New Mars Lander to Touchdown Next Weekend

[Blake]

Jumping jeebus on a pogo stick – if you thought that was cool, look at this:

Wow. Epic.

 

[UnoMOTO]

I keep wondering if they are really happy with the landing sight now that they are there.

 

[Touring Mars]

I guess it's as good a place as any to find what they are looking for...

By the way, I found a better picture of the lander, which shows a massive crater in the background. Although it appears that the lander is landing inside the crater, it is infact some 20 kilometers away...



Ironically, maybe it would have been better if it had landed in the crater, since if they are looking for evidence of life below the surface, there is probably going to me more ancient sub-surface debris in and next to an impact crater?

Given the discovery this week of microbial life a staggering 1.6 kilometers below the sea-bed here on Earth, perhaps the search for signs of life on other planets is going to take more than a little lander armed only with a robotic arm and the NASA equivalent of a bucket and spade?

 

[FoolKiller]

Just because this thing landed on you, I don't think it gives you the right to double post.

 

[Danoff]

That ^^ is regoddamndiculous. You've got to know the photographing spacecraft orbit and attitude really really well on top of needing to have a friggin phenomenal understanding of where phoenix was AFTER it opened its 'chutes to get that shot. And what a fantastic camera! I'm kinda shocked they even tried it to be honest.

So, mars is getting crowded these days:

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter - JPL
Mars Express - ESA
Mars Odyssey - JPL
Phoenix - JPL
MER-A (Spirit) - JPL
MER-B (Opportunity) - JPL

and Dawn is on its way (though it won't stay more than a few minutes).

 

[ExigeEvan]

Ironically, maybe it would have been better if it had landed in the crater, since if they are looking for evidence of life below the surface, there is probably going to me more ancient sub-surface debris in and next to an impact crater?

I think there's issues with the communications signal if it lands in the crater, I'm sure that was one of the theories floated when the European rover crashed into the party.

 

[Sage]

I was wondering where you’ve been, Dan – have they kept you locked up in OT the past few days?

 

[Danoff]

I was wondering where you’ve been, Dan – have they kept you locked up in OT the past few days?

I've kinda been away due to vacation and family visits. I didn't have anything to do with Phoenix (thank god, that would keep you awake at night for sure).

 

[UnoMOTO]

I've kinda been away due to vacation and family visits. I didn't have anything to do with Phoenix (thank god, that would keep you awake at night for sure).

If you were involved in a project like that, how much of the details would you be allowed to share with us?

With that being said...what are you working on right now Dan....HMMMM?

 

[Danoff]

If you were involved in a project like that, how much of the details would you be allowed to share with us?

Basically none. But I wouldn't actively mislead you.

With that being said...what are you working on right now Dan....HMMMM?

Can't really say, but it's cooler than Mars for sure.

 

[ExigeEvan]

OMG he's going to Uranus!

 

[UnoMOTO]

Basically none. But I wouldn't actively mislead you.

You work out of the JPL in Pasadena, right?

Since we’ve now had a Danoff sighting, I was actually looking for your mug on TV this passed weekend.

 

[Danoff]

You work out of the JPL in Pasadena, right?

Can't really say that. I do live near Pasadena.

Since we’ve now had a Danoff sighting, I was actually looking for your mug on TV this passed weekend.

It's not likely that I'll be on TV anytime soon, but I appreciate the sentiment. I'm certainly pretty enough.

 

[UnoMOTO]

Can't really say that.

Or you would have to kill me.

It's not likely that I'll be on TV anytime soon, but I appreciate the sentiment. I'm certainly pretty enough.

I expected for you to be one of the blue shirts sitting behind those rows with a sign in front of your station that said something fancy about getting from point A to point B.

 

[Omnis]

I guess it's as good a place as any to find what they are looking for...

By the way, I found a better picture of the lander, which shows a massive crater in the background. Although it appears that the lander is landing inside the crater, it is infact some 20 kilometers away...

Wow, they almost landed in Paris Hilton's vagoo!




Seriously, though, that's an incredible picture.

 

[Touring Mars]

Another picture from the mission reveals a "FOOTPRINT" on the Martian surface!!

This is surely evidence that C3PO's exist!

Spoiler

(Shame it was made by the Phoenix lander!)

Article...

 

[Loon]

That's really cool, and a good idea too.

 

[Sureboss]

Basically none. But I wouldn't actively mislead you.



Can't really say, but it's cooler than Mars for sure.

Can you even tell us what you do for them? Job title?

 

[Stevisiov]

Another picture from the mission reveals a "FOOTPRINT" on the Martian surface!!

Its odd because it looks embosed rather than imprinted.

 

[Danoff]

Can you even tell us what you do for them? Job title?

Do for who? I'm in spacecraft navigation - figuring out where it is and how to get it to go where it's supposed to be.

 

[Sureboss]

But you do work for NASA, don't you?

You might have to answer that in code...(i don't mean wrapping it in CODE tags)

 

[Joey D]

Any word on what the wet chemistry lab came up with? I'm curious if there really is water ice on Mars and if it ever was liquid water at one time.

 

[Omnis]

But you do work for NASA, don't you?

Good luck getting Mr. Libertarian to admit he works for the government.

 

[Touring Mars]

Atleast it's a worthwhile part of government - it could be alot worse, atleast he doesn't work for the IRS

Any word on what the wet chemistry lab came up with? I'm curious if there really is water ice on Mars and if it ever was liquid water at one time.

From what I've read, they have established that the shiny substance under foot (of the Phoenix lander) has to be "ice" of some description, but it will be another few weeks before they know what the composition of the ice is...

 

[Famine]

Please stop pressing Danoff for his occupation. It should be relatively apparent that there's a confidentiality agreement in place and, even if there wasn't, no-one on here is beholden to anyone to reveal any personal information about themselves.


Besides, we all know he's really called Simon and works as a janitor at NORAD.

 

[Sureboss]

Apologies.

 

[Racer21]

We should send people to Mars and then colonise it, and the moon too.

 

[Joey D]

From what I've read, they have established that the shiny substance under foot (of the Phoenix lander) has to be "ice" of some description, but it will be another few weeks before they know what the composition of the ice is...

Cool thanks, I'm excited to see what they find. Another planet that potentially had water on it at another point in time and within the inhabitable zone is really good signs for life, either past or present.

We should send people to Mars and then colonise it, and the moon too.

That's a rather costly and dangerous thing to do since we don't really have the knowledge or the resources to do that now. We need better space vehicles, we need to know how to build habitation, and we need to know how to transform land from a dusty surface into fertile fields.

 

[niky]

If we're going to establish colonies off-Earth, it's actually probably much easier to establish a free-floating colony instead of landing one on another planet. Less trouble, easier logistics, etcetera...

 

[Racer21]

Scientists know how to do all of this, they made the coldest ever temperature recorded in a lab, something like one billionth of a degree above absoulte zero.