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The Official Mars Exploration Thread (merged and now with poll) - Page 2

Poll Results: What should our focus regarding Mars be?

 
  • 57% (28)
    A manned mission
  • 42% (21)
    More unmanned of various types.
49 Total Votes  
post #41 of 340
12/25/03 at 6:24am
It's so disappointing losing all these landers.
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post #42 of 340
12/25/03 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally posted by Scott
It's so disappointing losing all these landers.

Beagle is not yet lost.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3347991.stm

Quote:
He (Pillinger) said the team was considering five possible explanations:

Beagle is on Mars but not where expected.

Its lid and antenna are pointed in the wrong direction.

A computer glitch after landing has affected the timing for switching on the transmitter.

There is a mismatch between the communications system of Mars Odyssey and Beagle.

Something has failed during entry, descent or landing
Because the people who are crazy enough to think thay can change the world, are the ones who do
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Because the people who are crazy enough to think thay can change the world, are the ones who do
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post #43 of 340
12/25/03 at 11:24am
I'm still hoping that it's okay. You know that the Beagle2 team is doing more than their share of pacing the halls right now. They've done great in getting one of their two devices to hit proper orbit, a significant achievement in itself. But naturally nobody wants to be half-successful.

If the Lander never plays the "down and safe" signal by Blur do you think that the band's going to hear a few jokes in the music biz press?
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post #44 of 340
12/25/03 at 10:27pm
Hind site is 20/20 but maybe it was a mistake to rely on charging the batteries after touchdown to keep the thing alive. Maybe two days worth of juice would have made a difference?
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post #45 of 340
12/26/03 at 12:01am
Yes, I hate it when somebody forgets the batteries for my Christmas presents....at least everybody in the world isn't watching when it happens~
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post #46 of 340
12/26/03 at 8:44am
[edit - hopefully our two landers will set down and transmit without a hitch.]
Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #47 of 340
12/26/03 at 9:10am
I guess that will teach them next time to just run a string from earth to mars
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post #48 of 340
12/26/03 at 10:03am
Well, it does make you realize just how much stuff goes on between here and there. It's always amazing to me that these things get as far as they do. The chances of everything going right must be so slim.

The Voyager, Galileo and Pioneer missions sort of spoiled us. But they didn't try to safely crash onto anything safely, they really just tried to avoid stuff by not too much.
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post #49 of 340
12/29/03 at 7:13pm
There's a remote possibility that Beagle 2 went down a crater and cannot get it's signal. There's still some hope that Mars Express will get a signal but ... they were supposed be long past that point by now.


Beagle 'might be in a crater'

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post #50 of 340
12/30/03 at 3:48am
^ ouch
Because the people who are crazy enough to think thay can change the world, are the ones who do
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Because the people who are crazy enough to think thay can change the world, are the ones who do
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post #51 of 340
12/30/03 at 5:14am
Maybe they got a hole in one?
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post #52 of 340
12/30/03 at 12:03pm
Thread Starter 
it is also possible that the Martians have improved their planetary defense systems,
and are shooting our landers out of the sky before they reach the surface.


GORT KLAATU NARADA!

OT: Pillinger's facial fur reminds me of Asimov and Darwin... coincidence?

Pillinger Asimov Darwin

back on topic...

After the failure of Mars Polar Lander during descent,
NASA decided that future landers should signal on the way down instead of after landing,
so Spirit and Opportunity will be sending tones during entry and landing,
hopefully allowing better confirmation of the success of each arrival phase.
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #53 of 340
12/30/03 at 12:28pm
The down-signaling is a smart idea, I hadn't read about that. Looks like the Mars Express has made a successful switch to the polar orbit and will eventually tighten its orbit of the planet - that lander could still surprise everyone!
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post #54 of 340
12/30/03 at 12:38pm
Thread Starter 
Details of the Landing sites are available in VRML and as interactive Java3D maps here
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #55 of 340
12/31/03 at 12:42am
Quote:
Originally posted by curiousuburb
Pillinger's facial fur reminds me of Asimov and Darwin...


His choice of facial hair is reminiscent of the mullet, part scholarly sophistication, part party animal. All one needs to do is join the two:


Pillinger + Mullet = World Domination.
I'm RICH beotch!!!
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I'm RICH beotch!!!
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post #56 of 340
12/31/03 at 11:01am
it's dead. deal with it.
"If it weren't for my horse...I wouldn't have spent that year in college."

"If curling is an olympic sport, then oral sex is adultery. If anything, oral sex should be an olympic sport...cause it's...


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"If it weren't for my horse...I wouldn't have spent that year in college."

"If curling is an olympic sport, then oral sex is adultery. If anything, oral sex should be an olympic sport...cause it's...


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post #57 of 340
12/31/03 at 11:38am
The hairstyle or the Beagle2 probe?

Not to worry, there are two more missiles from Earth headed that way...look for Mars to hit the airwaves again in a few days!
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post #58 of 340
12/31/03 at 11:55am
Quote:
Originally posted by drewprops
The hairstyle or the Beagle2 probe?

Not to worry, there are two more missiles from Earth headed that way...look for Mars to hit the airwaves again in a few days!

We could set up the telecommunications space race. As more and more rovers/man made objects find themselves on mars, they are going to need a way to talk to eachother/earth. Why cant we get verizon to send up a few satelites, in an exclusive contract with NASA/the european space agency?...

