Mars Curiosity

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 05 Aug 2012, 13:49

I'll be watching at 5:30 am tomorrow morning.

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 05 Aug 2012, 17:12

Does your house work on GMT all summer, then

?

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 05 Aug 2012, 20:13

RenewableCandy wrote:Does your house work on GMT all summer, then ?

I think it's six thirty.....

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 06 Aug 2012, 10:16

So, it's safely down and sending back images.

It is events like these that create the greatest conflict and confusion in my mind over the whole sustainability and resource-depletion issue.

Could we have done this without the "leg-up" provided by fossil fuels? Is this one step in what is ultimately our destiny; to migrate away from Earth and connect with other civilisations? If so, why aren't we commiting even more resource to it? If not, and our ultimate future is a steady-state or cyclical civilisation that will be forever tied to Earth, then why are we bothering with these ventures and the costs (financial and environmental) that they incur?

What do folks think?

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 06 Aug 2012, 11:05

Tarrel wrote:So, it's safely down and sending back images.

It is events like these that create the greatest conflict and confusion in my mind over the whole sustainability and resource-depletion issue.

Could we have done this without the "leg-up" provided by fossil fuels? Is this one step in what is ultimately our destiny; to migrate away from Earth and connect with other civilisations? If so, why aren't we commiting even more resource to it? If not, and our ultimate future is a steady-state or cyclical civilisation that will be forever tied to Earth, then why are we bothering with these ventures and the costs (financial and environmental) that they incur?

What do folks think?

When I was child and then a young man, I dreamed that one day we would head for the stars. I was, without being consciously aware of it, a fully paid up member of the techno-optimist culture.

In my heart of hearts, though, I know that is never going to happen. Even if we had the resources of ten Earths at our immediate disposal, it's not going to happen. There are no viable habitable bodies in our solar system apart from Earth and the nearest star to us is over four light years way in the Alpha-Centauri system. Four light years is 23,272,704,000,000 (twenty three trillion two hundred and seventy two billion seven hundred and four million) miles. Every ounce of logic dictates that we should expend all of our cultural and intellectual as well as all of our material resources on stabilising the long term habitability of this, our only home. Planet Earth.

And yet, when I see this incredible achievement by the Mars-Curiosity team of engineers, I am moved to tears.

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 06 Aug 2012, 11:27

Nasa said today was a big step towards putting man on Mars.

That statement alone does more harm than any scientific benefit that may be gained from this project.

I collected tea cards in the early 70s of the history and future of space. By now we should have an established base on Mars, tourists on the moon, and men exploring Jupiter and Saturn systems.

It was clear by 1990 that was never going to happen.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 06 Aug 2012, 11:41

First image returned:

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 06 Aug 2012, 12:20

Earth hails successful Mars invasion

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/inte ... 2080637126

Post by **adam2** » 06 Aug 2012, 12:27

Whilst I dont see any immediate or direct benifit to mankind from this achievement, I still support it.
Progress in generall is good.
Almost all new inventions or discoveries have been heavily criticised at the time as being too expensive or of no benifit to the man in the street.

Yet if it were not for past discoveries and inventions we would still be living in a pre-industrial age, with unremitting hard work until an early and unpleasant death.

"telephones ? possibly useful in the colonies, but we have plenty of messenger boys" OR "not relavent to the ordinary working man who will never be able to afford a telephone message"

"electric light ! new fangled plaything for the rich. how on earth will the poor make use of it, when many cant even afford candles ?"

" railways, dreadfull invention ! will lead to horses becoming extinct, and also encourages the lower orders to move around too much"

And as for colour television, how elitist can you get ? only the rich will ever be able to afford a colour set.

And so on.

Post by **kenneal - lagger** » 06 Aug 2012, 14:13

adam2 wrote:............. and also encourages the lower orders to move around too much"

Well that was true wasn't it! They could have said the same about air travel and it would be equally true.

SleeperService · Post by **SleeperService** » 06 Aug 2012, 14:29

No matter how much we spend on social programmes the issues never go away. Mind you if they did that'd be the people helping out of a job.... for what Curisoty has cost it's well worth the money. If it turns up a Martian fossil or an ancient artifact that would silence all cost objections instantly.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 06 Aug 2012, 15:12

SleeperService wrote:No matter how much we spend on social programmes the issues never go away. Mind you if they did that'd be the people helping out of a job.... for what Curisoty has cost it's well worth the money. If it turns up a Martian fossil or an ancient artifact that would silence all cost objections instantly.

It would make all the theologians shut the F--k up was well. Which would be a major bonus, if only until they invented another sky-fairy story to account for it, of course.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 06 Aug 2012, 15:19

stevecook172001 wrote:It would make all the theologians shut the **** up was well. Which would be a major bonus, if only until they invented another sky-fairy story to account for it, of course.

They wouldn't believe it, or rather pretend not to believe it.

Yves75 · Post by **Yves75** » 06 Aug 2012, 17:51

stevecook172001 wrote:It would make all the theologians shut the **** up was well.

Why ? On the contrary would be a boost I think, earth, universe, what's the difference ? alive and dead is the true difference.

JavaScriptDonkey · Post by **JavaScriptDonkey** » 06 Aug 2012, 19:41

USD$2.5billion to get a rover to Mars on a 2 year mission.

GDP£12billion for 2 weeks of running, jumping and skipping.

The bit I love is that not only we are using a satellite that is already in orbit around Mars as a communications relay but we are using a different satellite to see what is going on.