Mars Rover ...

[jandl100]

Yay - it's landed.

1st pic - the shadow of the Curiosity Rover on the surface of Mars.

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/Curiosity.png

Kool, or what! :eek:

[Beechwoods]

Absolutely fantastic - I'm really pleased they did it - no mean feat and a really brave plan too. Can't wait to see what info it sends back.

[jandl100]

yep - have you seen this graphic animation of the landing sequence?

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Absolutely astonishing, looks totally mad - but it worked! :wowzer:

Clever buggers, those Americans! :lol:

[The Grand Wazoo]

Clever buggers, those Americans! :lol:

Travel 36 million miles or so across the universe to an uninhabited planet & go the last few meters by a being lowered on a rope?

There just must be a Brit involved in that somewhere or other!

[MartinT]

It's always amazing that something so complex still works when it gets there. Fantastic achievement.

[jandl100]

For those that missed it live ....

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[Audio Al]

Human achievement :wow::clapclapclap:

[Beechwoods]

Absolutely fantastic. They deserved a win after the Beagle failure a few years ago.

[Covenant]

More exciting than the Olympics IMHO. Looking forward to the proper images in due course.
Imagine finding fragments of an ancient race-I am thinking of Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles.

[Ali Tait]

Or Ben Bova's Mars books.

[Covenant]

Ben Bova-that name always makes me laugh. It's as bad as Hugh Jarse or Phil Mc Avity :lol:

[synsei]

"No one would have believed in the second decade of the 21st century that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space..."

Ya never know... :lol:

[goraman]

Of course if this new rover should take a photo of anything more than dirt and rock the footage will be classified above top secret. They will announce the rover is dissfunctional and the project has been aborted,while limiting viewing to those with above top secret clearance.So enjoy the pictures of rocks while you can.
Do you really think they would let us see film of even a space dog lifting his leg on a rock?

[Beechwoods]

I think a space dog would be pretty cool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_(novel)#Plot_introduction

[anthonyTD]

Many believe man has already been there, many times, who knows what technology mankind realy has! But i agree, if this machine got there under its own power, with guidance from earth, then it truly is an incredible achievment!:)

A...

[jandl100]

Many believe man has already been there, many times, who knows what technology mankind realy has!

Good lord! - Do they really? :eek:

I don't think I do. :lol:

Have you seen some of the latest pics?
Amazing! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2190844/Curiosity-close-Martian-surface-vapourising-nearest-rock-laser.html

[prestonchipfryer]

If life forms are found (or traces of long dead creatures) then it would be profound. I imagine that may would be thrilled but many would disbelieve and many would be frightened. Just my thoughts.

[bobbasrah]

Also this one Jerry....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2184966/Mars-Curiosity-Internet-pranksters-set-work-viral-pictures-help-Photoshop.html

[Reid Malenfant]

So at last someone came up with the sky hook :rfl:


All those jokes will now take on a different meaning...


Looks like they done good, getting a tonne or so safely to the surface in one piece & fully functional to boot :smoking:


Now lets see what it can find :exactly:

[synsei]

Here's a nice little toy to play with from the BBC News website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19296006

[jandl100]

Amazing! :wowzer: - thanks, Dave. :thumbsup:

Somewhat stranger observations are also going on .... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443855804577599851584093374.html

[Tim]

That is stunning Dave, good find :)

[StanleyB]

I read that they are going to beam a tune by Will.I.Am from Mars to Earth. This has had me wondering about which tune each of us would have picked to beam back to earth. I can think of quite a few, but the first one that sprang to mind was "Hello" by Lionel Ritchie.

[synsei]

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Footage of Curiosity's descent to the Martian surface from heatshield ejection to Skycrane ignition in HD

[synsei]

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1145877.1346126327!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/mars28n-3-web.jpg

Taken five hours ago, this pic clearly shows stratification which suggests these might be sedimentary rocks. If they are then this would be evidence that Mars once harboured oceans.

[Reid Malenfant]

http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1145877.1346126327!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/mars28n-3-web.jpg

Taken five hours ago, this pic clearly shows stratification which suggests these might be sedimentary rocks. If they are then this would be evidence that Mars once harboured oceans.
I think the more interesting thing is that apparently the very top layers of rock are twisted & are not lying flat, though the lower rocks certainly are on an even stratified layer.

Something odd certainly happened to cause that if it's correct :scratch:

[synsei]

The twisting was probably a result of the impact which caused the Gale Crater ;)