Its approximately 352 million mile (567 million kilometer), 36-week journey from Earth nearly complete, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft and its Curiosity rover are "all systems go" for touchdown in Mars' Gale Crater tonight at 10:31 p.m. PDT (1:31 a.m. EDT Aug. 6). This morning, flight controllers decided to forgo the sixth and final opportunity on the mission calendar for a course-correction maneuver. The spacecraft is headed for its target entry point at the top of Mars' atmosphere precisely enough that the maneuver was deemed unnecessary. In addition, this afternoon, mission controllers determined that no further updates are necessary to the onboard information the spacecraft will use during its autonomous control of MSL's entry, descent and landing. Parameters on a motion tracker were adjusted Saturday for fine-tuning determination of the spacecraft's orientation during its descent.
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I will update this post as new information comes in.
As our VP would say, "This is a big fucking deal!"
Update 2: Here is the first image to arrive from Curiosity. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Update 3: Transmitter turned off as Curiosity makes its approach. Only about an hour left until touch down.
Update 4: It is down! It landed safely! Let's give a round of applause for science.
NASA rocks!
Do you know which stations are showing the landing?
ReplyDeleteThis IS very exciting. Love this stuff.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite episodes!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I fell for the second link.
ReplyDelete;)
Deletelive stream from NASA will have it. Google it
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting 9 months for this!
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/nasatv/
DeleteThank you for that link! And, in case anyone has trouble, i'm having really good luck streaming it on my half-meg (super slow) connection here:
Deletehttp://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
lolol *snort!* at the "first image" :)
ReplyDeleteDo you know which stations are showing the landing?
CNN will be showing it.
woot can't wait to see the pics but I think it will have to wait till tomorrow...
ReplyDeleteot gryphen I sent you something last night, feel free to blow it off if you want, lol... I had waaaay too much to drink and had no business being on the internetS - someone should have taken the mouse away! atleast I didn't get sick tho, that is good...
OK Gryph, that second update image, laughed so hard I beginning to question my sanity.
ReplyDeleteRichard C. Hoagland is getting a massive money boner.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it will find TRI-G's birth certificate.
ReplyDeleteit is on ustream
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl
they did it. amazing.
ReplyDeleteCorrection: WE DID IT!
DeleteThis is what happens when America does SCIENCE!
And it's what happens when America collaborates with others!
DeleteAs as Australian I'm proud that we've been involved as well. :-)
Oops, I meant YAY America and all the other countries involved too!!
Deletegot thumbnails. woo wee. love seeing all the young people and gray hairs crying and hugging each other.
ReplyDeleteWhat a ride!
ReplyDeletethe first picture is the shadow of curiosity on the surface of mars. the poetry writes itself.
ReplyDeletew00t!!!
ReplyDelete(Does anyone else think that the landing poll is really a landing pool?)
What an incredible feat....I can hear the science hating heads exploding from my house. Can't wait to see more pics tomorrow. However...another day of unspeakable sadness and hate with that shooting in Wisconsin, when will this end.
ReplyDeleteI watched it live online. It was really wonderful!
ReplyDeleteScience!!!
ReplyDeleteThank my lucky stars I live in Alaska and was able to see the whole thing!! Otherwise, I don't think I could have stayed up that late(EDT).
ReplyDeleteIt was so awe-inspiring to watch the people at the JPL in Pasadena. Their joyous cheering, clapping, hugging and shaking hands all around when the rover landed, was a sight to behold. Bless them all for the hard work they have been through and will continue to do for the next two years.
...next two years or longer. Remember Spirit and Opportunity were only expected to last 3 months in 2003. Opportunity is still on the job.
DeleteElizabeth44
Good job, NASA!!
ReplyDeletePeople wonder why theres little interest in science in the US. Only CNN carried the Curiousity landing on tv, and only for about 15 minutes. The other channels were running Judge Judy reruns. The CBS reporter (on radio) called the 2009 rovers SPRINT and Opportunity. CNN kept saying things like "this is a night for the geeks". Used to be we'd bring all the school kids down to the cafeteria to experience these things. Oh well, let me get back to the celebrity cooking demonstration on the Today Show.
ReplyDeleteKimosabe,
DeleteVery sad summary of where we are today.
If it took less than 10 years to get to the moon in 1969, many assumed we'd surely be on Mars by 1990-2000. Instead, a decision was made by powerful people that America would specialize in religious doctrine, costly military intervention, conspicuous consumption and exotic financial derivatives. 'tis a pity.
But the geeks amongst us can joyfully celebrate this awesome scientific achievement that reminds us what's possible when there's a will, a bunch of smart people and a few bucks to invest.
And all of those religious fundamentalists who want to eliminate science from K-12 education will be shutting out a generation (at least) of Americans from ever participating in such achievements.
ReplyDelete