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We're On Mars!!


Cornwalled

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Is anyone else as stoked about the Curiosity dropping the rover successfully on Mars as I am? I stayed up til 2:30 this morning watching the live coverage on my xbox. I had the Tangents hooked up and they gave great clear dialogue. I found myself on the edge of my seat in the lst few minutes as they entered EDL and prepared for the crane.

I'm glad to see the American space program back in the spotlight again. The rover shot back two images within a few mintues of touch down, so it works! I hope they can learn a lot from it. Anyone else into this stuff?

-Jon

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Anyone else into this stuff?

Well, I am on record as saying the only endeavor this country and humans in general engage in that has any significance whatsoever is the space program. If that counts, I guess you could say I am stoked...

In spite of the past two decades program of disengaging the American public from interest in space carried on by both parties I believe this will catch the public interest. If the on board equipment works as designed we are going to be treated both to some awesome images as well as discoveries and confirmations that will fire up even the most brain dead couch potato.

My wife is in charge of meetings for the academic arm of NASA here in Houston so she's surrounded by a bunch of Lunar and Planatary Institute people peeing all over themselves...granted, that's fairly normal on an individual basis for them, but this time it's pretty much all at once.

Dave

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Is anyone else as stoked about the Curiosity dropping the rover successfully on Mars as I am?

YES! I watched the simulation of the process of landing that thing. Pretty amazing and it worked.

Bruce

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Don't take too seriously, just pokign fun. Stick out tongue

Not a problem, Tig... Fact is most Americans are more concerned with getting a bigger flatscreen than worrying over the future.

BTW, there is an infinite supply of potable water, energy, and everything else just a couple of hundred miles from here all in an environment that is completely sterile. [;)]

Dave

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Don't take too seriously, just pokign fun. Stick out tongue

Not a problem, Tig... Fact is most Americans are more concerned with getting a bigger flatscreen than worrying over the future.

BTW, there is an infinite supply of potable water, energy, and everything else just a couple of hundred miles from here all in an environment that is completely sterile. Wink

Dave

So true.

There was a week long special on the Discovery Channel abotu 3 years ago on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. It was rivited, had to watch every night. Great show.

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I have always loved anything the space program is doing in this country. I lived in Florida for 25 years, and feel privileged to say watching rockets launching into space from my backyard was a part of my childhood. I feel very lucky to have been apart of the Space Shuttle generation and to have been able to go to Canaveral and watch what was one of the most amazing machines humans ever built ....shake the ground on take off......... I am very stoked on this stuff!!!!!!!.......My grandfather actually worked for Bell aircraft in the 40's as a electrical systems engineer for the x-projects. He actually help design and install the electrical systems in the X-1. I've always been in love with Hi-tech. Funny too, I'm traveling back from N.C. tonight and stopping at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum tomorrow the (Steven F. Udvar-Hazy)center. Going to watch The Dark Knight Rises at the IMAX there.....[:D]

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All things considered, we've already disposed of it properly. 8 light minutes is a pretty good buffer zone.

In any event, it's well contained. The best rocket engine we ever developed was NERVA...Nuclear Rocket Engine for Vehicular Applications. It was designed to fit on top of the Saturn nicely and provide 50,000 lbs of thrust on demand, cycled on and off as required. Mars? Easy. In fact, anywhere in the solar system easy. It was not only fully tested, the dropped it from airplanes and attempted to blow it up with explosives. Never had a hint of a radiation leak. Canceled by the Nixon bunch as politically risky and of no benefit to them. This is not an urbab legend or space cadet fantasy. One still sits at Goddard and the official NASA final project notes detailing what I just said are readily available on the web.

Nuclear power is safe and effective when used as directed...

Dave

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