[AstroNut325]

It's in tribute to the, Mars Climate Orbiter.

LOL!

[Bitmap Frogs]

I'm sooooo scared of that landing system they've devised.

Wish they could have tested it with a dummy but I guess there was no budget for two launches.

GODSPEED!

[DrForester]

Hope it will go well, the bouncy-ball-system of the rover -even if crazy - seemed like a foolproof way to land it safely, while this could turn into almost 1 ton of metal shooting into Mars. btw. science thread fail for not using kg in title ;P

2000 pounds of science sounded cooler than 900 kg of science.

[Htown]

Hopefully this thing will have the longevity of the other ones. Everyone knows Spirit got stuck, and contact was lost (6 years after it landed. Opporunity is still going, and landed in 2004

Opportunity is one of the most badass things humanity has ever built.

[Omegasquash]

I really feel like anyone that complains about tax dollars being wasted can STFU.

Keeping my fingers crossed for a safe landing.

[rhfb]

2000 pounds of science sounded cooler than 900 kg of science.

NASA's Mars Science Lab |OT| OVER 9000hg of Science!

edit: what is the prefix for hecto? Just h? That is what I wanted to use, not regular old gram...

[AstroNut325]

NASA's Mars Science Lab |OT| OVER 9000g of Science!

I would like to vouch for a title change to THIS!

[Partial Gamification]

There are 1000g in one kilogram...

[neonglow]

There are 1000g in one kilogram...

It would still be correct, but just not close to actual weight.

[AstroNut325]

There are 1000g in one kilogram...

[jett]

Fuck yeah! Mine too: *It's my real name on the rover.

Yay I forgot about this, mine is there too. AWWWW YEEEEAAAA

[Partial Gamification]

It would still be correct, but just not close to actual weight.

Yeah but why not just make it sound even cooler and say almost 1million grams?
As far as the title is concerned, " a rose with any other name..."

[SolidusDave]

NASA's Mars Science Lab |OT| OVER 9000g of Science! edit: what is the prefix for hecto? Just h? That is what I wanted to use, not regular old gram...

(j/k, yeah, it's just hg. Though I can't remember the last time I saw this unit being used. I'm for 900.000 g or 0.9 tons of science!)

[rhfb]

There are 1000g in one kilogram...

I edited my post to state my intentions :(

I haven't had my coffee this morning yet!

[astroturfing]

Yay I forgot about this, mine is there too. AWWWW YEEEEAAAA

how did i miss this? i feel left out :( i hope it wasnt for americans only, since Curiosity has non-american built parts as well.

[Fiction]

I am so glad I am not the only one excited about this.

[Partial Gamification]

I edited my post to state my intentions :( I haven't had my coffee this morning yet!

Yeah, no worries. The edit could have made the correction. A simple search could have revealed the answer. It can mislead people. I can empathize with the coffee thing so it isn't personal when I say that it was sloppy.

[jett]

how did i miss this? i feel left out :( i hope it wasnt for americans only, since Curiosity has non-american built parts as well.

Worldwide

[ThaneKrios]

I'M SO FUCKING HYPED.

[maquiladora]

Fuck yeah! Mine too: *It's my real name on the rover.

Oh shit yeah I forgot all about that. My name is on it too. :-)

[maquiladora]

I'm sooooo scared of that landing system they've devised.

Landing System Drop Test

[Bisnic]

Hopefully this thing will have the longevity of the other ones. Everyone knows Spirit got stuck, and contact was lost (6 years after it landed. Opporunity is still going, and landed in 2004

Seeing those color pictures of Mars in the link... i can't help but feel excited seeing pictures of ANOTHER PLANET directly from the ground. Even if its just craters and empty fields. Seems surreal. Kinda sad to know that we'll probably never see humans going there in our lifetime, or not until all us 20-30 years old are grandpas.

Opportunity's camera seems to be getting old though, all that blue & green mixed in the 2012 pictures are not a good sign. Good thing the new guy is almost there.

