Information will probably be slow coming this afternoon/evening, but this is the start of some serious Martian exploration
Everything you need to know to catch the Curiosity rover landing
On August 5th, at 10:31 pm PDT, NASA will attempt to land Curiosity — a one-ton, six-wheel-drive, nuclear-powered super-laboratory — on the surface of Mars. It is the most scientifically advanced rover ever built. It will be the most technically impressive landing procedure ever attempted. You do not want to miss this.
Remember: the landing itself isn’t happening until August 5th at 10:31 pm Pacific (that’s 1:31 a.m., August 6 for your East Coasters). The rover is scheduled to enter the top of Mars’ atmosphere at speeds in excess of 13,000 miles per hour, at which point it will decelerate, descend, and land on the planet’s surface all within a span of just seven minutes.
NASA engineers call these “The Seven Minutes of Terror,” and with good reason; Curosity’s entry, descent and landing (EDL) is…
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