1.2M views · Jun 22, 2012 · 5:07 · 3 HN recommenders · 4 mentions · discussed 2017–2021
NASA's animated explanation of the Curiosity rover's Mars landing, which relied on a complex automated sequence taking about seven minutes. It features NASA engineers discussing the risks before the 2012 landing.
Why Hacker News points people here: Recommended as a gripping look at how hard Mars entry, descent and landing is.
“Here's a video that blows my mind every time I watch it.”HN comment, 2020
“I highly recommend 'Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror'”
Dramatic coverage of Curiosity's landing sequence
For a dramatic coverage of this exact subject, I highly recommend 'Curiosity's Seven Minutes of Terror' [1] from NASA JPL. [1] link or on Youtube: this video
“Here's a video that blows my mind every time I watch it.”
Complex autonomous landing sequence that had to work first time
> Oh, it has to land like the Falcon 9 as well, except hovering and lowering itself on a tether, like the Air Cav for Mars. Here's a video that blows my mind every time I watch it. this video Such a complicated landing sequence, and needs to work correctly the first time, all autonomously. And it worked!
“Somewhat over-the-top but still cool discussion of this by actual NASA tech folks”
NASA engineers discuss the landing before it happened
Somewhat over-the-top but still cool discussion of this by actual NASA tech folks, made before the landing actually happened: this video
“Curiousity was by far the 'coolest' and still astonishes me that we pulled it off.”
Curiosity landing as the coolest Mars landing
1. About 6 months link 2. Out of ~50 missions, about 20 have failed. link 3. About 8 successful landings link Curiousity was by far the 'coolest' and still astonishes me that we pulled it off. this video 4. No.
