Reminder: The Perseverance Mars rover landing is today!

[RegGuheert]

NASA is having a live broadcast on YouTube starting at 2:30PM.  It appears you can hop on early, too, since it says "4,495 waiting" right now.

I don't think they have a film crew up there to record the event (yet!), so I'm not sure exactly what we will see.  It will probably be a bunch of proud NASA "parents" rooting for the success of their little one.

One thing that will be new and different is that there is a helicopter aboard.  If it is successful, that will be the first controlled flight by any aircraft on another world.  There is so little air (CO2) that with today's technology, the flight times are *extremely* limited.  Still interesting!

[I talk to the trees]

We have an alarm set so we don’t forget! 

[RegGuheert]

Here is a video about The Insane Engineering of the Perseverance Rover by an excellent YouTube channel called Real Engineering.  It's a good way to get acquainted with the new rover before NASA starts their broadcast.

[Elizabeth86]

Thanks, I had no idea. My kids will want to see.

[RegGuheert]

NASA has a desktop application which you can install on your PC to allow you to visualize what the rover is doing based on telemetry coming from it.  They have started supporting this for Perseverance just a few minutes ago, allowing you to visualize the landing.

Eyes on the Solar System (Perseverance)

[RegGuheert]

23 minutes ago, RegGuheert said:

NASA has a desktop application which you can install on your PC to allow you to visualize what the rover is doing based on telemetry coming from it.  They have started supporting this for Perseverance just a few minutes ago, allowing you to visualize the landing.

Eyes on the Solar System (Perseverance)

I had a little trouble getting that to work for me, but finally figured it out:  After loading the page above, I clicked on the "Watch Now" play button at the center left of the screen.  Then I clicked on the "LIVE" button near the bottom center of the screen.  I think I am now watching a live simulation of what is going on with Perseverance based on telemetry data (11 minutes delayed).

Good luck!

[aggie96]

Y’all go watch! Entering atmosphere!!! 

[RegGuheert]

2 minutes ago, aggie96 said:

Y’all go watch! Entering atmosphere!!! 

Which means it touched down 6 minutes ago! 🙃

[RegGuheert]

Perseverance is alive and well on the surface of Mars!  They have now received the very first image from the rover.

NASA did a nice job with both the simulation and the livecast.

[Terabith]

WHOOO HOOOO!!!!  Made it!  

Pinpointed location within 35 meters.  

Honestly, space exploration really is one of the things the US does best.  

[Dmmetler]

I watched with a friend :). 

[Lady Florida.]

I loved seeing the team's excitement as it got closer and then once it landed successfully. 

[RegGuheert]

4 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

I watched with a friend :).

Your rocket is so 20th century!  You need to get an inflatable stainless steel Starship!

[I talk to the trees]

Dd and I toasted the success of the Perseverance team with hot cocoa. You could tell they really wanted to jump up and down and hug each other. Fist bumps just didn’t seem sufficient!