Curiosity - Mars landing

[Super Nova]

MSL Remains on Track for Weekend Landing
Thu, 02 Aug 2012 11:22:02 PM UTC+0100


Curiosity remains in good health, with no significant issues currently in work. There are no real-time activities planned today. The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft remains on a consistent and stable course, well within the limits required to reach its target landing ellipse. As a result, yesterday the flight team decided to cancel the build and test of a contingency version of Trajectory Correction Maneuver 5. This contingency manuever, had it been needed, would have been used in the event an emergency prevented the team from executing the nominal scheduled TCM-5 maneuver, which is planned for Friday, Aug. 3, if needed. The project also canceled a corresponding update to parameters for the autonomous software controlling events during entry, descent and landing.


It's all on track and they don't have to apply any contingencies. Landing in 3 days.

[Super Nova]

Curiosity has landed.

Here is one of the first pics.

[Neferti]

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla is involved. Pictures and information here:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/enterta ... 23lp0.html

[annielaurie]

I watched the whole thing live on NASA TV on my computer, and it was exciting.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The team at JPL - Jet Propulsion Labs at Pasadena, California - were all jumping up and down and laughing and cheering for a long time, it was great.

[Super Nova]

I watched the whole thing live on NASA TV on my computer, and it was exciting.

The team at JPL - Jet Propulsion Labs at Pasadena, California - were all jumping up and down and laughing and cheering for a long time, it was great.

The precision of this landing is amasing.

I look forward to it roving for a very long time. They all seem to exceed their mission lifetime.

I wish the Chinese would accelerate their programme to the moon as I think they will be first for a manned mission to Mars.

[Aussie]

Money better spent on, for example, the Olympics. We plonked a similar thing on the Moon for no real benefit a few decades ago. If there is a man on Mars, I'm sure he'll find us. No need that we waste our resources landing a jalopy on a deserted Planet.

[Super Nova]

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla is involved. Pictures and information here:

It is great that Australia plays a part in nearly all missions on the comms front.

We should get more involved in space..... this is were the future lies.

[Neferti]

I meant to post an earlier article in the CT but got side tracked. It was saying that we, the public, were able to go up to Tinbinbilla and see what is happening up on Mars on their huge monitor or whatever. Tinbinbilla is just up in the Brindabella mountains - maybe a 30 minute drive or so from almost anywhere in Canberra. Tinbinbilla (and the Parkes "dish") were involved with the Moon landing as well.

[mantra]

It is great that Australia plays a part in nearly all missions on the comms front.

We should get more involved in space..... this is were the future lies.

Exciting as these expeditions are to some people - they are seen as a hobby, spectator sport or a contest by others. Do you really believe that us earthly beings will ever inhabit another planet? Even with the vast improvements in technology, we've made slow progress over the decades - if anything tangible at all.

[Super Nova]

It is great that Australia plays a part in nearly all missions on the comms front.

We should get more involved in space..... this is were the future lies.

Exciting as these expeditions are to some people - they are seen as a hobby, spectator sport or a contest by others. Do you really believe that us earthly beings will ever inhabit another planet? Even with the vast improvements in technology, we've made slow progress over the decades - if anything tangible at all.

I think we will Mantra. We may need to be genetically modified to survive but we will be there. It is only a matter of time.

Humans have evolved for the Earth, we will need to replicate Earth's environment or change to adapt to a different environment.