Rover "Curiosity" lands on Mars tonight!
 

The 567 million kilometer, 36-week journey comes to an end tonight!

Update: We landed on Mars! Want to know more? Follow the mission at http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

Watching the sim and live feed. This is killer.

For those that don't know, view this.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4boyXQuUIw"]Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Animation - YouTube[/ame]

Amazing!

Update: One hour to entry.

To give some perspective to those people seeing it for the first time. The rover specs are as follows:

Rover name: Curiosity
Length: 9 feet, 10 inches (3.0 meters)
Wheel diameter: 20 inches (0.5 meter)
Weight: 1,982-pound (899-kilogram)
Power: Multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator and lithium-ion batteries

I can't wait for this to land. It better land correctly, I'm so obsessed with everything Mars, it's even more amazing that opportunity is still alive on the surface.

Same here!

anything space related is always interesting

Currently listening to the live stream..about 35 minutes until landing now...Ahhh I hope it makes it, the only thing that worries me is the sky crane, the U.S. has a better than average landing ratio on mars, but that sky crane seems needlessly complicated, though there was no other way

Yep. And it benefits all humankind.

I'm just bummed we won't have video footage to enjoy. The simulations make it look so cool!

I know man!! I hope they have some cameras on the sky crane that films it once it is lowered. For some reason I find it extremely creepy when the rovers land and they are able to find the debris from their arrival. It sounds stupid but to me this is one of the most fascinating photographs ever taken:

4 minutes to entry. Mars gravity is now pulling the vehicle in. It's traveling ~12,400mph. Wow.

Okay I'm leaving the computer. Talk to you in the morning!

Shoulda went with 17"s.

currently watching it on the NASA channel :D

They tried. Five Axis wouldn't make them available. :bellyroll:

Okay, now I'm really transitioning to the big-screen tele...

Thanks a lot man! I love space travel/exploration.

links dont work now :(

The scary part is... what if we find a species that scares us. :O

sorry for the huge pic, but this is an awesome infographic

http://blogs.insideline.com/straight...002-125326.jpg

Me too!

Updated first post with link to mission site. Streams are done, but archived videos last forever.

We're more likely to find something scary looking in the depths of earth's oceans than on Mars where the "proof of life" will be microscopic and not very intimidating. You're probably safe as long as you don't live near a large body of water. Wait you're in Cali... :eyebulge:

:D

Man, this thing is on a necroll!

Yep. And if a person and not a bot they are as dumb as a stump.

For sure. I mean we all know what is really happening on Mars.

https://i.imgflip.com/17fg85.jpg

Well yeah.
The Martians are getting a head start and making money before we start colonizing by creating a virus and selling their space masks and hand sanitizers!

First time I've seen a Wikipedia bot.