Random Science News

[Observe]

Mars Insight Mission is set to land on Mars November 24. Official NASA Insight website. Should be interesting!

NOTE: Feel free to use this thread for posting anything related to science that doesn't fit into existing threads.

[X2-Illuminatus]

Mars Insight Mission is set to land on Mars November 24.

November 26 according to the linked website.

[Observe]

Mars Insight Mission is set to land on Mars November 24.

November 26 according to the linked website.

My mistake. Thanks for correcting.

[Morkonan]

Ooooh... Isn't that the day before the X4 release?

"We better schedule that landing a day earlier, since everyone's going to call in sick on the 27'th..."

[pjknibbs]

Ooooh... Isn't that the day before the X4 release?

Sorry to spoil the joke, but the X4 release is November 30th, not 27th. Egosoft are clearly going with the traditional Friday release date rather than the US-style Tuesday (which never made any sense to me--at least if the game comes out on a Friday most people will get the whole weekend to play it!).

[Morkonan]

Ooooh... Isn't that the day before the X4 release?

Sorry to spoil the joke, but the X4 release is November 30th, not 27th. Egosoft are clearly going with the traditional Friday release date rather than the US-style Tuesday (which never made any sense to me--at least if the game comes out on a Friday most people will get the whole weekend to play it!).

I swear I had seen it listed for the 27'th when it was announced. /sigh Oh well..

I don't know what the "US Style Tuesday" release thing is you're referring to. Though, releasing days earlier than competing titles might be releasing does give one a competitive advantage for the money sitting in someone's pocket. If it comes down to how someone is going to spend their money, if they have an opportunity to spend it on your product before the other products are available you'll have that going in your favor.

To stay OT : I'll be watching the landing, hopefully. I love that sorta stuff. Keeping my fingers crossed for success!

[pjknibbs]

I don't know what the "US Style Tuesday" release thing is you're referring to.

As I understood it (and you can obviously correct me if I'm wrong here), games usually launched on a Tuesday in the States? Whereas in the UK (and I think the rest of Europe as well) it was always Friday.

[X2-Illuminatus]

Let's try to get this topic back on track with The Oatmeal's explanation of what the 'insight' mission is all about.

[Morkonan]

I don't know what the "US Style Tuesday" release thing is you're referring to.

As I understood it (and you can obviously correct me if I'm wrong here), games usually launched on a Tuesday in the States? Whereas in the UK (and I think the rest of Europe as well) it was always Friday.

I have no idea... I guess it's a "thing?" I haven't noticed it, but people invent "sales" all the time and then declare them "special." "Super Tuesday Sale, Humpday Wednesday Sale, Monday's Gotta Wake Up for Work Sale" etc. We 'Muricans often stagger through a miasma of cultural idiosyncrasies that can only be seen by apoplectic outsiders... But, they're sure to tell us about them when they're noticed.

Let's try to get this topic back on track with The Oatmeal's explanation of what the 'insight' mission is all about.

That was awesome! They did a great job with that. Thanks!

https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/

I presume one can go there to find out everything one needs. Mission touchdown is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, at 3pm EST, which is Monday 8pm GMT. (Twenty hours from the time of this post, or thereabouts.)

[Morkonan]

It's gametime, folks! FIVE MINUTES: https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/timeline/ ... ch-online/

UHF is on-time/online, good to go, heading in, manuevering now.

Aaaand... TOUCHDOWN CONFIRMED!

Now, we just have to hope any one of a thousand other things doesn't go wrong.

[Observe]

Bravo! Though I guess they forgot to turn on the camera wiper, because that confirmation image had bugs splattered all over it.

[CBJ]

That image was apparently taken with the translucent lens-cap, which protected the camera during landing, still on.

[Usenko]

Bravo! Though I guess they forgot to turn on the camera wiper, because that confirmation image had bugs splattered all over it.

Spaceflies?