Curiosity Count Down Timer

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #1 26-11-2011, 10:14 AM

Tick tick tick
At time of posting, only 15hrs and 48 minutes to go.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

CraigS · #2 26-11-2011, 11:02 AM

I'm really hangin' for this one to succeed !

I want answers about Mars habitability !

This thing is designed to cover a lot more ground than all the others .. it has more sensitive lab equipment onboard … it has a more usable nuclear power supply, (none of this solar power nonsense) … and it is probing a question which can take the overall program much further than any of the others, in the long run.

I'm a bit concerned about the complexity of the landing stages though … being lowered from a rocket powered platform, (etc). I think that'll be the biggest hurdle ... and we won't know about this bit until August next year ... the initial launch doesn't sound like too much of a risk (unlike for Phobos-Grunt) !

Fingers crossed … 2am tomorrow for the Eastern Standard Daylight timers !

Cheers

astroron (Ron) · #3 26-11-2011, 11:05 AM

Bookmarked, Time for launch is 01.00 AST,02.00 AEST tomorrow morning .or daylight saving time if you prefare

Cheers

SkyViking (Rolf) · #4 26-11-2011, 05:02 PM

Thanks for the link jjj, I've been looking forward to this mission for years now. Hopefully it all goes well! There are so many new concepts - skycrane etc etc... That landing is going to be amazing.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #5 26-11-2011, 05:42 PM

The landing procedure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KLxmGLZQSY

allan gould · #6 26-11-2011, 07:31 PM

A must watch video http://www.airspacemag.com/video/Curiositys-Voyage.html
Spectacular!!!!!

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #7 26-11-2011, 11:43 PM

2hrs and 18min to go!!

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 27-11-2011, 01:47 AM

5 minutes to go!!

CraigS · #9 27-11-2011, 08:34 AM

That's great news ! …
Looks like we've got goer in so far as getting there !

Let's hope the descent stage goes as smoothly !

Looking forward to much/many scientific returns once at Gale crater, incidentally named after an Australian/Sydney-sider (eastern suburbs - Paddington), Amateur Astronomer/Banker called Walter Frederick Gale, (for those interested).

Cheers
PS: Here's another interesting snippet … it appears that the radioisotope thermoelectric generator aboard Curiosity is made entirely with Russian Plutonium !