Where will you be tomorrow?

[NeverMore]

When Curiosity lands on Mars?


Giz has a map of viewing parties here in the U.S.

http://gizmodo.com/5931861/find-your-lo ... ding-party

Unfortunately none close to me so I'll be watch it at home. Actually, not watching it at home since it will be a blind landing. NASA is going to try to film it using one of the other craft. Hope they get it. I would love to see this crazy landing maneuver. Like something out of a Batman movie.

The craft hasn't even landed and it's made it's first discovery. We now know what type of radiation we would be most likely to encounter on a manned mission to Mars.


Here's an animation of what the landing would look like if you were watching it while sitting in a lawn chair on Mars, drinking a beer.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/spac ... -Mars.html

[NeverMore]

SUCCESS!!!! Wheels down on Mars. I got tears in my eyes. They've already got images coming in. Unqualified success. Mankind is learning how to land on other planets.

Next up... Google lands one of their driverless cars and starts mapping Mars?

[NeverMore]

Aww shucks... I'm getting all teary eyed again. Here's a message that Carl Sagan recorded just before he died...


"Hi, I'm Carl Sagan. This is a place where I often work in Ithaca, New York near Cornell University. Maybe you can hear, in the background, a 200-foot waterfall right nearby, which is probably — I would guess — a rarity on Mars, even in times of high technology.

Science and science fiction have done a kind of dance over the last century, particularly with respect to Mars. The scientists make a finding. It inspires science fiction writers to write about it, and a host of young people read the science fiction and are excited, and inspired to become scientists to find out more about Mars, which they do, which then feeds again into another generation of science fiction and science; and that sequence has played major role in our present ability to get to Mars. It certainly was an important factor in the life of Robert Goddard, the American rocketry pioneer who, I think more than anyone else, paved the way for our actual ability to go to Mars. And it certainly played a role in my scientific development.

I don't know why you're on Mars. Maybe you're there because we've recognized we have to carefully move small asteroids around to avert the possibility of one impacting the Earth with catastrophic consequences, and, while we're up in near-Earth space, it's only a hop, skip and a jump to Mars. Or, maybe we're on Mars because we recognize that if there are human communities on many worlds, the chances of us being rendered extinct by some catastrophe on one world is much less. Or maybe we're on Mars because of the magnificent science that can be done there - the gates of the wonder world are opening in our time. Maybe we're on Mars because we have to be, because there's a deep nomadic impulse built into us by the evolutionary process, we come after all, from hunter gatherers, and for 99.9% of our tenure on Earth we've been wanderers. And, the next place to wander to, is Mars. But whatever the reason you're on Mars is, I'm glad you're there. And I wish I was with you."

[NeverMore]

Oh wow... this is incredible. The pictures keep coming to Earth from Mars. The picture wouldn't post here for some reason but click on the link for a breathtaking view of the Milky Way from Mars.

http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/upload ... ing-01.png

[Midnite Shadow]

That's some awesome stuff there Nevermore...thanks for the link

[Spookymufu]

That IS an incredible view! Wish I was there to see it in person

[NeverMore]

Maybe one of your kids Spooky. Hopefully.

Just read this morning that Elron Musk (Paypal, Tesla) wants people on Mars within 15 years. If anyone can do it. His SpaceX just signed a huge contract with NASA to provide space taxis.

I'm so looking forward to living in the future.

[NeverMore]

Ha! Ha! Just saw the funniest tweet.

Scott Weinberg @scottEweinberg
I'm glad we're banishing #curiosity to Mars. It has killed enough cats.

[NeverMore]

I may splurge on gas tomorrow night and go to the mountains to watch the meteor shower. I have to drive at least an hour before I can even start seeing stars. Even then there's still a lot of light. Oooh! Maybe I'll go to Palomar Observatory. Who knows? Maybe I'll even be able to see the Milky Way.

iO9 has a good article on how to catch the show. They also have an interesting picture of the difference in locations only 75 miles apart due to the city lights. This is near Orem Utah (top), and in Orem (bottom)...

[Murfreesboro]

Maybe one of your kids Spooky. Hopefully.

Just read this morning that Elron Musk (Paypal, Tesla) wants people on Mars within 15 years. If anyone can do it. His SpaceX just signed a huge contract with NASA to provide space taxis.

I'm so looking forward to living in the future.

My SIL & BIL have worked for NASA for the last 30 + years, most of it on the space shuttle (I mean, as earth-bound scientists connected with the shuttle). My BIL was telling me a few months ago that we are a very, very long way from solving the problems that must be resolved before sending a person to Mars. Stuff like, finding a material light enough to send into space but strong enough to protect an astronaut from the sun's radiation during a prolonged fight (Mars would take years, I think, not like the days to get to the moon & back). Also the issue of having enough food, water, and oxygen on board. Not just enough to get there, but enough for the return trip, since presumably anyone who went would want a round-trip ticket. It's fine to dream about going to Mars, and someday I'm sure we'll do it. However, it's not nearly as easily done as people seem to think.

[NeverMore]

We won't get there the NASA way. They're too concerned about human life. Some people are starting to come around to the way of thinking that, for the first humans to Mars, it would be a one-way trip. If you're going to Mars to die anyway what's a little radiation gonna hurt? We just need to rekindle that pioneering spirit. Sign me up. I'll go. Just make sure I have a 7 month supply of videos to watch on my iPad.

[Murfreesboro]