Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 ...of Mars! Ingenuity made its maiden test flight this morning. All systems worked as planned. https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/world/mars-helicopter-ingenuity-first-flight-scn-trnd/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 I saw that on Fox this morning! Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 Next project, the Transporter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 I guess there is no actual video of the flight released yet. Why do I get the feeling that on a planet near Alpha Centauri children are creating funny memes about the joy the Earthlings at NASA displayed when their tiny toy flew on another planet while their government plots our demise... Sorry, I guess my coffee isn’t working yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Cassidy #45437 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 I was very young when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. President Reagan's speech that night was one for the ages, probably the best presidential speech ever given. I recognized the line you quoted immediately. It's at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patagonia Pete Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 ... AND ... Just last week .. (4/12) was the 60th anniversary of the first man in space (popped into orbit ... Gagarin - 1961). It is really kind of awesome to think how much has changed in such a short time ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 "April 19, 2021" is now a science test answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 This is something that I personally don't understand and can't see any practical use for, but Lord, it does make me proud. On into the future with our heads and spirits high. Brace yourself Universe. We're coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 All of these Mars missions keep me in awe. The landings, the vehicles, the tests, the images, and now a flight. I'm in awe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Harley, #14153 Posted April 19, 2021 Author Share Posted April 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Cyrus Cassidy #45437 said: I was very young when the space shuttle Challenger exploded. President Reagan's speech that night was one for the ages, probably the best presidential speech ever given. I recognized the line you quoted immediately. It's at the end. The quote comes from the poem “High Flight” by John Magee, a WW2 aviator. "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air.... Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, – Put out my hand, and touched the face of God." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 50 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: This is something that I personally don't understand and can't see any practical use for, but Lord, it does make me proud. On into the future with our heads and spirits high. Brace yourself Universe. We're coming. No practical use? Not right now. But as a proof of concept, it is a winner! Larger Mars helicopters will enable robotic exploration beyond the range of robotic rovers. Later, when we actually get humans to Mars, larger versions will enable exploration and settlement far from base camps. Just as the Wright Brothers flyer was not "practical" compared to a B747, the little helo is a beginning. Interestingly, the little craft is carrying a piece of fabric from the original Wright Flyer! Even more interesting, for the near future, is the award of a sole-source contract to SpaceX for the lunar lander to ferry astronauts from whatever spaceship arrives in lunar orbit. (I'm betting it will NOT be an SLS/Orion, but rather a SpaceX Spaceship.) Oh, if I was fifty years younger, I'd be banging on Elon Musk's door... Don't guess he could use a 78+ retired acid-on-the-hands rocket engineer...even to sweep the floors. To the Moon! To Mars! To the Stars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 4 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said: The quote comes from the poem “High Flight” by John Magee, a WW2 aviator. "Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air.... Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, – Put out my hand, and touched the face of God." Sadly, John Magee never got into combat in WWII. He was killed in a mid-air collision, but his poem lives on in the hearts of those who "love the vastness of the sky"! A copy hangs on the wall in my office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted April 19, 2021 Share Posted April 19, 2021 34 minutes ago, Trailrider #896 said: No practical use? Not right now. But as a proof of concept, it is a winner! Larger Mars helicopters will enable robotic exploration beyond the range of robotic rovers. Later, when we actually get humans to Mars, larger versions will enable exploration and settlement far from base camps. Just as the Wright Brothers flyer was not "practical" compared to a B747, the little helo is a beginning. Interestingly, the little craft is carrying a piece of fabric from the original Wright Flyer! Even more interesting, for the near future, is the award of a sole-source contract to SpaceX for the lunar lander to ferry astronauts from whatever spaceship arrives in lunar orbit. (I'm betting it will NOT be an SLS/Orion, but rather a SpaceX Spaceship.) Oh, if I was fifty years younger, I'd be banging on Elon Musk's door... Don't guess he could use a 78+ retired acid-on-the-hands rocket engineer...even to sweep the floors. To the Moon! To Mars! To the Stars! I understand all that, but my mind can't feature a viable move to Mars for any reason.....unless it becomes a military necessity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 11 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said: I guess there is no actual video of the flight released yet. Ask and it shall be given unto you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 The flight allegedly lasted 39.1 seconds, so the playback is sped up about 62%, lasting only about 24 seconds, but YouTube doesn't have a 0.62 playback speed. Slow it to 0.75, and it's a little fast (about 32 seconds), and 0.50 is a little slow (about 47 seconds). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Sheridan Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 On 4/19/2021 at 9:10 AM, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: I understand all that, but my mind can't feature a viable move to Mars for any reason.....unless it becomes a military necessity. Wait 'til they find precious metals on Mars. It'll be a race worthy of it's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted April 20, 2021 Share Posted April 20, 2021 The wonder of it all. Not only could we build a helicopter that can fly at the equivalent of 100,000 feet (that according to some NASA spokesman), we could then pack it up, transport it safely 173,000,000 miles, unpack it on another planet, have the programming and hardware work after that long journey, and then send back to Earth very clear images of it. I was comparing it to the quality of the broadcast from Apollo 11. Amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Cassidy #45437 Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 7 hours ago, Sixgun Sheridan said: Wait 'til they find precious metals on Mars. It'll be a race worthy of it's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. They're already exploring the idea of mining asteroids. That's why Space X landed on one and took off again, then returned to earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 19 hours ago, Sixgun Sheridan said: Wait 'til they find precious metals on Mars. It'll be a race worthy of it's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. You mean Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Out Of This World. What if they found gold, platinum or other precious metals in such quantities as to make them as valuable as scrap aluminum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixgun Sheridan Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Cypress Sun said: You mean Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Out Of This World. What if they found gold, platinum or other precious metals in such quantities as to make them as valuable as scrap aluminum? I don't care as long as they find lots of brass, copper and lead for ammo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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