The thrust of curiosity that leads men to try to go where no one has gone before. (The Space thread)

[Random]

The lander made it down safely. The mission coontrollers don't think the harpoons actually fired, so they are apparently going to fiddle with that to make sure the lander is actually firmly (ish) attached to the comet.

Image from about 3km from the surface: http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/files/2...C_20141112.png

ESA has some pictures up on Flickr from the 10km-distance orbits as well: https://www.flickr.com/photos/europe...7638315605535/

I LOVE that you can see stars in the background of some shots--definitely brings out the "hey, we're way out there" feeling.

[GB]

This is a cool graphic. Also give an idea of how far that thing successfully flew to get there.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/europe...7638315605535/

Hooray for mathematics!

[tigeraid]

Pretty big achievement, I think.

And meanwhile NASA sits around twiddling it's strapped-for-cash thumbs.

[Godson]

I find it ironic a Canadian is making that comment.

[Rare White Ape]

NASA has plenty going on.

They've got New Horizons on track for a Pluto flyby next July, and that will be as, if not more valuable than one Voyager pass of a planet was 20 years ago.

And there's also Curiosity on Mars, and the Opportunity rover is still going after 10+ years. MAVEN recently entered Mars orbit and its measuring that planets atmosphere in an attempt to understand its wet history and why it isn't so wet now.

Orbiting Saturn, Cassini has beamed back untold amounts of images of the most beautiful place in the solar system. A few weeks ago it sent back images that suggest that moon Titan may have tides or seasons in its liquid methane oceans.

MESSENGER orbits Mercury and tells us a lot about the early solar system.

SDO and STEREO all observe the sun and have taught us more than we ever knew about solar dynamics, plus they send back a lot of pretty images.

And next month is the first orbital test flight of Orion, which is the next thing to send humans into space.

In the near future, NASA has the JWST which will replace Hubble and look at the distant universe in the infra-red better than we have ever been able to. They are also planning an asteroid capture and return mission, they're having a look at drilling into Europa's underground ocean, putting a boat on Titan and sending humans into deep space with Orion.

There's probably more that I've forgotten, but that's just the start.

[Godson]

Timeframe on that stuff?

[Crazed_Insanity]

Anyway, those Photos are so cool! I wonder if those are black/ white photos or actually in color. Probably in color, right?

[Rare White Ape]

Timeframe on that stuff?

Orion test launch next month. Manned launch within a few years. JWST under construction now, set to launch in 2018 (already delayed by 5 years). Asteroid capture 10-15 years out, Europa and Titan exploration more than 20 years away (my own best guess) and human return to the moon probably 10 years, Mars in 20 and beyond in 30 years, if it happens in the current spacecraft cycle. Remember the Shuttles were over 30 years old at retirement.

Imagine what NASA could do with double the budget.

[JoshInKC]

In the near future, NASA has the JWST which will replace Hubble and look at the distant universe in the infra-red better than we have ever been able to. They are also planning an asteroid capture and return mission, they're having a look at drilling into Europa's underground ocean, putting a boat on Titan and sending humans into deep space with Orion.

ALL THESE WORLDS
ARE YOURS EXCEPT
EUROPA
ATTEMPT NO
LANDING THERE

[LHutton]

Pretty big achievement, I think.

And meanwhile NASA sits around twiddling it's strapped-for-cash thumbs.

Built in Stevenage, UK.

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/updat...rom-stevenage/
https://www.gov.uk/government/case-studies/rosetta