Upcoming / Current missions and status updates

Redshift

Know of any missions that are coming up post about it here include links if you have them. I hope this mission is a success given the recent failures of similar missions.

Date Set for European Trip to Mars
The Mars Express mission will launch in early June to study the history of water on the Red Planet

More:http://www.astronomy.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/001/323baebv.asp

Sparks

Mars Express (the first european interplanetary space probe, carrying the first european planetary lander, Beagle 2) is launching from Baikonur today at 1845 our time (BST). Following on from the NASA example of streaming video coverage of the shuttle launches (as well as many other things done in the program), the ESA is streaming the launch video live from here:
http://esa.capcave.com/esa/marsexpress/

Enjoy....

Redshift

Nice link, thanks Sparks, Replays are now available at the esa site posted by sparks as well as some short documentaries about the mission.

Ryan

dogdig

After it has finished bouncing in the red dust will we get a historic message such as "The Beagle has landed" ........now where have I heard that before.....:D

albertw

Originally posted by dogdig
After it has finished bouncing in the red dust will we get a historic message such as "The Beagle has landed" ........now where have I heard that before.....:D

I was at Ian Morrisons (Operations director at Jodrell Banks) talk at Cosmos Star Party in Tullamore earlier in the year and he is looking forward to getting to saying just that as folks at the Jodrell bank will be helping listen for it.!Trying to listen to Blur tracks from mars with a big radio telescope still seems silly

Cheers,
~Al
www.irishastronomy.org

Sparks

Beagle's launch clamps operated successfully, in case anyone's still interested...
http://sci.esa.int/content/news/index.cfm?aid=9&cid=32&oid=32396

Redshift

I've made this a sticky, post any updates and links you find on new and current missions.

Thanks
Red

Redshift

Nasa's Mars explorer rover A will be launched tomorrow at just after 2:00pm EDT aboard a Boeing delta 2 launch vehicle. This is the second mission to mars to be lauched this week following the launch of Mars express on Monday. Hopefully it will be a smooth launch http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/elvnew/mera/index.htm

Ryan

Sparks

And note that the rovers have now been named as Spirit and Opportunity.
http://planetary.org/html/news/articlearchive/headlines/2003/rovers_named.html

And they're carrying small lego figures, who will be "writing mission diaries". Nice way to get the kids interested.

http://www.spacetoday.net/getarticle.php3?id=29412

Redshift

A NASA robotic geologist named Spirit began its seven-month journey to Mars at 1:58:47 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (10:58:47 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time) today when its Delta II launch vehicle thundered aloft from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. >>

Finally after several scrubbed launches MER-A aka Spirit blasted off from cape canaveral today, full story: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/

The second part of this mission MER-B is scheduled to lift off on June25th.

Ryan

dogdig

It aint transmitting yet - I reckon those Martians nicked our Beagle - oooerrr!!!:cool: