It’s just a neat world…

I’ve nothing very profound to say right now other than that it is really neat that I can sit here at my desk working on documentation (OK and blogging) while a little window shows a NASA control room live as the Mars Orbitor is inserted into the atmosphere of a nearby planet…

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/MRO/main/index.html 

Mars-Bound Spacecraft Readies Itself for Orbit Insertion Today
 

After a seven-month journey, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is going through maneuvers to place itself into orbit around Mars today. Coverage of the complex orbit insertion maneuver starts at 3:30 p.m. on NASA TV and the Web . Spacecraft milestones for the event can be followed on the right. The spacecraft is the most technologically advanced ever sent to Mars.
Expected time of events (in Eastern)

4:07 p.m.:  Turn to burn attitude 
4:24 p.m.:  Orbit insertion burn begins 
4:46 p.m.:  Behind Mars / expected loss of signal 
4:51 p.m.:  Orbit insertion burn ends 
5:16 p.m.:  Re-emerges from behind Mars 
5:16 p.m.:  Re-acquisition of signal 
5:30 p.m.: Health and status report 

The live link…
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

 I find that kind of nifty…