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When NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission lands on the red
planet, communication antennas in Canberra, Australia will be
listening
CDSCC:
Mars Landing Party - Monday, 6 August 2012 - 3:31pm AEST
Mars Science
Laboratory - Entry, Descent and Landing
On
Monday, 6 August, at 3:31pm, the Canberra Deep Space Communication
Complex is set to receive signals from NASA's Mars Science Laboratory
rover 'Curiosity' as it lands on the surface of the red planet.
You
are invited to join us for this historic event and enjoy with
other fellow space enthusiasts, the excitement and drama as the
spacecraft carrying the rover enters and descends through the
Martian atmosphere, and then safely lands 'Curiosity'. We might
even see the first photos from the surface!
You are invited
to our Mars Landing Party
Landing
a spacecraft on Mars is not something that happens every day.
Lots of people have told us that they'd like to be at the Canberra
complex to watch events unfold and to be here for the landing.
We are as excited as you to be a part of this historic event
and want to share the drama with you. That's why we're holding
a party - a Mars Landing Party!
• We are not taking
bookings for this event. Attendance is on a first-come, best-seats
basis
• Our Visitor Centre
will be open through its normal operating hours; 9am to 5pm
• The event is
free of charge and there is no admission fee
• The Moon Rock
Café will be open all day for meals and refreshments (standard menu
costs).
Program and Activities
The
program we are planning (see at right) will all lead up
to the 'live' TV coverage from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) of the 'entry, descent and landing' (EDL) of the Mars Science
Laboratory 'Curiosity' rover.
Join us
for a day of Mars and space-related events and activities, including:
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• Regular mission
updates, expert commentary and presentations |
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• Live coverage
from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA TV) |
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• Mars/MSL information
packs^ |
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• MSL exhibition
and Mars gallery |
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• Mars 'trivia'
and 'show & tell' competitions |
OH! And there's
a big robot landing on Mars as well...
About the Canberra
Deep Space Communication Complex
Managed
by the CSIRO, the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC)
is one of three tracking stations in NASA's Deep Space Network.
Separated by approximately 120 degrees around the world, the
stations in Canberra, Australia, Madrid, Spain and Goldstone,
California, provide two-way radio contact with dozens of spacecraft
across the Solar System and beyond.
Important
• All electronic
equipment capable of transmitting eg: mobile phones, wifi enabled
laptops, iPads etc.
...All MUST BE TURNED
OFF
or IN
AIRPORT/FLIGHT MODE during your time at the Complex.
• Some restricted
internet access may be provided in the Visitor Centre using in-house
computers.
About the Mars
Science Laboratory mission
MSL Website | MSL Fact Sheet (pdf) | MSL mission trailer (Youtube)
About the MIssion | Instruments | MSL Gallery
For further
information on the Mars Landing Party, please contact:
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Glen Nagle
- Education and Outreach Manager; via email or phone: 02
6201 7838 (bh) |
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