Using a choreographed sequence of firings of eight thruster engines during a period of about 180 minutes, the spacecraft was redirected more precisely toward Mars to land at Gale Crater. The maneuver was necessary, as the trajectory resulting from the mission's Nov. 26, 2011, launch (I was there!) intentionally misses Mars to prevent the upper stage of the launch vehicle from hitting the planet.
FYI, per NASA, "the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft rotates in flight at about two revolutions per minute. Today's maneuver included two different components: one that changed velocity in the direction of the axis of the spacecraft's rotation, and one that changed velocity in a direction perpendicular to that."
The MSL vehicle has eight thruster engines on the cruise stage of the spacecraft, grouped into two sets of four. Today, a series of 5-second bursts were repeated more than 200 times during a period of about two hours for a total burn time of about 40 minutes.
As a result of today's successful maneuver, the spacecraft is now traveling 12.3 miles per hour (5.5 meters per second) faster than it was. As of 9 a.m. PST (noon EST) on Thursday, Jan. 12, the spacecraft will have traveled 81.2 million miles (130.6 million kilometers) of its 352-million-mile (567-million-kilometer) flight to Mars. It's clipping along at 10,300 mph (16,600 kilometers per hour) relative to Earth, and at about 68,700 mph (110,500 kilometers per hour) relative to the sun. So, so exciting! Annabelle set off a party popper tonight to celebrate Curiosity's successful maneuvering! :)
We're so SO happy to see Curiosity's mission going as planned. Meanwhile, dust off the hard hats and get ready for Phobos-Grunt to come crashing down within the next four days or so. (Be especially wary if you're in Afghanistan, where it's projected to plummet.)
MEANWHILE, BACK ON EARTH: We did earthly things, like math, and reading and science. Speaking of science, the kids' class today started a weather unit. For the unit, they'll be keeping a weather journal. To get it kicked off today, we took a 'field trip' out to the front of the building to observe the current conditions.
Here's Annabelle, an all too typical PacNW kid, being blinded by some January sunshine.
Then, there's always the time-tested wet fingertip to the wind ...
As part of their homework, the kids will be keeping weather journals. Do us a favor, remind us that this is our homework. ;)
OOPS, IT HAPPENED AGAIN: In order to meet a rocket launch deadline, I absolutely had to haul some naked shuttle cookies to the kids' school and embellish them at a back table in the library while Annabelle was in art class, and CJ was toiling away on a physics-themed game on the computer. These cookies have to be on the Space Coast by next Tuesday, for a rocket launch party some friends of mine are having.
Though I tried to fly under the radar, eventually the scent of sugar was detected and several little boys gathered 'round. The first who spoke up asked, "When do we get to eat them?"
Poor kid. I had to tell him that they were all promised to people far away. I told him my friends were gathering for a rocket launch party. But the news got worse from there. "Of course it's not a shuttle launch, because there aren't shuttles any more," I clarified.
Well, you woulda thought I shot his dog. "No. More? SHUTTLES!?" he exclaimed.
"Um, yes. They're done. Retired. No more shuttles," I had to confirm. However, I was quick to follow up with the fact that the space program was alive and well. In fact a rocket shot off from California this morning, Curiosity's on its way to Mars, my friends would be seeing a rocket go up next week, and there will be many more rockets to come. Spaceflight isn't over, it's just evolving, I assured the kids. And then, I promised to make them all some of their very own shuttle cookies. All is well in the universe.
GONE TO THE DOGS: And speaking of the space program being alive, there was a lil rocket launch at the Wallops launch facility (Virginia) today. I had to re-read the NASA press release four times. It said, "A NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket was successfully launched this morning, Jan. 11, 2012, at 8:25 from the Wallops Flight Facility. This was a test flight of the vehicle being developed to support NASA suborbital science missions."
I couldn't help but picture puppies and ponder what all this had to do with Terriers and Malamutes.
Image Credit: NASA
Cute lil' rocket, isn't it? It doesn't look to be much bigger around than the light pole. Of course, it is a sub orbital rocket, so it's not exactly a Saturn V. It would still be a HUGE thrill to see in person.
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