Author Topic: Mars landing and 7 minutes of terror (Read 4221 times)

Nearly Sane · « **on:** February 18, 2021, 07:42:16 PM »

Fascinating stuff

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/science-environment-56101496

Gordon · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2021, 08:04:39 PM »

I hope it goes well - I'm a sucker for space stuff.

Nearly Sane · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2021, 08:59:11 PM »

Landed successfully!

Anchorman · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2021, 09:36:27 PM »

Watched it.
Incredible feat of technology.
I remember watching the Viking landers - at the time the ultimate example of space tech. How far we've come.
The concept of the tiny space helicopter seems mind boggling.

Roses · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2021, 11:49:45 AM »

It is incredible what modern technology can achieve.

BeRational · « **Reply #5 on:** February 20, 2021, 12:25:59 AM »

Fantastic stuff, I love this sort of thing.

Not sure why they describe it as terror though!

If you were sat in it hoping to land that would be different!

Sriram · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2021, 04:48:40 AM »

Frankly I don't see what the big deal is about the Rover landing. Ok....good technology and all that..... That is fine.

But what does it all mean and why are they wasting so much money and time on this? We put a man on the moon in 1969... more than 50 years ago...and what has been the benefit?

We have a natural urge to keep moving (animals do that all the time) and discovering new habitats as a part of our survival strategy. We are however allowing this urge to take us too far.

We are never going to colonize the Moon or Mars even in the far future. Face it! We have evolved on earth over 4 billion years and cannot live anywhere outside the earth's protective environment.

The urge to run away to other habitats has made us indifferent to our own planet which is why we are facing so many problems here.

https://tsriramrao.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/space-explorati/

splashscuba · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2021, 11:41:15 AM »

Quote from: Sriram on February 20, 2021, 04:48:40 AM

Frankly I don't see what the big deal is about the Rover landing. Ok....good technology and all that..... That is fine.

But what does it all mean and why are they wasting so much money and time on this? We put a man on the moon in 1969... more than 50 years ago...and what has been the benefit?

We have a natural urge to keep moving (animals do that all the time) and discovering new habitats as a part of our survival strategy. We are however allowing this urge to take us too far.

We are never going to colonize the Moon or Mars even in the far future. Face it! We have evolved on earth over 4 billion years and cannot live anywhere outside the earth's protective environment.

The urge to run away to other habitats has made us indifferent to our own planet which is why we are facing so many problems here.

https://tsriramrao.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/space-explorati/

Here's NASA's take on the benefits.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Benefits-Stemming-from-Space-Exploration-2013-TAGGED.pdf

That took around 5 seconds to find. Why don't you do a bit of research yourself.

Alan Burns · « **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2021, 12:47:40 PM »

Apparently the main aim of this incredible feat of technology is to discover signs of life where water once existed. How much time, effort and expense will be needed to discover that you need more than just the presence of basic ingredients for life to come into existence?

Nearly Sane · « **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2021, 12:52:41 PM »

Quote from: Alan Burns on February 20, 2021, 12:47:40 PM

Apparently the main aim of this incredible feat of technology is to discover signs of life where water once existed. How much time, effort and expense will be needed to discover that you need more than just the presence of basic ingredients for life to come into existence?

Drivel

Sriram · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2021, 01:06:10 PM »

Quote from: splashscuba on February 20, 2021, 11:41:15 AM

Here's NASA's take on the benefits.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/Benefits-Stemming-from-Space-Exploration-2013-TAGGED.pdf

That took around 5 seconds to find. Why don't you do a bit of research yourself.

These are banal arguments. There have been many spin-off benefits from the world wars too. Should we therefore have a few more world wars?!!

SusanDoris · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2021, 01:35:35 PM »

Quote from: Alan Burns on February 20, 2021, 12:47:40 PM

Apparently the main aim of this incredible feat of technology is to discover signs of life where water once existed. How much time, effort and expense will be needed to discover that you need more than just the presence of basic ingredients for life to come into existence?

Trivial, trite, cloyingly saccharine nonsense. And you absolutely cannot demonstrate otherwise.

Gordon · « **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2021, 03:44:35 PM »

Quote from: Alan Burns on February 20, 2021, 12:47:40 PM

Apparently the main aim of this incredible feat of technology is to discover signs of life where water once existed. How much time, effort and expense will be needed to discover that you need more than just the presence of basic ingredients for life to come into existence?

Don't be silly: if this mission does confirm that life did exist on Mars then a reasonable assumption is that Mars once also had sufficient 'basic ingredients', and that life is not confined to this planet. If these 'basic ingredients' are sufficient to get life going on two different planets then 'more' is clearly not essential (whatever 'more' actually means).

