Re: [PLUG] OT: 7 minutes of terror, Curiosity landing on Mars 01:30 EDT Monday

[Jonathan Simpson <jsimpson@jdsnetwork.com>]

The space race may have been sort of scary from an 
international perspective, but it did provide a focus for 
the nation.

Seems to me we need something to focus on today.  This 
wouldn't be a bad goal.
On 8/4/2012 7:16 PM, Ron Kaye Jr wrote:
>   the americans have gotten very good at this process.
> but the russians have not fared so well.
>
> are you prepared to volunteer for the 1st manned flight.
> apparently you get to mars, with no plans for coming back.
>
> i share your enthusiam for space exploration.
> i had just graduated from springfield high in 1969.
> my friends and i were touring the US in a trailer.
> i was visiting my cousin, on a huge naval vessel in san diego,
> first week of august.
>
> neil armstrong became the symbol of the greatest accomplishment of mankind.
> it was an exciting time.
> we need to reengage as a nation in this inspirational activity
>
> Ron Kaye Jr
> 914-7294734
>
> On 08/04/12, Lee H. Marzke wrote:
>
>
> FYI,
>
> NASA's Curiosity is scheduled to land on Mars at 01:30 EDT early Monday morning
> (Aug 6, 2012) after traveling over 500,000 miles. It's mission is to understand the
> 'habitability of Mars". In other words are their conditions that could have ever supported
> life on Mars ( not specifically looking for life itself )
>
> View it at NASA TV: Live coverage begin 6PM EDT Sunday
> http://www.ustream.tv/nasa
>   
>
> Re-entry (called the 7 minutes of terror ) begins with Curiosity hitting the atmosphere
> at 13,200 Mph and using a combination of head shields, and supersonic drogue chute
> to slow to 200mph, and retro rockets for the rest of the way. The rover is actually
> lowered on a 'sky-crane' to hang 7.5 meters below the rocket platform, and when
> the rover touches, the cables are severed and the rocket platform flies away from the rover to
> crash a short distance away. This keeps the level of dust and debris at the landing site
> to acceptable levels.
>
> Landing is scheduled into Gale crater which has central 3-mile high mountain peak.
>
> Three satellites that have been in orbit around Mars since NASA:Odyssey:2001
> ESA:MarsExpress:2003,
>   NASA:MRO:2006, etc. will relay the spacecraft signals back to earth.
> The communication will need to switch between these relay stations
> during re-entry, and it's possible that communication will be lost for
> for part or all of the re-entry. Communication
> delay is 14 minutes for the signal to reach earth from Mars, so when we get the signal
> that re-entry is beginning, the spacecraft's fate will have already happened 7 minutes
> prior.
>
> The landing results may be known immediately at landing, or delayed up to three
> days if communication is lost.
>
> Lee

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