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#520
by
Jim
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:17
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Our knowledge of Mars will now far surpass our knowledge of the other planets.
It already does.
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#521
by
marsavian
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:17
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#522
by
baddux
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:30
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Great job NASA and everybody involved! I had a strong feeling that the landing will succeed because these guys know how to do the job and it did!
I hope this success will help saving JWST.
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#523
by
Stardust9906
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:31
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I still cannot believe it worked, flawlessly to boot.
It looks like they can't either.
I wouldn't attribute their excitement over successfully landing to surprise because it was complicated (complicated to us). Much of that could be simply relief that the risky part is over after YEARS of work. These folks have been working on this night for the better part of a few years. Unlike other fields, you have a hard deadline to meet for things like this so the hours can be extreme. When that is finished, there is a huge relief.
Awesome job to all those involved - made it look easy
Have watched quite a few of these now and they always celebrate that way. Nothing any different for this mission.
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#524
by
Rocket Science
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:37
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A textbook example of “American exceptionalism”… This should be a reminder of the great things this nation is capable of. We needed to be reminded of this and continue the work ahead…
Well done…
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#525
by
Nomadd
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:38
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Our knowledge of Mars will now far surpass our knowledge of the other planets.
It already does.
All but one.
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#526
by
zeke01
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:53
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Per UMSF.com, it appears that MRO has succeeded in capturing an image of MSL on the way down!
Does anybody know what sort of angle/range the photo was taken at? Can we expect a similar or better photo compared to the Phoenix descent?
MRO passed Gale Crater nearly overhead during Curiosity EDL, so distance to Curiosity is less (not looking to the side), more of a overhead shot, I'd expect. Minimum range to target is about 275km.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=1099zeke
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#527
by
baldusi
on 06 Aug, 2012 11:59
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Congratulation!
You guys have a treasure trove in the JPL! You should nurture and take very good care of it because it unique in this world.
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#528
by
jtrame
on 06 Aug, 2012 12:06
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With the fuel remaining and the 45 degree pitch, am I right in assuming the descent stage, relieved of Curiosity's weight, could have crash landed a long way off? Potentially Kilometers away? That will be interesting to find out.
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#529
by
JohnFornaro
on 06 Aug, 2012 12:40
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Our knowledge of Mars will now far surpass our knowledge of the other planets.
It already does.
All but one.
He said, "other planets".
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#530
by
Duck
on 06 Aug, 2012 12:43
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Obviously there are many more important upcoming tasks, but does anyone have a guess as to when we might see that 4 fps video from MARDI of the landing actually taking place?
I think that's going to be all over the news!
-Iain
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#531
by
ugordan
on 06 Aug, 2012 13:00
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Not for quite a while. 18 selected thumbnails will first be downlinked. The full dataset will have to wait many days because of the huge data volume.
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#532
by
brihath
on 06 Aug, 2012 13:25
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With the fuel remaining and the 45 degree pitch, am I right in assuming the descent stage, relieved of Curiosity's weight, could have crash landed a long way off? Potentially Kilometers away? That will be interesting to find out.
If they get MRO images of the landing site, I would expect it will be in one of the images. An MRO image of the MSL descent is supposed to be released today, so I am confident there will be others later.
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#533
by
yg1968
on 06 Aug, 2012 13:53
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I haven't heard any statements from the Prez. I wonder if he's awake and watching it or if he's sleeping...
They would have woken him up if they had found martians. But otherwise, he was sleeping.
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#534
by
8900
on 06 Aug, 2012 13:56
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another textbook Mars landing!
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#535
by
Chris Bergin
on 06 Aug, 2012 13:56
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Thanks to all for keeping the thread ticking over. Really top work from our community for this event.
El Presidente is awake:
For Immediate Release August 06, 2012
Statement by the President on Curiosity Landing on Mars
Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history.
The successful landing of Curiosity – the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet – marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future. It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination.
Tonight’s success, delivered by NASA, parallels our major steps forward towards a vision for a new partnership with American companies to send American astronauts into space on American spacecraft. That partnership will save taxpayer dollars while allowing NASA to do what it has always done best – push the very boundaries of human knowledge. And tonight’s success reminds us that our preeminence – not just in space, but here on Earth – depends on continuing to invest wisely in the innovation, technology, and basic research that has always made our economy the envy of the world.
I congratulate and thank all the men and women of NASA who made this remarkable accomplishment a reality – and I eagerly await what Curiosity has yet to discover.
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#536
by
haywoodfloyd
on 06 Aug, 2012 14:16
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With the fuel remaining and the 45 degree pitch, am I right in assuming the descent stage, relieved of Curiosity's weight, could have crash landed a long way off? Potentially Kilometers away? That will be interesting to find out.
I was thinking the same thing. Bill Harwood reports that there were 140 kg. of fuel reserves after landing which would probably have translated to about 15-20 seconds of flight after disconnection. I would think that would power the crane quite a fair distance.
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#537
by
rsp1202
on 06 Aug, 2012 14:17
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"I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you." - Airplane!
Watched the TV stream last night then picked up this thread this a.m. Better late than never. Thanks, Chris, for your magnificent website.
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#538
by
stevnim
on 06 Aug, 2012 14:27
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Rear hazcam: some dust on lens but otherwise alright and survived pyro event. A ridge on the horizon (crater rim?), looking into sun causing some saturation on the image.
Would that lens dust be from blowing the cover too early, or just the blowing itself?
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#539
by
ChefPat
on 06 Aug, 2012 14:34
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Congrats to the MSL Team. Well done!!!
I understand they've already snapped a few photo's too.