

"Curiosity" - Launch 7.30AM EST (Live) - dananjaya86
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/timeline/launch/watchonline/

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ashamedlion
In case you haven't seen how this thing lands, watch the link below. It's
really so amazing how this is entirely automated and executed so flawlessly.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BudlaGh1A0o>

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plusbryan
Is this the simplest sequence of events and machinery they could come up with
the achieve the landing? There are a lot of motors, sensors, and propulsion
engines that could fail.

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sehugg
At 775 kg it's too heavy to do the bouncy thing like Pathfinder.

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forbes
At T-4 minutes they hold for 10 minutes and the commentary said this was
planned beforehand. Does anyone know why they don't just plan to launch 10
minutes later without the 'hold'?

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demallien
The pre-programmed holds (as opposed to unplanned holds) exist so that if
there were any unexpected temporary hitches in the launch sequence, there is
still time to make the launch window. Imagine for example that you have a 1
minute launch window, and a slower than expected fuel pump means that it takes
5 minutes longer to top off the fuel tanks. Well, you just missed your entire
launch. Stand everyone down, and put the spacecraft back into standby before
trying again tomorrow. If you have a planned hold, you simply reduce the
planned hold time, and you can still hit the launch window.

The hold is also used as a sync point between all of the different activities
that have to be completed at certain points in the launch preparation. For
example, at the t-4 hold for the Curiousity launch, they needed to pass the
go/no-go from the entire team. If one team had been running late up till that
point it wasn't a problem, the other processes just entered the hold earlier.
Once the last hold has been cleared, all of the remaining processes have to
stay synchronised.

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dananjaya86
UPDATE: MSL is in good health and en route to Mars. Landing anticipated: 5
August 2012 <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-361>

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Figs
If you're having trouble getting it to load, you might try here instead:
<http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl>

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johnbatch
also a mobile feed (Mobile optimized, lower quality) at
<http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-mobile>

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profquail
7:30am? The official launch blog says 10:02am (EST):

[http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/launch/launch_blog.htm...](http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/launch/launch_blog.html)

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elliottcarlson

        November 26, Saturday (Launch Day)
    
        7:30 a.m. EST (4:30 a.m. PST) - NASA TV launch commentary coverage and launch blog.
        10:02 a.m. EST (7:02 a.m. PST) - MSL's Launch
        12:30 p.m. EST (9:30 a.m. PST) (approximately) - Post-launch News Conference
        12 - 5 p.m. EST (9 a.m. - 2 p.m. PST) - Scientist in Action for MSL (Education Channel)

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ugh
Thanks for the reminder! And just in time, one minute before launch.

