Good Boys

WATCH DOGS:  For about 24 hours, we had four dogs, two fish and a cat sharing our space. The 'extra' pets were a pair of Doberman, Pretzel and Strudel.

Sweet and strong, they kept us busy!  I'm certain they didn't get anywhere near as many dog naps as they're used to during their visit with us. I'll bet they're sacked out right now, trying to make up for lost time.

INSIGHTFUL:  Launch alert! On Saturday, May 5, NASA's InSight Mars lander is set to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California.

Above, you see NASA's InSight Mars lander inside its protective payload fairing and moved to the launchpad to be attached to its United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Credit: USAF 30th Space Wing/Daniel Herrera

Annabelle can tell you more about the mission. ... 

NASA’s InSight (short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations) mission will launch on May 5^th, 4:05 AM PT. It will be the first interplanetary mission launched from the West coast, specifically California. The mission will give Mars a “check-up” and perform a deep analysis on its inner parts. InSight will check Mars’ “vital signs” beneath the surface, including its seismology (“pulse”), heat flow (“temperature”), and precision tracking (“reflexes”). The lander will be followed by two smaller satellites known as “MarCO”- Mars Cube One- due to their cubed shape. The mini-spacecraft MarCOs will arrive at Mars just behind InSight and help transmit info back to Earth. Once InSight and the MarCOs do their job, we can learn much more about Mars’ past, how it was formed, and even a little bit about other rocky planets like it.

An artist's illustration of NASA's InSight Mars lander on the Red Planet. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

West (U.S.) Coasters will have to be up early to watch the launch, as it's scheduled for 4:05 a.m. our time.

You can watch live online at Space.com courtesy of NASA TV, beginning at 3:30 a.m. Pacific time. Of course, NASA TV will also have coverage: https://www.nasa.gov/live

Here's a little bit more about the mission. ...
https://youtu.be/LKLITDmm4NA