Can't fucking wait, for real.

I just wish we had an active Europa mission in the works. Not to take away from Mars, but everything about Europa just screams that there's some biology going on.

Edited to add- I hope it doesn't suffer the Mars Curse... the landing sequence looks pretty complicated. So much shit to go wrong.

Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) Mission Animation

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/nasatv/

Live feed from the NASA control room.

It was super sick to watch. NASA had a simulating of the solar system and integrated in rover in the simulation. I watch the whole landing how it should be happening has it was happening on a computer sim along side the control room feed.

First photos

https://twitter.com/JPMajor/status/232351032787755008/photo/1

$2.5 billion on a remote control car, meanwhile, back on Earth schools are being shut down.

the technological advancements that come from these kinds of missions often trickle down into every day life. also, this is the kind of shit that can inspire a kid. there's worse things to invest money into.

the reasons a lot of those things are being cut out of the budget goes beyond not having money for it. i guarantee that if they didn't do this mission, all of that shit would still be struggling.

Gotta disagree Gip... this was a comparatively cheap mission coming from an already underfunded agency (more cuts coming in 2013). A lot of the NASA budget goes directly into educational programs, and in some cases those funds help keep certain university programs operating (at least here).

I say let's cut some Pentagon funding instead. People might walk on Mars one day, and this mission will provide us with more good stuff (science, technology, general awesomeness) whereas the Pentagon is just fucking bloated.

I'm admitting my ignorance here, but isn't NASA mostly privatized now? It's my understanding a large portion of that budget is donated from private parties, and only smaller portions coming from the government. I remember reading about that a while ago... but maybe they were just talking about it, and it didn't go through.

I agree priorities are a mess, and the amount of disconnect and poverty in this country are pretty staggering. Efforts to fix social pot-holes are being overlooked... but with that said, I definitely agree there are far worse things to spend large amounts of money on.

Yeah, that budget could go to a lot better spent on social aid, but the 11 year old can't help but be excited space exploration. Didn't every kid want to be an astronaut when they grew up?

Program cuts, layoffs in multiple programs under the agency... pretty much an anorexic version of an agency that should have money dumped into it.

Sometimes a dollar spent by NASA equates to several dollars back. Some of the averages I've read say up to seven bucks back per one buck spent (dependent on the success and ability to transpose new things into other applied sciences). New jobs, new industries.
Also, this is a big chunk of the NASA budget... in 2011 they had somewhere around $18.5 billion, 85% of that went out to US-based manufacturers as well as education. Funding NASA is a win from every angle I can think of.

Stripping a scientific research and exploration agency to hire teachers is counterproductive. Anyway, a shitload of NASA employees are teachers (at least professors).

Man, I'm bummed that you think this is a waste of money!

Usually in the case of NASA funded educational programs, the middle man is actually on site. Usually at least. The science centers that some of our universities have are staffed by NASA scientists when applicable.

There's definitely bloat there, but even more than that... like removing the entire Department of Homeland Security. It's strictly a bureaucratic institution. Basically a huge governing umbrella over preexisting Fed and state level agencies. I think the DOD budget was something like $700 billion that year? Just get the money from there... let NASA do science.

Sorry, but I think working to solve social problems comes far before fantasy science. I'm not looking for 50,000 teachers to train kids to make scientific breakthroughs, if that was the goal, then yes, taking funding from nasa to put it in schools would be counterintuitive. I am looking for them just to keep our education system in tact so children can get the education they need to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the world, whether they are in science, politics, or being a blood sucking businessman (not the option I'd recommend, but they should still have the opportunity.)   Perhaps Nasa as an institution has a role, but stupid stuff like this is $2.5 billion spent on pure ego.
I'ma let Gil Scott Heron do the talking for me:

whitey on the moon	Small | Large

I don't think we'll come to an agreement on this issue though. I clearly professionally prioritize social science, whereas you prioritize computer science. Not really saying one is superior, just that its clear that we would have different priorities when it comes to the hypothetical match up between education and nasa spending.

I'll stop raining on the parade now though. Those tree things are pretty crazy to see on Mars.