[Mackenzie 92]

Landing System Drop Test

Wow, that doesn't really inspire confidence.

Wonder why they went with such a complicated multi-process landing. Don't they know the golden rule of engineering, as little moving parts as possible = less to go wrong. With this, if there is even one hiccup, it's game over man.

[FACE]

Fuck yeah! Mine too: *It's my real name on the rover.

I missed it :(

[Bisnic]

Sunset on Mars.

So cool. Now i want to know how the sun looks like from Mercury. It must be awesome. Did they ever try, or showed interest in sending a rover on that planet or is it too hot for the thing to survive?

[Forsete]

I extended my vacation in part to watch the landing. This can not be missed.

Please be successful!

[Fenderputty]

I saw this at JPL in pasadena during their last open house. They were about to send it off to FLorida for the final cleaning and launch.

Very impressive engineering accomplishment.

[Partial Gamification]

Did they ever try, or showed interest in sending a rover on that planet or is it too hot for the thing to survive?

The Messenger probe was put into orbit around the planet. No rovers, not much atmosphere for an impressive sunset.
Rendition:

[Bisnic]

The Messenger probe was put into orbit around the planet. No rovers, not much atmosphere for an impressive sunset. Rendition:

I don't really care about a sunset since i know Mercury barely have an atmosphere to begin with, but just getting someday a picture coming from some rover on Mercury's ground with the giant sun in the sky would be pretty epic. It would probably remind me a lot of some Mass Effect 1 skyboxes.

But NASA seems more interested in Mars than any other planets. Even Venus seems to be ignored, but i guess its just impossible to send something there with what's going on on the surface.

[NinjaFridge]

I am SO excited for this. My name is engraved on it :D

Mine too. I can't find the certificate but I still have the number.

[Partial Gamification]

But NASA seems more interested in Mars than any other planets. Even Venus seems to be ignored, but i guess its just impossible to send something there with what's going on on the surface.

Well, deciding between the closest two planets from Earth, Mars provides more science with current technology. Tough decisions are made in those budget meetings. A Venus rover is not impossible, just not practical, today.

[timetokill]

That's awesome! How did that end up happening?

They had a web thing (that you are seeing posted by a bunch of people now, awesome guys!)

But my signature is also on it. I went to NASA JPL's open house and they had paper you could write on (real paper dudes) that they were going to convert as well. So my name is probably on that thing like 3 times, actually!

[Orayn]

Looks like Opportunity will no longer be alone on the red planet. RIP Spirit.

The arrival of this massive thing to carry on the work of Spirit and Opportunity... The drama! It's like a shonen anime of SCIENCE.

[Bisnic]

Well, deciding between the closest two planets from Earth, Mars provides more science with current technology. Tough decisions are made in those budget meetings. A Venus rover is not impossible, just not practical, today.

Yeah i know Mars makes more sense these days with current technology, and i bet a Venus rover wouldnt able to see shit down there with all the strong winds, duststorms, thick clouds and whatever else is happening on this planet.

[Tom_Cody]

Still my beating heart

[Tom_Cody]

Sunset on Mars.

I have that framed. I love that image.

[Omegasquash]

Yeah i know Mars makes more sense these days with current technology, and i bet a Venus rover wouldnt able to see shit down there with all the strong winds, duststorms, thick clouds and whatever else is happening on this planet.

Isn't the surface temp of Venus around 900 degrees or something? Getting something down there that doesn't melt in a few moments, let alone work, would be a awesome.

[andylsun]

that sunset is amazing.

Full size pic here - http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/image...ature_347.html

[ConfusingJazz]

I don't really care about a sunset since i know Mercury barely have an atmosphere to begin with, but just getting someday a picture coming from some rover on Mercury's ground with the giant sun in the sky would be pretty epic. It would probably remind me a lot of some Mass Effect 1 skyboxes. But NASA seems more interested in Mars than any other planets. Even Venus seems to be ignored, but i guess its just impossible to send something there with what's going on on the surface.

