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Curiosity to Touch Down Tonight
Steeveeo
Registered, Administrator Posts: 849
Well, the In the Media section wouldn't be of much use if we didn't discuss this. Just as well, if we didn't discuss this in a predominantly SpaceBuild based group, it would be quite strange.
So, approximately 1-3 hours from now, NASA's Curiosity rover is scheduled to land on Mars and begin its mission. However, if you've been paying any attention to the news and/or StumbleUpon, you'd know that they are calling this landing the "Seven Minutes of Terror." This is due to the relatively untested "Sky Crane" drop system and many variables that cannot be accounted for, meaning Curiosity has a fairly good chance of slamming into the surface of Mars, rather than gently touching down.
Supposedly, NASA is running a live stream on UStream when the landing starts (8:30 to 10:45 p.m. PST (-8 GMT). You can watch it and other commentary videos here:
http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl
So, approximately 1-3 hours from now, NASA's Curiosity rover is scheduled to land on Mars and begin its mission. However, if you've been paying any attention to the news and/or StumbleUpon, you'd know that they are calling this landing the "Seven Minutes of Terror." This is due to the relatively untested "Sky Crane" drop system and many variables that cannot be accounted for, meaning Curiosity has a fairly good chance of slamming into the surface of Mars, rather than gently touching down.
Supposedly, NASA is running a live stream on UStream when the landing starts (8:30 to 10:45 p.m. PST (-8 GMT). You can watch it and other commentary videos here:
http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl
Comments
Well, I'd say that it's safe to conclude that this is the most awesome thing to happen in recent news. A giant automobile-sized rover dropped on another planet millions of miles away, making a safe descent on a freaking jetpack. Congratulations to NASA are in order.
To note, the image above was taken from one of Curiosity's "Hazard Cams," made for navigation and obstacle avoidance. The higher-res stuff comes later.