Space thread: Mars landing - Curiosity rover has touched down!

[raptormesh]

I know this is neither anime nor science fiction(OMG!) but NASA's Mars rover Curiosity just successfully touched down and have begun feeding back images.

Click here to follow the broadcast.

Some info on the probe and descent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ki_Af_o9Q9s

After such a long hiatus we're finally back on Mars! F*** YEAH!! I apologize for not posting earlier so you could follow the descent, it was beautiful.

Edited August 6, 2012 by raptormesh

[Renato]

I was following it live, and put up some pics in real time on Facebook, here are some:

[raptormesh]

Thanks Renato, so many doubted this program so it was brilliant they did it.

[EXO]

So awesome right? I've been keeping an eye on it too and I have the DVR set to record the special tomorrow.

[treatment]

from nasa jpl ustream earlier:

[OmegaD3k]

I hate to sound like a negative nancy, but seeing how we’ve been on Mars since 1976 with the Viking Program (which studied Mars for over 6 years!), why is this news?

If NASA is serious about studying probable life in our solar system, where are the probes on Jupiter’s moon Europa, or Saturn’s moon Enceladus? :/

It's an honest question, which I have yet to see answered. In any case, hooray for doing something we’ve been doing for over 35 years, I guess. Here's to yet another Mars rover in 2047! *raises glass*

Edited August 6, 2012 by OmegaD3k

[Old_Nash]

Now, where they built the Mars Base?

[Shadow]

Basically what omega said. I'd like to see more effort given towards other worlds in or solar system that hold a strong potential for life. Ofcourse I'd also like to see a viable and progressive replacement for the space shuttle.

Edited August 6, 2012 by Shadow

[EXO]

Basically, we need to perfect each technique before moving on the the next big thing. It's small baby steps before the next jump. Also the funding that the space missions have have basically dwindled. Now it'll be up to private enterprises to get items and astronauts into space. I'm sure they would love to get rovers into those bodies someday. But remember also that while rovers are on Mars, there's still probes that are sent to study the outer planets.

It's interesting because a lot of the speakers on that panel are old guys, but they talked about how they were inspired as kids when the Apollo and Gemini missions were going on. As much as we all would love to see them land a craft on the giant gas planet's moons, even these guy probably won't live to see it happen.

[treatment]

latest pics!

Edited August 6, 2012 by treatment

[raptormesh]

Adding to what EXO has said, this rover is the biggest and the most sophisticated one we've landed on Mars and the main objective is to search for any organic compounds or evidence of organic compounds in the Gale crater, which has been said to have contained water. Space exploration isn't something like in a video game where we visit a place, get an achievement and aim for the next rock. It's insanely complicated and what we've learned and will learn from this mission will be vastly useful in planning for the next. The descent technique for example has never been done(heatshield + high speed parachute + sky crane) and the telemetry date we receive would help us simulate landings on other planets or moons more accurately.

In my own opinion this accomplishment is amazing enough given this political and economical climate.

[Radd]

And lets not lose perspective here, people.

Today NASA has landed a 1-tonne nuclear powered robot with a laser cannon and a jet pack on Mars.

SCIENCE! F*@K YEAH!

[sketchley]

I hate to sound like a negative nancy, but seeing how we’ve been on Mars since 1976 with the Viking Program (which studied Mars for over 6 years!), why is this news?

If NASA is serious about studying probable life in our solar system, where are the probes on Jupiter’s moon Europa, or Saturn’s moon Enceladus? :/

It's an honest question, which I have yet to see answered. In any case, hooray for doing something we’ve been doing for over 35 years, I guess. Here's to yet another Mars rover in 2047! *raises glass*

Why is it news worthy? See Radd's post (1 tonne nuclear powered robot). In other words: it's got a 2 year warranty, wheels and a science package that's an order of magnitude greater than any rover previously put onto another planet by humans.

(yes, the Viking probes were there 35 years ago. But could they move to different positions? Could they do 1/4 of the science that Curiosity can do?)

It's also newsworthy because there's a 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 fail rate for ALL probes going to Mars. (The Russians have failed every time). So, adding to what Exo said: if humans haven't developed a reliable technology to land probes on the NEAREST planet, there's no point spending the money to send probes to farther planets).

Also, this isn't the only probe that is out their. Have you checked up information on: http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/index.html

The other ones I'm anticipating are the Dawn probe's arrival at Ceres in about a year and the mission to Pluto (ETA 4 years).

... and isn't that the prime goal of the Curiosity mission to find life on Mars? Apparently it has a high probability of life there, especially in the areas of season melt and possibly frozen in the buried glaciers. Where else is that seasonal methane coming from?

[David Hingtgen]

Today NASA has landed a 1-tonne nuclear powered robot with a laser cannon and a jet pack on Mars.

And we had another robot in orbit to take pics of it happening!

[Moly_Sigang]

If they're looking for water in Mars, then they might explore the Martian north pole which contain ice. Also, NASA should keep an eye for Abraham Lincoln, the king of Mars.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Moly_Sigang

[raptormesh]

If they're looking for water in Mars, then they might explore the Martian north pole which contain ice. Also, NASA should keep an eye for Abraham Lincoln, the king of Mars.

They are not specifically looking for water this time, the mission objective is a little more elaborate than that. They want to detect present or past signs of organic compounds, among other things.

