Codz
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Great launch!:thumbup::woohoo:
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Updates Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)
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boogabooga
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orb
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[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecraft_thermal_control"]Spacecraft thermal control - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
orb
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Video replay of the launch
NASAKennedy:
NASAtelevision:
NASAKennedy:
SPACE.com:
NASAKennedy:
NASAtelevision:
NASAKennedy:
SPACE.com:
Jarvitä
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Missed this one, happy to see it went off perfectly. Next stop: Gale crater! 
SiberianTiger
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Excellent news! Have a nice trip and a soft landing, Curiosity! 
orb
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There's (already) created calendar event for landing at Gale Crater with set event timer.
Here you can request a reminder for it.
NASA / NASA JPL:
NASA Launches Most Capable and Robust Rover to Mars
November 26, 2011
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the Nov. 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST).
"We are very excited about sending the world's most advanced scientific laboratory to Mars," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "MSL will tell us critical things we need to know about Mars, and while it advances science, we'll be working on the capabilities for a human mission to the Red Planet and to other destinations where we've never been."
The mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place Curiosity near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life.
"The launch vehicle has given us a great injection into our trajectory, and we're on our way to Mars," said Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager Peter Theisinger of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The spacecraft is in communication, thermally stable and power positive."
The Atlas V initially lofted the spacecraft into Earth orbit and then, with a second burst from the vehicle's upper stage, pushed it out of Earth orbit into a 352-million-mile (567-million-kilometer) journey to Mars.
"Our first trajectory correction maneuver will be in about two weeks," Theisinger said. "We'll do instrument checkouts in the next several weeks and continue with thorough preparations for the landing on Mars and operations on the surface."
Curiosity's ambitious science goals are among the mission's many differences from earlier Mars rovers. It will use a drill and scoop at the end of its robotic arm to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out these samples into analytical laboratory instruments inside the rover. Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science-instrument payloads on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools are the first of their kind on Mars, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking the elemental composition of rocks from a distance, and an X-ray diffraction instrument for definitive identification of minerals in powdered samples.
To haul and wield its science payload, Curiosity is twice as long and five times as heavy as Spirit or Opportunity. Because of its one-ton mass, Curiosity is too heavy to employ airbags to cushion its landing as previous Mars rovers could. Part of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is a rocket-powered descent stage that will lower the rover on tethers as the rocket engines control the speed of descent.
The mission's landing site offers Curiosity access for driving to layers of the mountain inside Gale Crater. Observations from orbit have identified clay and sulfate minerals in the lower layers, indicating a wet history.
Precision landing maneuvers as the spacecraft flies through the Martian atmosphere before opening its parachute make Gale a safe target for the first time. This innovation shrinks the target area to less than one-fourth the size of earlier Mars landing targets. Without it, rough terrain at the edges of Curiosity's target would make the site unacceptably hazardous.
The innovations for landing a heavier spacecraft with greater precision are steps in technology development for human Mars missions. In addition, Curiosity carries an instrument for monitoring the natural radiation environment on Mars, important information for designing human Mars missions that protect astronauts' health.
{...}
NASA Press Release: RELEASE : 11-397 - NASA Launches Most Capable and Robust Rover to Explore Mars
The Planetary Society Blog: Curiosity is on its way to Mars!
Discovery News: Mars Rover Curiosity Launches
Spaceflight Now:
Here you can request a reminder for it.
NASA / NASA JPL:
NASA Launches Most Capable and Robust Rover to Mars
November 26, 2011
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the Nov. 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard an Atlas V rocket occurred at 10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST).
Click on image to enlarge
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Photo by Pat Corkery, United Launch Alliance
"We are very excited about sending the world's most advanced scientific laboratory to Mars," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "MSL will tell us critical things we need to know about Mars, and while it advances science, we'll be working on the capabilities for a human mission to the Red Planet and to other destinations where we've never been."
The mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place Curiosity near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life.
"The launch vehicle has given us a great injection into our trajectory, and we're on our way to Mars," said Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager Peter Theisinger of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "The spacecraft is in communication, thermally stable and power positive."
