Just watched this interesting documentation on BBC HD, it's still on the iplayer if anyone feels like it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e ... 20122013_Mission_to_Mars/

Synopsis from the bbc website:

Horizon goes behind the scenes at NASA as they countdown to the landing of a 2.5 billion-dollar rover on the surface of Mars. In six days time, the nuclear-powered vehicle - the size of a car - will be winched down onto the surface of the Red Planet from a rocket-powered crane. That's if things go according to plan: Mars has become known as the Bermuda Triangle of space because so many missions there have ended in failure. The Curiosity mission is the most audacious - and expensive - attempt to answer the question: is there life on Mars?

We're about to find out if everything works according to plan on 6th of August 6.31 AM BST.

Livestreams: http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl and http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2 (mission feed, no comms)


Some pictures
from cbc.ca

nasa.gov


Further infos: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/overview/

They didn't call the rover "Cat" did they?

Quote from NotAnIllusion :

They didn't call the rover "Cat" did they?

It's called freedom rover I'm pretty sure...

Quote from Hyperactive :

It's called freedom rover I'm pretty sure...

'Curiosity' is the name as said in the title

The Mysterons will claim another space vehicle.

Quote from NotAnIllusion :

They didn't call the rover "Cat" did they?

I see what you did there.

Quote from Crashgate3 :

The Mysterons will claim another space vehicle.

Not if Captain Scarlett stops them first.

After all, James Bond stepped in to keep the opening safe from terrorism.

How is mars bermuda triangle of space? I thought we still had a rover scaling the sruface for several years now

I'll be watching the live feed on nasa tv

Quote from Sueycide_FD :

How is mars bermuda triangle of space? I thought we still had a rover scaling the sruface for several years now

This will be the third rover, IIRC.

They're getting better, but Mars missions have always had a pretty dismal success rate.

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploration_of_Mars

Quote :

The high failure rate of missions launched from Earth attempting to explore Mars was informally called the "Mars Curse" or "Martian Curse".[38] The phrase "Galactic Ghoul"[39] or "Great Galactic Ghoul", referring to a fictitious space monster which subsists on a diet of Mars probes, was coined in 1997 by Time Magazine journalist Donald Neff, and is sometimes facetiously used to "explain" the recurring difficulties.[40][41][42] [43]
Of 38 launches from Earth in an attempt to reach the planet, only 19 have succeeded, and As of November 2011,[citation needed] the success rate is 50%. Twelve of the missions included attempts to land on the surface, but only seven transmitted data after landing.

I would say 50% success rate is pretty darn good considering how bloody difficult it is.

When's the livestream gonna hit?

" So Captain Scarlett, you will rappel down ahead of the lander
and ensure the area is clear of Mysterons.
Captain Black will cover you. "



5.15pm nz time
12 hrs ahead of GMT

Sunday, August 5
NASA Mars Rover Landing
8:30 to 10:45 p.m. PT
Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover Landing Coverage and Commentary #1 - Entry Decent and Landing

Should be 30min from now if I got the timezone conversion right.

Quote from troy :

Sunday, August 5
NASA Mars Rover Landing
8:30 to 10:45 p.m. PT
Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Rover Landing Coverage and Commentary #1 - Entry Decent and Landing

Should be 30min from now if I got the timezone conversion right.

5.15am GMT

Thats about "splat" time anyway

"If all goes well, mission control at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory should hear a signal at 10:31 p.m. Pacific. The space agency warned that confirmation could take longer if an orbiting spacecraft that's supposed to listen for Curiosity during the descent is not in the right place." http://apnews.myway.com/article/20120805/DA0FB3QO1.html

This is the bit I love, They have no idea if their orbiting spacecraft will be in the right place.
It's YOUR spacecraft, WTF should it be ?

There's this wonderful invention called mathmatics !
Perhaps NASA should do some training in this subject..........

Time to start watching. The landing procedures start in about 15 minutes

"I came here to save you, Dad !"-"Oh yeah, and who will come to save YOU, Junior?"

Woohoo.

Lovely to see all those happy faces, took a screenshot of the first 2 pictures broadcasted from curiosity

Quote from troy :

Just watched this interesting documentation on BBC HD, it's still on the iplayer if anyone feels like it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e ... 20122013_Mission_to_Mars/

"Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only..."

Quote from undertaker00 :

"Currently BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only..."

I don't see any contribution to an intelligent discussion here. What should have he done, dig through every single European tv-stations on-demand service in case someone is airing the documentary? Great Britain is a 60 million people country, there's a notable audience who will find the OP useful. Not everything on the internet revolves around you you know.

No point in being deliberately obtuse imo.

It's great to see that the landing succeeded, and the mission can start. Looking forward to hear new stuff that this mission might uncover.

Hey, if Bond can cash in on the Olympic thing........