Mars Rover Scheduled To Land Tonight At 11:31pm MST- Update- Landed!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by troutman

Curiosity Rover ‏@MarsCuriosity
Gale Crater Vista, in Glorious Color! Get a low-res preview of the 360-panorama to come [pic] http://1.usa.gov/MCkZ2x #MSL

Man, Mars reminds me of Airdrie.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Man, Mars reminds me of Airdrie.

or Arizona

[Knalus]

To all those that are arguing against DoD spending, but for NASA (and I do not disagree with you), some food for thought.

The DoD has it's own space program.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/militar...ane/55640560/1



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackstar_%28spacecraft%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37

http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23265613.../#.UCQUNKOWzTo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bw8MdEaWPU



Not to mention that the entire space industry was a spinoff of the military.

[Nehkara]

Spoiler!

[Mr.Coffee]

hmmm.... the argument can be made that DoD spending isn't all bad because look at all these side programs and technological innovations that stem from it.

However, it is a weak argument, because science and advancement and research and exploration and discovery are not the DoD's primary initiative, and spending that arrives at such outcomes as a result of DoD spending is merely a bi-product... not THE product.

[photon]

Spoiler!

[troutman]

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily...stcam-pan.html

During tonight and tomorrow's communications passes, sol 4, they should get a few of the full-resolution frames down from Mars. But only 10 or 20 will make it down before they begin the big flight software upgrade on sol 5. That effort will take at least 4 sols, and no science data will be returned during that time. So it'll be some time -- at least a week, more like two -- before the whole thing is available in full resolution. Even then, it won't include the top of the mountain. The panorama was planned and sequenced before the landing, so its pointing was pretty much random. Malin said that in the coming couple of weeks they have other preplanned image mosaics but that they will be able to adjust some parameters, shifting pointing slightly to better frame the pretty vistas in the distance, and the intriguing geology they contain.

One reason that the communications have been slow is that they are still limited to pretty low data rates; the maximum they have achieved so far is 256kbps. Within the next week or two, they should be able to move in to the data transmission mode with Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that will allow rates of up to 2 Mbps

[Flash Walken]

lol, 2 mbps from Mars.

Humans are amazing.

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

hmmm.... the argument can be made that DoD spending isn't all bad because look at all these side programs and technological innovations that stem from it.

However, it is a weak argument, because science and advancement and research and exploration and discovery are not the DoD's primary initiative, and spending that arrives at such outcomes as a result of DoD spending is merely a bi-product... not THE product.

I wasn't trying to make that point, I was just trying to remind people about a space program we all tend to forget. Or not have really heard about in the first place.

[puckluck2]

Those pictures are amazing, thanks for sharing.

[Cowperson]

[T@T]

Blast marks from the landing.







Conspiracy theorists will say there alien footprints

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Knalus

I wasn't trying to make that point, I was just trying to remind people about a space program we all tend to forget. Or not have really heard about in the first place.

Only issue is that it is almost entirely focused on Earth orbit, has little by the way of science goals, and won't share any information/help/anything with anyone outside the US military. So honestly although it might help in some technical advancements for getting off the ground, a lot of it won't be of a lot of use.

I also don't think the US military has any business being in space. Give the money to NASA and let them do something amazing with it.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

I also don't think the US military has any business being in space.

So what do we do when we're invaded by Nazis from the moon?

Give the money to NASA and let them do something amazing with it.

Build a space station and tow it into orbit around Mars. Then send humans!

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

Only issue is that it is almost entirely focused on Earth orbit, has little by the way of science goals, and won't share any information/help/anything with anyone outside the US military. So honestly although it might help in some technical advancements for getting off the ground, a lot of it won't be of a lot of use.

I also don't think the US military has any business being in space. Give the money to NASA and let them do something amazing with it.

To be fair we do see a lot of spin off from DoD space projects.
GPS is one I can think of pretty quickly off the top of my head.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

To be fair we do see a lot of spin off from DoD space projects.
GPS is one I can think of pretty quickly off the top of my head.

Yes, we do.

I just think we can get the same kind of spin-offs from NASA while also doing amazing science.

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Man, Mars reminds me of Airdrie.

Enchant. Or maybe Taber? Vauxhaul, Duchess or possibly Wrentham?
No wait, One Four!

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by T@T

Blast marks from the landing.

Conspiracy theorists will say there alien footprints

Can't be from Aliens, these blast points, too accurate for Sandpeople

[Roast Beef]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Can't be from Aliens, these blast points, too accurate for Sandpeople

No wonder we can't find any aliens on mars. They must be travelling single file, to hide their numbers.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Roast Beef

No wonder we can't find any aliens on mars.

WE are the aliens.