The Curiosity On Mars Thread.

shizz

There is no way they wouldn't cover this.

DarkDusk

I know it will be covered but I want to know exactly where I can watch it, so I won't end up looking for the correct link on the day and then missing it...

vonbarracuda

Good site here with countdown timer

http://www.GetCurious.com/

murphyme2010

DarkDusk wrote: »

I know it will be covered but I want to know exactly where I can watch it, so I won't end up looking for the correct link on the day and then missing it...

Try NASA TV. It's on the schedule from 5AM on the 6th Aug.

Michael.

shedweller

http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1265

NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has successfully adjusted its orbital location to be in a better position to provide prompt confirmation of the August landing of the Curiosity rover.

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft carrying Curiosity can send limited information directly to Earth as it enters Mars' atmosphere. Before the landing, Earth will set below the Martian horizon from the descending spacecraft's perspective, ending that direct route of communication. Odyssey will help to speed up the indirect communication process.

NASA reported during a July 16 news conference that Odyssey, which originally was planned to provide a near-real-time communication link with Curiosity, had entered safe mode July 11. This situation would have affected communication operations, but not the rover's landing. Without a repositioning maneuver, Odyssey would have arrived over the landing area about two minutes after Curiosity landed.

A spacecraft thruster burn Tuesday, July 24, lasting about six seconds has nudged Odyssey about six minutes ahead in its orbit. Odyssey is now operating normally, and confirmation of Curiosity's landing is expected to reach Earth at about 10:31 p.m. PDT on Aug. 5 (early Aug. 6, EDT and Universal Time), as originally planned.

"Information we are receiving indicates the maneuver has completed as planned," said Mars Odyssey Project Manager Gaylon McSmith of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "Odyssey has been working at Mars longer than any other spacecraft, so it is appropriate that it has a special role in supporting the newest arrival."

Two other Mars orbiters, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the European Space Agency's Mars Express, also will be in position to receive radio transmissions from the Mars Science Laboratory during its descent. However, they will be recording information for later playback, not relaying it immediately, as only Odyssey can.

Odyssey arrived at Mars in 2001. Besides conducting its own scientific observations, it has served as a communication relay for NASA's Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers and the Phoenix lander on the Martian surface. NASA plans to use Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as communication relays for Curiosity during that rover's two-year prime mission on Mars.

shedweller

Aonther course correction made successfully last night:
http://marsmobile.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1271
Late Saturday night, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft successfully fine-tuned its course to better zero in on its target entry point into the Martian atmosphere on landing day. Two brief thruster firings totaling about seven seconds altered the spacecraft's velocity slightly, by about one-fortieth of one mile per hour (one centimeter per second). This trajectory correction maneuver—the fourth since MSL's launch—adjusted the point at which Curiosity will enter the Martian atmosphere by about 13 miles (21 kilometers). On landing day, MSL can steer enough during its flight through the upper atmosphere to correct for a miss of the target entry point by a few miles and still land within its target ellipse. Mission engineers and managers rated the projected 13-mile miss big enough to warrant a correction maneuver. Telemetry and tracking data indicate the maneuver was successful. MSL will have two further opportunities for additional course corrections during the final 48 hours before landing, if needed.

Skyknight

Not sure if this has been posted before, but I stumble on this a couple of nights ago, while going through potential sites for coverage of the landing on Monday morning. I came across a site, that I had used for coverage of a couple of shuttle flights, including STS+134/135. Looking through the site I came across the following, which although is related, is a couple of months old.

http://www.spacevidcast.com/2012/04/01/the-story-of-nasas-new-martian-rover-curiosity/ and also at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q38AncYm2U&feature=player_embedded.

Skyknight

Not sure how informative (above what what we all ready know), but there is a HORIZON SPECIAL: MISSION TO MARS at 21:00 tonight on BBC2.

shedweller

We may well be aware of most of whats available but it has to be watched!

shizz

Was a decent show which had the intentions of being made for the layman. Can't help but wonder if many were watching.

shedweller

Not with the olympics on! I recorded it so i'll watch it tomorrow.

