So, Curiosity will be landing on/hitting Mars in about 1hr 45min from this post. Which excites me terribly, as all Science does, and NASA's got a lovely stream going at the moment for it. If you care to watch it's http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

Even if you miss the live bit they've got a bunch of cool recorded stuff. So go check it out. Because Science is awesome ^.=.^

Edit: And touchdown. Curiosity is safely on Mars and even sent a couple pictures. And soon we'll be getting full true colour pictures .

thought we shut down our space program?

Success!

Hurrah! Glad to know that everything went swimmingly.

Arix:

thought we shut down our space program?

We shut down our shuttle program while we work on a design for a new craft.

Which is really stupid, imo. The shuttles were largely fine, sans the foam issue. Worse, we're paying other countries to shuttle our stuff for the time being. Hrmph. Though I think now we're looking at private companies to do it. Good old capitalism.

I watched an interesting Neil deGrasse Tyson interview wherein he talked about how it's generally necessary for government to fund things like a space program while the technology is prohibitively expensive and that private companies just cannot enter the game until it actually becomes (financially) lucrative. I don't think that point has happened now, and also lament the reduction of research budget (in favor of things I don't necessarily support as much) but hope that private companies will jump at the chance to get in on the field and will improve manufacturing methods and lower research costs so that things like this lander and other projects that are currently super-high-ticket research items become easier and cheaper.

What does Curiosity have that Rover didn't?

Also, There are at least 3 private space companies right now. (Ok a lot more than 3... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_private_spaceflight_companies )

Check out the 'craft status' section.

Seen the first pics sent back from the surface?

Why am I not surprised. Is curiosity the young heroine this time?

Enyalida:

Check out the 'craft status' section.

Yeah, there are 5 or 6 listed as "operational"

Curiosity apparently has its own twitter account too: https://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity. My favorite is its tweet upon landing: "I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!!"

"Operational" is questionable. As I recall there's only been a single private space vessel in the U.S. that's actually exited the outer atmosphere (and this was very recently, as in this year). Which, while I'm not one of those 'american grown' types, I do think we should be funding our 'own' ventures (although I think space exploration in general should be a fully international effort).

I think when we should be pouring money into the possibility of extra-terra construction projects and exploration, we're instead cutting back and not pouring the money into anything that really improves humanity. Which makes me sad!

Curiosity will prove interesting, though. Over the next few months/couple years we'll hear about the viability of previous life on Mars. Its equipped with something like 15 times the equipment any previous explorer has been, IIRC, and is there expressly to test the layers and deposits there near a specific peak and in Gale Crater, generally formations that, when seen on earth, are always the result of flowing water.

Sadly, unless Dr. Igor Vashev is correct, none of us will likely be alive to see the real fruits of any such labour that might come to be.

daganev:

What does Curiosity have that Rover didn't?

Other than being the size of a mini-van it's positively festooned in cameras running the full gambit of the electromagnetic spectrum and has what amounts to a full laboratory for detailed sample analysis on board.

Eventru:

I think when we should be pouring money into the possibility of extra-terra construction projects and exploration, we're instead cutting back and not pouring the money into anything that really improves humanity. Which makes me sad!

Curiosity will prove interesting, though. Over the next few months/couple years we'll hear about the viability of previous life on Mars. Its equipped with something like 15 times the equipment any previous explorer has been, IIRC, and is there expressly to test the layers and deposits there near a specific peak and in Gale Crater, generally formations that, when seen on earth, are always the result of flowing water.

There was some serious talk, IIRC, about private companies looking into space-mining, so in the very least the private sector is considering fueling extra-terrestrial construction/industry . Even if I totally agree that this should be an international governmental effort. And you're right about why Curiosity is there partially, but it's also looking at the climate and atmospheric changes. And they that it's also there to assess/plan for human exploration.

Edit: Okay, because Irillia got me poking around the MSL twitter and the like, this one from HiRISE a few hours before the landing amuses me: "In the words of Leslie Nielsen: "I just want to tell you good luck. We're all counting on you.""

Of course, now if only they retweeted it again an hour after landing >.=.>

Maellio:


Other than being the size of a mini-van it's positively festooned in cameras running the full gambit of the electromagnetic spectrum and has what amounts to a full laboratory for detailed sample analysis on board.



There was some serious talk, IIRC, about private companies looking into space-mining, so in the very least the private sector is considering fueling extra-terrestrial construction/industry . Even if I totally agree that this should be an international governmental effort. And you're right about why Curiosity is there partially, but it's also looking at the climate and atmospheric changes. And they that it's also there to assess/plan for human exploration.

Sorry, I poorly phrased my statement. What I meant by "previous viability of life" was indeed referring to life that may have existed and changes to the now arid planet we see now (allegedly arid!).

I know Gingrich wanted to colonize the moon, but boy, I'd much rather see a science colony on Mars.

And while I can appreciate private companies seeing potential benefits and financial gain, it just makes me cringe. I suppose a part of me wants the private sector to simply stay out of the whole affair - but then, I grew up loving the Alien movies, the Weyland company were the archetypical bad guys of my childhood, and the corporate misuse/greed portrayed pretty regularly has likely tinged my views of "Corporations In Space". I cringe at the idea of planets being strip-mined in the name of the almighty dollar. But, to qualify, my empathy systems have been in total overdrive lately with all the tragedy going on and perceived disregard for life.

Still, I cringe with the thought that the moment we surrender space to companies is the day we set a route for our grand children and their grand children to be forced to live in a solar system where planets are bought, stripped and sold like used parts. It's not like we've treated ours with much respect.

My, aren't I dark today.

Eventru:

my empathy systems have been in total overdrive

Proof from the horses mouth.

Eventru:

I cringe at the idea of planets being strip-mined in the name of the almighty dollar. But, to qualify, my empathy systems have been in total overdrive lately with all the tragedy going on and perceived disregard for life.

Still, I cringe with the thought that the moment we surrender space to companies is the day we set a route for our grand children and their grand children to be forced to live in a solar system where planets are bought, stripped and sold like used parts. It's not like we've treated ours with much respect.

I like to think that with the spotlight any space company will be in and the increasing ubiquity of communications and croudsourcing, that such practices would be met with a crippling backlash from the world community.

EDIT: As in, their offices being burned down by mobs type backlash, if not that literal.

I like this Twitter account better than the genuine one:
https://twitter.com/MarsCuroisity