Seven Minutes of Terror

[cdh]

Curiosity planned touchdown just a few weeks away, best of luck to the mission crew, such a complex landing sequence...Curiosity is the size of a car, much larger than the previous rovers. Dare Mighty Things

[Slowhands]

Wow. Complex is an understatement. That's like the Rube Goldberg of landing sequences. I don't think a sci-fi writer could come up with that in a hundred years.

I sure hope it works. Complexity is a tough mistress. We're way beyond mere robustness here.

If everything goes as planned without throwing up enough dust to screw up the instruments, it will definitely say something about our autonomous machine capabilities, and I honestly don't think anything is beyond human engineering capability, ever.

Keep us posted as the time draws near. I don't want to miss this.

[GregS]

Originally Posted by Slowhands

Wow. Complex is an understatement. That's like the Rube Goldberg of landing sequences. I don't think a sci-fi writer could come up with that in a hundred years.

I sure hope it works. Complexity is a tough mistress. We're way beyond mere robustness here.

If everything goes as planned without throwing up enough dust to screw up the instruments, it will definitely say something about our autonomous machine capabilities, and I honestly don't think anything is beyond human engineering capability, ever.

Keep us posted as the time draws near. I don't want to miss this.

they should have this on tv...

[cdh]

Originally Posted by Slowhands

Wow. Complex is an understatement.
Keep us posted as the time draws near. I don't want to miss this.

Agree, have been scratching my head about this choice for a couple years now, seems so ridiculously complex, best of luck to the mission crew. To follow, here is FB link ... Link to NASA TV - a good one to bookmark. There are 3D simulators you can DL also to follow a sim mission.

[ninjabiker98]

When I first read the 7 min of terror I thought they were talking about the time when you screw the pooch on a SB car and the instructor is trying to find you and get your signature on the damage estimate!.......ninja

[dalyduo]

Now THAT'S funny...

Originally Posted by ninjabiker98

When I first read the 7 min of terror I thought they were talking about the time when you screw the pooch on a SB car and the instructor is trying to find you and get your signature on the damage estimate!.......ninja

[cdh]

So happy for this crew, what an achievement. I think hearing "we are decelerating" after the Mach 1.7 chute deployment got me more than even the touchdown...well, almost
Nice edit of the animation and JPL feed...

[cdh]

Tweets from SarcasticRover Feed

[lz2lps]

Here are recordings of the briefings
http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

This one starts and ends with the above mentioned edit with the animation and JPL feed:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/24520129

[cdh]

From the FB group "I F**king Love Science." What a crapstorm this joke started, people gotta lighten up..



and my reply

[Rosso]

First photo from Curiosity:

[Slowhands]

[dalyduo]

Love it

Nerdy hip... Who knew they had it in 'em.

What's cool about this is that it shifts the exploration of space to a new generation. NASA had been kind of locked into the old mold of the original astronauts and Space Shuttle. This project and hopefully others like it will nurture curious scientific minds to look to the stars and planets again.

Great to see a new generation on board.

[Slowhands]

FYI, the vid was not made by NASA/JPL, but by an independent company trying to carve a YT channel niche devoted to creating entertaining vids re: current events. But it turns out they had some inside help. Story here:

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/cu...hat-rover.html

Having said that, agree with Pat that it is clear evidence that the Curiosity mission has huge potential to drive youth and general cultural interest in science, by making stars out of a new generation of post-60's science geeks who think personal expression of style can be a part of scientific creativity in the context of close-tolerance, high-risk, big-budget government space exploration. Mohawk guy and Elvis guy have brought new cool to NASA, showing the country that you can be smart, highly competent, creative, and have a little fun at the same time. Out with the black mil-spec glasses, pocket protectors, and crew cuts of the 60's, in with rock'n'roll...

[cdh]

More fun from the www

[cdh]

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[cdh]

Wheel wiggle - no word on when they're moving to slicks