"bob" wrote in
om:

There is a discussion going on in a space oriented web log group about
the "live" coverage of the mars landing.

The point was, that unlike all previous missions we could remember,
the people at JPL/NASA were acting as if the landing confirmation
signals they were watching represented a live right now event, never
mentioning, as everyone seemed to on pathfinder/viking et al that in
fact the event had actually happened 10 minutes before, and this was
just the first news we had of what had happened.

We all agree it was more exciting this way, and even went to the
metaphysical that in relativistic terms, "now" is defined by the speed
of light, and this caveat is nothing more than a de-energizing
footnote.

however: the fact that it was not mentioned on any of the coverage we
saw suggested that the decision was made as policy to view incoming
signals as live for the sake of the public event.

Does anyone here know if this is in fact true, or did anyone here hear
NASA/JPL mention the 10 minute lag

Bob



Sorry to disappoint you, but they *did* mention it quite clearly, (3
times!), during the 'Spirit' landing..
I did seem to miss any such reference during the 'Opportunity' landing.
Dont know if I was just less focussed or if the absence of mention was
real. There was a mention of it in the preamble to the landing when space-
prep of the craft for landing began. Venting of coolant, etc. But the
landign of mer-b was conducted much more like a live event.