Did anyone really ever
believe the human race would one day land a man-made spacecraft on Mars? Mars,
for heaven's sake! I'm still trying to grasp the reality of it; the wonder of
it. With this same space mission we were also successful at putting a satellite
in orbit around the Martian planet!
Depending on where Earth and Mars are in their orbits, the distance between the two planets is between 36 million to 250 million miles! At the shortest possible distance, that's more than 1,400 times around our planet at the equator! However, since this spaceship left in November 2011 it has traveled 354 million miles to reach its destination at final speed of 13,200 mph. At 354 million miles, that distance represents over 14,000 times around the equator! More impressive, the land rover "Curiosity" hit the designated landing target area of 5 miles by 14 miles! Hard to compare the fact that there are recorded airline flight arrivals that have missed their landing destination by more than what Curiosity did 36 million miles away!
Some perspective helps grasp the incredible-ness of it all. The initial mass production of automobiles happened in 1908 although there were some prototypes as early as 1860. The first flight of a motorized airplane occurred in 1903. How is it possible that after 1,000's of years where mankind had almost zero progression from horses and buggies being the pinnacle of transportation technology, we have, in a very short period of time (just over 100 years) successfully landed a spaceship on Mars? Who would have ever thought it would be a reality? The technology curve, in a few short decades has almost made a 90 degree shift (that's a near flat-line to a near perpendicular position), almost impossible by all experience and history and standards!
If even possible, more amazing is the fact that this Mars spaceship, millions of miles away, will transmit photographs and atmospheric/soil data back to specialized receptors on Earth for analysis. Though it takes longer to download pictures, it is still incredible to think that radio signals can be sent from Mars and received on Earth, over 154 million miles away, in less than 14 minutes. What will we learn about ourselves, our solar system, and creation? What previously unavailable information will be the subject matter of new learning to increase technological and improve life on earth even more? The possibilities are endless.
I'm amazed at the ability and the capacity of the human race to accomplish such incredible, unbelievable, and miraculous things when we work together in a common cause. We live in amazing times on this beautiful, tiny blue orb, surrounded by over 100 billion stars, silently revolving once every 24 hours, way out toward the edge, on one of the spiral arms of Milky Way galaxy! Simply amazing!
I'm glad to live in this time of the history of the world! Would be interested in your thoughts about it!
Cal Hughes
Depending on where Earth and Mars are in their orbits, the distance between the two planets is between 36 million to 250 million miles! At the shortest possible distance, that's more than 1,400 times around our planet at the equator! However, since this spaceship left in November 2011 it has traveled 354 million miles to reach its destination at final speed of 13,200 mph. At 354 million miles, that distance represents over 14,000 times around the equator! More impressive, the land rover "Curiosity" hit the designated landing target area of 5 miles by 14 miles! Hard to compare the fact that there are recorded airline flight arrivals that have missed their landing destination by more than what Curiosity did 36 million miles away!
Some perspective helps grasp the incredible-ness of it all. The initial mass production of automobiles happened in 1908 although there were some prototypes as early as 1860. The first flight of a motorized airplane occurred in 1903. How is it possible that after 1,000's of years where mankind had almost zero progression from horses and buggies being the pinnacle of transportation technology, we have, in a very short period of time (just over 100 years) successfully landed a spaceship on Mars? Who would have ever thought it would be a reality? The technology curve, in a few short decades has almost made a 90 degree shift (that's a near flat-line to a near perpendicular position), almost impossible by all experience and history and standards!
If even possible, more amazing is the fact that this Mars spaceship, millions of miles away, will transmit photographs and atmospheric/soil data back to specialized receptors on Earth for analysis. Though it takes longer to download pictures, it is still incredible to think that radio signals can be sent from Mars and received on Earth, over 154 million miles away, in less than 14 minutes. What will we learn about ourselves, our solar system, and creation? What previously unavailable information will be the subject matter of new learning to increase technological and improve life on earth even more? The possibilities are endless.
I'm amazed at the ability and the capacity of the human race to accomplish such incredible, unbelievable, and miraculous things when we work together in a common cause. We live in amazing times on this beautiful, tiny blue orb, surrounded by over 100 billion stars, silently revolving once every 24 hours, way out toward the edge, on one of the spiral arms of Milky Way galaxy! Simply amazing!
I'm glad to live in this time of the history of the world! Would be interested in your thoughts about it!
Cal Hughes
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