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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 8:45 AM
Thats right, NASA's latest Mars Exploration Rover has successful landed on the red planet. After 8 months of travel, the hardest part had yet to come. Landing on Mars is difficult because the planet has a much thinner atmosphere than that of Earth so slowing down is difficult, something that a parachute on it's own cannot do. Previous landings saw the rovers "bounced" on the surface until it stopped, but this rover weighs almost a tonne so that wouldn't work. For this landing, a sky crane was utilised where an exhaust propelled platform would lower the 900kg robot onto the planets surface. The picture below depicts the landing sequence:
After 14 anxious minutes, the Australian Deep Space Tracker received the robot's first signal and a picture of the red planet (although not so red in the picture 
):
For more information and updates go to this website
TD
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 10:07 AM
Really cool thread Torzan. I really found the landing very interesting. I was once told that Mars had no atmosphere, looks like they were wrong. 
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 10:39 AM
I was once told that Mars had no atmosphere, looks like they were wrong.
Who on earth told you that? lol It's been known for decades that it has an atmosphere. 
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 10:46 AM
It has an atmosphere, just a very thin one. It is about 1% that of Earths so its almost nom existant but its still there. Thats what makes Mars landings so difficult.
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 11:32 AM
Who on earth told you that? lol It's been known for decades that it has an atmosphere.
A Biology Teacher, I guessed he was qualified enough to be correct. I was wrong.
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 11:36 AM
Do not worry though; when i see him I will call him a Blaggard, a Braggart and a Lier!
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 11:40 AM
In relative comparision it might as well be no atmosphere.
Just playing devil's advocate
As for thepictures of Mars, always exciting to see. It's not often in the mire of sensationalized news broadcasting that something genuine like this comes up, and it gives a real sense of pride that we can occasionally rise up above all of that.
Serious kudos to NASA on this one!
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 8:09 PM
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 9:01 PM
Love the fact its all coming together now cant wait to see the footage / photos
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Posted Mon 06 Aug, 2012 9:38 PM
Given that humanity is now officially burning the atmosphere to place more rovers and even colonies (Again: Insert a Waters of Mars reference here, you won't get me up there ever!), unless we find some kind of terraforming it'll soon be absolutely no atmosphere.
That said ... Titan's still far more interesting ... Methane-based lifeforms!
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Posted Tue 07 Aug, 2012 9:22 PM
Will post more pictures and updates as they come available 
Titan would sure be a very interesting place to visit. Only disadvantage is its 1,272,000,000 kms away!!!
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Posted Wed 08 Aug, 2012 12:09 PM
Latest Update: The Mars Curiosity Descent Imager captured the rovers descent to the surface via a camera. Watch the video here. It is a truly amazing thing to watch. Stay tuned for more!
TD
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