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The Mars Lander

Prince Of DorknessPrince Of Dorkness Posts: 3,763
edited August 2012 in A Moving Train
I'm having a blast watching all the stuff about it and the pictures from it.

One of my best friends in a rocket scientist for Nasa so I've been hearing about this for ages but it's exciting to see it all roll out.

Anyone else watching this?
I can't drive without Pearl Jam
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • hedonisthedonist Posts: 24,524
    Ten years in the making! I caught an interesting pre-landing segment on the news over the weekend - the meticulousness of each step taken beforehand, and how everything is precisely controlled, except for the one thing uncontrollable - the weather.

    (I also find it kinda sweet that JPL has a tradition of eating peanuts during events like this)
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    The first image has been beamed back...



    526538_339783626106277_276543195_n.jpg
  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave West Chester, PA Posts: 42,249
    unsung wrote:
    The first image has been beamed back...



    526538_339783626106277_276543195_n.jpg

    255240_504332439596214_1147023620_n.jpg
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  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    Nope...
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • whygohomewhygohome Posts: 2,305
    Amazing stuff.
    It's too bad that people don't look up at the stars any more, instead we watch them dance on TV.....

    Also, it is strange to live in a country where science is ridiculed by some in power....strange
  • Godfather.Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    unsung wrote:
    The first image has been beamed back...



    526538_339783626106277_276543195_n.jpg


    http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/08/ ... ters-mars/


    Godfather.
  • Godfather.Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    I have wondered if this mars mobil space station could leave seeds of common plants or weeds behind just too see what happens ???

    Godfather.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,156
    Godfather. wrote:
    I have wondered if this mars mobil space station could leave seeds of common plants or weeds behind just too see what happens ???

    Godfather.
    Even if liquid water existed, Mar's lack of a proper magnetic field is not conducive of supporting life. It has no way of protecting itself from the Suns radiation and solar winds.
    Be Excellent To Each Other
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  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    edited August 2012
    My daughter a science major went to the Mars landing party at GA Tech Sunday night ...
    she had great fun!

    I love it and am anxious to learn more of what it will send to us...
    the thought that perhaps we came from folks on Mars is all intriguing to me :mrgreen:
    Post edited by pandora on
  • Godfather.Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    Jason P wrote:
    Godfather. wrote:
    I have wondered if this mars mobil space station could leave seeds of common plants or weeds behind just too see what happens ???

    Godfather.
    Even if liquid water existed, Mar's lack of a proper magnetic field is not conducive of supporting life. It has no way of protecting itself from the Suns radiation and solar winds.

    wow ! thanks for that answer.

    Godfather.
  • Cliffy6745Cliffy6745 Posts: 33,897
    Man, I hate to be debbie downer and I get the benefit of science and space exploration but in a time like this with the unemployment rate over 8% and more importantly our educational system in the fucking dumps, does it make sense to spend $2.5 billion on this.

    Awesome stuff, I just wish our priorities were with fixing the inequality and issues with our school system.
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Florida Posts: 10,219
    Prince Of Dorkness wrote:
    I'm having a blast watching all the stuff about it and the pictures from it.

    One of my best friends in a rocket scientist for Nasa so I've been hearing about this for ages but it's exciting to see it all roll out.

    Anyone else watching this?

    I love this stuff Prince. Its amazing to me the technology behind it and the possibilities.
    Every now and then I think this too though:
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Man, I hate to be debbie downer and I get the benefit of science and space exploration but in a time like this with the unemployment rate over 8% and more importantly our educational system in the fucking dumps, does it make sense to spend $2.5 billion on this.

    Awesome stuff, I just wish our priorities were with fixing the inequality and issues with our school system.
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    I'd like to have seen the $2.6 billion dollars this thing cost go toward something like feeding the world's hungry.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,156
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Man, I hate to be debbie downer and I get the benefit of science and space exploration but in a time like this with the unemployment rate over 8% and more importantly our educational system in the fucking dumps, does it make sense to spend $2.5 billion on this.

    Awesome stuff, I just wish our priorities were with fixing the inequality and issues with our school system.
    When I see $40B go to gas and oil subsidies ... fuck yes.

    This is an educational experiment as well.

    We also need to understand why the US spends $12K per student and Canada spends $5K per student and they rank ahead of the US in education.
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    Jason P wrote:
    We also need to understand why the US spends $12K per student and Canada spends $5K per student and they rank ahead of the US in education.

    I'd say the answer is pretty obvious - our government oversees education and that drives up the cost and reduces the effectiveness and efficiency by a large margin.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam Posts: 139,721
    i just search for a thread,before i start a new one..
    that was so cool
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  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,156
    know1 wrote:
    Jason P wrote:
    We also need to understand why the US spends $12K per student and Canada spends $5K per student and they rank ahead of the US in education.

