Curiosity The Right Stuff.

[TheMastersNemesis]

My wife and I spent 5 hours with 1400 other people at the Denver Museum watching the progress of the Curiosity landing. They had a direct link to the NASA TV feed. We could see the control room for the entire landing sequence around 11 pm until touchdown and beyond.

We had two one hour seminars with engineers and scientists who worked for or were closely associated with the mission. One of young lady was in charge of the rocket delivery system. The Atlas rocket could deliver over 2 million pounds of thrust. That is just a little under 50% of the 5 million pounds that the Saturn rocket could deliver during the moon landing program. Other crucial engineers were there. This young rocket scientist will surely be around for manned flight to Mars.

One engineer was responsible for the winch systems on the lander and the space craft. He was responsible for main winch that lowered the lander to the surface of the planet. It was a very sophisticated design that had to work perfectly. It was very interesting to talk to him one on one after the landing.

Another scientist has worked on the radiation detector. He gave a very good explanation of the radiation studies needed if manned Mars missions are to succeed. Radiation alone makes such missions very dangerous.

Watching the suspense in the control room on an IMAX during the landing sequence was very dramatic. Watching the orbital data and telemetry coming in as the lander descended was very nail biting. The tension grew as each landing sequence target was confirmed. By the time we got touchdown the lander had already been on the surface for 14 minutes. The place went nuts when "touch down" confirmed.

The "rube Goldberg" descent was really a million to one shot of everything going exactly right. What they did was more difficult than throwing a football through a tire at 100 yards. And they landed within meters of their target. Thanks to the telemetry of orbiters already circling Mars they could complete this mission.

The scientists, engineers, technicians and program specialists are the real heroes who go unrecognized. It is through their efforts in the space program where spinoff technology benefits mankind. We shortchange them at our own risk.

[hedgehog]

1. The space program is where engineers get to show case their stuff.

What people don't realize is that everyday people depend on machines and systems working perfectly. Those items are designed by engineers working with limited budgets and built on equipment designed by other engineers on limited budgets. You woke up this morning to a functioning electrical grid, used a coffee maker and toaster for breakfast, got into your car and drove through some traffic signals to drive to work on a freeway. Everything went exactly right!

I have a peripheral involvement with a company that recycles aluminum cans. You wouldn't believe the engineering effort involved in getting you your soda or beer in a cheap, dependable package!

Engineers rock!