By the way was anybody else entertained by the "self-tweets" made by Curiosity?

[505thAirborne]

Watched it live last night online, a truly proud and inspiring moment and not as some USA concept but for all mankind, in a current world of destruction, hate, violence, etc. We human beings built a rover (The size of a small car), built a spacecraft to launch and carry it into outer space and its now performing a mission on the planet Mars as we breath, truly an awe-inspiring achievement.

I hope I live long enough to see a manned expedition to the Red Planet someday.

[Shadow]

And lets not lose perspective here, people.

Today NASA has landed a 1-tonne nuclear powered robot with a laser cannon and a jet pack on Mars.

SCIENCE! F*@K YEAH!

Couple Martians come upon the probe.

"The humans are not trying hard enough."

Edited August 7, 2012 by Shadow

[slaginpit]

Its amazing how big this rover actually is. I visioned a little tiny guy like last time.

[Old_Nash]

Gestalt???

Its amazing how big this rover actually is. I visioned a little tiny guy like last time.

Wall-E

I'm your father!

[treatment]

[PetarB]

I hate to sound like a negative nancy, but seeing how we’ve been on Mars since 1976 with the Viking Program (which studied Mars for over 6 years!), why is this news?

If NASA is serious about studying probable life in our solar system, where are the probes on Jupiter’s moon Europa, or Saturn’s moon Enceladus? :/

It's an honest question, which I have yet to see answered. In any case, hooray for doing something we’ve been doing for over 35 years, I guess. Here's to yet another Mars rover in 2047! *raises glass*

Do you understand how much further away Jupiter is than Mars? It is a SIGNIFICANTLY larger energy and time requirement to get there. And the complexity of orbital space around Jupiter itself? And the multitude of unknowns about the moons?

Europa is a fascinating place, but putting a rover on it... it's a big ask. Landing on the surface itself is a huge unknown. We don't even know which part of Europa might be safe to land on without the 'surface' collapsing into sublimation.

ESA is planning to visit in 2020 I think.... and we will get a much better understanding. But putting a rover on the surface may not even be possible for a long, long time.

Compared to Europa, Mars is a stable, known quality, and despite the face that is a couple of hundred million kilometres away, it's relatively 'close' when compared to Europa.

[mecha2241]

By the way was anybody else entertained by the "self-tweets" made by Curiosity?

So wait, it tweets? What's running this thing, Skynet?

[Black Valkyrie]

Imperial code ... imperial probe droid !

[Radd]

Also, this isn't the only probe that is out their.

Quoted for truth.

There's a lot of scientists. A lot of them at NASA, a lot in the other various space agencies and companies, a lot of people around the world working on exploring the solar system in a lot of different ways.

We've got probes orbiting the sun. We're regularly sending probes to the moon. China intends to land a probe on the moon's surface soon. We sent probe to Mercury, Cassini's Saturn mission has been amazing, and the fastest probe we've got out there is speeding it's way towards Pluto, which is so small and so far away that the images we currently have of it are just blurry dots.

[EXO]

It's incredibly more eerie that the HD pictures of Mars looks like it's somewhere on earth. I think it's the fact that after we've seen the moon's surface and even though it's possible that it could be somewhere here, it's definitely other worldly. I mean it's all dust and craters, no atmosphere and the horizon is always more rounded. But with Mars, there's rocks, there's haze, and rocks and mountains on a flat horizon. As someone mentioned before, getting a probe on a planet like Enceladus will truly be fascinating. A moon made of ice. That's way different from the moon and Mars.

[sketchley]

But with Mars, there's rocks, there's haze, and rocks and mountains on a flat horizon.

I think things may change once we start getting colour pictures.

Doesn't the lack of (white) clouds tip you off that it's not Earth?

[EXO]

I think things may change once we start getting colour pictures.

Doesn't the lack of (white) clouds tip you off that it's not Earth?

You mean there's non white clouds? I think it was the lack of John Carters.

[Radd]

[sketchley]

You mean there's non white clouds? I think it was the lack of John Carters.

I meant in the sense of non-water based clouds. But yeah, no John Carter obviously means it's not Mars.

[raptormesh]

Here's a snap/composite:

It's interesting to note as well that its CPU is less than half as powerful as the one in your iPhone. Got to admit, there are many areas on Earth that would look more alien than this.

[EXO]

I meant in the sense of non-water based clouds. But yeah, no John Carter obviously means it's not Mars.

Well I never said I thought it wasn't Mars, so moot conversation.

Images are getting better and better.

Watching 'Martian Mega Rover' right now!

[CoryHolmes]

and the fastest probe we've got out there is speeding it's way towards Pluto, which is so small and so far away that the images we currently have of it are just blurry dots.

Wanna know what's even more cool? To prep for New Horizon's arrival, Hubble has been directed towards Pluto and we've discovered not only is there Pluto and Charon, but also two smaller moons now named Nix and Hydra. And last month thereabouts? Yeah, they discovered two more moons, bringing the total to five.

Five moons around Pluto. How rad is that?

[ErikElvis]

It's incredibly more eerie that the HD pictures of Mars looks like it's somewhere on earth.

I totally agree. Its awesome and freaks me out at the same time.

[southpaw]

i cant wait for michael bay make transformers 4 .. the curiosity killed the rover