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Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 23rd 11, 08:48 PM posted to sci.space.policy
[email protected]
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Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch

"The day after Thanksgiving may be “Black Friday” for American stores
and shoppers, but this year, it’s a red letter day for scientists in
Pasadena, as Saturday is blast-off for the next Mars rover, called
“Curiosity.”"

See:

http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/11/22/...friday-launch/


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Record Crowds Expected at NASA Mars Rover Launch:

http://www.space.com/13720-nasa-mars...pectators.html


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New NASA Rover May Climb 3-Mile-High Martian Mountain:

http://www.space.com/13723-nasa-rove...le-crater.html
  #2  
Old November 24th 11, 02:28 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
Jonathan
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Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch


Can't wait until it lands.

Just last week, the Opportunity gave this spectacular view
from the edge of 14 mile wide Endeavour crater on Mars.
It should be just a tease of what's to come with the
MSL.

Are those sand dunes at the bottom of the crater
surrounding the central bulge ..a beach? How long ago
could an ice-covered lake, fed from melting underground
water ice, existed?

http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/272...5L6L6.jpg.html
http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/277...5L5L6.jpg.html
http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/274...5L5L6.jpg.html
http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/272...5L6L6.jpg.html


Mars dry and dead for a billion years plus?
I don't think so. I think there was an ice-covered lake
at the bottom of that crater thousands of years ago.
Not billions. Click below...this doesn't look like
geologic time scales to me, more like ice-age scales.

http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/267...5L7L7.jpg.html


s



  #3  
Old November 24th 11, 04:29 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
Jonathan
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Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch



And I forgot to mention, look at the dark soil outcrops on the
central bulge, that's looks like the very same..clay-like soil seen
all over Meridiani. Clay means water.

What's clay (still) doing there? What other explanation could be
except for ice just below the surface? Which could melt out as
ice-ages wax and wane, even to this day.
http://areo.info/mer/opportunity/272...5L6L6.jpg.html

I suspect that the loss of the atmophere simply drove any
existing biosphere a few meters under the surface. Where
it's been sitting, on ice so to speak, ever since.



s


  #4  
Old November 25th 11, 01:26 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
Bob Haller
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Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch

how many here believe curosity will really land safely and work?

any takers?

the design apears overly complex with too many failure paths, plus
nasa only is sending one, so theres no 2nd chance

  #6  
Old November 26th 11, 11:46 AM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
Jonathan
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Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch


"The Kraken" wrote in message
...
bob haller wrote:
how many here believe curosity will really land safely and work?

any takers?

the design apears overly complex with too many failure paths, plus
nasa only is sending one, so theres no 2nd chance


I agree that the whole idea of the lander being "lowered" on cables from a
hovering rocket that will have to detach and blast out of range just
seems ridiculously complicated.



The idea of the skycrane was to lower the complexity of the system
and increase reliability for a bunch of reasons.

An airbag lander is much simpler and more reliable. But that
would greatly reduce the size of the rover. And a legged
lander would be the most complicated of all, and also
greatly reduce the size of the lander since the total weight
landing on Mars would be much higher.

A skycrane allows the larger rover, and it's simpler and more
reliable for many reasons. It doesn't have to deal with the
interaction between the thrusters and the ground.

And it can land on places with a far wider range of terrain than
a legged lander. Which would have to be far more concerned
with the exact landing site in terms of rocks, and especially slope.

And a legged lander needs to shut off the thrusters at the exact
moment of landing, so the skycrane makes for a more stable
landing without having to have very complicated active hazard
detection and avoidance systems.

The skycrane also greatly reduces the total weight landing on
Mars, allowing for a larger rover, higher landing speed, and
increased landing stability. And with either an airbag or legged
lander the MSL would have to drive off the lander which
was a problem for the current rovers when the airbags got
in the way of the ramp.

The skycrane is a good way of minimizing risk, while maximizing
the size of the rover.


Jonathan


s










  #7  
Old November 27th 11, 02:27 AM posted to sci.space.policy
Jonathan
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Posts: 278
Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch


"Sylvia Else" wrote in message
...
If you go to

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html

and view MSL Spacecraft Mars Bound

you see the operation where the spacecraft is given a spin, and then
separated from the launcher.

What puzzles me is that the launcher appears then to despin. Given that by
that time it's space junk, I have to wonder why.



I noticed that too. I figured they had to fire thrusters to get more
seperation, and that stopped the spin.




Sylvia.



  #8  
Old November 27th 11, 05:36 AM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
The Kraken
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Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch

bob haller wrote:
how many here believe curosity will really land safely and work?

any takers?

the design apears overly complex with too many failure paths, plus
nasa only is sending one, so theres no 2nd chance


I agree that the whole idea of the lander being "lowered" on cables from a hovering rocket that will have to detach and blast out of range just seems ridiculously complicated.
  #9  
Old November 27th 11, 01:47 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
Bob Haller
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Posts: 3,197
Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch


The skycrane is a good way of minimizing risk, while maximizing
the size of the rover.

Jonathan



skycrane to me looks like a complex solution to a simple problem.

viking landed on mars so long ago, and the same sort of system regular
lower stage has been used since the beginning of space travel

in the case of curosity it could drive itself off the lander stage,
and go exploring........

with drill issues, skycrane, and a prototype RTG thats degrading
before launch.

has any us probe ever launched with so many issues??????


its normal to develop troubles along the way, but launching with them
is far different

  #10  
Old November 27th 11, 07:10 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.space.history
David Spain
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Default Mars rover Curiosity set for Saturday launch

Jonathan wrote:
The idea of the skycrane was to lower the complexity of the system
and increase reliability for a bunch of reasons.


....

[etc.] good analysis IMHO follows. Agreed.

Noted also: no cross postings to alt.philosophy....

Dave
 




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