Monday, August 6, 2012

Let's Dare Mighty Things Together

We originally wanted to go to Pasadena for the Curiosity landing.  I thought it would be cool.  It sounded fun to watch the landing with lots of other people who are passionate about space.  My other motive was to meet Bill Nye.  You know the Science guy?

Our plans got scrapped.  Hubby came down with a cold last weekend and we thought it was just your run of the mill summer cold that makes you miserable because it's triple digits outside and all you want to do is curl up and drink hot tea.  Well not only was it that but it was also Bronchitis.  So we have been sidelined for a week.

Lucky for us NASA had lots of coverage of the event.  We were able to follow the twitter feed while watching the simulation software on a laptop while watching the live streamed event on the TV.  It seemed we waited forever for the rover to touch down.  I can't begin to imagine how anxious these guys where to see years of their work make it to it's destination.  It was nerve wracking for me because I don't like suspense.  I am the type that will fast forward to the end of the movie to see what happens then go back to the middle.  I also read the last two chapters of Harry Potter first before I finished the last book.  So I was already on pins and needles waiting for this thing.  It was such a heart warming moment when it touched down and the room went crazy.  I got a little teary eyed when the guy in back started crying.  Here is a vid from the stream of the control room during touchdown.


 
Clover didn't make it to the touchdown and I already figured she wouldn't be awake that long so we had our own celebration during the day.  We watched the Planets episode of Bill Nye the Science guy and made Red Planet cupcakes.

We added some stuff to a Vanilla box mix like pudding and some red food coloring.
Then we added a drop on top and swirled it around a bit.

I had to try one...you know for science!  

I'm not sure what making cupcakes had to do with anything other than it was just an excuse to make cupcakes.

Is it just me or does the Curiosity kind of look like Wall-e?


Okay maybe if Wall-e had a few more legs and his body was a rectangle and not a square.  Good luck Curiosity on your two year mission!   

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