The Atlas V initially lofted the spacecraft into Earth orbit and then, with a second burst from the vehicle's upper stage, pushed it out of Earth orbit into a 352-million-mile (567-million-kilometer) journey to Mars.
"Our first trajectory correction maneuver will be in about two weeks," Theisinger said. "We'll do instrument checkouts in the next several weeks and continue with thorough preparations for the landing on Mars and operations on the surface."
Curiosity's ambitious science goals are among the mission's many differences from earlier Mars rovers. It will use a drill and scoop at the end of its robotic arm to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out these samples into analytical laboratory instruments inside the rover. Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science-instrument payloads on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools are the first of their kind on Mars, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking the elemental composition of rocks from a distance, and an X-ray diffraction instrument for definitive identification of minerals in powdered samples.
To haul and wield its science payload, Curiosity is twice as long and five times as heavy as Spirit or Opportunity. Because of its one-ton mass, Curiosity is too heavy to employ airbags to cushion its landing as previous Mars rovers could. Part of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is a rocket-powered descent stage that will lower the rover on tethers as the rocket engines control the speed of descent.
The mission's landing site offers Curiosity access for driving to layers of the mountain inside Gale Crater. Observations from orbit have identified clay and sulfate minerals in the lower layers, indicating a wet history.
Precision landing maneuvers as the spacecraft flies through the Martian atmosphere before opening its parachute make Gale a safe target for the first time. This innovation shrinks the target area to less than one-fourth the size of earlier Mars landing targets. Without it, rough terrain at the edges of Curiosity's target would make the site unacceptably hazardous.
The innovations for landing a heavier spacecraft with greater precision are steps in technology development for human Mars missions. In addition, Curiosity carries an instrument for monitoring the natural radiation environment on Mars, important information for designing human Mars missions that protect astronauts' health.
{...}
NASA Press Release: RELEASE : 11-397 - NASA Launches Most Capable and Robust Rover to Explore Mars
The Planetary Society Blog: Curiosity is on its way to Mars!
Discovery News: Mars Rover Curiosity Launches
Spaceflight Now:
- Gallery: Launching Curiosity (PHOTO GALLERY #1)
- Gallery: Atlas 5 rocket heads for Mars (PHOTO GALLERY #2)
- Gallery: Atlas 5 rocket heads for Mars (PHOTO GALLERY #3)
Ghostrider
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Go, Curiosity, go!
And please leave the cat alone.
And please leave the cat alone.
Kyle
Armchair Astronaut
Back from the launch! Orlando Channel 6 news interviewed me, asking me how it compared to the space shuttle launches I have seen, (6 shuttle launches in exact)
Got to say, the Atlas V had a longer rumble, but not as intense.
Got to say, the Atlas V had a longer rumble, but not as intense.
Landing in 253 days, 7 hours, 53 minutes.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
Countdown to Landing: 252 days, 1 hours, 53 minutes
Something wrong.
orb
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If landing is Aug. 6, 2012, like its been mentioned by a couple of sources, there's 253 days, not 252. Could be either missing leap day in calculation (Feb. 29), meaning that landing will be actually Aug 5, or countdown timer on NASA JPL is wrongly set.
According to Spaceflight Now, landing is between 05:00-05:30 UTC. If somewhere they calculated without including the leap day, 5 hours and DST in summer, this gives that 1 day and 6 hours difference. :shrug:
kuddel
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Hmmm, the JavaScript at the MSL-Page counts down to "Aug 5, 2012 0:0:7"...what was the (expected) landing date/time of the OF-timer?
And where do we get a (more or less) acurate one?
orb
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The set date/time is shown in the calendar event.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-362 said:
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av028/status.html said:
orb
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A couple of pictures from NASA:
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NASA:
MSL Spacecraft in Excellent Health
Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:56:09 PM GMT
A signal from NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, including the new Curiosity rover, was received by officials on the ground shortly after spacecraft separation. The spacecraft is flying free and headed for Mars after separation from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that started it on its journey to the Red Planet. Liftoff was on time at 10:02 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
"Our spacecraft is in excellent health and it's on its way to Mars," said Pete Theisinger, Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He thanked the launch team, United Launch Alliance, NASA's Launch Services Program and NASA's Kennedy Space Center for their help getting MSL into space.
