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Great News,
NASA's Spirit rover has landed and is transmitting.
http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html
NASA's Spirit rover has landed and is transmitting.
http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html
Last edited by a moderator:
Originally posted by Phobos
Space.com's complete coverage...
http://www.space.com/marsrover/
Way to go NASA!
The associated rover, Opportunity, is scheduled to land Jan 24!
Originally posted by Jeebus
I was wondering about this. What will Opportunity do that the previous rover didn't do before? And isn't the rover still in good condition?
Originally posted by Evo
Does anyone know if the proposed quantum cascade laser for atmospheric analysis was included?
One of my personalities is.Originally posted by Ivan Seeking
You're a nerd?
Hey the masturbating bear is chroot's!I hadn't noticed this with all of the discussion about your wall eating dog, drooling Zoobie, drooling Zooby, chocolate, and the masturbating bear.[/B]
That's too funny. Quite imaginative to see "footprints".My sister called and mentioned the "footprints" in the soil next to the lander. At the time I was not aware of the interest in the airbag's skid marks - the clumpy soil shots - which are what she had seen. I started laughing and assured her that such an event would yield 24 hrs news coverage and announcements from the president. She assumed that we had seen these "footprints", the press had shown everyone, and now we just proceed like it's no big deal.
"Spirit" refers to the name of one of the Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) launched by NASA in 2003. "Landed successfully" means that the rover successfully touched down on the surface of Mars and was able to begin its mission.
"Spirit" was launched from Earth on a Delta II rocket and entered the Martian atmosphere at a speed of about 19,000 kilometers per hour. Then, it used a combination of parachutes and airbags to cushion its landing on the surface of Mars.
"Spirit" was equipped with a number of cameras, including panoramic cameras, navigation cameras, and hazard avoidance cameras. These cameras captured images of the Martian landscape, as well as close-up images of rocks and other features.
The mission was originally planned for 90 Martian days (or sols), but "Spirit" exceeded all expectations and continued to operate for over 6 years, sending back valuable data and images. Unfortunately, the rover stopped communicating with Earth in 2010 after getting stuck in soft sand.
The mission of "Spirit" (and its sister rover "Opportunity") provided valuable insights into the geology and history of Mars. The rovers discovered evidence of past water activity, analyzed soil and rock samples, and helped us better understand the potential for life on the red planet.