Curiosity about Curiosity

[Stinky The Clown]

The success is amazing. This was all about the rocket scientists.

What became of the landing device that lowered the rover to the surface? The animation shows it flying back up after the landing. But then what?

By the way . . . . today **we** were the UFO putting strange lights into a sky. I wish I could say "We come in peace" but knowing Man, I am just not sure.

[phantom power]

1. it was designed to clear itself from the probe and then crash at a safe distance

[Stinky The Clown]

4. Thanks!

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. It just crashes a safe distance away. I believe there is nothing else for it to do.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. That makes perfect sense

It becomes space junk. Our creation of a Martian Roswell site.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. I was just thinking what it would have been like to be some unknown critter

on Mars and all of a sudden to have your peace disturbed by this little parachute rocket thingy that ends up landing on its wheels!

I suspect that the devise separated, thrusted up and away and crashed somewhere else on the planet - maybe burning up in whatever thin atmosphere caused the heat shield to glow in the animation.

[Posteritatis]

6. It probably wound up a kilometer away or so. (nt)

[yawnmaster]

7. It may have been carrying secret military apparatus...

but I don't know for sure.
Nobody I have asked can give me a definite answer.

[Bandit]

8. Not sure what all the fuss is about, we have had Rovers traveling around Mars

for several years now..This is certainly not the first time we have landed something on Mars and I am sure it won't be the last. I suspect our technology is much better now though, so we may get more and better information, but everyone acts like this is the first time we have landed on Mars..

[tabasco]

9. It's the size of a small car

Kind of increased the skill level for the landing.

Hope it helps.

[Motown_Johnny]

10. This new landing technique can be scaled up for even larger rovers.

It is a whole new era and this is just the first one of it's kind.

[yawnmaster]

11. there is a big difference. eom