Curiosity - Mars landing

[Super Nova]

This is an exciting mission to Mars.

Only 7 days until it lands.



More here and this NASA site will have links to all the action of the landing.

Link: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

[Super Nova]

Course Maneuver Successful; MSL Begins Final Approach

July 29: Late Saturday night, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft successfully fine-tuned its course to better zero in on its target entry point into the Martian atmosphere on landing day. Two brief thruster firings totaling about six seconds altered the spacecraft's velocity slightly, by about one-fortieth of one mile per hour (one centimeter per second). This trajectory correction maneuver-the fourth since MSL's launch-adjusted the point at which Curiosity will enter the Martian atmosphere by about 13 miles (21 kilometers). On landing day, MSL can steer enough during its flight through the upper atmosphere to correct for a miss of the target entry point by a few miles and still land within its target ellipse. Mission engineers and managers rated the projected 13-mile miss big enough to warrant a correction maneuver. Telemetry and tracking data indicate the maneuver was successful. MSL will have two further opportunities for additional course corrections during the final 48 hours before landing, if needed.

[mantra]

One day all the junk the US and Russia have sent into space will come back and destroy earth. The amount of rubbish floating around is disgusting. Not content with littering this planet - they litter outer space and other planets as well.

[Jovial Monk]

Space junk is all lightweight stuff. What is in orbit all eventually falls back to earth and mostly vaporises on entry.

[annielaurie]

One day all the junk the US and Russia have sent into space will come back and destroy earth. The amount of rubbish floating around is disgusting. Not content with littering this planet - they litter outer space and other planets as well.

This is one of your funnier posts, Mantra. Although I doubt you meant it to be.

[Neferti]

One day all the junk the US and Russia have sent into space will come back and destroy earth. The amount of rubbish floating around is disgusting. Not content with littering this planet - they litter outer space and other planets as well.

This is one of your funnier posts, Mantra. Although I doubt you meant it to be.

I think you are being facetious, Annie. Mantra is concerned about the Environment so she joined the Greens. Who knows how many plastic bags are floating around in space and potentially suffocating the aliens?

[Super Nova]

Update: Today my flight team is starting to execute autonomous entry, descent & landing procedures for Aug 5 PDT. 6 days to Mars!

It's quite amasing. Once they push the go button all the complex actions needed to safely land this with it unique and never tried suspension landing will be fully automated. No going back once they start.

[AnimalMother]

One day all the junk the US and Russia have sent into space will come back and destroy earth.

See Star Trek: The Motion Picture for a realistic depiction of just such a scenario.

[Neferti]

The Yanks are still hoping to discover Little Green Men on Mars. Won't happen. There is NOTHING out there!

[Black Orchid]

The Yanks are still hoping to discover Little Green Men on Mars. Won't happen. There is NOTHING out there!

Who knows what is actually out there. Our universe is just a tiny speck in the grand scale of things