Curiosity: new Mars rover about to land!

[BrownArmy]

Nasa's new Mars rover, Curiosity, is set to land on Mars at 01:30 this morning.

Nasa just turned off the transmitter...now the rover is on it's own; I've got my fingers crossed.

The rover capsule is going to slam into Mars' atmosphere at 13,000 mph, and land itself with rockets and a 'sky-crane'...since there is a fourteen-minute communication lag time between Earth and Mars, Nasa won't know if the landing is a success until after it's happened.

They're broadcasting the landing in Times Square, NYC.

Very, very cool!

7 Minutes of Terror: Curiosity Rover's Risky Mars Landing | Video - YouTube

 

[Brownslave688]

It'll be even cooler if we get a person there.

 

[BrownArmy]

Success!

Doesn't look like much, but we're back on Mars!

 

[texan]

 

[BrownArmy]

One of the orbiting satellites snapped this picture of the rover parachuting down to the surface...NASA timed this one just right...

 

[klein]

Congrats NASA on perfection.
A job more than well done !
Proud of the USA !

 

[moreluck]

And how do we know it wasn't a Hollywood studio set?

 

[klein]

Canadian news described it as a 655 Million km hole in 1 !

 

[BrownArmy]

 

[moreluck]

Capricorn One was neat and the last time anyone knew who James Brolin was.

 

[BrownArmy]

The rover is building up a picture of itself on the Mars' surface...notice the grit on the top of the rover from the landing...

 

[Just_another_day_at_work]

Testing the lenses at picture 81, they couldn't pick anything else but...
NASA - Image Gallery

 

[moreluck]

Mars and Baker CA. are the same......Alien Jerky, anyone ??

 

[Catatonic]

This was the first picture that came back from Curiosity:

 

[BrownArmy]

Mars and Baker CA. are the same......Alien Jerky, anyone ??

Reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode where astronauts land on another planet and things go wrong...supplies are destroyed etc...

One astronaut kills another to save himself, fearing both won't make it...

Hiking away, he comes upon a highway and a road sign and realizes that the ship actually landed in the CA desert.

Didn't he feel like a heel.

 

[Just_another_day_at_work]

The government has more than just this piece of junk, what is the price tag on this mission? 2 billion USD?
The afghan war alone cost about a trillion...

 

[DS]

The government has more than just this piece of junk, what is the price tag on this mission? 2 billion USD?
The afghan war alone cost about a trillion...

Then this was a bargain!
And you helped pay for it!
JADAW Obama thanks you.

 

[texan]

It'll be even cooler if we get a person there.

I assume it is a longer ride there, than the moon.

 

[Just_another_day_at_work]

I assume it is a longer ride there, than the moon.

Not if you got some ET tech in your garage.

 

[Catatonic]

Another picture from Mars.

Name that caption ...