# 200,000 klicks to Mars. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 3, 2004, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456 "2004-01-03T09:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/41 "2004-01-04T05:51:39Z")
Wooohooo!! šŸ†’ However, I am waiting for the pictures to show all systems are go! Great news so far!!! ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/42 "2004-01-04T07:08:22Z")
Iā€™d just like to add that this is incredibly kewl. Pictures are expected fairly shortlyā€¦ I donā€™t know whether to stay up and see the low-bandwidth ones, or wake up for better ones. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/43 "2004-01-04T07:31:11Z")
We got images!!! šŸ†’ šŸ†’ šŸ†’ šŸ†’ šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![Etherman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Etherman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Etherman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/44 "2004-01-04T07:33:59Z")
Theyā€™re getting pictures now. cool. Holy crap! I can make out a lot of detail, even on the Real stream of a video of a projection screen. ---
**Author:** ![xayoz306](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xayoz306](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xayoz306)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/45 "2004-01-04T07:47:19Z")
For those who aren;t familiar with nasa sites, is there a link to some recent;y updated ones?? ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/46 "2004-01-04T07:54:32Z")
Sometimes it just blows me away what humans can do when we put our mind to it. It choked me up when the pictures started to pop up on the monitor (okay, so Iā€™m a big weenie :)). Eric ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/47 "2004-01-04T07:57:54Z")
Now, this year looks like a great one for space exploration! Big rock close to the Rober! Polar views and full circle mosaic ready! Well, good night from Gusev Crater Spirit! Tomorrow promises to be a very exiting day! When the images are posted, for sure they will appear here: > **[JPL](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer/image_index.cfm)** > > NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the leading center for robotic exploration of the solar system. News here: > **[JPL](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html)** > > NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the leading center for robotic exploration of the solar system. šŸ†’ [sup]\<---------------- Just noticed that this guy has the color of mars![/sup] ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/48 "2004-01-04T08:02:16Z")
You can find a few pictures shot straight from the big display at mission control here: [http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html](http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/49 "2004-01-04T08:11:03Z")
Ho-hum. Looks like every other Mars surface picture. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/50 "2004-01-04T08:11:24Z")
You know what they should do? They should set up a website where everybody gets like 10 minutes to drive the thing around. I wanna drive a Mars Rover. ā˜¹ Or else we all of the SDMB should get together and make our own rover and launch it to Mars. šŸ™‚ I can handle a bit of the programming, if someone else can throw in the rocket science and the billion dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/51 "2004-01-04T08:30:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > \*\*Ho-hum. Looks like every other Mars surface picture. \*\* Man. How jaded do you have to be to feel that way? This isnā€™t some conceptual art, this isnā€™t special effects. These are real time (or very close) pictures of the surface of _another planet!_ I dunno, maybe itā€™s a generational thing. Man has been reaching for the stars my whole life. I remember what a big deal the Apollo missions were, even if I was in grade school. I sat in wonder and watched man take that first step on the moon. To now be able to sit in front of my _own_ computer or television and watch feeds from NASA of the surface of _another planet_ is just awe inspiring to me. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/52 "2004-01-04T08:35:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > \*\*Ho-hum. Looks like every other Mars surface picture. \*\* Hey, what were you expecting? _The Ghosts of Mars_?!? šŸ˜‰ The really exiting stuff will occur when the Rover moves around, and then gets microscopic pictures of the cuts it will do on the rocks. It will check for past evidence of water and life forms. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/53 "2004-01-04T10:59:27Z")
I love those pics. I canā€™t wait for a nice big one to use as wallpaper. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Musicat \* > **Are you sure? I thought that white dot was one of the 2 moons passing by.** I guess youā€™re right. I couldnā€™t find the [page](http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/spiritrightnow.html) that linked to that shot which could have explained it but didnā€™t so I just took a guess. Anyway click on my first link now and youā€™ll see Opportunityā€™s view of Mars. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/54 "2004-01-04T11:32:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolfman \* > **You know what they should do? They should set up a website where everybody gets like 10 minutes to drive the thing around. I wanna drive a Mars Rover. ā˜¹** Itā€™d be pretty boring. It only travels 2 feet per minute. And donā€™t forget the time delay - by the time you sent one command and saw what happened as a result, your 10 minutes are up. Besides, imagine the insurance rate on that thingā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/55 "2004-01-04T13:50:23Z")
Pointless nitpick: The result of any commands given would take another 10 min to get back to earthā€¦ so your 10 min would be up before it started, really. Iā€™m with **Arden** , though, on how amazing it is. There is no limit to what we can do, if we put our minds to it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/56 "2004-01-04T15:40:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GIGObuster \* > > > [@](#): > > > > _Originally posted by Musicat_ > > Ho-hum. Looks like every other Mars surface picture. > > Hey, what were you expecting? _The Ghosts of Mars_?!? šŸ˜‰ Ghosts, naaah. Everyone knows that would be ridiculous. šŸ˜ƒ But a nice shot of a LGM peering into the camera would be nice! Or maybe an ET pissing on the tires? A Ray Bradbury memorial? The body of Jimmy Hoffa? šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/57 "2004-01-04T23:54:30Z")
There is a NOVA special on this. Here it is being shown at 7pm central - check your local listings. The last 2.5 minutes wasnā€™t taped until today (so they could have the news of the landing) Brian ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Matrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/34f0e0/32.png) [@Red\_Matrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Matrix)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/58 "2004-01-05T00:06:44Z")
Hey **wolfman** , perhaps we could navigate the simulation in the link! NASA: "Everything is going as planned, 20Km to go. (blurp) NASA: ā€œHoly crap, the rover is heading AWAY from mars! Quick, whatā€™s it trajectory?.. Jupiter? OMG!ā€ ME: ā€œheheheheā€ NASA: ā€œwait, itā€™s comming back now. I wonder what happenedā€ ME: ā€œheheheheheheheeh, beavisā€ ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/59 "2004-01-05T00:50:04Z")
If weā€™re going to send our own rover then I vote that we send Pimpbot. His stride seems perfectly designed for traversing the rocky Martian terrain. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2004, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456/60 "2004-01-05T09:05:27Z")
Woo hoo! The fourth successful Mars landing! This is a historical moment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/200-000-klicks-to-mars/222456.md?page=4)