Current Event

Title: NASA preps for '7 minutes of terror' on Mars
Author: Kate Tobin
Source: CNN.com
Date: 5/23/08
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/05/23/mars.lander/index.html
Summary: NASA is prepping for the landing of the Mars Pheonix Lander on Mars, which, if everything goes right, will land on Sunday. It was launched last August. Seven minutes is all it takes for the spacecraft, travelling nearly 13 thousand miles per hour to hit the Martian atmosphere, slam on the brakes, and reach the ground. During that time, onboard computers will hopefully work to do things like deply the parachute, extend it's three legs, activates the heat sheild, and turs on its thrusters for a nice landing.
Reaction: I find this really exciting. I didn't even know they launched this thing so this i the first time I've heard about it. It is just amazing to me that technology has come this far. This machine was able to fly through space by itself and then if everything goes right it will be able to do all of the elaborate things to land safely on Mars by itself. The NASA guys say this device will provide the next big step to finding out whether or not there was, or is, life there, or if there is able to be life.