NASA's Mars Science Lab/Curiosity Rover Mission

[PPI Brian]

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft with the Curiosity rover is set to launch to the planet Mars aboard an Atlas V rocket on Nov. 25, 2011 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The launch window extends from 10:25 a.m. to 12:08 p.m. EST (7:25 a.m. to 9:08 a.m. PST). The launch period for the mission extends through Dec. 18.

The spacecraft will arrive at Mars in August 2012. Curiosity has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about whether Mars had environments favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release their gasses so that a spectrometer can analyze them and send the data back to Earth.

I'm looking forward to this mission. Here's a link to the NASA website: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/v/P4boyXQuUIw

[PPI Tracy]

What absolutely amazes me is how they can pinpoint times and locations with such accuracy.  The science behind how they can program the rover to do what it does and be able to control it (as much as possible), gather information and to have it return that info to us.  Just amazing. 

I know that sounded like a post from a 3rd grader.  Forgive me.....it's the afternoon slump.  Coffee. Need. Must. Have.

[PPI Brian]

In case you missed the NASA press conference yesterday about the upcoming launch of the Mars Science Lab/Curiosity Rover mission, I found the following clips on Youtube:

Part 3 (which is really Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/v/r3Kc7sm2RkE

Part 2 (which is really Part 2)
http://www.youtube.com/v/Dt1MzmrToW4

Part 1 (which is really Part 3)
http://www.youtube.com/v/OAvFgrwgRyI

[PPI Brian]

What absolutely amazes me is how they can pinpoint times and locations with such accuracy.  The science behind how they can program the rover to do what it does and be able to control it (as much as possible), gather information and to have it return that info to us.  Just amazing. 

I know that sounded like a post from a 3rd grader.  Forgive me.....it's the afternoon slump.  Coffee. Need. Must. Have.

Not at all. It sounds more like a post from someone who hasn't lost her sense of wonder. Don't ever lose that. 

[PPI Tracy]

What absolutely amazes me is how they can pinpoint times and locations with such accuracy.  The science behind how they can program the rover to do what it does and be able to control it (as much as possible), gather information and to have it return that info to us.  Just amazing. 

I know that sounded like a post from a 3rd grader.  Forgive me.....it's the afternoon slump.  Coffee. Need. Must. Have.

Not at all. It sounds more like a post from someone who hasn't lost her sense of wonder. Don't ever lose that. 

I think when you lose your sense of wonder, you lose your sense of hope, happiness and possibility.

[PPI Brian]

What absolutely amazes me is how they can pinpoint times and locations with such accuracy.  The science behind how they can program the rover to do what it does and be able to control it (as much as possible), gather information and to have it return that info to us.  Just amazing.  

I know that sounded like a post from a 3rd grader.  Forgive me.....it's the afternoon slump.  Coffee. Need. Must. Have.

Not at all. It sounds more like a post from someone who hasn't lost her sense of wonder. Don't ever lose that.  

I think when you lose your sense of wonder, you lose your sense of hope, happiness and possibility.

I agree. I think that's what happens when we get old, too.  Here's to never getting old.  

http://www.youtube.com/v/w5DK3SxolJI

[PPI Brian]

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory is tucked inside her Atlas V rocket, ready for launch on Saturday, November 26, 2011 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The November 26 launch window extends from 7:02 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. PST (10:02 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EST). The launch period for the mission extends through December 18th. I'm really looking forward to this mission.  

Here's a great series of videos about this exciting mission:

The Challenges of Getting to Mars
Chapter 1: Selecting a Landing Site
http://www.youtube.com/v/z2Z4ruYBpT8

The Challenges of Getting to Mars
Chapter 2: Transporting a Mars Rover
http://www.youtube.com/v/PXb2sXgZ8uM

The Challenges of Getting to Mars
Chapter 3: Getting a Rover Ready for Launch
http://www.youtube.com/v/aU_Z-6snF0Q

[PPI Brian]

At 7:02 am this morning NASA's MSL launched from Cape Canaveral. It was a picture perfect launch. The Centaur upper stage carrying Curiosity performed flawlessly and set the spacecraft on a heading to Mars. NASA reports the spacecraft is in excellent health and mission specialists are gearing up for the landing, which will occur in about 8 1/2 months.



MSL Spacecraft in Excellent Health
Sat, 26 Nov 2011 09:56:09 AM PST

A signal from NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, including the new Curiosity rover, was received by officials on the ground shortly after spacecraft separation. The spacecraft is flying free and headed for Mars after separation from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that started it on its journey to the Red Planet. Liftoff was on time at 10:02 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

"Our spacecraft is in excellent health and it's on its way to Mars," said Pete Theisinger, Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He thanked the launch team, United Launch Alliance, NASA's Launch Services Program and NASA's Kennedy Space Center for their help getting MSL into space.

"We are ready to go for landing on the surface of Mars, and we couldn't be happier," said John Grotzinger, Mars Science Laboratory Project Scientist from the California Institute of Technology. "I think this mission will be a great one. It is an important next step in NASA's overall goal to address the issue of life in the universe."

Grotzinger added, "It is important to distinguish that as an intermediate mission between (Mars Exploration Rovers), which was the search for water, and future missions, which may undertake life detection, our mission is about looking for ancient habitable environments."

"Science fiction is now science fact," said Doug McCuisition, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters. "We're flying to Mars. We'll get it on the ground... and see what we find."

http://www.youtube.com/v/VUzvGGqvZLA

http://www.youtube.com/v/nWecKJeDJV4

[PPI Tracy]

I read something yesterday that was written by someone actually at the launch.  She said that she has watched it on tv before in years past, but nothing compares to being there.  She said that on tv, you can hear the rockets but being there is like a "wall of sound" that is racing toward you at 500mph and you can actually "feel it" when it hits you.  

I cannot even imagine being able to witness it first hand.