ot... Mars Phoenix Lander

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Mon May 26, 2008 1:49 am

touchdown confirmed, first images are uploading shortly. they nailed the landing, 1/3 of a degree off axis vertical, a few degrees off of east/west rotation.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:10 am

such a technical marvel.

reminds me of all the things that inspires me about the US. Go US!

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:17 am

first image:

no martians

knotkranky · Post by **knotkranky** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:22 am

Fantastic!!!

Could still be martians though, just very very very small and shy. They look like sand i bet.

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:35 am

screw the landscape pictures, the Rovers have that well covered. I want the Phoenix to get drilling!

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:36 am

adventurepants_ wrote:such a technical marvel.

reminds me of all the things that inspires me about the US. Go US!

what's even better?
tomorrow's a national holiday!!!!

not a bad drama to watch unfold. they're talking like there's probably ice just a few centimeters under the sand, that'll be interesting to see.

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:40 am

knotkranky wrote:Fantastic!!!

Could still be martians though, just very very very small and shy. They look like sand i bet.

the whole planet is one large quartz/silica based brain

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:43 am

the nasa coverage was pretty good. I liked that they actually had dead air while the signals were coming in, and didnt feel the need to blather endlessly over it like every other bit of news coverage.

i wish NASA would just be taken seriously again by the govt, and send some humans there already.

Dominik · Post by **Dominik** » Mon May 26, 2008 2:49 am

i wish NASA would just be taken seriously again by the govt, and send some humans there already.

why?

knotkranky · Post by **knotkranky** » Mon May 26, 2008 3:05 am

Angstrom wrote:
knotkranky wrote:Fantastic!!!

Could still be martians though, just very very very small and shy. They look like sand i bet.
the whole planet is one large quartz/silica based brain

nice.

Anyway, what's with the nasa haters. seriously, how is this not beneficial?

Oh wait. the send humans? eventually. Not for a long time though...

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Mon May 26, 2008 3:05 am

Dominik wrote:
i wish NASA would just be taken seriously again by the govt, and send some humans there already.
why?

why not?

mostly because it would be fucking cool to overcome the challenges, and do some good science. why did the ancients send ships over the horizon?

knotkranky · Post by **knotkranky** » Mon May 26, 2008 3:07 am

I dunno if we'll see it but it will happen

adventurepants_ · Post by **adventurepants_** » Mon May 26, 2008 3:14 am

knotkranky wrote:I dunno if we'll see it but it will happen

if it wasnt for shortsighted governments and pointless expensive wars, there would have been a moon base and people on mars years ago. the technology has been there since the 70s. in fact a lot of astronomers see the shuttle program as a major step backwards. its very expensive and achieves stuff all in the grand scheme of things.

i know mars is pretty boring in a sci fi, kind of way, but putting people on a DIFFERENT PLANET!

how is that not cool?

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Mon May 26, 2008 3:17 am

knotkranky wrote:I dunno if we'll see it but it will happen

I've been already..
But i don't like talking about it.
In fact I still find it quite traumatic watching the "Cartman gets an anal probe" episode of south park. I will say this though. Even from a prone position with my wrists tied tied to my ankles and looking at it backwards through my tremulous spread legs.. the land scape is very inspiring, and some how quite soothing as well.

forge · Post by **forge** » Mon May 26, 2008 3:32 am

adventurepants_ wrote:
Dominik wrote:
i wish NASA would just be taken seriously again by the govt, and send some humans there already.
why?
why not?

mostly because it would be fucking cool to overcome the challenges, and do some good science. why did the ancients send ships over the horizon?

cosmic radiation is a major hurdle to overcome - astronauts sent to mars would almost certainly die from it, or at least get very sick

likewise, building a moon base is fraught with danger because of the amount of space rocks thumping into it - apparently it's not so much the rocks themselves but the pieces they smash into which are like bullets

hangon - was that this thread I read this in or was it Wired?

ot... Mars Phoenix Lander

The Mars Phoenix Lander will...