Sriram · « **Reply #13 on:** February 21, 2021, 06:41:02 AM »

Quote from: Gordon on February 20, 2021, 03:44:35 PM

Don't be silly: if this mission does confirm that life did exist on Mars then a reasonable assumption is that Mars once also had sufficient 'basic ingredients', and that life is not confined to this planet. If these 'basic ingredients' are sufficient to get life going on two different planets then 'more' is clearly not essential (whatever 'more' actually means).

But....if the basic ingredients for life have been present on Mars for billions of years....but life has not formed at all (even simple organisms), then it shows that there is something special about the earth where life has not just formed but has evolved into such complex organisms.

Gordon · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2021, 07:13:06 AM »

Quote from: Sriram on February 21, 2021, 06:41:02 AM

But....if the basic ingredients for life have been present on Mars for billions of years....but life has not formed at all (even simple organisms), then it shows that there is something special about the earth where life has not just formed but has evolved into such complex organisms.

It will be interesting to see whether or not this mission finds evidence that life did once exist on Mars: if not, I wouldn't describe Earth as being 'special' and it is perhaps more the case that conditions here were sufficiently different to those on Mars for abiogenesis to happen here, leading to evolution, and not there. Or it could even be that abiogenesis did originate on Mars but that conditions there then changed to become hostile to life.

We'll just have to wait to see what evidence is discovered - it's fascinating no matter what they find (or don't).

Roses · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2021, 11:33:33 AM »

I own an acre plot of land on Mars, it would be very interesting to know what it looks like. My darling children are planning to send me on a visit there but apologise because they will only be able to afford a one way trip.

BeRational · « **Reply #16 on:** February 21, 2021, 01:04:42 PM »

Actually it shows with the complexity of landing of this lander how difficult it it be to land something heavy enough to carry humans.

Parachutes will probably not be enough due to the thin atmosphere, and carrying enough fuel for retro rockets all seem a massive problem.

It will be interesting to see the solution.

Sriram · « **Reply #17 on:** February 21, 2021, 02:29:46 PM »

But what is the point of putting a man on Mars with all its dangers and risks?

Sending probes at least makes some sense in terms of getting some idea of what is there....though it could easily become an obsessive 'need to know'. But putting a man there is meaningless.

If its just a silly sense of achievement and triumph...planting a flag etc....that is clearly nonsense! En masse colonization (running away) is obviously out of the question.

splashscuba · « **Reply #18 on:** February 21, 2021, 02:31:28 PM »

Quote from: Sriram on February 20, 2021, 01:06:10 PM

These are banal arguments. There have been many spin-off benefits from the world wars too. Should we therefore have a few more world wars?!!

Such a banal argument

Roses · « **Reply #19 on:** February 21, 2021, 02:35:23 PM »

Quote from: Sriram on February 21, 2021, 02:29:46 PM

But what is the point of putting a man on Mars with all its dangers and risks?

Sending probes at least makes some sense in terms of getting some idea of what is there....though it could easily become an obsessive 'need to know'. But putting a man there is meaningless.

If its just a silly sense of achievement and triumph...planting a flag etc....that is clearly nonsense! En masse colonization (running away) is obviously out of the question.

In your opinion. Who knows what might happen in the future?

Sriram · « **Reply #20 on:** February 22, 2021, 07:27:01 AM »

Obviously...it is my opinion!

And...we do know what will happen in the future.... Global warming, arctic ice melting, sea level rise, food crisis, massive extinction of species....maybe many more pandemics...

And Mars is not the answer to any of these...

Sebastian Toe · « **Reply #21 on:** February 22, 2021, 03:24:31 PM »

Quote from: Sriram on February 22, 2021, 07:27:01 AM

Obviously...it is my opinion!

And...we do know what will happen in the future.... Global warming, arctic ice melting, sea level rise, food crisis, massive extinction of species....maybe many more pandemics...

And Mars is not the answer to any of these...

.....nor are cricket, kabaddi, yoga or meditation.
Should they be abandoned?

Roses · « **Reply #22 on:** February 22, 2021, 03:38:33 PM »

Quote from: Sebastian Toe on February 22, 2021, 03:24:31 PM

.....nor are cricket, kabaddi, yoga or meditation.
Should they be abandoned?

Cricket and kabaddi most certainly. Cricket is much more boring than watching paint dry.

I think all contact sports like kabaddi are dangerous.

SusanDoris · « **Reply #23 on:** February 22, 2021, 03:42:59 PM »

Quote from: Sebastian Toe on February 22, 2021, 03:24:31 PM

.....nor are cricket, kabaddi, yoga or meditation.
Should they be abandoned?

Maybe they 'should', but I think, on the whole, bearing in mind what has been discovered while looking for other things, etc, I personally come down on the no, they should not be abandoned.

Gordon · « **Reply #24 on:** February 22, 2021, 08:21:01 PM »

Newly released video of the landing from on-board cameras.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-56159376

News:

Author Topic: Mars landing and 7 minutes of terror (Read 4221 times)