    I'd say the answer is pretty obvious - our government oversees education and that drives up the cost and reduces the effectiveness and efficiency by a large margin.
    I think it's because we rely on the internet for information instead of this guy nowadays ..

    thumbnail.aspx?q=4587936290440096&id=2389db74ff32fa78fced206a6e620bab
    :mrgreen:
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • Cliffy6745Cliffy6745 Posts: 33,897
    Jason P wrote:
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Man, I hate to be debbie downer and I get the benefit of science and space exploration but in a time like this with the unemployment rate over 8% and more importantly our educational system in the fucking dumps, does it make sense to spend $2.5 billion on this.

    Awesome stuff, I just wish our priorities were with fixing the inequality and issues with our school system.
    When I see $40B go to gas and oil subsidies ... fuck yes.

    This is an educational experiment as well.

    We also need to understand why the US spends $12K per student and Canada spends $5K per student and they rank ahead of the US in education.

    Yeah, I hear you on that and I don't disagree. I just have mixed feelings, I mean, how are we going to fix the educational system if it isn't an absolute priority and from the educational cuts, it clearly isn't. I think these missions are great but I also think there is a time and place for them.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,156
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Yeah, I hear you on that and I don't disagree. I just have mixed feelings, I mean, how are we going to fix the educational system if it isn't an absolute priority and from the educational cuts, it clearly isn't. I think these missions are great but I also think there is a time and place for them.
    I hope that this would spur interest in a young person's mind, but kids today probably would give this a 15 second lookover and find it boring and go back to playing Angry Birds. Heck, most kids growing up in urban centers don't even know what it looks like looking up at the stars and the Milky Way on a dark night in the country. Most adults probably forget as well ... I remember hiking in the Sierra Nevada's a decade ago and being stunned when waking up at 2am and looking up at the sky.

    The days of kids dreaming of going to Space Camp may be over, but hopefully this project will inspire a few young minds.
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • Cliffy6745Cliffy6745 Posts: 33,897
    Jason P wrote:
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Yeah, I hear you on that and I don't disagree. I just have mixed feelings, I mean, how are we going to fix the educational system if it isn't an absolute priority and from the educational cuts, it clearly isn't. I think these missions are great but I also think there is a time and place for them.
    I hope that this would spur interest in a young person's mind, but kids today probably would give this a 15 second lookover and find it boring and go back to playing Angry Birds. Heck, most kids growing up in urban centers don't even know what it looks like looking up at the stars and the Milky Way on a dark night in the country. Most adults probably forget as well ... I remember hiking in the Sierra Nevada's a decade ago and being stunned when waking up at 2am and looking up at the sky.

    The days of kids dreaming of going to Space Camp may be over, but hopefully this project will inspire a few young minds.

    I agree. But in my mind this all comes back to education. Whether the kids don't have the opportunity, have piss poor teachers and are just uninterested or are raised that way because of a lack of education on their parents part. I just feel like this needs to be a priority right, especially with schools closing all over the country.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    know1 wrote:
    Jason P wrote:
    We also need to understand why the US spends $12K per student and Canada spends $5K per student and they rank ahead of the US in education.

    I'd say the answer is pretty obvious - our government oversees education and that drives up the cost and reduces the effectiveness and efficiency by a large margin.
    Our government oversees the education in Canada as well...
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • Prince Of DorknessPrince Of Dorkness Posts: 3,763
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Man, I hate to be debbie downer and I get the benefit of science and space exploration but in a time like this with the unemployment rate over 8% and more importantly our educational system in the fucking dumps, does it make sense to spend $2.5 billion on this.

    Awesome stuff, I just wish our priorities were with fixing the inequality and issues with our school system.

    People like you annoy me.

    Oh... you have no problem using your iPhones with GPS technology and drinking your filtered water or using your cordless power drills... ignorant that all of that technology was made for the space program.

    You brag about your scratch resistant glasses, enjoy a movie streamed on the internet and occasionally have a freeze-dried bowl of Rammen noodles for a snack... ignorant that THAT was all developed for the space program.

    You use your LED flashlights, ear thermometers on your baby, fly in planes in the winter treated with anti-icing agents, drive on Radial tires, feed your baby enriched baby food, sleep on a memory foam bed and thrill as you watch athletes use their prothetic limbs... ignorant of how ALL of that and a lot more was designed for the space program.




    But it doesn't bug you nearly as much that we've spent almost 1400 TIMES as much (1.3 TRILLION) on two pointless wars in the middle east or that we give 40 Billion in "subsidies" to the oil industry that turns billions in profits every year.

    Or that American women spent more on Chap Stick last year.

    No wonder girls all gave up wanting to be astronauts and instead want to grow up to be Kim Kardashian. :fp:
    I can't drive without Pearl Jam
  • ShawshankShawshank Posts: 1,018
    I understand the reason why some people complain about this, but like POD said...nearly all of our technology is derived from the space program.

