3 days till Curiosity land on Mars

[rob]

I'm all for space exploration but at 2.5 billon dollars ,I wonder if that money is better spent closer to home.

they don't spend any money on mars

all of it is spent "closer to home"

[OUTCAST2]

I was watching the video and it seems that when the heat shield pops off and the thrusters start firing for the hover it looks like the rover might get damaged by the engines.Did anyone notice that or am I missing somtin.

The atmospheric parachute already bled off most of the momentum, and the thrusters only have to hover for a short period before rover is on the surface. These thrusters are typically not like little rocket engines with flames coming out (despite the simulation video.) They are usually powered by some variation of liquid 2NH4 that is passed over a catalytic bed to facilitate the decomposition of gases upon ejection. The 2NH4 is highly toxic and corrosive when it's in a liquid form, but harmless after it has decomposed into constituent nitrogen and hydrogen gases. They use no oxidizer, thus no flames--more like steam blowing out.

[OUTCAST2]

I'm all for space exploration but at 2.5 billon dollars ,I wonder if that money is better spent closer to home.

I have no doubt that Queen Isabel also had some local and vocal subjects who objected to her giving Columbus three ships. "Why don't you just tell the Dude to put a note in a bottle, fling it into the ocean, and see if any naked Injuns send him a response?"