For thsat missed it, or just don't care ...

[tous]

NASA's InSight Mars probe successfully landed just where it was supposed after a six-month journey to Mars this afternoon.

Can you fire a bullet at a moving target 40 million miles  (64.4 million kilometers) away, have it decelerate from some 10,000 miles per hour (15,000 kilometers per hour) to less than 5 miles per hour (8 kilometers per hour) and not only hit the X-ring, but plop it gently down?

And then take a selfie and phone home?

For those not absorbed in meaningless, clever memes, this is gee whizz science at its best.

This is who humans are, what we can do.

 

Good job, lads and lasses. 

 

I made an error.

I assumed that they would launch InSight such that it rendezvoused with Mars at Mars' closest approach, thus the 64 million mile figure.

It appears that InSight traveled 300 million miles (482 million kilometers.)

Edited November 27, 2018 by tous

[Huaco Kid]

I worked a brief stint at Carnegie Mellon with grad students in the robotics department.  (my official title was something like, "Temporary Peon Chump".)  They were developing an autonomous rover.

Whenever I hear of these missions, I can't help wonder if any bits and pieces of  the technology I worked on is incorporated into them.

(I got to shake Buzz's hand once!)

[janice6]

3 minutes ago, Huaco Kid said:

I worked a brief stint at Carnegie Mellon with grad students in the robotics department.  (my official title was something like, "Temporary Peon Chump".)  They were developing an autonomous rover.

Whenever I hear of these missions, I can't help wonder if any bits and pieces of  the technology I worked on is incorporated into them.

(I got to shake Buzz's hand once!)

Every contribution no matter how small, is used to create the final result.  You may be pleasantly surprised to know the answer to your question.

To "contribute" is the greatest result of any individual's endeavor.  Take heart in that you may have a piece of the action!  You know, even if no one else does.

[tous]

I failed to mention that InSight isn't the first successful rover mission to Mars.

It's the eighth.

The Mars Climate Orbiter burned up in the Martian atmosphere because some numpty didn't convert English measurement to SI units.

I say, cover the danged planet with rovers!

 

[Dric902]

I recorded the “seven minutes of terror” coverage live at JPL.

well done, great job

 

.

 

[Rabbi]

I love this stuff. I still get "edge of my seat" over it.  

[tous]

Slide rules.

Graph paper.

Smart, dedicated people.

 

There is nothing we can't achieve.

 

Well, mebbe not with slide rules and graph paper anymore, but we ain't seen nothing yet.

[Dric902]

Gotta love the handshake, 

 

[Glocks4Freedom]

1 hour ago, janice6 said:

Every contribution no matter how small, is used to create the final result.  You may be pleasantly surprised to know the answer to your question.

To "contribute" is the greatest result of any individual's endeavor.  Take heart in that you may have a piece of the action!  You know, even if no one else does.

[tadbart]

This stuff is ridiculously cool. Perhaps, if I live to the edge of my expectancy, I'll witness humans standing on another world. I missed the first go-round by a few years. Shame on us for not keeping exploring and colonizing the moon.

[PATCHMAN]

Interesting achievement for sure.  

[BamaBud]

11 hours ago, tous said:

I failed to mention that InSight isn't the first successful rover mission to Mars.

It's the eighth.

The Mars Climate Orbiter burned up in the Martian atmosphere because some numpty didn't convert English measurement to SI units.

I say, cover the danged planet with rovers!

 

They need to have a rover racing series. Sorta like NASCAR.

[SC Tiger]

13 hours ago, tous said:

NASA's InSight Mars probe successfully landed just where it was supposed after a six-month journey to Mars this afternoon.

Can you fire a bullet at a moving target 40 million miles  (64.4 million kilometers) away, have it decelerate from some 10,000 miles per hour (15,000 kilometers per hour) to less than 5 miles per hour (8 kilometers per hour) and not only hit the X-ring, but plop it gently down?

And then take a selfie and phone home?

For those not absorbed in meaningless, clever memes, this is gee whizz science at its best.

This is who humans are, what we can do.

 

Good job, lads and lasses. 

 

I made an error.

I assumed that they would launch InSight such that it rendezvoused with Mars at Mars' closest approach, thus the 64 million mile figure.

It appears that InSight traveled 300 million miles (482 million kilometers.)

Did we use the "beach ball" landing approach with this one?  

[tous]

No.

Pulsing rockets to decelerate.

I want to be on the next one.

[RenoF250]

Hell of an achievement.  I have to say though, does anyone think they need that room full of people with their computer stations and name tags.  Looked to me like most were checking their Snapbooks and Facegrams.  I suspect that is a symptom of why NASA is so expensive.  Elon claims he will beat them to Mars.

[tous]

It's California.

Everybody is ready for their close up.

I liked the galoot in the hat.

 

Hipsters in space!

[Dric902]

We have the first pictures from the Insight rover

[TBO]

When do we start planting weed and when can we expect Martian green?

Sent from my Jack boot using Copatalk

[tous]

First, we have to claim Mars for the United States and then stand back as 65% of Central America shows up and demands asylum..

[RenoF250]

59 minutes ago, Dric902 said:

We have the first pictures from the Insight rover

 

Is that Vart's trailer on the left?  That thing really holds up.

[holyjohnson]

cool.

 

lets see if anyone Tweeted about it.