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Mars Rover Curiosity Sealed Up For Launch

Posted by Soulskill on from the no-cats-were-harmed-in-the-making-of-this-rover dept.

astroengine writes "On Oct. 5, less than two months before it will be launched, Mars Science Laboratory 'Curiosity' was sealed between its heat shield and back shell at Kennedy Space Center's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. The next time the one-ton rover sees daylight will be on Aug. 6, 2012, as the heat shield separates after successful entry through the Martian atmosphere, shortly before Curiosity touches down inside Gale Crater."

1 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Do the Chinese get half the time with it? by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 3, Informative

    You folks that spew the China owns half the US don't ever do research do you?

    As of January 2011, foreigners owned $4.45 trillion of U.S. debt, or approximately 47% of the debt held by the public of $9.49 trillion and 32% of the total debt of $14.1 trillion. The largest holders were the central banks of China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

    As of May 2011 the largest single holder of U.S. government debt was China, with 36 percent of all foreign-held U.S. Treasury securities (16% of total US public debt).

    http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/tic/Documents/mfhhis01.csv