Nasa mars landing live

[billy123]

Nasa mars lander curiosity is due to touch down at around 6:30 am (uk time) and nasa will be covering the descent and landing live from the control centre which can be seen at:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/ustream.html

The rover weighs a metric tonne and is the size of a mini after being slowed by a huge parachute the lander attached to a jet powered crane will be jettisoned and will descend and hover 20ft above the surface then lower the rover to a pre-chosen site in a crater at the base of a mountain.

The descent has been dubbed 7 minutes of terror and is completely automated by the time nasa gets the signal that it has started to hit the atmosphere the rover will be on the surface either functioning or smashed to bits.

Looking forward to this it should be good.
7 minutes of terror video here.

Ki_Af_o9Q9s

[lostalex]

Good luck Curiosity!!

[Omah]

Far out, man ..... :cool:

[billy123]

Separation confirmed it is now falling towards the martian atmosphere.

The landing system looks crazily complicated it has to be because of the rovers size but if it works then just wow.

[Shaun]

parachute's working & it's decelerating

[billy123]

Live telemetry being received and indicates the capsule is on target and making a controlled fall through the martian atmosphere.

Parachute deployment confirmed :D

[Shaun]

it landed :amazed:

[billy123]

That was just amazing.

[billy123]

Just waiting for a data signal from the rover now it will also take a picture within 2 mins of landing and send it back via the orbiter.

[billy123]

Holy cow pictures already arriving from the surface of mars.

[Shaun]

oh a good-resolution pic :amazed:

[billy123]

Its tweeting aww bless:

Curiosity Rover ‏@MarsCuriosity
I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!! #MSL

$2.5 billion and its sat on twitter like the rest of us :hugesmile:

https://p.twimg.com/Azl7LXOCUAAJT5z.jpg

[Shaun]

:laugh2:

[billy123]

Heres the 2 photos the rover uploaded they are low res black and white designed just to confirm that the thing is upright and that the coms are working they now start hours of tests but this thing when up and running will produce some stunning images and data i cant wait.
Spirit and opportunity did some amazing stuff but the things this could be about to reveal are just mind boggling.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v601/bobnot/curiosity.jpg

[lostalex]

awesome!! Mitt Romney start paying your taxes so we can keep NASA doing great stuff like this!!

[billy123]

awesome!! Mitt Romney start paying your taxes so we can keep NASA doing great stuff like this!!Not really interested in the political implications to be honest alex thats not rocket science.

Just impressed by the scientific leap here a 1 tonne load being safely delivered to the martian surface is incredible the work that the machine is capable of is incredible the implications of this landing system working is possibly the most eye opening implication of this mission.

**** your small minded internal politics.

[Omah]

Just brilliant ..... :cheer2:

[arista]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/06/article-2184070-14668946000005DC-978_634x425.jpg

[lostalex]

Not really interested in the political implications to be honest alex thats not rocket science.

Just impressed by the scientific leap here a 1 tonne load being safely delivered to the martian surface is incredible the work that the machine is capable of is incredible the implications of this landing system working is possibly the most eye opening implication of this mission.

**** your small minded internal politics.

small minded internal politics? how do you intend on NASA getting it's funds then? Richard Branson and other private spavce firms arn't doing stuff lie this, they are only interested in tourism and profits. It's the American tax payers doing this amazing science.

Small minded internal politics? think before you speak.

[billy123]

small minded internal politics? how do you intend on NASA getting it's funds then? Richard Branson and other private spavce firms arn't doing stuff lie this, they are only interested in tourism and profits. It's the American tax payers doing this amazing science.

Small minded internal politics? think before you speak.your stinking up yet another thread for no reason.

[Munchkins]

Very very exciting this is :)

[Roy Mars III]

so amazing

[Jordan.]

That tweet :joker:

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19150849

A spectacular image of the Curiosity rover descending to the surface of Mars on its parachute has been obtained by an overflying satellite.

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter played a key role in Monday's (GMT) historic landing by recording telemetry from the robot as it approached the ground.

But Nasa also tasked it with trying to get a picture of the new arrival.

The rover - also known as the Mars Science Laboratory, MSL - is seen when still inside its protective shell.

Moments after this image was acquired, the vehicle would have dropped out of the capsule to ride its rocket-powered crane to the base of Gale Crater, its landing location.

The remarkable feat repeats MRO's effort in 2008 when it also managed to sight the incoming Phoenix lander.

Its prime instrument for the purpose is the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRise).

"This image was taken six minutes after MSL entered the atmosphere, and MRO was about 340km away from MSL at the time the picture was taken," said Sarah Milkovich, one of the scientists on the camera instrument.

"You can see the lines on the parachute; you can see the hole on the top.

"HiRISE has taken over 120 pictures of Gale as part of the landing site selection and characterisation process, but I really think this is the coolest one."

[billy123]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19150849That picture is amazing just the fact that there is now such a presence on mars that another satelite that was passing managed to snap that is stunning.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62085000/jpg/_62085970_para_nasa_624.jpg

[Patrick]

Would just like to mention - some of you may remember this, although most of the TiBBers involved aren't around anymore.

A few years ago, I put my name down for this - they were doing some thing where Nasa would write the names of everyone who signed up, down and send them up onto Mars, with this rover in this mission.

Made a thread on TiBB and a whole bunch of us got involved and sent our names to NASA on their site.

Looks like it's finally happened.

[Locke.]

You will be the people the aliens kill first

[GypsyGoth]

You will be the people the aliens kill first

:laugh2:

[Shaun]

fingers crossed

[reece(:]

I find things like this so exciting, science is such a genuine interest to me.

[Shaun]

first colour photo:

https://p.twimg.com/AztM76OCIAEM_4b.jpg

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19172564

Nasa has used one of its satellites to image the Curiosity rover on Mars.

The picture shows not only the six-wheeled vehicle, but also all the components of its discarded landing system.

These items include the heatshield, the parachute and backshell of the entry capsule, and the skycrane that lowered the rover to the surface.

The image was acquired by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter from 300km and at an oblique angle of 41 degrees.