The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Space => Topic started by: corbe on November 21, 2018, 08:13:13 pm
-
Mars landing comes down to final 6 minutes of 6-month trip
AP Aerospace Writer
Updated 1 hour ago
(https://www.ajc.com/rf/image_inline/Wires/w2/AP_Top_News_General_Stories/2018/11/21/Images/ad6dd729fef648f396ad9bf74a20dff3.jpg)
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. —
It all comes down to the final six minutes of a six-month journey to Mars.
NASA's InSight spacecraft will enter the Martian atmosphere at supersonic speed, then hit the brakes to get to a soft, safe landing on the alien red plains.
After micromanaging every step of the way, flight controllers will be powerless over what happens at the end of the road Monday, nearly 100 million miles (160 million kilometers) away. The communication lag between Mars and Earth is eight minutes.
"By the time we hear anything, the whole thing is already done," said project manager Tom Hoffman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Either it happened or it hasn't happened."
<..snip..>
https://www.ajc.com/news/mars-landing-comes-down-final-minutes-month-trip/ck7aBkHCXcsJzWWZp4KU4N/ (https://www.ajc.com/news/mars-landing-comes-down-final-minutes-month-trip/ck7aBkHCXcsJzWWZp4KU4N/)
-
Mars landing comes down to final 6 minutes of 6-month trip
AP Aerospace Writer
Updated 1 hour ago
(https://www.ajc.com/rf/image_inline/Wires/w2/AP_Top_News_General_Stories/2018/11/21/Images/ad6dd729fef648f396ad9bf74a20dff3.jpg)
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. —
It all comes down to the final six minutes of a six-month journey to Mars.
NASA's InSight spacecraft will enter the Martian atmosphere at supersonic speed, then hit the brakes to get to a soft, safe landing on the alien red plains.
After micromanaging every step of the way, flight controllers will be powerless over what happens at the end of the road Monday, nearly 100 million miles (160 million kilometers) away. The communication lag between Mars and Earth is eight minutes.
"By the time we hear anything, the whole thing is already done," said project manager Tom Hoffman of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "Either it happened or it hasn't happened."
<..snip..>
https://www.ajc.com/news/mars-landing-comes-down-final-minutes-month-trip/ck7aBkHCXcsJzWWZp4KU4N/ (https://www.ajc.com/news/mars-landing-comes-down-final-minutes-month-trip/ck7aBkHCXcsJzWWZp4KU4N/)
I am of the opinion we all take this much too lightly. This is really and truly an amazing feat that borders on magic,yet most of us take it for granted.