[Big Booger]

I hope we colonize that planet before I die. Would be nice to take a trip there just to see it.. But that is wishful thinking. I don't see deep or even intra-galaxy space travel on the agenda at least for 100-200 years.. Man I wished I could have been born at those times.

[Taro Toporific]

... Would be nice to take a trip there just to see it...

Hey, I AM from Mars and it looks a lot like Japan cause Japan owns it.


MARS vs JAPAN

[Taro Toporific]

NASCAR race to Mars

"Cinque ... funf ... tres ... two ... un! Nous avons eine lift-off!" Agreeing the language for the countdown of the Mars Express ...
Mars in their eyes
Friday June 6, 2003 The Guardian

[Taro Toporific]

Blur Get Life on Mars

...a Blur song...previously released as "Beagle 2" on the B-side to "No Distance Left to Run"

No "Hope"
String of Snafus Puts Japan's First Mars Probe Mission Into Doubt
Space.com / Associated Press
posted: 11:00 am ET 17 June 2003
AP Tokyo: Five years late, low on fuel and with its heating system on the blink, Japan's first Mars-bound probe -- the $88-million Nozomi, or ``Hope'' -- appears to be in serious trouble. Mission controllers trying to keep the mission alive are to face a major test on Thursday, when Nozomi is scheduled to make its second swingby of Earth. The manoeuvre is intended to use the Earth's gravity as a slingshot to send the probe on its final trajectory to Mars. Experts admit the probe is limping. ``We are doing everything we can, but we don't know whether we will be able to succeed,'' Osamu Shimamoto, of the Education Ministry's Space Policy Division...

[kurohinge1]

Experts admit the probe is limping. ``We are doing everything we can, but we don't know whether we will be able to succeed,'' Osamu Shimamoto, of the Education Ministry's Space Policy Division...

Based on this simplified map of our solar system, they could board the "Bounty", avoiding snickers, then use the combined pull of the Twix and Kit-Kat to land gently on Mars ... but beware the Toffee Crisp - the sticky end of many a mission.

[Taro Toporific]

Experts admit the probe is limping. ``We are doing everything we can, but we don't know whether we will be able to succeed,'' Osamu Shimamoto, of the Education Ministry's Space Policy Division...

Based on this simplified map of our solar system, they could board the "Bounty", avoiding snickers, then use the combined pull of the Twix and Kit-Kat to land gently on Mars ... but beware the Toffee Crisp - the sticky end of many a mission.

What about the MOON PIE backup landing site?

Japanese Mars Probe: Unlucky Guy Gets Second Chance passing by on route to Mars
Space Daily - Jun 20, 2003
This year's "Mars hunt" should soon have a new participant: After five involuntarily idle years in space, the Japanese craft "Nozomi" will try an Earth swing-by this week when it passed Earth as close as 11,000 kilometers July 19 (at 14.43 GMT), and by using the Earth's gravity, was set on a new trajectory towards the red planet where it should arrive around New Year.

[Taro Toporific]

I hope we colonize that planet before I die. ...

Well you may get your dream...your gut germs, ecoli, et al, might vanquish Mars....

Japan's Nozomi Mars Probe Stirs Contamination Qualms
Space.com 03:50 pm ET
03 July 2003
Add one more problem to the beleaguered Japanese Mars probe, Nozomi. There are worries in some science quarters that the troubled spacecraft could possibly contaminate Mars....
...
According to experts familiar with the Japanese space probe's overall condition, none of its instruments can provide data with the current power-short situation. Spacecraft handlers are slated to recycle the onboard hardware electronics about a 1,000 times in hopes of clearing the short.

At issue is will Nozomi provide science data if it is successfully placed into orbit around Mars? Furthermore, can Nozomi be nudged into an orbit that will avoid an imminent crash on Mars? Lastly, if the [Nozomi] craft cannot produce any science, why bother to orbit Mars when it might contaminate the planet?. ...
Making sure the spacecraft are as biologically clean and contamination-free as possible before they leave Earth is NASA's planetary protection policy

[kurohinge1]

... Would be nice to take a trip there just to see it ...

Making planets ... An employee makes a Mars globe flanked by a larger version at a globe-makers in Tokyo. Earth is speeding towards a rare astral rendezvous with Mars, placing the two on August 27 as close to each other as possible in nearly 60,000 years. Photo: AFP

It's been such a long wait, but the best time to go is finally here ...

[Taro Toporific]

It's been such a long wait, but the best time to go is finally here ...

Before Typhoon #10, I saw your brightly glowing red ship in the southest night sky. For a moment I thought they were testing stealth fighters at Yokota Air Base again. Freaked me good. I look forward to August 27-28.

Mars.. is seen lower left of the moon in a photo taken in Sapporo at 9:50 p.m. Aug. 13. Kyodo Press

[Big Booger]

I think it would kick ass just to go to the moon.. I wonder if there will ever be restaurants on the moon, that serve Lunar Lattes?

[kurohinge1]

And do you think the lunar kids would call this earthing someone?:

[Taro Toporific]

And do you think the lunar kids would call this earthing someone?:

Mars, bottom left, is seen with the Moon from Haebaru in Okinawa prefecture, southern Japan, Wednesday,Aug. 13, 2003. (AP Photo/Ryukyu Shimpo, Hideo Toji)

[kurohinge1]

Aug. 13, 2003. (AP Photo/Ryukyu Shimpo, Hideo Toji)

... it won't be as close again until Aug. 28, 2287

That's a long wait until the next train.

[kurohinge1]

Waiting for Mars to be at it's closest in the last 60,000years, Japanese scientist sprung their trap and set forth a cunning plan to capture and shrink Mars ...



I'm not usually into art but wouldn't it be something if they could surround the real Mars in a single ring of orbitting Mini Mars like this one ...

... back to the medication ...

[Taro Toporific]

:alien:

Waiting for Mars to be at it's closest in the last 60,000years, Japanese scientist sprung their trap and set forth a cunning plan to capture and shrink Mars ...
... back to the medication ...

The main thing is the weather is too damn cloudy to see Mars tonight (for all you FG not in Kanto).

The Rainbow Bridge, Odiaba Tokyo web cam...

(Renewed every 3 minutes.)
http://www.fnn-news.com/en/camera2/index.html
http://www.fnn-news.com/en/index.html