This is it, folks. After traveling for more than eight months,
over a distance of 350 million miles, NASA's one-ton, nuclear-
powered, six-wheel drive rover, Curiosity, is just hours away
from touching down on the surface of the Red Planet. It won't be
easy. Curiosity's entry, descent and landing — called "EDL" by
NASA engineers — is the most ambitious the Agency has ever
attempted. From the top of the atmosphere to the surface of the
planet takes just seven minutes, but it will involve slowing the
rover from over 13,000 miles per hour to a complete, safe, and
total stop on Martian terrain. It takes light 14 minutes to make
the trip from Earth to Mars, which means controlling the
spacecraft directly from Earth is out of the question; Curiosity
has been programmed to perform all of its EDL maneuvers
autonomously. If it works, it works. If it doesn't... well...
Let's not worry about that. For now, let's get geared up for one
of the most historic nights in the history of space exploration.
18:43 PT | Distance fro