Next thing you know, wireless web access points all over mars.
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post #59 of 340
12/31/03 at 2:06pm
Too bad neither is making its descent tonight. That would be pretty sweet.
Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #60 of 340
12/31/03 at 5:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by billybobsky
We could set up the telecommunications space race. As more and more rovers/man made objects find themselves on mars, they are going to need a way to talk to eachother/earth. Why cant we get verizon to send up a few satelites, in an exclusive contract with NASA/the european space agency?...

Next thing you know, wireless web access points all over mars.

actually, Vint Cerf has had proposals for an Interplanetary Internet for some time



and there are plans for pending missions to "relay email" packets rather than stream direct
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #61 of 340
12/31/03 at 8:32pm
Some more news on beagle 2.

Beagle to begin 'frequent calls'

If it's down and working it should start making more frequent calls soon.
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post #62 of 340
1/2/04 at 2:55pm
Thread Starter 
RealVideo users may want to watch the official MER Mission Animation

Entry and landing events start about 2:28 into the 9 minute film,
and that'll be what we hope happens Saturday evening

NASA TV says they'll webcast live from Rover Control at JPL from 6:45pm PST

screw the meaningless bowl,
Landing on Mars is must see tv for me...

and you can now download Maestro,
Quote:
On this website, you can download a scaled-down version of the program that NASA scientists use to operate Spirit and Opportunity. During the mission, updates will be released on this site containing real data from Mars that you can add to your copy of Maestro.

Panther only for Mac... other platforms too

almost don't need the "closeup view" in the corner
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #63 of 340
1/2/04 at 7:16pm
Dangit, I'm going to be at a wedding during the webcast....grrrrrrr, don't even want to be there. double-grrrrrrrrrrr

The athena.cornell.edu link isn't taking me to the Spirit/Opportunity instrumentation page anymore...you have to type in www.athena.cornell.edu to get there. Now they want to take me to the ballet instead. Strange....
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post #64 of 340
1/3/04 at 11:04am
  • Anders
  • Feared and Biased Moderator
WOW. Looks like Nasa hired some of the video/marketing guys from Apple:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...TerrorComb.mov

Pretty impressive. Not only the actual decent but also how good NASA sells it. "6 minutes of terror".
"I reject your reality and substitute it with my own" - President Bush
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"I reject your reality and substitute it with my own" - President Bush
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post #65 of 340
1/3/04 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally posted by Anders
WOW.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...TerrorComb.mov

That was friggin AWESOME!
It's just an object. It doesn't mean what you think.
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It's just an object. It doesn't mean what you think.
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post #66 of 340
1/3/04 at 1:49pm
ditto

The time has slipped to 11-something EST in the USA, so I'll be able to watch the net. Anybody going to make a chatroom for discussing this tonight? The regular "Appleinsider" chat room or something special? Be sure to post it here!
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post #67 of 340
1/3/04 at 3:56pm
[snip]

Announcer lady said 6:45 PST is when they go on the air / web with initial commentary, then the briefing of success / failure of EDL at around 9:30 PST.

I think. They weren't real clear on it.
Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #68 of 340
1/3/04 at 6:42pm
Thread Starter 
the webcast is about to start with its commentary
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #69 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:06pm
Now showing shots of mission control at the JPL with minimal commentary.... Entry should be taking place as I write this.
Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #70 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:11pm
Thread Starter 
Turn [Heat Shield] to Entry confirmed

Canberra's 90metre dishes are in data lock on Spirit at 10 bits per second

still more than an hour til landing (one eye on Canucks-vs-Flames

Wayne's commentary and bleed from the ops mikes are great. The girl grates.
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #71 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:20pm
Contact with Martian Atmosphere should occur at approximately 8:34 PST. From there my understanding is, six minutes to airbag touchdown, and then another 10 or so until it comes to rest on the martian soil.

Go CANUCKS!

Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #72 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:31pm
Thread Starter 
Maestro, the MER Rover sim software looks impressive even with earthly data.
Slow on my wimpy 500iBook, but can't wait to download Spirit's Gusev data.
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #73 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:44pm
Thread Starter 
Canucks survive penalty shot.
Signs of Good Fortune for Spirit.

Cruise Separation poll to come.

There are a couple of AlBooks on display.
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #74 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:49pm
Crap! I just walked away from the TV. Must've been a PS during the final minute of the first period... bad timing! Who took it? Zaprikin had one the other night as well....

Maestro is going to be very cool with Martian data.
Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #75 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:56pm
I agree btw, that the female press commentator is annoying. I much prefer watching / listening to mission control and the closed circuit communications.
Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #76 of 340
1/3/04 at 7:58pm
Got my iChat tuned into "AppleInsider" in case anybody is online. Seems like one of the systems is at its max allowable temp...the airbag system? coolant? trying to catch up....all seems on-schedule though..
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post #77 of 340
1/3/04 at 8:22pm
Thread Starter 
Iginla missed

rover cruise stage sep nominal

all systems go for landing
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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post #78 of 340
1/3/04 at 8:24pm
6 minutes from contact with the atmosphere, 11 minutes+ until landing.

This is cool as hell. I sure don't miss 56K!

Aldo is watching....
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Aldo is watching....
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post #79 of 340
1/3/04 at 8:27pm
hey, don't forget to mention the candy packets a little while ago....now we're around 220 miles above...185 miles....
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post #80 of 340
1/3/04 at 8:29pm
Thread Starter 
Atmospheric Entry for Spirit... So begin the "SIX Minutes of Terror"

at the exact moment the Canucks go up 2-0... more good signs
"I do not fear computers. I fear the lack of them" -Isaac Asimov
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