MSL launch

[comando222]

If you are watching it live right now, here you can talk about the Mars Science Laboratory.

[millsw]

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

[icefire]

It blew up during launch

R.I.P NASA hopes and dreams

I\'m kidding of course who do you think NASA is? India?

[trvtannenberg]

It will get stuck in parking orbit and meet phobos-grunt.

[Ferrit]

If this works (and it should) the landing will be really something special.

[comando222]

I\'m kidding of course who do you think NASA is? India?

Maybe Russia

[Goran]

Do we cheer for it to go well or go spectacularly caboom?

I still don\'t fully understand rovers landing sequence - but it makes for a compelling argument to adding animated parts to KSP

[Entropy]

Do we cheer for it to go well or go spectacularly caboom?

I still don\'t fully understand rovers landing sequence - but it makes for a compelling argument to adding animated parts to KSP

It\'s quite simple, really- Parachutes -> rockets -> thud. Hopefully a soft thud.

[comando222]

Do we cheer for it to go well or go spectacularly caboom?

I still don\'t fully understand rovers landing sequence - but it makes for a compelling argument to adding animated parts to KSP

I think we should cheer, this is a bit more important than a bunch of boosters exploding and making Jeb happy.

[Hellfire]

It\'s quite simple, really- Parachutes -> rockets -> thud. Hopefully a soft thud.

The crane should hopefully ease the thud part a bit, we\'ll just have to wait and see ;D

[Epsilon]

And to think the launcher is part of the same family that launched these.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Launch_of_Friendship_7_-_GPN-2000-000686.jpg

[rdfox]

And to think the launcher is part of the same family that launched these.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Launch_of_Friendship_7_-_GPN-2000-000686.jpg

Not... really.

Pretty much all Atlas V has in common with the original Atlas ICBM family is the name.

To quote Wikipedia\'s summary of the differences:

# The '1.5 staging' technique was dropped on the Atlas III, in favor of a more-advanced RD-180 engine.

# The main-stage diameter increased from 10 feet to 12.5 feet. As with the Atlas III, the different mixture ratio of the engine called for a larger oxygen tank (relative to the fuel tank) compared to western engines and stages.

# First-stage tanks no longer use stainless steel monocoque 'balloon' construction. The tanks are isogrid aluminum and are stable when unpressurized.

# Use of aluminum, with a higher thermal conductivity than stainless steel, requires insulation for the liquid oxygen. The tanks are covered in a polyurethane-based layer.

# Accommodation points for parallel stages, both smaller solids and identical liquids, are built into first-stage structures.

In many ways, the Atlas III ceased to be an 'Atlas' in that it switched from 1.5-stage-plus-kicker staging to conventional staging, but the moment that the lineage was permanently and irrevocably broken, in my opinion, was when the last legacy features--3m diameter and balloon tanks--were dropped. It\'s a wonderful booster, and incredibly capable for its cost... but it ain\'t really the same family as what launched Glenn.

[Epsilon]

Aww you ruined the fun :c

jkjkjk

I suppose you\'re right though

[comando222]

I will post 3 videos of the launch on youtube, for all those who missed the whole thing.

Part one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-OO5DptKLw&feature=feedu

Part two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1odKG9K2H9E&feature=feedu

[icefire]

or you can watch it on nasa\'s channel

[comando222]

or you can watch it on nasa\'s channel

Yeah but that is just 4 minutes, i got the whole launch and space sequence ;D

[icefire]

Fun fact the tracks that will be left behind by MSL\'s wheels will spell out \'JPL\' in morse code

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

Landing like a boss:

[sneakeypete]

Now we have to wait 9 months?

[me=sneakeypete]hits the time compression key to no effect[/me]

[Guest Flixxbeatz]

Dammit NASA, y no timewarp ;p

[icefire]

Low energy transfers are too sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooow