Huygens: ESA wasted NASA time and money.

Sorry guys, but I am not impressed at all. Gallelao (sp) has given me better images of the planet than this probe.

Okay, it took 350 images. Half as many as it was supposed to, and that was due to the fact ESA sent NASA the wrong instructions.

Really, what is the budget they work with? The Viking landers sent to Venus over two decades ago gave me better images than this.

Of the 350 supposed images, how many have you seen? This was a big waste of time. I am glad our scientists can get so much into out of a black and white image. But for me, the average person..I want to spend my tax dollars else where. This was not the excitment I was expecting.

Unless these space agencies start investing in optics that deal with natural light better than my webcam, I can not justify the amout of money spent.

What did the Huygens mission teach us? Before they thought is was covered in a methane ocean. Now, due to the poor optics..they are not sure.

The best description they could give us was that of a desert. Yea, 7 years to get that. Thanks.

Stop with the rovers and probes, I dont care. Put man on the moon and give humanity something to look forward to.




[edit on 22-1-2005 by crisko]

Originally posted by crisko
The Viking landers sent to Venus over two decades ago gave me better images than this.
[edit on 22-1-2005 by crisko]

The Viking landers landed on Mars not Venus. Actually most science is not
gathered from photos, but from other instruments that were onboard.

It was a great engineering and science success and volumes of science papers
will be written from the information gathered for its 5 hour operational time
in the atmosphere and on the surface of Titan.

This was not a full scale science operation on Titan... It was only meant to
give us a glimpse of this mysterious place, to whet our appetite for further
exploration of this world.

Sorry, I meant to say Mars

Okay, it wasnt full scale, I can buy that, however, this is the second time the ESA has "piggy backed". Beagle anyone?

I'm pretty sure NASA is wasting no time to figure out how to waste even more money that ESA, just to be the best.

What is the point of *ANY* space mission but a manned mission to Mars?

Better images can be had with radar than what Huygens "supposedly" sent back. Very detailed fly by animations will yield better results than Huygens. Seems as if ESA just wanted to say they could successfully land a probe for the first time. I will give the ESA kudos for their first successful probe and telling JPL they used metric for telemetry this time around. Just onother opinion from this armchair mission controller

[edit on 22-1-2005 by IntelRetard]

Originally posted by merka
I'm pretty sure NASA is wasting no time to figure out how to waste even more money that ESA, just to be the best.

What is the point of *ANY* space mission but a manned mission to Mars?

I think before anyone wastes time answering that question you should tell us all what the point *is* of a manned mission to mars.. I mean.. oh wow.. we went to a barren rock in space.. the only thing a manned mission to mars will do is allow us to thump our chests and feel superior..

Osiris

Crisko:

For the record I'm with you on this one.. I was eagerly awaiting the images.. then I saw them.. then I heard 'high-res is coming' and they haven't yet.. if these are the best images taken, they are rubbish and it *was* a waste of money.

Osiris

I dont think the goal of the Huygens program was to provide nice, Hi-res pics to normal people, was it?

Through the Cassini-Huygens Mission, we hope to gain a better understanding of the planet Saturn, its famous rings, its magnetosphere, its principal moon Titan and its other moons or "icy satellites."

Zion, you have a point, however allow me to play the role of the ignorant for a moment:

7 Years and millions of dollars later, this what we have? Great. The surface is like a slurpee.

I wonder how those who live in Europe feel about this. Sure, it was more than hi-res images, but I think that even that little should have bee done to spur public interest.

I feel like I am trying to find the "badge man" when I look at these snap shots

/rant off

I for one thought the pictures were of good quality considering the Hazy
atmosphere and marginal diffused lighting.

This much we do know.. We have actually seen the surface of this moon
for the first time, and to me it was fantastic. Hat's off the the people at ESA
and NASA for showing me the surface of this new and interesting world!


[edit on 22-1-2005 by TheHorseChestnut]

crisko, don't worry the Hi-Res shots are coming. They said they are coming so they are coming, Space Exploration isn't some PR stunt you know, it has a point. Not only does it push the envolope in technology it also lifts the viel on our home the Solar System. We have pretty much almost discovered everything on Earth(well not everything but we a close...relatively speak of course) so it makes sense that we move off of Earth eventually and become a space-faring species. These steps are vital in order to achieve that dream. Some people say it'll never happen or that its far-fetched at best, but considering that Humanity has all its eggs in one basket we are vulnerable.

ESA done good, critics please wait...good pics are on the way...check out the mosiacs till then...and some audio files too...huygens a waste;i think not..NASA couldn't have done better..compare huygens to Venus surface pics..not Mars...

Mariner probes landed on venus.

These pics are fine as far as Im concerned, and fascinating really. Methane oceans and rain?

Theres no such thing as a waste of time and money of we learn something fascinating!

Originally posted by crisko
Sorry guys, but I am not impressed at all. Gallelao (sp) has given me better images of the planet than this probe.

But for me, the average person..I want to spend my tax dollars else where.

Wrong planet, and you don't do a sh*t with optical telescope because Titan is covered under very thick haze high in its atmosphere.
And it's Galileo.

Yeah, like attacking to other countries.... or donating them to poor hands of military industry?

Okay, it wasnt full scale, I can buy that, however, this is the second time the ESA has "piggy backed". Beagle anyone?

Mars Express is 100% ESA project, Beagle was British "addition" to it.

Originally posted by merka
I'm pretty sure NASA is wasting no time to figure out how to waste even more money that ESA, just to be the best.

Yeah, why not to use all moneys to making as much nukes as possible and then launch full scale nuclear war and let this specie out of its misery.
After all that might be best thing to happen!

E_T there's no need to make this into an anti-American thread.

There were 6 instraments packed into that probe, and all were designed to provide information on liquid as well as solid ground. