How to bring a 3.3 tonne laboratory from 21,240km/h to zero in 7 minutes...

[shift]

Originally Posted by Danske

I sometimes wish Australia had a space program .

We at least played a peripheral role in this, with Canberra DSN receiving the telemetry (relayed on X-Band via Odyssey).

ESA New Norcia station (near Perth) was also providing backup telemetry (recorded by Mars Express and replayed just after).

Apparently 'The Dish' at Parkes was going to try and record the UHF telemetry directly (for the first few minutes when it was in direct view from Earth).

[andyroo54]

Originally Posted by Danske

Son, I am disappoint.

I thought it was funny. It perfectly represents what one of those moron comment ors would create if given the chance.

[RnR]

First colour images are coming from Curiosity now...


Click to view full size!

[Danske]

Originally Posted by shift

We at least played a peripheral role in this, with Canberra DSN receiving the telemetry (relayed on X-Band via Odyssey).

ESA New Norcia station (near Perth) was also providing backup telemetry (recorded by Mars Express and replayed just after).

Apparently 'The Dish' at Parkes was going to try and record the UHF telemetry directly (for the first few minutes when it was in direct view from Earth).

Oh yeah don't get me wrong. Our involvement was great.

But I guess science in Aus in general is seen as a waste of money. And we even have so many awesome medical breakthroughs and technologies emerging from the field.

[Nerb]

So if NASA said to one of you guys "we can send you to Mars and you can wander around and make yourself at home until you run out of supplies as long as you just keep taking happy snaps and sending them home".... who would do it?

[andyroo54]

Originally Posted by Nerb

So if NASA said to one of you guys "we can send you to Mars and you can wander around and make yourself at home until you run out of supplies as long as you just keep taking happy snaps and sending them home".... who would do it?

I would. But I would eat the other people before I ran out of supplies, therefore quadrupling my food supply, and allowing me to live for ever, as cannibal king of mars.

[soulblade64]

Originally Posted by andyroo54

I would. But I would eat the other people before I ran out of supplies, therefore quadrupling my food supply, and allowing me to live for ever, as cannibal king of mars.

Signatured

[MoorKhan]

Originally Posted by Nerb

So if NASA said to one of you guys "we can send you to Mars and you can wander around and make yourself at home until you run out of supplies as long as you just keep taking happy snaps and sending them home".... who would do it?

Have you been reading up on 'One way to Mars' or 'Spirit of the Lone Eagle' ?

It's a cool concept and there's been no shortage of volunteers, but after nearly 15 years of getting no traction I doubt it will ever eventuate (at least from NASA). They'll just wait until there's enough money to allow for a trip with a return leg - or technology brings the cost down to a level they can afford.

[mshagg]

Originally Posted by Nerb

So if NASA said to one of you guys "we can send you to Mars and you can wander around and make yourself at home until you run out of supplies as long as you just keep taking happy snaps and sending them home".... who would do it?

Dont scientists have ethical boundaries that kind of get in the way of sending people off to a certain death, even if they wanted to?

[Danske]

I'd do a one way trip!

If there were 3 breasted women on mars like in total recall .

[andyroo54]

Originally Posted by mshagg

Dont scientists have ethical boundaries that kind of get in the way of sending people off to a certain death, even if they wanted to?

If history is anything to go by.. No. Besides even if they did, you could always justify it by saying, right now we don't have a plan to bring you back, but in the future, we may.

[Agg]

Originally Posted by mshagg

Dont scientists have ethical boundaries that kind of get in the way of sending people off to a certain death, even if they wanted to?

Not always: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/20...crying-in-rage (possibly disturbing photo)

[slobber]

Originally Posted by Agg

Not always:

That was more a political decision than scientific

[Coopz]

Sounding negative, but I'm not really that impressed with Mars progress. We had the Viking Landers in the mid 70's, they took colour photos from space and the surface, did some basic soil and atmosphere research and that was 35+ years ago. Fast forward to today and the Curiosity rover can now do more (advanced) tests and has wheels. I know its a lot more advanced but if I was a scientist in the mid 70's I'd have thought we would be a lot further towards setting foot on the red planet by now.

[Oblong Cheese]

Originally Posted by Coopz

Sounding negative, but I'm not really that impressed with Mars progress. We had the Viking Landers in the mid 70's, they took colour photos from space and the surface, did some basic soil and atmosphere research and that was 35+ years ago. Fast forward to today and the Curiosity rover can now do more (advanced) tests and has wheels. I know its a lot more advanced but if I was a scientist in the mid 70's I'd have thought we would be a lot further towards setting foot on the red planet by now.

There are no resources on mars for us to use. You can rest assured though that if MSL turns up evidence of a planet full of coal or nuclear fuel that the space race will be on again...