We’re on Mars, Comets [Updated]

I never stop being amazed at what our brightest minds accomplish. It just goes to show what democracy can do for mankind. While other countries suffer mass death from minor Earthquakes, we are exploring space.

Last night I watched in awe as a craft we put up in space (a feat in its own right) 5 years ago played catch with comet dust. The dust was going 6x the speed of a bullet, and was caught in one of the most amazing materials ever, aerogel. It’s 99.8% air, but can take the abuse of space and a trip back to Utah. You can even get it on eBay.

Tonight we landed a very heavy robot on Mars. To get a sense of the mission, watch this. The Egyptians have nothing on us for building the pyramids.

Last week, the EU’s Mars rover crashed and burned. At least they can download the images from nasa.gov like the rest of us. 🙂

Update: Here are the raw photos our Mars rover has sent back so far. They will only get better (color, hi-res and stereo) from here.