Curiousity

[rareboy]

Curiosity Mars Landing: as it happened - Telegraph

This is what humans do best. Invest in exploration for the love of learning.

For 2.5 billion dollars, the mission will hopefully re-ignite the interest in science and learning among the young and the technology and spin-offs are likely already having an impact in the 'real' world.

This is what the nations should be spending money on....not armaments.

 

[Benvolio]

At one time there were technology spin-offs from the Space program, but we are long past the point of diminishing returns. Do not look for any practical result from this episode. Maybe we will learn a little about the kind of dirt it landed on, etc. but only esoteric stuff of interest only to astronomers.

 

[Zingerific]

At one time there were technology spin-offs from the Space program, but we are long past the point of diminishing returns. Do not look for any practical result from this episode. Maybe we will learn a little about the kind of dirt it landed on, etc. but only esoteric stuff of interest only to astronomers.

Nonsense. No one can predict the practical applications that will emerge from pure science -- or frankly, from totally non-scientific enterprises. Who could have predicted that advances in "esoteric astronomy" would lead to atomic bombs or that pure physics would lead to cell phones? Or, for that matter, that the German dye industry would lead to pharmacuticals? It's obvious in hindsight, but it certainly wasn't at the time.

Anyway, the one thing that leads to real scientific advances are surprises. Scientists usually have a pretty good idea of the results they're going to get in one experiment or another. It's the total surprise that leads to the earth changing ideas (paradigm shifts, if you like that sort of language.) And guess what? You're never going to be surprised if you don't look!

It was obvious in Galileo's time that the moon was a perfect sphere. Aristotle/Aquinas had proved it, after all, in carefully deduced proofs. "Who needs to look?" asked the inquisitor. Galileo's rejoinder was "Aristotle would have looked!"

Benvolio, it's not my intention to call you an inquisitor. My point is that you don't know that "we may learn a little bit about dirt." Probably, but not necessarily. Scientists today think they have a good idea about what's going on with Mars. But actually looking is essential. Plus, if there are practical innovations, we may not see them for a long time -- perhaps not in our lifetimes. But that doesn't mean that they won't come.

 

[racer2438]

Been follow ing for sometime, and hope this gives science the new info they need to continue space exploration. And hope the next generations continue with this work.

My honey has said for many yrs, that eventually we will be just like STAR WARS and I tend to think he may be right. OF course not in our lifetime, but maybe in the next few hundred yrs it will be. But it seems it is were we are going...

 

[Sausy]

Political slants from rareboy or Benvolio aside(loved Zingerific's response to Ben's post,spot on!)this is a great achievement.Humans are explorers at heart and of all our planetary neighbors Mars is closest and has inspired wonder and speculation.Curiosity is most aptly named and I'm looking forward to the images of Mars it sends back.

 

[White Eagle]

It's an impressive looking rover:

Precision Landing on Mars - Graphic - NYTimes.com

 

[chrisrobin]

 

[White Eagle]

I finally found the site where you can watch the NASA TV. It has TV schedule and lots of info. Here is some text from the site.

NASA - NASA TV

Note to viewers: On July 31, 2012, NASA.gov discontinued streaming NASA Television in the QuickTime and Windows Media proprietary formats. The change helped us to simplify our webcasting infrastructure. The site will continue to stream NASA Television and NASA Newsaudio in Flash and HTML 5 for iOS devices.

NASA TV’s PUBLIC, MEDIA CHANNELS NOW IN HD
NASA Television’s Public (101) and Media (103) channels are now transmitting in high definition.

NASA Television’s Public Channel (channel 101), the "NASA TV" most often carried by cable and satellite service providers, provides coverage of NASA missions and events, plus documentaries, archival and other special programming.

NASA TV’s Media Channel (channel 103) provides mission coverage, news conferences and relevant video and audio materials to local, national and international news-gathering organizations.

(HD Channel 105 is no longer in service.)

 

[Kulindahr]

I love that people in Times Square were chanting "Science! Science!"

Maybe we can get somewhere after all.



Though I still think Obama is an idiot for encouraging them to go for getting a man on Mars -- it seems that he just wants boots on the ground there, as a symbol. Far better to do it the slow, steady way: build a base on the moon as practice, while pursuing robotics sufficiently advanced to be able to send robots to Mars and build a base, so when astronauts arrive they can grab a cold beer and take a hot shower.

Meanwhile, back at Gale Crater, NASA is demonstrating the first element in getting people on Mars: the ability to seriously look around and see what's there so we can choose a spot to build.

 

[White Eagle]

I know you will know this but I'm gonna ask anyway.
Isn't it better to launch from the moon and orbit a couple of times and then using that as a slingshot to gain momentum for speed?
I don't know, just something in this memory bank I call a brain.

 

[Kulindahr]

I know you will know this but I'm gonna ask anyway.
Isn't it better to launch from the moon and orbit a couple of times and then using that as a slingshot to gain momentum for speed?
I don't know, just something in this memory bank I call a brain.

If we put manufacturing on the moon, it would save fuel -- that would probably be the best benefit. The slingshot effect can help depending on positions.