Quote:
Originally Posted by GingerJohn 
More like 14 minutes of anxeity:
More like 14 minutes of anxeity:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Article
The 14-minute communications lag between Earth and Mars means that the MSL team won't be getting real-time updates about the rover's perilous journey.
"When we first get word that we've touched the top of the atmosphere, the vehicle has been alive, or dead, on the surface for at least seven minutes," Steltzner said.
The 14-minute communications lag between Earth and Mars means that the MSL team won't be getting real-time updates about the rover's perilous journey.
"When we first get word that we've touched the top of the atmosphere, the vehicle has been alive, or dead, on the surface for at least seven minutes," Steltzner said.
Except that it is 7 minutes. At time 0, the rover will enter the atmosphere, at time 7 the rover will land, at time 14 NASA will receive the message that it has entered the atmosphere. At time 21, NASA will receive the landing message. NASA will only be waiting for 7 minutes after finding out it has entered the atmosphere.
Edited by AxemanACL - 6/26/12 at 11:36am
, 7 minutes sounds more dramatic than 14 I guess.
