Spirit Lands on Mars and Sends Postcards

"George" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"Anonymous Sender" wrote in message
acolo.com...
Spirit Lands on Mars and Sends Postcards

This has got to be one of the greatest moments since, well, landing on
the moon! (:)

Hurrah for NASA!


Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will not be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere around
the south pole in the last three years?

TL

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...
Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will not
be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere around
the south pole in the last three years?

TL

They lost a lander, not a rover, The Mars Polar Lander, when it had a
premature retro rocket
shut off as it landed at the South Pole of MARS, not the moon, back in 1999
or so. And they
lost a Mars orbiter, Observer, around the same time due to the miles vs
kilometers business.

rj

TL the "Geologist" wrote:

Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they have

had

with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will not be

the

last.



Miserable failures with the moon???




If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere around
the south pole in the last three years?

No, I'm afraid that there were no lunar probes lost somewhere around the south
pole of the moon. In fact, there have been no failures of NASA missions to
the moon since Apollo 13, and no U.S. unmanned lunar probe failures even
farther back to the old Surveyor 4 back in July of 1967. The only lunar
rovers deployed by the U.S. were on the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 lunar missions,
all successful. The last two U.S. probes to the moon were Clementine and
Prospector, both orbiters and both of which were highly successful.
As for Mars, the only probe which attempted a polar landing was Mars
Polar Lander, which was lost during descent to the Martian southern polar
regions due to a premature cutoff of the descent engines (a modified backup
spacecraft is scheduled to attempt a similar landing in the northern polar
regions in a few years). The only one deploying a rover (so far) was
Pathfinder which was successful (with the MER "Spirit" deployment coming up)
and it did not land near the polar regions. Of the five Mars landing attempts
by the U.S., four have now been sucessful. Of the 15 total U.S. probe
attempts to reach Mars, only 5 have failed (one flyby, two orbiters, and one
lander). Clear skies to you.

--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 11th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 18-23, 2004, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"George" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"Anonymous Sender" wrote in message
acolo.com...
Spirit Lands on Mars and Sends Postcards

This has got to be one of the greatest moments since, well, landing
on
the moon! (:)

Hurrah for NASA!


Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will not
be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere around
the south pole in the last three years?


Your memory does not serve you well.

You'll have to do better than that.

"randyj" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...
Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they
have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to
Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will not
be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere
around
the south pole in the last three years?

TL

They lost a lander, not a rover, The Mars Polar Lander, when it had a
premature retro rocket
shut off as it landed at the South Pole of MARS, not the moon, back in
1999
or so. And they
lost a Mars orbiter, Observer, around the same time due to the miles vs
kilometers business.

rj



But what does any of that have to do with "Miserable failures with the
moon???" Who knows?

"George" wrote in message
...

"randyj" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...
Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they
have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to
Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will
not
be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere
around
the south pole in the last three years?

TL

They lost a lander, not a rover, The Mars Polar Lander, when it had a
premature retro rocket
shut off as it landed at the South Pole of MARS, not the moon, back in
1999
or so. And they
lost a Mars orbiter, Observer, around the same time due to the miles vs
kilometers business.

rj



But what does any of that have to do with "Miserable failures with the
moon???" Who knows?



My mistake, I was remembering wrong. So they had no miserable failures
witht the moon. fine, shoot me, forgive my ignorance, 1999 was a horrible
year for me, and Im lucky I remember much of it anyhow.

"David Knisely" wrote in message
...
TL the "Geologist" wrote:

Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they have

had

with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to
Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will
not be

the

last.



Miserable failures with the moon???




If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere
around
the south pole in the last three years?

