Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Spirit Lands: January 3, 2004 about 8:35 pm PST

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tl_entry1.html ^ | 1/3/04 | NASA

[mdittmar]

Step-by-Step Guide to Entry, Descent, and Landing.

On the evening of January 3, 2004, Spirit is scheduled to land on Mars. Here's a step-by-step guide to what will happen. To watch mission controllers live during entry, descent and landing, please tune into NASA TV at 6:45 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

[mdittmar]

"Our missions are peaceful...not for conquest. When we do battle, it is only because we have no choice." -- Kirk

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[tet68]

I will be hanging on, hopeing, we need this.

[Orangedog]

Let's hope the landers get past the old remaining Martian planetary defense systems that took out all the other probes this year. :P

[baclava]

If NASA screws this one up, they might as well just hand over the program to the Chinese.

[tet68]

I got a feeling it's going to be ok.
Got my fingers crossed anyway.
I know where I'll be this evening.

[snopercod]

What? And miss Sabado Gigante with Don Francisco?

[SunkenCiv]

If this probe fails, it will not be that unusual. Mars has been notoriously difficult to hit. It's amusing that some folks are gung-ho for human missions to Mars, when these relatively small, simple probe missions can't quite do the job.

[solo gringo]

Mabe Shelia Jackson Lee can get the operator to pan around so she can see the flag that armstrong put on the moon.That is what she ask the operator of Rover to do.

[mdittmar]

NASA T.V.

Tune in at 6:45 p.m. Pacific Standard Time to watch "6 minutes from hell".

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Coverage is supposed to begin around 9PM but the landing is scheduled for 11:35 PM Eastern. Let's hope for a good landing.

[rs79bm]

Ugggghhhhh!!! What is it with all these robots you keep sending ...

[realpatriot]

Hitting Mars doesn't seem to be the problem. Sending news of the arrival is a problem, however.

[UB355]

I've seen numerous guesses as to when this is really supposed to happen. Any body got a CST zone guess ?

[Djarum]

We should send one of these probes to take a core sample of the failed EU robot, or at least run over it.

[furball4paws]

Maybe H.G. Wells got there first and fixed it so no capitalistic scum could get there equipment there. I think the major problem is that NASA spends too much on the shuttle and less for the real interesting exploration. If they didn't have to nickle and dime their way to Mars then the outcome would be assured. I, too, will have my fingers crossed. I'd be glad to volunteer for a trip to Mars, even a one way trip. If we could figure out what happened to the Beagle, it might help.

[mdittmar]

"Six Minutes of Terror"
"In only six minutes, the spacecraft will slow down from 12,000 to 0 miles per hour."

Hmmm,may be the reason I lost overdrive in my "94" Eldorado yesterday.

[Stars N Stripes]

All your probes are belong to us... earthlings!

[cebadams]

Mars has been notoriously difficult to hit.

I would say that Mars has been a little too easily hit -- usually with a liitle too much speed :-)

[MeekOneGOP]