Randomrants

Stop and think about this shot.

What you need.

• 1 probes around Mars
• 1 Mars Science Lander ( MSL )
• The MSL was launched Nov. 26, 2011
• The chute was open for just over one minute.
• When the chute opened the MSL was doing Mach 1.7
• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter needed to be pointing in the right location
• It took 8months for Curiosity to get to Mars
• The journey of the MSL was 566 million kilometers
• It takes commands or info 13.8 minutes to travel each way
• Praying to get the shot wasn’t going to work, but Maths and Physics did
• The shot was taken from a distance of 340 kilometers
• 1 second out in the timing and the shot would be of just Mars ( still cool when you think about it )

And that is just for starters.  This is big science people and it is big in how awesome it is.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20120806b.html

and see The real cost of the Curiosity by John Birmingham as well.

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