    What's always been fascinating to me is what it took to go to the moon back in 1969 (besides an epic set of stones). Our cell phones have more computing power than the entire Apollo flights combined. It's just amazing to me. I don't play around much on the computer, but one of the coolest things I find myself geeking out to every now and then is a simulator called Orbiter. You can recreate the entire Apollo program...every flight...and it's all based on the actual programming that was used for those flights. It's super hard core nerdville, and not easy at all...but if you're wanting to get at least a relatively accurate play-by-play along with some fairly decent graphics, it's worth the free download.

    http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/gallery_amso.html
  • Cliffy6745Cliffy6745 Posts: 33,897
    Prince Of Dorkness wrote:
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Man, I hate to be debbie downer and I get the benefit of science and space exploration but in a time like this with the unemployment rate over 8% and more importantly our educational system in the fucking dumps, does it make sense to spend $2.5 billion on this.

    Awesome stuff, I just wish our priorities were with fixing the inequality and issues with our school system.

    People like you annoy me.

    Oh... you have no problem using your iPhones with GPS technology and drinking your filtered water or using your cordless power drills... ignorant that all of that technology was made for the space program.

    You brag about your scratch resistant glasses, enjoy a movie streamed on the internet and occasionally have a freeze-dried bowl of Rammen noodles for a snack... ignorant that THAT was all developed for the space program.

    You use your LED flashlights, ear thermometers on your baby, fly in planes in the winter treated with anti-icing agents, drive on Radial tires, feed your baby enriched baby food, sleep on a memory foam bed and thrill as you watch athletes use their prothetic limbs... ignorant of how ALL of that and a lot more was designed for the space program.




    But it doesn't bug you nearly as much that we've spent almost 1400 TIMES as much (1.3 TRILLION) on two pointless wars in the middle east or that we give 40 Billion in "subsidies" to the oil industry that turns billions in profits every year.

    Or that American women spent more on Chap Stick last year.

    No wonder girls all gave up wanting to be astronauts and instead want to grow up to be Kim Kardashian. :fp:

    Hell of a stereotype. There are about 4 things on this list that I do but stereotype away. I am not fine with the wars or oil subsidies a little bit and I'd love to have a space program we can brag about and utilize for the technology above. But more than that, I would love an educational system where everyone has the same opportunities to become an astronaut.
  • g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
    I'm just glad as hell the Lander landed safely and all appears to be well so far. I hope something significant is found even though it took quite a bit of funding to set this exploration in to motion. I wish it well...rock on cause apparently this lander has it's own twitter account and sends pictures back to that account. Amazing!

    http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la- ... 0806105336

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  • Godfather.Godfather. Posts: 12,504
    http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/slidesho ... es#slide=1

    Godfather.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,156
    Prince Of Dorkness wrote:
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Man, I hate to be debbie downer and I get the benefit of science and space exploration but in a time like this with the unemployment rate over 8% and more importantly our educational system in the fucking dumps, does it make sense to spend $2.5 billion on this.

    Awesome stuff, I just wish our priorities were with fixing the inequality and issues with our school system.

    People like you annoy me.

    Oh... you have no problem using your iPhones with GPS technology and drinking your filtered water or using your cordless power drills... ignorant that all of that technology was made for the space program.

    You brag about your scratch resistant glasses, enjoy a movie streamed on the internet and occasionally have a freeze-dried bowl of Rammen noodles for a snack... ignorant that THAT was all developed for the space program.

    You use your LED flashlights, ear thermometers on your baby, fly in planes in the winter treated with anti-icing agents, drive on Radial tires, feed your baby enriched baby food, sleep on a memory foam bed and thrill as you watch athletes use their prothetic limbs... ignorant of how ALL of that and a lot more was designed for the space program.
    Although I agree with the benefits you pointed out that can be attributed to the space program, it could have been more tactfully presented.

    Like if Obama wants my vote and is presenting why his method is the best way, I don't want him to start off addressing my by saying, "Listen here D-bag, first off, you suck ...". Starting off with "My fellow Americans" is a much better approach.
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • Prince Of DorknessPrince Of Dorkness Posts: 3,763
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    Hell of a stereotype. There are about 4 things on this list that I do but stereotype away. I am not fine with the wars or oil subsidies a little bit and I'd love to have a space program we can brag about and utilize for the technology above. But more than that, I would love an educational system where everyone has the same opportunities to become an astronaut.

    I'm not saying you do all those, but I'm sure you do many and MANY more that I didn't list. Countless devices in your home are built using technology developed for the space program.

    I would also like an educational system where everyone has the same opportunities to be an astronaut. Which... if there's no space program, would be a little pointless. ya know?

    However... I probably shouldn't have done my "bite like a rabid dog first, ask questions later" thing so... sorry for that.


    (it should also be pointed out that we lose over 70 Billion dollars per year thanks to the tax-exempt status of churches who often take that money and build castles and shrines for themselves and fun political candidates. So maybe there's a better place to direct some ire.)
    I can't drive without Pearl Jam
  • Prince Of DorknessPrince Of Dorkness Posts: 3,763
    Jason P wrote:
    Like if Obama wants my vote and is presenting why his method is the best way, I don't want him to start off addressing my by saying, "Listen here D-bag, first off, you suck ...". Starting off with "My fellow Americans" is a much better approach.

    Reason #237 that I will never be president.
    I can't drive without Pearl Jam
  • lukin2006lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    Is 70 b. how much the church's get out of paying taxes? Holy shit. That's some messed up.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
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