Really amazing...

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » January 2, 2004, 7:05 pm

Really freakin amazing what we can do sometimes guiding a spacecraft within 188 miles of a relatively small target 242 million miles away...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... tardust_dc

Think about the level of precision involved in that...

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 2, 2004, 7:26 pm

Great stuff. Lets cross our fingers for the two American Mars landers, one of which should be landing tonight and the other on the 26th of jan.

The world (earth!) has had 3 straight lander failures. If these fail, we've got another few years before the next attempt.

Cassni's getting close to Saturn as well! It's going to be a great year for space science.

Ducru · Post by **Ducru** » January 2, 2004, 7:57 pm

Good Lord!! not only that, it was a MOVING target. I have a hard time hitting a coke can at 20 yards with my .40cal when it's standing still

Nice article.

Ducru

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » January 2, 2004, 8:29 pm

Moving at a relative speed of 13650mph according to one article I saw...

Post by **Sylvus** » January 5, 2004, 3:30 pm

As I'm too lazy to check for myself, how long does it take for one of these landers that we send up to make it to Mars?

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » January 5, 2004, 3:31 pm

3 hrs tops i think Sylv, once you factor in the time zones and such...

Post by **Sylvus** » January 5, 2004, 3:34 pm

That's probably some pretty fierce jet lag then.

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » January 5, 2004, 4:14 pm

It takes 7 months.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/landing.cfm

If you watch Nasa TV they've been replaying the whole process.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 5, 2004, 4:48 pm

Vetiria wrote:It takes 7 months.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/landing.cfm

If you watch Nasa TV they've been replaying the whole process.

I watched that the whole weekend. I had to go pee a few times but couldnt drag myself away from the TV until the part where the Lander bounces on the ground was over each time.

The live pictures of the Mars Lander command center seem to me exactly how an EQ raid would look like if everyone was in the same room. Thought I saw EQ on one of the screens as it flashed by!

The high detail color pictures should be rolling in tonight.

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » January 5, 2004, 10:14 pm

I think they're done showing live coverage in the control center, unfortunately.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 5, 2004, 10:55 pm

Vetiria wrote:I think they're done showing live coverage in the control center, unfortunately.

lame.

here's the official mission site:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » January 5, 2004, 11:56 pm

i think NASA tv just doesnt have a 24hr broadcast cycle. I wouldn't be surprised to see more coverage tomorrow.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » January 6, 2004, 12:47 pm

Yeah they have sporadic coverage usually with times posted on the MER page...

Ladex_Xedal · Post by **Ladex_Xedal** » January 6, 2004, 12:54 pm

With all the bloody starvation in the world tell me again why we're pissing away billions of dollars to chase solar snowballs?

Ashur · Post by **Ashur** » January 6, 2004, 12:56 pm

the hell...

Siji · Post by **Siji** » January 6, 2004, 1:03 pm

Ladex_Xedal wrote:With all the bloody starvation in the world tell me again why we're pissing away billions of dollars to chase solar snowballs?

Because we've already got the tools to end world hunger. It's simply that nobody in power gives enough of a fuck to do something about it. Poor people don't contribute to campaigns.

That and because we're screwing the hell out of our current living quarters, and are going to be in need of a new planet to destroy soon.

Ladex_Xedal · Post by **Ladex_Xedal** » January 6, 2004, 1:12 pm

You'd be surprised what a few billion of those dollars would do if redirected towards creating meaningful government oversight to limit the damage large poluting corporations do to our air.

Until we learn how to take care of what we have, it is fruitless to move to new planets just to wreck their environments.

We need to change our hearts, and become better stewards.

Mort · Post by **Mort** » January 6, 2004, 1:15 pm

Ladex_Xedal wrote:You'd be surprised what a few billion of those dollars would do if redirected towards creating meaningful government oversight to limit the damage large poluting corporations do to our air.

Until we learn how to take care of what we have, it is fruitless to move to new planets just to wreck their environments.

We need to change our hearts, and become better stewards.

Welcome Jackass!

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » January 6, 2004, 1:19 pm

Ladex_Xedal wrote:You'd be surprised what a few billion of those dollars would do if redirected towards creating meaningful government oversight to limit the damage large poluting corporations do to our air.

Until we learn how to take care of what we have, it is fruitless to move to new planets just to wreck their environments.

We need to change our hearts, and become better stewards.

You dont even know If we are doing damage to this one.

archeiron · Post by **archeiron** » January 6, 2004, 1:23 pm

Ladex_Xedal wrote:With all the bloody starvation in the world tell me again why we're pissing away billions of dollars to chase solar snowballs?

