Curiosity's Countdown to Mars

[71chevellejohn]

new pic:

[momo]

True. But it is, by far, the largest thing we've put there. Additionally, the method of landing added greatly to the suspense. Then there is the fact that NASA never actually tested the landing method before sending it over to Mars. Oh, and this bad boy is nuclear powered too. It should last more than a decade.

ya, the method to land is a lot more impressive then the airbag crash method.

[Sgt Beavis]

... this isn't the first mars landing or the first mars rover.

True. But it is, by far, the largest thing we've put there. Additionally, the method of landing added greatly to the suspense. Then there is the fact that NASA never actually tested the landing method before sending it over to Mars. Oh, and this bad boy is nuclear powered too. It should last more than a decade.

[Sgt Beavis]

Money. It costs us something like $10,000 per pound to lift cargo into space, and 80,000 per pound to land it on the moon.

That is one reason Elon Musk created SpaceX. He is already driving those costs down. The Falcon9 Heavy is targeting a price of under $1000 per pound. Which is something the Space Shuttle was supposed to do.

[Sgt Beavis]

Man, I'm impressed that they pulled it off. The entire SkyCrane concept was just nuts but I'll be damn, it worked like a champ. Pretty damn awesome. Great work NASA. Good to see that someone in our government can actually do their jobs to an extremely high degree of precision.

[momo]

... this isn't the first mars landing or the first mars rover.

[01vnms4v]

Don't forget we are suppose to have a Mars colony by 2023 once you get there, you will be there for life.

One way trip!

[Downs]

Yeah I noticed the guy was thanking Prez Obama earlier tonight.

Building a base on the moon that can sustain humans for any length of time would be much more costly and complicated than sending an unmanned probe to Mars.

[idrivea4banger]

This press conference reeks of re-election propaganda.

[idrivea4banger]

Money. It costs us something like $10,000 per pound to lift cargo into space, and 80,000 per pound to land it on the moon.

Edit: here's an article about russias plan for a moon base: http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/23/30...moon-base-plan

But it still has to be more expensive to go to Mars with these rovers than it is to have another manned missions to the moon to build some sort of station.

[Treadhead]

Shadow. Nice one GE!

[GE]

[MustangPoser]

We should've had a base on the moon by now to continue these space missions. Why haven't we done so??

Money. It costs us something like $10,000 per pound to lift cargo into space, and 80,000 per pound to land it on the moon.

Edit: here's an article about russias plan for a moon base: http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/23/30...moon-base-plan

[idrivea4banger]

We should've had a base on the moon by now to continue these space missions. Why haven't we done so??

[Venix]

Huge step for all of man kind. Now we just need to keep poring money into space travel.