I know I don't talk about it much on here...
...but I'm a bit of a science geek. :D So here, have some science!
Tomorrow evening the Phoenix Mars Lander is going to land [hopefully!] on Mars. It's going to analyze the Martian ice for any signs of life. Unlike Spirit and Opportunity, the two rovers, this is just a lander; Phoenix isn't going anywhere.
I'm not going to be able to head down to the university and watch the live feed from Mission Control, like I did when Opportunity landed -- and let me tell you, that gap in contact while it bounced down was nervewracking as all hell and I'm just a random girl with an interest in space. Although being there as the Mission Control people on the videofeed and all the people in the auditorium with me all jumped to their feet and started yelling and hugging when we got the signal that Opportunity had made it, well... that made it all worth it.
I also know how lucky we got that Spirit and Opportunity both made it safely. [By the way, those two rovers? Still active. Now that's good craftsmanship. :D] Landing on Mars is a risky thing -- if something goes wrong, well... that's it. Something goes wrong during entry and you get a splat that was your lander.
But, since I work tomorrow morning, and one of the stations we just happen to get via the dish is the NASA channel... yeah. The same thing as with Opportunity, basically, only not with so many people. Still, a videofeed of Mission Control is a videofeed of Mission Control, whether it's on a big screen or on the TV. Either way, I'll know when they know whether or not Phoenix makes it down.
6:53:52 pm Central Time. That's when Phoenix's first signal after landing is supposed to arrive. That's when we'll know if it lands, or if Mars claims another machine.
C'mon, Phoenix, you can make it!
Tomorrow evening the Phoenix Mars Lander is going to land [hopefully!] on Mars. It's going to analyze the Martian ice for any signs of life. Unlike Spirit and Opportunity, the two rovers, this is just a lander; Phoenix isn't going anywhere.
I'm not going to be able to head down to the university and watch the live feed from Mission Control, like I did when Opportunity landed -- and let me tell you, that gap in contact while it bounced down was nervewracking as all hell and I'm just a random girl with an interest in space. Although being there as the Mission Control people on the videofeed and all the people in the auditorium with me all jumped to their feet and started yelling and hugging when we got the signal that Opportunity had made it, well... that made it all worth it.
I also know how lucky we got that Spirit and Opportunity both made it safely. [By the way, those two rovers? Still active. Now that's good craftsmanship. :D] Landing on Mars is a risky thing -- if something goes wrong, well... that's it. Something goes wrong during entry and you get a splat that was your lander.
But, since I work tomorrow morning, and one of the stations we just happen to get via the dish is the NASA channel... yeah. The same thing as with Opportunity, basically, only not with so many people. Still, a videofeed of Mission Control is a videofeed of Mission Control, whether it's on a big screen or on the TV. Either way, I'll know when they know whether or not Phoenix makes it down.
6:53:52 pm Central Time. That's when Phoenix's first signal after landing is supposed to arrive. That's when we'll know if it lands, or if Mars claims another machine.
C'mon, Phoenix, you can make it!