Mars Landing tonight

Originally Posted by Mortimer

Let's watch.








Should be fun.

Watch?

Did you place cameras on the
surface of Mars? Or have you
been playing with Thebbie's
toys for too long...

For the teeming millions interested,
nothing more can be done now.
Last instructions were sent.

On Sunday, the pull of Mars gravity will accelerate the spacecraft from 6,300 miles per hour to 12,700 miles per hour when it enters the Martian atmosphere.

“And then we have seven minutes to take that velocity down to zero,” Mr. Goldstein said.

The friction of the atmosphere will slow the craft down by 90 percent. Then a parachute is to provide further drag, and for the last kilometer down to the surface, 12 rocket engines are to slow Phoenix to a velocity of 5 miles per hour as it bumps into the ground.



This type of landing failed in 1999.
Hope it makes it... and Morton's
cameras on the surface get a
good picture as she
glides in from above.