Odyssey Arriving at Mars Tonight 195
moloader writes: "Odyssey will arrive at Mars on October 24, 2001, 0230 Universal Time (October 23, 7:30pm PDT/ 10:30pm EDT). As it nears its closest point to the planet over the northern hemisphere, the spacecraft will fire its 640-newton main engine for approximately 19.7 minutes to allow itself to be captured into an elliptical, or looping, orbit about 20 hours long. Go Mars!"
640 Newtons (Score:4, Funny)
Hope they used the right metric ... (Score:2, Funny)
think about it (Score:2, Funny)
At least now we know what went wrong the first try (Score:3, Funny)
with these kinds of drafting techniques...
Be careful (Score:1, Funny)
By flying all these spacecraft into Mars, we may be destroying their ecosystem, and future generations of Nartian aliens may well have an issue with us violating their airspace, and they may well retaliate, or at least prosecute. Perhaps we should ask before sending these probes
sh*t happens (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Be careful (Score:4, Funny)
Perhaps we've deduced the source of the original post?
Re:Hope they used the right metric ... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:640 Newtons (Score:3, Funny)
It has tem, but they're not usable. The transmitter is locating after the 640th Newton, and using noncontiguous thrust would put it in a tailspin. So although all 965 are installed, the last 25 aren't useable. (however, there is speculation that it may be possible to make a TSO system: Terminate, Stay in Orbit., to use the extra Newtons. [Failing that, they'll be wrapped in cookies as snacks for the martians.]).
hawk
Re:640 Newtons (Score:4, Funny)
DOS. NASA's been under a bit of a budget crunch and...
:)
Re:640 Newtons (Score:3, Funny)
Uh-oh... looks like "NASA MATH" again... (Score:1, Funny)
NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey will arrive at Mars tonight at 10:30 p.m. EDT after traveling more than 460 kilometers (about 285 million miles) since its launch on April 7.
Note the "460 kilometers". If 460 kilometers == 285 million miles, according to "NASA Math", this bird is doomed.