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#400
by
alexw
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:22
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Like a boss. That's five successful Mars EDLs in a row! With 4 different EDL techniques! JPL has this /down/. Time to give them the task of a manned Martian lander...
NASA/JPL has now demonstrated they can land a one-ton roving package with a landing error /less/ than it's expected roving range -- which means we can now do surface rendezvous!
Congratulations to all!
-Alex
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#401
by
Stardust9906
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:23
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#402
by
mdeep
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:23
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What a success! I can't believe the number of people following this. I've heard from people who never follow this kind of stuff. Front page news everywhere right now to boot.
This is as much a win for PR as for science, I hope.
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#403
by
Prober
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:23
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This event was better than any cargo spacecraft visiting a LEO space station. ;-)
you did good Jim
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#404
by
robertross
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:23
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Charlie making a plug for international cooperation withthe other 4 countries that are now on Mars because they came along withthe USA.
He wouldn't name them, but I know Canada is one of them
(thank you NASA & US of A)
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#405
by
simonbp
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:24
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Russian rad detector, Spanish weather sensors.
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#406
by
FinalFrontier
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:24
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Holdren now speaking
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#407
by
robertross
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:25
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Charlie saying that Holdren told him earlier he was so nervous he was going to throw up.
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#408
by
iamlucky13
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:25
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1.4 kg of fuel left onboard
I heard it as 140.6 kg
It was 1.4Kg, can't be 140Kg- too much.
Jim
Yeah, I figured that number was too high. They must have mis-reported it.
I'm sure I heard 140.6kg. Remember the descent stage started out with 390kg propellant aboard so seems a good number to me, given a smooth descent without complications.
You did hear 140.6, as I did. That's right.
There is a margin, but I didn't think it was that big.
There's an update to this paper (this one is 2006), but I can't find it at the moment:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20090007730_2009006430.pdfPage 13 says the +/- 3 sigma fuel consumption should be between 284.2 kg and 312.8 kg. That should have left 77.2 kg to 105.8 kg to spare.
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#409
by
robertross
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:26
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Holdren making the plug to invest in science & technology that made this possible
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#410
by
layton
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:27
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Also heard 140.
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#411
by
Space Pete
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:27
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President Barack Obama (@BarackObama) via Twitter:
"Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history. I congratulate and thank all the men and women of NASA who made this remarkable accomplishment a reality."
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#412
by
Kaputnik
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:28
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1.4 kg of fuel left onboard
I heard it as 140.6 kg
It was 1.4Kg, can't be 140Kg- too much.
Jim
Yeah, I figured that number was too high. They must have mis-reported it.
I'm sure I heard 140.6kg. Remember the descent stage started out with 390kg propellant aboard so seems a good number to me, given a smooth descent without complications.
You did hear 140.6, as I did. That's right.
There is a margin, but I didn't think it was that big.
There's an update to this paper (this one is 2006), but I can't find it at the moment:
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20090007730_2009006430.pdf
Page 13 says the +/- 3 sigma fuel consumption should be between 284.2 kg and 312.8 kg. That should have left 77.2 kg to 105.8 kg to spare.
Still makes 140.6 much more plausible. Any chance the readout was in lbs?
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#413
by
robertross
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:28
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Holdren para: "If there were any doubts as to the capabilities of America landing a rover on Mars, there is a 1 ton piece of automobile inginuity that is sitting on the surface of Mars and should put any such doubts to rest"
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#414
by
Lars_J
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:28
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Holdren para: "If there were any doubts as to the capabilities of America landing a rover on Mars, there is a 1 ton piece of automobile inginuity that is sitting on the surface of Mars and should put any such doubts to rest"
A great quote!
Although I think the line was more "If there were any doubts as to the capabilities of American spaceflight..."
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#415
by
MATTBLAK
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:28
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Got an idea for a cartoon (wish I could draw) A beefy, grinning, confident Curiosity taking the baton from a wheezing, exhausted, small Opportunity, its tongue hanging out. Curiosity says; "Thanks, brother - I'll take it from here!" 
Not so fast. What's Curiosity's nuc power profile timeline for the out years, compared to Opportunity's solar power with dust cleaning?
Yes, I know but... (shrugs). I was shooting for humor - Opportunity has run the greatest planetary marathon
ever. I know the prospects for MSL lasting as long as Spirit & Oppy is very poor. Perhaps as a cost cutting measure in future, NASA could send more small-ish solar powered Rovers with large, tilting and wiper-blade equipped arrays?
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#416
by
robertross
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:29
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Still makes 140.6 much more plausible. Any chance the readout was in lbs?
He said kilos
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#417
by
robertross
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:29
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#418
by
Robotbeat
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:29
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Holdren para: "If there were any doubts as to the capabilities of America landing a rover on Mars, there is a 1 ton piece of automobile inginuity that is sitting on the surface of Mars and should put any such doubts to rest"
A great quote!
He could barely get through the quote because of all the cheering.
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#419
by
simonbp
on 06 Aug, 2012 06:30
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They ain't gonna make _that_ (English vs. metric) mistake again...