"We are ready to go for landing on the surface of Mars, and we couldn't be happier," said John Grotzinger, Mars Science Laboratory Project Scientist from the California Institute of Technology. "I think this mission will be a great one. It is an important next step in NASA's overall goal to address the issue of life in the universe."
Grotzinger added, "It is important to distinguish that as an intermediate mission between (Mars Exploration Rovers), which was the search for water, and future missions, which may undertake life detection, our mission is about looking for ancient habitable environments."
"Science fiction is now science fact," said Doug McCuisition, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters. "We're flying to Mars. We'll get it on the ground... and see what we find."
Spaceflight Now: Mars Science Laboratory begins cruise to red planet
SPACE.com: NASA Rover Begins Long Cruise to Mars
Parabolic Arc: NASA’s Curiosity Rover: Everything You Need to Know
collectSPACE: NASA's Curiosity rover flying to Mars with Obama's, others' autographs on board
Universe Today: Curiosity Majestically Blasts off on ‘Mars Trek’ to ascertain ‘Are We Alone?’
Discovery News: Successful Mars Curiosity Launch: Big Pic
Click on images to enlarge
{colsp=3}
NASA:
MSL Spacecraft in Excellent Health
Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:56:09 PM GMT
A signal from NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, including the new Curiosity rover, was received by officials on the ground shortly after spacecraft separation. The spacecraft is flying free and headed for Mars after separation from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that started it on its journey to the Red Planet. Liftoff was on time at 10:02 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
"Our spacecraft is in excellent health and it's on its way to Mars," said Pete Theisinger, Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He thanked the launch team, United Launch Alliance, NASA's Launch Services Program and NASA's Kennedy Space Center for their help getting MSL into space.
"We are ready to go for landing on the surface of Mars, and we couldn't be happier," said John Grotzinger, Mars Science Laboratory Project Scientist from the California Institute of Technology. "I think this mission will be a great one. It is an important next step in NASA's overall goal to address the issue of life in the universe."
Grotzinger added, "It is important to distinguish that as an intermediate mission between (Mars Exploration Rovers), which was the search for water, and future missions, which may undertake life detection, our mission is about looking for ancient habitable environments."
"Science fiction is now science fact," said Doug McCuisition, director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters. "We're flying to Mars. We'll get it on the ground... and see what we find."
Spaceflight Now: Mars Science Laboratory begins cruise to red planet
SPACE.com: NASA Rover Begins Long Cruise to Mars
Parabolic Arc: NASA’s Curiosity Rover: Everything You Need to Know
collectSPACE: NASA's Curiosity rover flying to Mars with Obama's, others' autographs on board
Universe Today: Curiosity Majestically Blasts off on ‘Mars Trek’ to ascertain ‘Are We Alone?’
Discovery News: Successful Mars Curiosity Launch: Big Pic
sergiothepilot
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Hi, I'm new to this forum. I have a question on escape velocity. I watched the launch and it was spectacular. The commentator mentioned that the vehicle had reached escape velocity of 10.6 km/s. Thats equivalent to 23,712 m/h. I thought that the escape velocity of earth is 11.2 km/s or 25,054 m/h. Which one is right? and why de difference. Thanks to anyone that can answer my question!
Eli13
Fish Dreamer
Are you sure the commentator said that it had reached 10.6 km/s?
IIRC, escape velocity is 11.2 km/s. Either you heard him wrong, or he accidentally said the wrong thing.
sergiothepilot
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Thanks for your answer. I read the information on "spaceflightnow.com" They mention the escape velocity of 22,500 mph or 10.06 m/s. I don't know where they get that information. Also in the same article they said that the RD-180 first engine is russian made? I couldn't find any reference on that either! I thought that the engine of the Atlas V was US made. Thanks again for your answer.
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