NASA rehearses MARS landing in Botswana

[Gunship]

A Nasa team is in Botswana as part of their goal to send humans to Mars by 2025.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration team has been deployed to Shakawe in northern Botswana, to perform tests and rehearse for the landing on Mars of the Mars Exploration Rover to be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on June 8.

The six person team in Botswana, led by Major Ross Romer from the United States Air Force, arrived in Maun in northern Botswana on May 22. They are expected to leave Botswana on June 11.

The Mars Exploration Rover is expected to fly over Botswana at about an altitude of about 400km around 8pm local time and will be visible for a period of approximately 15 minutes.

"We will be covering the second stage of Mars Exploration Rover when the engine cuts off and enters third stage when it ignites with rocket being pushed to Mars," Romer told local journalists at a press briefing in the US Embassy in Gaborone.

The Mars Exploration is expected to arrive on Mars in January 2004 and will try to determine the history of climate and water at designated sites on the planet where conditions may once have been favourable to life.

When the air bag protected landing craft settles onto the surface, the Rover will roll out to take panoramic images and conduct geological tests. The 180kg Rover is expected to stay on Mars for four months.

[4HolerPoler]

Q: "Why did they use Botswana as a Mars setting?"

A: "Maybe because it's all desert-like."

NASA Expert: "Hell no, we used Botswana because there's no freaking people there. They all died of AIDS - it's just like Mars."

[Gerund]

Fourpotholertroller

It is simple.

They looked for somewhere in Africa because it is good to help countries where there are lots of black people (is that ok, these days or should I call them something different? I know ignorance of the law is no excuse but I find it difficult to keep up. If 'black people' is no good anymore, I am sorry to those....whatever they want to be called now).

So, they looked around and decided that Botswana had no cannibalism, no mass starvation due to incompetence, no civil wars based on racism (yes, tribal racism if the liberals are scratching their heads), no civil wars based on oil and diamonds, no massive corruption (thanks to a particular Brit), a reasonable crime rate (yes, you can just park your car in the centre of Gaberone overnight), no Islamic fundamentalists, no Embassies bigger than a small house to be blown up (ok, just a few), no funny terrorist groups to kidnap tourists, and no cannibalism. Oh, I mentioned that. Isn't Africa great!

And to cap it all, Maun is great fun.

Yes, Botswana is nevana! But not for the poor b******rs living there who have the highest percentage infection rate with Aids, in the world. How did they manage that???? I read somewhere that HIV infection is running at 30% of the population. Puts a bit of a dampener on a Friday night out.

I wonder if they find Aids on Mars?

[V1 Rotate]

I think you will find a lot of the population of Shakawe are white !
V1 Rotate :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[BAKELA]

Is this the true facts? Let's face it...

Yanks, desert, Bob!!!!! :suspect: :ooh:. The initial recce team under the disguise of NASA? Is somebody north of the Limpopo having a sleepless night or two? :ok:

Maybe it's NAZA - North Against Zimbabwean Army?
Maybe it's MARZ - Military Action Required in Zimbabwe?

Hell, it's nice to dream in broad daylight ain't it...

[Kiwi Flyer]

Nice to see Northern Botswana in the news for other reasons other than HIV/AIDS. The last figure released was 38% of the adult population 18-45 years, fairly horrific numbers. Shakawe was picked I believe, as it is directly on the path of said robot, shakawe has some (but very little!) infrastructure, and there is little if any atmospheric pollution. Oh, and V1, believe me there are very few white people in Shakawe, but there are some very nice fishing lodges.....Tiger fish, Bream.....aahhhh...... And most importantly, its a bloody beautiful country!!!! believe me, I've seen almost every inch of the place!

Cheers,

KF

[AfricanSkies]

it better not get off course by far, or it'll get nicked!

:}