Six hours from touchdown on Mars ... LIVE FEED

[MindMover]

Now six hours from touchdown. The current distance is 50,241 miles, closing at 8,285 mph, an increase of 75 mph in the past hour as the planet's gravity tugs on the spacecraft.

The Curiosity rover, the six-wheeled robot the size of a car, has a mass of 1,982 pounds. It is 9 feet, 10 inches long, 9 feet wide and stands 7 feet tall once the camera mast is erected. Its wheels are 20 inches in diameter and the instrument-laden arm is 7 feet long. The craft is powered by plutonium in a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, a switch to nuclear away from the solar panels used on the Spirit and Opportunity rovers to provide longer life and greater capabilities.

The 10 science instruments include the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer, Chemistry and Camera, Chemistry and Mineralogy, Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons, Mars Descent imager, Mars Hand Lens Imager, Mast Camera, Radiation Assessment Detector, Rover Environmental Monitoring Station, and Sample Analysis at Mars.

"We're about to land a rover that is 10 times heavier than (earlier rovers) with 15 times the payload," says Doug McCuistion, director of Mars exploration at NASA Headquarters. "Tonight's the Superbowl of planetary exploration, one yard line, one play left. We score and win, or we don't score and we don't win.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/msl/status.html

[greytdemocrat]

1. This will be cool.

Even if it fails.

[flamingdem]

4. Oh dear let's hope not

no doubt Obama will get blamed!

[greytdemocrat]

5. LOL!!!

Well, if there is a big red POOF!!

[MrSlayer]

2. Is this going to be on TV anywhere?

Or do we just not give enough of a shit anymore to broadcast this event?

[proud patriot]

3. thanks

[Warpy]

6. It's a massive achievement to hit the planet, at all

I probably won't be watching the seven minutes of terror, but I'll undoubtedly be awake at midnight and will tune in when it's over.

I hope it comes through intact.

[Ohio Joe]

7. k&r - nt

[proud patriot]

8. 1 hr kick

[wackadoo wabbit]

9. Here's a link to the NASA feed

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mars/curiosity_news3.html

[Lucinda]

10. Thankie!

?

[proud patriot]

11. live stream is up and running in the control room

[Kaleva]

12. Watching. Thanks for the link!