You get more bang for your buck on Mars. Anything you try to land on Venus will die in a matter of minutes with current technology.

[Chichikov]

Isn't the surface temp of Venus around 900 degrees or something? Getting something down there that doesn't melt in a few moments, let alone work, would be a awesome.

Sounds like a job for 70s soviet engineering!



It did melt in a few moments, but it was still awesome.
The main thing limiting the amount of pictures we have is issues with camera lens cap, which they couldn't really solve.
For real.

[Log4Girlz]

Sounds like a job for 70s soviet engineering! It did melt in a few moments, but it was still awesome. The main thing limiting the amount of pictures we have is issues with camera lens cap, which they couldn't really solve. For real.

Didn't that last like 10 minutes?

NM, didn't scroll down far enough haha.

[ConfusingJazz]

Sounds like a job for 70s soviet engineering!

Which were promptly crushed in 2 hours.

That's a lot of money to burn for 2 hours.

[Falifax]

I am looking forward to that moment, this thread will explode.

[Indrid Cold1]

I have just had a blissful geek-out moment hearing the mass effect star map music on the Horizon documentary on Curiosity that's on BBC right now :)

Edit: now the illusive Man's theme as well, fucking awesome, so fitting.

[Mackenzie 92]

You get more bang for your buck on Mars. Anything you try to land on Venus will die in a matter of minutes with current technology.

Isn't the surface temp of Venus around 900 degrees or something? Getting something down there that doesn't melt in a few moments, let alone work, would be a awesome.

900 degrees really isn't that much, we have coatings that can insulate that much now, and that's available for commercial use.

As for the pressure, it's only about as much as going down 1k in the ocean, so definitely manageable.

NASA has just had a hardon for Mars for so long; much to their detriment as people have gotten bored. We should have focused on Venus, Titan and Europa. All challenges that would have advanced technology and kept the public interested and the funding coming in.

[msv]

NASA has just had a hardon for Mars for so long; much to their detriment as people have gotten bored. We should have focused on Venus, Titan and Europa. All challenges that would have advanced technology and kept the public interested and the funding coming in.

Aw yeah, you had me at Venus <3 Can't agree more. Venus is so much more interesting, Titan as well. Europa is the most exciting one to me, but getting down there, that is one big hurdle to overcome.

[orientalNoodle]

900 degrees really isn't that much, we have coatings that can insulate that much now, and that's available for commercial use. As for the pressure, it's only about as much as going down 1k in the ocean, so definitely manageable. NASA has just had a hardon for Mars for so long; much to their detriment as people have gotten bored. We should have focused on Venus, Titan and Europa. All challenges that would have advanced technology and kept the public interested and the funding coming in.

Cant focus on all these planets and moons with a limited budget. However, Titan + Europa are more intriguing to me than Mars.

[Fenderputty]

900 degrees really isn't that much, we have coatings that can insulate that much now, and that's available for commercial use. As for the pressure, it's only about as much as going down 1k in the ocean, so definitely manageable. NASA has just had a hardon for Mars for so long; much to their detriment as people have gotten bored. We should have focused on Venus, Titan and Europa. All challenges that would have advanced technology and kept the public interested and the funding coming in.

I don't know about the details here, but those two by themselves aren't all that challenging. Combining both high temps and pressures together creates more issues that neither of your examples deal with though. The materials capable of handling those pressures at 1K down in the ocean would behave completely different when heated to 900F.

[Clevinger]

Wow, that doesn't really inspire confidence. Wonder why they went with such a complicated multi-process landing. Don't they know the golden rule of engineering, as little moving parts as possible = less to go wrong. With this, if there is even one hiccup, it's game over man.

They had a simpler landing process, but they had to change it since this rover weighs so much.

[ConfusingJazz]

I don't know about the details here, but those two by themselves aren't all that challenging. Combining both high temps and pressures together creates more issues that neither of your examples deal with though. The materials capable of handling those pressures at 1K down in the ocean would behave completely different when heated to 900F.

And fit for interplanetary travel.

And interplanetary communication.