research and development for so long, and still have trouble with the
parachute not opening, or opening late etc.
I mean it isn't as bad as the completely unbelievable mixup between
metric and imperial measurements that crashed a mars lander!
But I really wonder what more could be done to prevent these errors, and
perhaps humans being humans it's impossible to get these things right
without trial and error and a few failed missions.
-Gel
-----Original Message-----
From: C. Hatton Humphrey [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
HYPERLINK
"Http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/14/rover.mars.reut/index.html"Htt
p://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/14/rover.mars.reut/index.html
We're driving the robot on Mars... But my favorite part of the article:
A reconstruction of the landing showed that Spirit's computers
unexpectedly
deployed the lander's parachute about a mile (1.6 km) lower than the
targeted altitude. The craft was hurtling toward the ground at 920 miles
per
hour (1,480 kph) when the parachute opened 7.5 kilometers (4.6 miles)
above
the ground, said Rob Manning, entry descent and landing manager.
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