Landing on Mars, what could go wrong?

This is quite an intricate plan. It will be interesting to see all of this work as planned.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120731.html

Hope it makes it, this rover is HUGE compared to the other ones that have been put on Mars.

Amazing. What could possibly go wrong ?

Well, they could get feet/s and m/s mixed up again...

Would you like to drive a car on Mars?

"this rover is huge"

…and insanely heavy at ~2,000 Lbs (on Earth of course).

I was at the JPL facility in Pasadena last week and got to check out a copy of Curiosity first hand.

Unlike previous rovers that were solar powered, this one will be powered by a RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) which draws its power from nuclear decay and can provide ample (get it) power for a practically indefinite period of time; easily a decade.

I don’t know if marketing people were brought into the design process or if intimidating possible natives was an objective (joke) but this thing has a look that’s distinct from form following function.

I listened to an article the other day with one of the engineers. He referred to it as hitting a golf ball in NY and sinking a hole-in-one in Los Angeles. Quite a mathmatical and engineering feet.

Look at the craft at 0:51 sec. What would you think if the Martians sent something like that here? It looks like the quintessential UFO of the 50s.

Science Channel is going to have a special about it on Monday night.

meh... not like it's rocket science... er wait.... um ya...

neat... and crazy

Very cool, but enough of this robot E36 M3, put a Man on Mars.

In reply to pilotbraden:

Well, Braden, have you ever tried to land on Mars?

In reply to N Sperlo:

Not yet, maybe soon.