You can't just use parachutes on Mars, because the atmosphere is too thin. That wouldn't slow things down enough. You'd need rockets, which need fuel, and stabilization gear, and guidance computers, and so forth and so on, and before you know it you've got a whole vehicle as big and expensive as the one that it's being ejected from. I'm not sure how confident I am that this'll work (and, truth be told, I think that all NASA expenitures are a waste of taxpayer money, but that's another story). It does seem like a worthwhile idea though, that should save quite a bit if it works.
Well, every product's got to have a deadline, or nothing would ever get published. As the somewhat unpleasant Anonymous Coward said, Christmas shopping starts in earnest the weekend after Thanksgiving, so this is the logical time to bring it out. As for whether it's ready, the demo seems smooth to me, and if there are still bugs, I'm sure they'll get patched. id tends to do a good job with that, in my opinion. I, for one, am ready to let the good times roll!
An Apology for the Devil: it must be remembered that we have only heard one side of the case. God has written all the books. -Samuel Butler
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You can't just use parachutes on Mars, because the atmosphere is too thin. That wouldn't slow things down enough. You'd need rockets, which need fuel, and stabilization gear, and guidance computers, and so forth and so on, and before you know it you've got a whole vehicle as big and expensive as the one that it's being ejected from. I'm not sure how confident I am that this'll work (and, truth be told, I think that all NASA expenitures are a waste of taxpayer money, but that's another story). It does seem like a worthwhile idea though, that should save quite a bit if it works.
Well, every product's got to have a deadline, or nothing would ever get published. As the somewhat unpleasant Anonymous Coward said, Christmas shopping starts in earnest the weekend after Thanksgiving, so this is the logical time to bring it out. As for whether it's ready, the demo seems smooth to me, and if there are still bugs, I'm sure they'll get patched. id tends to do a good job with that, in my opinion. I, for one, am ready to let the good times roll!
An Apology for the Devil: it must be remembered that we have only heard one side of the case. God has written all the books. -Samuel Butler