Mars probe lands successfully...

• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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  6 August 2012     12:15186209
  #1      
  I was astonished at the complex landing procedures the Mars explorer, Curiosity, needed to go through to land as explained on the tv news over the weekend. The way it approached Mars at an incredible speed needing to slow down, parachute, fire rockets and hover to then lower the rover by 'crane'. It just seemed immensely complicated at such a range with a mass of things that could go wrong....
  
  Yet - it has done it, a massive success for American engineering and ingenuity.
  
  The rover is nuclear powered and is designed to explore the surface for a year but could do so for 10 years...
  
  I wonder what will be found....
  
  story here.
  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dc39d84c-df8e-11e1-b81c-00144feab49a.html#axzz22lNHmzEB
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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  6 August 2012     12:24186212
  #2      
  98 weeks the equivalent of a mars year barry, the link didn't work for me.
  
  here's another.
  
  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mars-rover-curiosity-safely-lands-on-the-red-planet-8009185.html
• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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  6 August 2012     13:24186221
  #3      
  Thanks Howard
  
  - yes my link seems to be broken.
  
  Sorry, I did mean a Mars year which is nearly 2 of our years but the power cell could last 10 (of our) years or even more.
• Guest 653

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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  6 August 2012     18:23186275
  #4      
  Indeed it is a great feat for the scientists and engineers - well done NASA.
  
  As you say Barry, it will be very interesting to see if they find anything of value - scientific value not financial.
  
  
  
  
  Roger
• Guest 655

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  6 August 2012     20:20186304
  #5      
  But hopefully both will go hand in hand Roger. It really is impossible to know what may be discovered and what the implications will be.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
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  6 August 2012     21:14186306
  #6      
  the issue of financial benefits over the mars probe is being treated the same as that of the olympics.
  
  
  both are utterly fascinating in different ways but similar in that the finance was pledged in good times.
  
  sometimes it is best just to appreciate both and not think about the cost.
• Guest 696

  • Registered: 31 Mar 2010
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  6 August 2012     21:32186310
  #7      
  They could have sent a much cheaper space-craft to the Sahara Desert and brought back a heap of yellow sand.
  Instead they sent one to Mars to bring back a load of red sand!
  Chanters, Drums and Drones Potty Time http://youtu.be/99fMqpjnXYA
  Rule Britannia!
  Kent First http://youtu.be/04F3mAP3fV4 Keep banging on http://youtu.be/qYCU_SKmkGQ
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
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  7 August 2012     08:52186335
  #8      
  who actually decides what a year consists of on mars, it is not as if we can ask anybody there?
• Guest 655

  • Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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  7 August 2012     08:56186337
  #9      
  The time it take to do an orbit of the sun Howard.
• howard mcsweeney1

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  7 August 2012     08:57186339
  #10      
  thanks barry, always someone here that has the answer.
• Guest 644

  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
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  7 August 2012     10:12186349
  #11      
  NASA have been most forthcoming in releasing images and information pretty much as it happens. A few more images have been released in the last few hours. Don't be alarmed by the murky quality of some of the images - the dust covers attached to the cameras are still in place. When they are removed in a few days time, we should have some truly stunning Hi Definition images.
  
  NASA image gallery:
  
  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/gallery-indexEvents.html
• howard mcsweeney1

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  12 August 2012     10:26186898
  #12      
  a bit more on the subject.
  
  
  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/11/tech/innovation/mars-exploration-history/
• Guest 710

  • Registered: 28 Feb 2011
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  12 August 2012     10:42186899
  #13      
  It is good that they have laid off the colouring the pictures red, pity though about the Martian cat that was run-over on day one.
  Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
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  28 August 2012     11:36188889
  #14      
  getting rather interesting now.
  
  
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/aug/28/mars-curiosity-high-resolution-pictures