This is all part of our quest to make a better frozen margherita.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 6, 2004, 4:55 pm

Ladex_Xedal wrote:With all the bloody starvation in the world tell me again why we're pissing away billions of dollars to chase solar snowballs?

Shove it up your ass Adex! Targeting our desire to explore is about as close minded as you can get.

I'd take candy from a baby if it would help advance our knowledge of the unknown.

This is the same team that worked on the successful 97 mars lander mission. Keep NASAs budget the same but focus on getting rid of the bloat and put more money into things that work.

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » January 6, 2004, 5:27 pm

They're showing live coverage again, although nothing's happening.

Who is Ladex_Xedal? Is it just Adex trying to be funny? To answer your question... humans have always had a natural desire to explore the unknown, as Winnow points out. But the Earth has been explored over and over again--there's nothing left to find. We've gone to the moon and there's nothing there worthwhile. So now we're going to Mars. Within the next 50 years there will be manned attempts to land on Mars. Europa is next. Unless there is a major major major collapse of the economy, any politician that tries to cut NASA's budget will be out on their ass before they finish their speech.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 6, 2004, 5:30 pm

Vetiria wrote:Who is Ladex_Xedal? Is it just Adex trying to be funny?

I think we can all pretty much agree that adex is incapable of anything remotely resembling humor.

Vetiria · Post by **Vetiria** » January 6, 2004, 5:37 pm

BTW, if you haven't seen it:

They had a larger image up, but they took it down due to high demand.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 6, 2004, 5:41 pm

gee what a boring looking planet.

archeiron · Post by **archeiron** » January 6, 2004, 6:19 pm

kyoukan wrote:gee what a boring looking planet.

Try walking the hills and mountains around Henderson/Las Vegas. The area looks JUST like that (but with hills and mountain terrain, of course). Lots of brown/red stone with scorched, black surfaces. It is incredibly desolate.

I think the grey/red sky would be the most oppressive aspect of Mars for the human psyche.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » January 6, 2004, 6:21 pm

archeiron wrote:I think the grey/red sky would be the most oppressive aspect of Mars for the human psyche.

My vote goes for the imminent danger of asphyxiation in event of cabin depressurization

Adex_Xeda · Post by **Adex_Xeda** » January 6, 2004, 6:32 pm

kyoukan wrote:
Vetiria wrote:Who is Ladex_Xedal? Is it just Adex trying to be funny?
I think we can all pretty much agree that adex is incapable of anything remotely resembling humor.

Now Kyo, you only know me via politics and a messageboard. If you were around me day to day, where politics are maybe 2% of my conversation you'd have a more favorable impression.

Winnow:

I support space programs. I support exploration. Did you ever hear that story about the Chinese emperor during I belive the 12th century? He built up a massive fleet of ships. It was the largest exploration effort in the world. But suddenly the Chinese scrapped the fleet thinking that internal affairs were more important. They could of easily been colonizing the Americas years before Europe.

We should explore. Efforts made by organizations such as NASA are the manifestation of our dreams. Our colective desire to understand and reach beyond ourselves made real. It's money wisely spent. It's money spent that benefits more than one nation.

Ladex_Xedal · Post by **Ladex_Xedal** » January 6, 2004, 6:37 pm

Don't you see we don't *deserve* to explore space.

Hell we can't even take care of the planet we have!

A few billion dollars would easily provide medical care to those who most need it in our country.

A few billion dollars would easily provide meaningful environmental enforcement.

A few billion dollars would easily educate the unknowing masses as to how to properly recyle that which they now waste and polute our celestial haven.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » January 6, 2004, 7:27 pm

Sionistic wrote:
Ladex_Xedal wrote:You'd be surprised what a few billion of those dollars would do if redirected towards creating meaningful government oversight to limit the damage large poluting corporations do to our air.

Until we learn how to take care of what we have, it is fruitless to move to new planets just to wreck their environments.

We need to change our hearts, and become better stewards.
You dont even know If we are doing damage to this one.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » January 6, 2004, 7:47 pm

This is the same team that worked on the successful 97 mars lander mission. Keep NASAs budget the same but focus on getting rid of the bloat and put more money into things that work.

I think it was the same people who faked the moon landing too.

CalandraWindrose · Post by **CalandraWindrose** » January 15, 2004, 2:49 am

the money spent on the Mars mission is nothing in comparison to what gets wasted away

and ACTUALLY - figuring out what happened to the water and atmosphere on Mars could be very important for figuring out where our environment is heading here.....