(no subject)
So the mars phoenix lander has died:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/10/MNDG141O0I.DTL
I must admit I watched the landing coverage live on nasa tv and got really tense and then excited, I know it's geeky but it's just such an achievement sending something 400 million miles away and managing to get it through the atmosphere of another planet without burning up and then landing it on the surface. They even managed to get a picture of it dangling from it's parachute during it's descent from a satellite that was already orbiting mars!
It was always going to die once the winter came because it wouldn't be able to gather enough solar energy to remain functional but it managed to complete all the tasks it was designed for including finding ice under the surface which is a pretty big deal.
I never used to find such things interesting beyond the immediate visual appeal of something like a shuttle launch but I guess as you get older you take some things for granted less and realise the enormity of the distances involved and just how mind boggling it all is.
Anyways, Phoenix lander, goodnight, sweet prince!
At least the two mars rovers are alive and kicking, they landed there in january 2004 and were only expected to last for 3 months but they are still driving around and poking things 4 years later, that's a really impressive feat of engineering.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover
I know I should get a life.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/10/MNDG141O0I.DTL
I must admit I watched the landing coverage live on nasa tv and got really tense and then excited, I know it's geeky but it's just such an achievement sending something 400 million miles away and managing to get it through the atmosphere of another planet without burning up and then landing it on the surface. They even managed to get a picture of it dangling from it's parachute during it's descent from a satellite that was already orbiting mars!
It was always going to die once the winter came because it wouldn't be able to gather enough solar energy to remain functional but it managed to complete all the tasks it was designed for including finding ice under the surface which is a pretty big deal.
I never used to find such things interesting beyond the immediate visual appeal of something like a shuttle launch but I guess as you get older you take some things for granted less and realise the enormity of the distances involved and just how mind boggling it all is.
Anyways, Phoenix lander, goodnight, sweet prince!
At least the two mars rovers are alive and kicking, they landed there in january 2004 and were only expected to last for 3 months but they are still driving around and poking things 4 years later, that's a really impressive feat of engineering.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Exploration_Rover
I know I should get a life.