Space missions (mars/comet)

[Daniel]

Some interesting stuff I found...

_________________
(from wikipedia)

Description:
Deep Impact's flyby spacecraft shows the flash that occurred when comet Tempel 1 ran over the spacecraft's impactor probe. It was taken by the flyby craft's High Resolution Instrument, Visual CCD camera (HRIV) over a period of about 40 seconds. Black borders are the result of Image stabilization.
_________________

from 2005

That impactor weighs 372 kg, impact-speed of 10,3 km/s (about 37.000 kilometers per hour or 23,000 mph)

1.96 ? 1010 joules of kinetic energy?the equivalent of 4.7 (german wiki says 4,5) tons of TNT


short amazing GIF animation (watch it several times): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...RIV_Impact.gif


Seems like a nuke-flash to me...

__________________________________________________ __________
__________________________________________________ __________

And the MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) mission.

It (MSL) had a total launch mass, including the rockets that lifted it away from Earth, of about 531,000 kilograms (1.17 million pounds).

Included is the 900 kg heavy rover "Curiosity" (started in november, will arrive in august this year):
[Landing: Aug. 5, 2012 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT/Aug. 6 UTC)]


Get ready for lift-off...




The mission (1st time ever that they try this landing system!!!):




and a bit more details (contains material from clip above):

Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) Mission Animation - YouTube


This is what they do (LOL look at that pic! The guy's face...):




Also check this clip out (The basics... -.- xD Funny how it's made in that easy-style :P):





Make sure to watch (at least!) the nice animation @ ~2:24 (after she talked):




This is what it will go like on August 5. (hopefully): Cruising with Curiosity: Landing Practice - YouTube

Here you find its current location (not that easy to understand, those pics): Mars Science Laboratory: Where is Curiosity?

Most interesting for understanding from those 4 pics is imo this one: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/images/spac...msl_today2.jpg

______



Check out their apps: Mobile Apps - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory xD (dunno though if all for free, just check it)

Feel free to sign-up for their newsletter, you can check only the few sections you want (I checked the complete "Science and Missions"-section): http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/email/signup.cfm (and be honest about the two things you tick in the lower part of the options! I mean, be honest if student or whatever, and if modest or high interest in that stuff.)

Subscribe to their YT channel: JPLnews - YouTube
And Facebook: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) - Government Organization - Pasadena, CA | Facebook

[Daniel]

Don't miss it, just 13 hours left (check the countdown here, right side: NASA - Mars Science Laboratory, the Next Mars Rover) for MSL Curiosity Rover landing...


NASA public TV (always streaming sth.):

NASA Public, Ustream.TV: If you are watching from a mobile device or slower connection, watch the Mobile Feed for NASA Television Here NASA TV airs a ...

JPL (will stream landing):

MSL Prelanding Update and Landing Overview, This news briefing discussed the current status of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft and what to expect...

[Xavo|xXx]

About 2mins away from touchdown!

Touchdown confirmed, that's great news! Got goosebumps watching the livestream...

[Sidewinder Zulu]

First pics just came back from the surface!



Great day for the American space program, and human spaceflight as a whole. Every one of these missions takes us a little further into the galaxy than before.

[Daniel]

Oh yes...

Livestream online right now right here: http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

[Zeno]

Hope the success at landing on mars will result in increased space exploration! and colonies!

[[R-DEV]Rudd]

Originally Posted by Zeno

Hope the success at landing on mars will result in increased space exploration! and colonies!

Can only hope, I agree with NT Degrasse that the space program encourages advancement of science and engineering far beyond just the scope of the space program.

Can't wait to see the colour pictures when they get the big camera out

[Cassius]

Will be a long time before a mission to Mars is possible. There is a significant radiation Hazzard. A Solar flare would insta wipe a crew. Maybe a spacecraft can be assembled in stages, in orbit, to make it possible to have a craft with sufficient shielding. Or you build a rocket that makes the Saturn V look like a toy.

[cyberzomby]

But how did they do it when going to the moon? Or walking on the moon. Can you protect solar flares?

[Brainlaag]

Originally Posted by cyberzomby

But how did they do it when going to the moon? Or walking on the moon. Can you protect solar flares?

Its mostly about the length of the journey, while a trip to the moon is quite short, solar activity etc. can be determined but over the course of multiple years (travel to mars, exploration and return), these factors cannot be calculated precisely enough to ensure safety. Although there are far bigger problems than radiation.