No, I'm afraid that there were no lunar probes lost somewhere around the
south
pole of the moon. In fact, there have been no failures of NASA missions
to
the moon since Apollo 13, and no U.S. unmanned lunar probe failures even
farther back to the old Surveyor 4 back in July of 1967. The only lunar
rovers deployed by the U.S. were on the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 lunar
missions,
all successful. The last two U.S. probes to the moon were Clementine and
Prospector, both orbiters and both of which were highly successful.
As for Mars, the only probe which attempted a polar landing was Mars
Polar Lander, which was lost during descent to the Martian southern polar
regions due to a premature cutoff of the descent engines (a modified
backup
spacecraft is scheduled to attempt a similar landing in the northern polar
regions in a few years). The only one deploying a rover (so far) was
Pathfinder which was successful (with the MER "Spirit" deployment coming
up)
and it did not land near the polar regions. Of the five Mars landing
attempts
by the U.S., four have now been sucessful. Of the 15 total U.S. probe
attempts to reach Mars, only 5 have failed (one flyby, two orbiters, and
one
lander). Clear skies to you.

--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 11th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 18-23, 2004, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************



Yes yes yes, I said I was sorry, I was wrong.

TL

"Chosp" wrote in message
news:WPGKb.29583$i55.4462@fed1read06...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"George" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"Anonymous Sender" wrote in
message
acolo.com...
Spirit Lands on Mars and Sends Postcards

This has got to be one of the greatest moments since, well,
landing
on
the moon! (:)

Hurrah for NASA!


Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they
have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to
Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will not
be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere
around
the south pole in the last three years?


Your memory does not serve you well.

You'll have to do better than that.




Yes, I know, I was wrong. I truly, truly stand corrected.

(wow, one mistake, and your the dog in the dog pile) My best wishes and
regards to all those at NASA. I like my geology where I can touch it, those
guys have to guess where they are going to touch it. Could you imagine
sending out a drilling rig to go out somewhere, and have to rely on what you
told them to do, where you wanted it, how deep, and expect that within 2
years you would get a picture back of the sample? That's what I equate
sending out probes to. Its got to be tough on the stomach.

TL (again)

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"Chosp" wrote in message
news:WPGKb.29583$i55.4462@fed1read06...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"George" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"Anonymous Sender" wrote in
message
acolo.com...
Spirit Lands on Mars and Sends Postcards

This has got to be one of the greatest moments since, well,
landing
on
the moon! (:)

Hurrah for NASA!


Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures they
have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to
Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will
not
be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere
around
the south pole in the last three years?


Your memory does not serve you well.

You'll have to do better than that.




Yes, I know, I was wrong. I truly, truly stand corrected.

(wow, one mistake, and your the dog in the dog pile) My best wishes and
regards to all those at NASA. I like my geology where I can touch it,
those
guys have to guess where they are going to touch it. Could you imagine
sending out a drilling rig to go out somewhere, and have to rely on what
you
told them to do, where you wanted it, how deep, and expect that within 2
years you would get a picture back of the sample? That's what I equate
sending out probes to. Its got to be tough on the stomach.

TL (again)


Fortunately, they have also sent other instruments besides cameras, so it
will be very interesting to see what they find.

"George" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"Chosp" wrote in message
news:WPGKb.29583$i55.4462@fed1read06...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"George" wrote in message
...

"TL the Geologist" wrote in message
...

"Anonymous Sender" wrote in
message
acolo.com...
Spirit Lands on Mars and Sends Postcards

This has got to be one of the greatest moments since, well,
landing
on
the moon! (:)

Hurrah for NASA!


Well the most recent one, considering the miserable failures
they
have
had
with the moon recently and a couple of other rovers they sent to
Mars.
However, this is not the first rover, and I'm quite sure it will
not
be
the
last.


Miserable failures with the moon???



If memory serves me correctly, didnt they lose two rovers somwhere
around
the south pole in the last three years?


Your memory does not serve you well.

You'll have to do better than that.




Yes, I know, I was wrong. I truly, truly stand corrected.

(wow, one mistake, and your the dog in the dog pile) My best wishes and
regards to all those at NASA. I like my geology where I can touch it,
those
guys have to guess where they are going to touch it. Could you imagine
sending out a drilling rig to go out somewhere, and have to rely on what
you
told them to do, where you wanted it, how deep, and expect that within 2
years you would get a picture back of the sample? That's what I equate
sending out probes to. Its got to be tough on the stomach.

TL (again)


Fortunately, they have also sent other instruments besides cameras, so it
will be very interesting to see what they find.



Yeah, I'm quite excited. The Planetary Geologist in me and my inner child
are having a party!

TL