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

1356717

Comments

  • Reply 41 of 339
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    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?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 42 of 339
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    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?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 43 of 339
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    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~
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 44 of 339
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    [edit - hopefully our two landers will set down and transmit without a hitch.]
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 45 of 339
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    I guess that will teach them next time to just run a string from earth to mars
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 46 of 339
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 47 of 339
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    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'



     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 48 of 339
    ^ ouch
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 49 of 339
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    Maybe they got a hole in one?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 50 of 339
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 51 of 339
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    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!
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 52 of 339
    Details of the Landing sites are available in VRML and as interactive Java3D maps here
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 53 of 339
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 54 of 339
    it's dead. deal with it.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 55 of 339
    drewpropsdrewprops Posts: 2,321member
    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!
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 56 of 339
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 57 of 339
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    Too bad neither is making its descent tonight. That would be pretty sweet.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 58 of 339
    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

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 59 of 339
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    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.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 60 of 339
    RealVideo users may want to watch the official " target="_blank">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

     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
Sign In or Register to comment.