TOMP

Go Adam Stelzner !

shedweller

TOMP wrote: »

Go Adam Stelzner !

He's the man alright!

Rubecula

I watched it and was fascinated by the way the landing is expected to be carried out. Very complicated. Let's hope it isn't too complicated and it works.

I watched it too. Great program for the un-educated , like me.

Richard tea

Horizon doc was very good. It got me up to speed for the mission. I might try and watch it live on Nasa tv or something.

shedweller

Rubecula wrote: »

I watched it and was fascinated by the way the landing is expected to be carried out. Very complicated. Let's hope it isn't too complicated and it works.

Apparently it's the result of scientific reason! Science can be a little unhinged at times i suppose! The skycrane maneouver looks very aggresive as it unwinds the lines. I'd like to see the nasa boys n gals explain and show how well the support rockets cope with that. Lesser gravity and all but still, its quite a shock load to the system.

who_ru

shedweller wrote: »

Apparently it's the result of scientific reason! Science can be a little unhinged at times i suppose! The skycrane maneouver looks very aggresive as it unwinds the lines. I'd like to see the nasa boys n gals explain and show how well the support rockets cope with that. Lesser gravity and all but still, its quite a shock load to the system.

it's more the parachute i'd be worried about, if that doesn't work then the rest are out of the picture anyway.

jkforde

Richard tea wrote: »

Horizon doc was very good. It got me up to speed for the mission. I might try and watch it live on Nasa tv or something.

you have to loudly applaud JPL's boldness in attempting this! the Ustream Android app seems solid and they're NASA's official web streaming partner so the stream should be good... now, hopefully UPC wont let us down on the morning, really really looking forward to this!

Cork boy 55

Some good vids and pics on the wiki entry for it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory

Professional Griefer

I can watch this on my xbox? Cool.

So its Sunday night/Monday morning, around half 4?

shedweller

Ix Deadmau5 wrote: »

I can watch this on my xbox? Cool.

So its Sunday night/Monday morning, around half 4?

05:31 UTC which is 06:31 irish time. Thats wheels on the ground time from what i can tell so the fun starts half an hour earlier for us!

Did you play the mars curiosity game on your xbox? I believe it's free and it looked good from what i saw of it. Apparently it can be downloaded from somewhere.

murrayp4

I'll be setting the alarm

namloc1980

who_ru wrote: »

it's more the parachute i'd be worried about, if that doesn't work then the rest are out of the picture anyway.

Wouldn't have any worries about the parachute...NASA has an excellent record with parachutes. The skycrane is the scary part!

oh to be there.... Live at Times Square


NASA Television's coverage of the agency's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission landing will be broadcast live on the Toshiba Vision screen that hangs below the iconic New Year's Eve ball in Times Square, space agency officials say

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48428167/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.UBw9hfZlSkJ

shedweller

Jake1 wrote: »

oh to be there.... Live at Times Square


NASA Television's coverage of the agency's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission landing will be broadcast live on the Toshiba Vision screen that hangs below the iconic New Year's Eve ball in Times Square, space agency officials say

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48428167/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.UBw9hfZlSkJ

That would be class!:D
Still, i have internet where i am so happy days!

William Shatner helps explain Mars Mission.


http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/08/04/shatner-helps-nasa-rover-to-boldly-go-to-mars/

namloc1980

Nice graphic demonstrating how NASA has narrowed down landing areas with each successive mission to Mars.

Cork boy 55

I caution against undue optimism,
Having studied and analysis-ed the mission parameters,
I have calculated a 72.4% catastrophic failure probability during the landing stage.

namloc1980

Cork boy 55 wrote: »

I caution against undue optimism,
Having studied and analysis-ed the mission parameters,
I have calculated a 72.4% catastrophic failure probability during the landing stage.

Crikey you better tell the lads in JPL/NASA!