Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.
Support MFO
Donate through PayPal
Heads-Up / Wheels-Down (at Jezero Crater) 3:30 PM EST Today
“Perseverance will touch down on Mars on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at approximately 12:30 p.m. PST (3:30 p.m. EST). During landing, the rover plunges through the thin Martian atmosphere, with the heat shield first, at a speed of over 12,000 mph (about 20,000 kph).”
PBS will do a fine job. I’m tuned to the NASA coverage. They’re apparently recording the decent from a satellite they have orbiting. Should make for great viewing in a few days. This one’s also ferrying a small helicopter to the planet (stowed in its belly) that will make its maiden flight in the spring - we hope.
Yes, this is great shit. I love all the space exploration news. Utterly fascinating to me. Not so much all the engineering, but the sheer distances and the discoveries.
Yes. The thought of "what do we want and need to do, and how do we engineer that?" is beyond my thinking processes. I recall watching an orbiting satellite in the night sky above Michigan during summer months. But, I don't recall the satellite name. Twas not Sputnik, which was a short lived fall/winter satellite.
Blows me away. Such an accomplishment. The search for new knowledge. In a related matter, here is an opera soprano giving tribute--- albeit in a different context.
Comments
(Nice pict @Old_Joe) Here ya go Catch - Project Echo
Above - NASA’s flying car over Mars - 2021
Below - Disney’s flying car from 1968
http://a.msn.com/01/en-gb/BB1dUCfs?ocid=se
Mars rover beams back panoramic view of landing site