A daily miasma of frivolity by two wanna-be cultural critics. Or: just, like, some good links, dude.

Tag Archives: NASA

Aug 05 2012
Mark Twain, probably

You’re going to keep track of the landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars as it happens tonight, right? OF COURSE YOU ARE, THIS WAS THE RHETORICALEST OF RHETORICAL QUESTIONS

If for some silly reason you want to pretend you weren’t, though, you should probably watch this video of how the landing is planned to go.

‘Ili:
You seen this?
‘Ili:
I thought the video was a little overproduced, but then it gets into what’s actually going to happen and “WHAT THE FUCK”
‘Ili:
SCIENCE
Colin:
Nope
‘Ili:
Check dat shit because this landing is going to be fucking extreme
‘Ili:
::screaming guitars and mountain dew::
Colin:
That was crazy.
‘Ili:
LOWERS THE ROVER ON WIRES
‘Ili:
DETACHES
‘Ili:
THEN THE HARNESS FLIES THE FUCK AWAY
Colin:
Yeah I knew about that bit
Colin:
SO COOL
‘Ili:
How is this really happening.
‘Ili:
Also why are we not getting video of this.
‘Ili:
Can we just drop like 200 cameras on Mars beforehand.
‘Ili:
ONE WILL GET IT FOR SURE
Colin:
three extra descent vehicles that exist only to capture video
Colin:
::director robot with a big cone and beret::
‘Ili:
::clapboard on a parachute::
Colin:
YES
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
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Dec 29 2011
Mark Twain, probably

Grail spacecraft to study moon’s gravity field

Grail spacecraft to study moon’s gravity field

Alicia Chang, the AP:

Over the New Year’s weekend, a pair of spacecraft the size of washing machines are set to enter orbit around it in the latest lunar mission. Their job is to measure the uneven gravity field and determine what lies beneath – straight down to the core.

…

Once in orbit, the spacecraft will spend the next two months flying in formation and chasing one another around the moon until they are about 35 miles above the surface with an average separation of 124 miles. Data collection won’t begin until March.

As the probes circle the moon, regional changes in the lunar gravity field will cause them to speed up or slow down. This in turn will change the distance between them. Radio signals transmitted by the spacecraft will measure the slight distance gaps, allowing researchers to map the underlying gravity field.

It’s not a manned mission, but hey, science still rules.

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Jul 08 2011
Mark Twain, probably

Here’s the space shuttle Atlantis launching on the final mission of NASA’s space shuttle program, as shot by Scott Audette of Reuters. Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your caps.

(Via MSNBC’s PhotoBlog)

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