Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - CP Californication

troutman · 11-23-2009, 03:52 PM

I had an exclusive tour of JPL today.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

I saw models of probes like Voyager and Cassini. They showed me a giant "clean room" where they are building the next Mars rover; it will be nuclear powered. Spirit is currently stuck on Mars, so I saw where they are simulating the predicament, to figure out a way to free it.

Free Spirit!

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-173

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/about/index.cfm

Trailblazing has been the business of JPL since it was established by the California Institute of Technology in the 1930s. America's first satellite, Explorer 1 which launched in 1958, was created at JPL. In the decades that followed, we sent the first robotic craft to the moon and out across the solar system, reconnoitering all of the planets. Pushing the outer edge of exploration, in fact, is the reason JPL exists as a NASA laboratory.

In that spirit, this is an exceptionally busy period for JPL in laying new paths. An exciting step in the search for exoplanets took place earlier this year when we launched Kepler, a spaceborne telescope that will seek out Earth-like planets as they pass in front of other stars. JPL contributed key technology to two European Space Agency spacecraft launched together in May, Herschel and Planck. In December we will launch another observatory, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. They all join our currently operational Spitzer Space Telescope and Galaxy Evolution Explorer astronomical missions.

Among our robotic spacecraft arrayed across the solar system, Dawn is using ion propulsion to take it into orbit around two bodies for the first time ever -- the large asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is returning exceptionally detailed photos of the Red Planet's surface, while the rovers Spirit and Opportunity keep going far beyond the mission they were originally designed for. Last year the Phoenix lander successfully found water ice on Mars' arctic plains. The flagship explorer Cassini continues its orbits of Saturn, scrutinizing the ringed planet and its moons, including the haze-shrouded Titan in an extended mission. The Voyagers are exploring the edge of our solar system.

Off to the O.C now to see the Flames at the Honda Center.

11-23-2009, 03:52 PM	#90
troutman Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Crowsnest Pass Exp:	I had an exclusive tour of JPL today. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm I saw models of probes like Voyager and Cassini. They showed me a giant "clean room" where they are building the next Mars rover; it will be nuclear powered. Spirit is currently stuck on Mars, so I saw where they are simulating the predicament, to figure out a way to free it. Free Spirit! http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2009-173 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/about/index.cfm Trailblazing has been the business of JPL since it was established by the California Institute of Technology in the 1930s. America's first satellite, Explorer 1 which launched in 1958, was created at JPL. In the decades that followed, we sent the first robotic craft to the moon and out across the solar system, reconnoitering all of the planets. Pushing the outer edge of exploration, in fact, is the reason JPL exists as a NASA laboratory. In that spirit, this is an exceptionally busy period for JPL in laying new paths. An exciting step in the search for exoplanets took place earlier this year when we launched Kepler, a spaceborne telescope that will seek out Earth-like planets as they pass in front of other stars. JPL contributed key technology to two European Space Agency spacecraft launched together in May, Herschel and Planck. In December we will launch another observatory, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. They all join our currently operational Spitzer Space Telescope and Galaxy Evolution Explorer astronomical missions. Among our robotic spacecraft arrayed across the solar system, Dawn is using ion propulsion to take it into orbit around two bodies for the first time ever -- the large asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is returning exceptionally detailed photos of the Red Planet's surface, while the rovers Spirit and Opportunity keep going far beyond the mission they were originally designed for. Last year the Phoenix lander successfully found water ice on Mars' arctic plains. The flagship explorer Cassini continues its orbits of Saturn, scrutinizing the ringed planet and its moons, including the haze-shrouded Titan in an extended mission. The Voyagers are exploring the edge of our solar system. Off to the O.C now to see the Flames at the Honda Center. Last edited by troutman; 11-23-2009 at 03:57 PM.