Guest #1 May 30, 2003 This is very cool. The Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, took a couple of snaps the other day; however, they weren't of Mars, they were of the Earth and the Moon, 86 million miles away. In other Mars news, promising imperical evidence of liquid water flow (well, mud actually) has also been recently observed on Mars. It's a fascinating story and it's an incredible tease for scientists, who've already committed to landing probes in other areas! edit to add: There is an armada of probes that will head for Mars starting this Summer. Britain's Beagle 2 probe, part of the ESA's Mars Express, will be the first lander since Viking to look specifically for evidence of biological life on Mars, and is scheduled to land at Isidis Planitia on Christmas Eve. The US is shooting a pair of rovers, the first of which has a launch window opening a week from Sunday. Still, the probes have to get there and land safely. Mars probes are always ambitious, involving landers, rovers, etc., as opposed to Galileo-styled orbital missions, like Cassini, which although carrying a lander (the Huygens probe), won't risk all on making planetfall like the Mars probes do. Size comparison of the new rovers with the Sojourner rover from 1997."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #2 May 30, 2003 Y'know what? I think I can see my house from there!. -------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #3 May 30, 2003 does anyone else find it scary that they've labeled that photo with "earth" and "moon"?____________________ Say no to subliminal messages Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #4 May 30, 2003 Quotedoes anyone else find it scary that they've labeled that photo with "earth" and "moon"? Not at all. Since it's color-enhanced to begin with, and lacking a frame of reference, it's not really possible for one to distinguish one from the other, despite the obvious difference in size. They just look like a couple of blobs."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrHixxx 0 #5 May 30, 2003 Hum, looks like just a pale blue dot to me... -Hixxxdeath,as men call him, ends what they call men -but beauty is more now than dying’s when Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheAnvil 0 #6 May 30, 2003 The power systems for both the Beagle2 and the NASA Rover '09 are pretty cool. The NASA rover is going to use a Stirling engine with two GPHBs for a heat source. DAMNED efficient - better than RTGs. They vibe tested the prototype to 12.5 g's RMS and it ran like a champ. NASA Glenn is doing most of the work on it - a team led by Jeff Schreiber. Good stuff. Beagle2 has a sweet lithium ion battery system. If we're going to keep doing these missions into deep space, power is going to be a limiting factor if we want to send data back. Lot's of neat ideas. I'm a Stirling/SCARLET/nuke proponent myself, but that's just me. Resurrect TOPAZ and make it better. Beers to all, Vinny the Anvil Vinny the Anvil Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL JACKASS POWER!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #7 May 30, 2003 Quote The NASA rover is going to use a Stirling engine with two GPHBs for a heat source. I'm a Stirling/SCARLET/nuke proponent myself, but that's just me. Resurrect TOPAZ and make it better. Neat, neat, neat!"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
