisted just an earthbound misfit, I
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#15 by AlohaChris » Aug 02, 2012 1:51 am
"Supernatural divinities are the primitive's answer for why the sun goes down at night."
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#16 by byofrcs » Aug 02, 2012 1:55 am
6 minutes of terror ? They have terrorists on Mars already ?
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#17 by AlohaChris » Aug 02, 2012 1:56 am
Cool article on the laser & Chemcam that are outfiteed on Curiosity:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0801/Why-Mars-rover-will-be-blasting-its-heat-ray-as-it-searches-for-life
I'm kind of pissed that I paid for part of the $2.5 Billion it cost to build & fly Curiosity and NASA's not broadcasting the landing live on the web. It'll be broadcast in NY's Time Square, but not on the web. Thanks NASA!
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0801/Why-Mars-rover-will-be-blasting-its-heat-ray-as-it-searches-for-life
I'm kind of pissed that I paid for part of the $2.5 Billion it cost to build & fly Curiosity and NASA's not broadcasting the landing live on the web. It'll be broadcast in NY's Time Square, but not on the web. Thanks NASA!
"Supernatural divinities are the primitive's answer for why the sun goes down at night."
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#18 by AndreD » Aug 02, 2012 5:17 am
AlohaChris wrote:Cool article on the laser & Chemcam that are outfiteed on Curiosity:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0801/Why-Mars-rover-will-be-blasting-its-heat-ray-as-it-searches-for-life
I'm kind of pissed that I paid for part of the $2.5 Billion it cost to build & fly Curiosity and NASA's not broadcasting the landing live on the web. It'll be broadcast in NY's Time Square, but not on the web. Thanks NASA!
Phil Plait, Pamela Gay and Fraser Cain are doing a Google Hangout thing which includes a live NASA feed and interviews with the scientists/engineers etc. https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c7c2 ... 3962595019
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#19 by stijndeloose » Aug 02, 2012 6:10 am
Chances of anything coming from Earth are a million to one, they said.
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Re: Curiosity rover on Mars
#20 by Zadocfish2 » Aug 03, 2012 1:56 pm
Am I the only one who is, like, REALLY excited about this?
Also... They launched a probe like this, and I missed it? Shouldn't it have been in like, every newspaper in America?
Also... They launched a probe like this, and I missed it? Shouldn't it have been in like, every newspaper in America?
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