The Mars Rover Caught an Interesting Photo Today

Is this proof of intergalactic life, or just coincidental image pixilation

Where Will You Be?

Everything you need to know to catch the Curiosity rover landing

 Robert T. Gonzalez

On August 5th, at 10:31 pm PDT, NASA will attempt to land Curiosity — a one-ton, six-wheel-drive, nuclear-powered super-laboratory — on the surface of Mars. It is the most scientifically advanced rover ever built. It will be the most technically impressive landing procedure ever attempted. You do not want to miss this.

Remember: the landing itself isn’t happening until August 5th at 10:31 pm Pacific (that’s 1:31 a.m., August 6 for your East Coasters). The rover is scheduled to enter the top of Mars’ atmosphere at speeds in excess of 13,000 miles per hour, at which point it will decelerate, descend, and land on the planet’s surface all within a span of just seven minutes.

NASA engineers call these “The Seven Minutes of Terror,” and with good reason; Curosity’s entry, descent and landing (EDL) is the most face-meltingly awesome, ambitious, and difficult we’ve ever attempted. Even more nerve-wracking: because it takes fourteen minutes for communications sent by Curiosity to reach Earth, the rover will have been on the surface of Mars for seven whole minutes before we have any idea if it’s arrived safely or not. Just watch: