Update 11:08 Central: Curiosity now reported inside orbit of Martian satellite Deimos, about 14,000 miles away.
The moment of truth is close at hand. As the countdown clock shows, Curiosity will soon enter the Martian stratosphere. The Internet is buzz with excitement and no small amount of anxiety. The seven minutes of terror are about to begin for real. There’s a lot riding on it, both literally and figuratively. Some good links to keep tabs on are Mars Google Hangout (This has been a lot of fun tonight), NASA interactive event schedule, JPL TV, and NASA TV.
To understand the importance of this mission – and Curiosity is about as important a science experiment as we’ve ever created – here’s a quick peek at the fascinating history of our solar system’s most hospitable world, outside of the one we call home. Afterall, you have this much time to kill…
4 comments
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davidmc
August 5, 2012 at 10:59 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
05.54 AM, stupid o’clock- check
out of bed? -check
good luck peanuts?- DOH!
davidmc
August 5, 2012 at 11:34 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
YEEHAW! incredible
magistramarla
August 5, 2012 at 11:35 pm (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Just watched CNN’s coverage at JPL.
Whoo Hooo!
We are science nerds.
StevoR
August 6, 2012 at 12:48 am (UTC -6) Link to this comment
Yes! Wheels and shadows on the sands on Mars!
Magnificent landing.
Congratulations to all the Curiosity team.