Curiosity landing tonight! come watch it live!

Now four hours and 34,167 miles from Mars, closing at 8,431 mph.

The Curiosity rover, the six-wheeled robot the size of a car, has a mass of 1,982 pounds. It is 9 feet, 10 inches long, 9 feet wide and stands 7 feet tall once the camera mast is erected. Its wheels are 20 inches in diameter and the instrument-laden arm is 7 feet long. The craft is powered by plutonium in a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, a switch to nuclear away from the solar panels used on the Spirit and Opportunity rovers to provide longer life and greater capabilities.

The 10 science instruments include the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer, Chemistry and Camera, Chemistry and Mineralogy, Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons, Mars Descent imager, Mars Hand Lens Imager, Mast Camera, Radiation Assessment Detector, Rover Environmental Monitoring Station, and Sample Analysis at Mars.

"We're about to land a rover that is 10 times heavier than (earlier rovers) with 15 times the payload," says Doug McCuistion, director of Mars exploration at NASA Headquarters. "Tonight's the Superbowl of planetary exploration, one yard line, one play left. We score and win, or we don't score and we don't win.

Touch down is expected at 1:30 AM EDT,but due to the distance we won't know what happened for another 15 mins.

Bookmark this page for later as all raw images will be sent here for you to see.


[link to marsmobile.jpl.nasa.gov]

And I heard we wont get an image from the rovers camera for another 3 days.

I had not heard this,wonder why so long?

Something about deploying the main camera tower.

I dont know why its going to take them 3 days to get to it tho.

I'm not a space geek or anything, but this whole mission seems overly elaborate to me. Maybe I just don't know enough, but is seems the likelihood of failure is pretty high.
I sure hope all goes well - and if it does, then all involved can be rightfully proud of an incredible achievement.

I'll be watching live, and will keep one eye open for the blue glow of Dr Manhattan!

Yea they explained that the previous ways they got rovers on mars would not work because this rover is much heavier.


The Air Bags would break.


So they had to come up with this Sky Crane which has never been tested.


But I guess if it works they plan to use it alot more.

This VERY elaborate, IMO too elaborate SO much has to go right for it to land.

The old keep it simple stupid never came into this design.

3 Hours till EDL.

Last Edited by northerntomcat on 08/05/2012 10:27 PM

:) @HAL9000_

You know, if someone sent a rover to Mars with a circular saw or an axe they'd be undisputed king of the Martian robots

Curiosity is just another gay agenda psy op to get people to cheer for curiosity

JPL is packed with press. Guess every one is interested in this one.Or they all smell blood.

Just heard on CNN that there will be 2 pictures right away one of a tire and one of the area around the lander.

Ohh good, those must be secondary to the big camera they gives a full view of the area.

Ya i think he said they would be black and white.

While we wait try out the OLD lunar lander and see how you do as the pilot.

[link to lander.dunnbypaul.net]

I crash all the time :(

I bent a strut, but ill make it :)

I finally made one landing out of 20, LOL

OK here we go the JPL feed is about to come online and we will get consent updates from there. It is in HD as well

Enjoy!

[link to www.nasa.gov]

Last Edited by northerntomcat on 08/05/2012 11:59 PM

The life expectancy of Curiosity is one full Martian year, which is 687 Earth days and 669 Martian days. Each day, or sol, on Mars is 24 hours, 39 minutes, 35.244 seconds long.

Right on, thanks ntc!

HD link from JPL in Pasadena CA.

[link to www.nasa.gov]

thanks very cool

1 hour to go!

Is there a reason they do this so late at night? Just curious.

Clean audio feed (No commentary)

[link to www.nasa.gov]

That feed is way better, thanks again!