7 Minutes of Terror

[Boone]

Hey - relax...
We're only talking 2.5 billion dollars here if they screw the pooch...


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISmWAyQxqqs[/media]

 

[tshile]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

The stuff those guys do is amazing. It's encouraged me to consider pursuing a graduate degree in my field. The reward I imagine those guys feeling just doesn't compare to what I get on a daily basis from my job, and is what I'm looking for in a career change

 

[Elephant]

Reminds me of the Space Program when I was a kid. I don't remember much of the Apollo missions, but I remember vividly the angst and anticipation when the Space Shuttle went up into space and came back to earth.

 

[McD5]

So awesome! Wow.

 

[China]

Cool. It is interesting how the procedure has changed from the previous one used:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgUGBVzWnIk[/media]

It has gone from 6 minutes of terror to 7. Entry speed has increased from 12,000 mph to 13,000 mph (I wonder if they adjusted the anticipated speed based on data from previous experience), and the new parachute seems to be an improvement slowing the rover to 200 mph instead of 250. The final landing sequence is also slightly different, with no airbag deployment this time. It's quite a precision sequence they're attempting, I hope it is successful.

 

[Elephant]

So, it should be happening sometime after midnight tonight. I know I will be up late tonight watching.

Just saw an interview for one of the leads on the project and he said this thing is the size of a Mini-Cooper. I didn't realize it was that big.

 

[Henry]

So, it should be happening sometime after midnight tonight. I know I will be up late tonight watching.

Just saw an interview for one of the leads on the project and he said this thing is the size of a Mini-Cooper. I didn't realize it was that big.

Is that why they didn't just wrap the thing in balloons like the last one?

 

[Elephant]

I don't have any clue. How big was the last one? Of course I was thinking this thing was the size of a radio control car. It's a damn real car.

 

[tshile]

Are you kidding me? i assumed it was the size of a radio controlled car as well.


I guess that makes sense though, they pack a lot of stuff in there just for control and communication purposes much less any actual data/object collection an analysis.

That just makes it all the more impressive to me.

Where do you watch something like this? I see www.nasa.gov has NASA TV. I would guess that's the best place?

 

[Elephant]

Fox News said they would be carrying the whole story as it happens.

 

[tshile]

Fox News said they would be carrying the whole story as it happens.

I will probably do that then. Fox News does a very good job with production in pretty much everything they do.


Thanks

 

[Elephant]

Curiosity has landed and I must say I am very proud to be an American today! John, thanks for posting this link. I have to admit I had lost track of when curiosity was going to land. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[servumtuum]

I watched the live HD feed from JPL. Amazingly smooth, glitch free landing.

I'm still in "WOW!" mode.

 

[Ax]

8 plus years of work and waiting looks well worth it. Good job Dudes, and Dudette's!

And to answer an earlier question, the size is precisely why they couldn't do the "Wrap it in balloons" landing.

 

[servumtuum]

 

[tshile]

thats a good one

congrats to all those at nasa. it takes quite an army of people to accomplish something this incredible.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Amazing - NASA orbiter snaps a photo of Curiosity as its parachute deployed and it entered Mars' atmosphere:

Boggles my mind thinking about the amount of math that went into timing that shot!

 

[Elephant]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYHc2alzdUk