Curiosity on Mars

Stele wrote:

I wouldn't complain about the Olympic money. All countries coming together in peaceful cooperation and competition is a good thing.

But yeah... compared to our defense/war spending, NASA budget is sad. But maybe a P&C topic would be appropriate, if there already isn't one? :?

Debatable, and I think it's more about the distribution of those funds. P&C territory, but those billions would go a long way to destroying global poverty, rather than allowing sports endorsements to fight it out via lucrative satellite feeds...

/derail.

Back to science, and space awesomeness.

Hypatian wrote:

IMAGE(http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/551091_10152013157770078_1248162667_n.jpg)

YOU'RE A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY!

Man, this was so exciting! I had actually gone to bed and set the alarm to wake up. My wife, who knew I wanted to see this but didn't know about the alarm, actually stayed up to wake me up at the right time. Best. Wife. Ever.

Sooooo stoked. I can't wait for more pictures. Following Curiosity's twitter feed for picture love! So impatient. Want more!

So not only was this the first full science lab sent to another planet, but the first nuclear-powered wheeled vehicle ever built.

Six-wheeled, nuclear powered interplanetary science lab. Eat your heart out, Batmobile.

I'm so happy to find out everything went so well! Science is amazing.

This made me so happy. I was watching at my desk and teared up a little.

Hurray! And I want to quote the earlier image, because it shows so well the increase in size and capability (and difficulty of landing) of this rover compared to previous missions:

General Crespin wrote:

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/FdzQB.jpg)

IMAGE(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/curiosity.png)

I fell asleep at 1:25

I watched the whole thing live and it gave me chills. Even this morning I'm looked at the news and I can't help thinking "holy crap, they actually pulled this off".

It's even more insane when you consider that it took months just to get there. Stunning

Blind_Evil wrote:

I fell asleep at 1:25 :cry:

12:30 for me

What saddens me the most is when I talk to some of my family and people at work about it and they seem so nonchalant about it. Has everyone become so jaded? Some people even said why would we spend some of our tax dolars on this? When I explain to them about how much new technology stems from this, they again seem unimpressed.

We put a giant car sized robot on Mars without it breaking! Thats amazing! What is wrong with people? I think America in general needs to get excited about space again.

Tanglebones wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

I fell asleep at 1:25 :cry:

12:30 for me :(

(((hugs)))

This might help, one of the first official release shots, now the dust cap is off.

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cat...

Sorry for the link, no direct embedding from NASA.

I can't not post this.

IMAGE(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/spirit.png)

m0nk3yboy wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

I fell asleep at 1:25 :cry:

12:30 for me :(

(((hugs)))

This might help, one of the first official release shots, now the dust cap is off.

IMAGE(http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA15973)

The Mars Rover has landed.. in an unfinished basement

Yeah, that comic had me tearing up a little the first time I read it. Poor little Spirit rover.

My wife set the alarm to wake up and watch the live stream. I think I was half asleep because I remember cheering and then some gibberish and then "thumbnails!" and more cheering. I'm glad I got to witness it, even though I don't remember much!

I wish I could have been there for that. That would have been an awesome experience.

Holy sh*t.

MRO caught a picture of Curiosity [em]on the chute[/em] during EDL. Unbelievable.

Hypatian wrote:

Holy sh*t.

MRO caught a picture of Curiosity [em]on the chute[/em] during EDL. Unbelievable.

Science, Female Doggoes!

What we can achieve when we set our minds to it is amazing.

I hope this starts a new interest in space exploration and science. We've been in a long drought.

Nevin73 wrote:

What we can achieve when we set our minds to it is amazing.

I hope this starts a new interest in space exploration and science. We've been in a long drought.

+∞

Hypatian wrote:

Holy sh*t.

MRO caught a picture of Curiosity [em]on the chute[/em] during EDL. Unbelievable.

Smaller picture, just because:
IMAGE(http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/673723main_PIA15980-43_800-600.jpg)

TempestBlayze wrote:

What saddens me the most is when I talk to some of my family and people at work about it and they seem so nonchalant about it. Has everyone become so jaded? Some people even said why would we spend some of our tax dolars on this? When I explain to them about how much new technology stems from this, they again seem unimpressed.

At this morning's planetarium show, the high school physics teacher who had gotten the chance to tour JPL and talk with some of the engineers was most impressed by CheMin, the X-Ray diffraction module. The technology in that allows for on-site mineral analysis for geophysicists, identification of counterfeit drugs, and other cool stuff.

If Neil DeGrasse Tyson's enthusiasm and NASA landing a Volkswagon on Mars aren't enough to get people excited, maybe we've crossed some threshold where virtual reality at home is more appealing than the real, risky thing? Or maybe Spirit and Opportunity have just been so successful that people just take Mars for granted now.

I'm glad this thread shows that the excitement for a lot of us isn't gone yet.

MeatMan wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:

What we can achieve when we set our minds to it is amazing.

I hope this starts a new interest in space exploration and science. We've been in a long drought.

+∞

+∞∞

Rallick wrote:
MeatMan wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:

What we can achieve when we set our minds to it is amazing.

I hope this starts a new interest in space exploration and science. We've been in a long drought.

+∞

+∞∞

+∞∞∞

IMAGE(http://thetwist03.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/lycia-naff-total-recall-original1.jpg?w=595)

Rallick wrote:
MeatMan wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:

What we can achieve when we set our minds to it is amazing.

I hope this starts a new interest in space exploration and science. We've been in a long drought.

+∞

+∞∞

+∞∞∞∞

Spaceships should not be going to museums. They should be boldly going.

Tanglebones wrote:
Rallick wrote:
MeatMan wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:

What we can achieve when we set our minds to it is amazing.

I hope this starts a new interest in space exploration and science. We've been in a long drought.

+∞

+∞∞

+∞∞∞

IMAGE(http://thetwist03.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/lycia-naff-total-recall-original1.jpg?w=595)

That looks shopped.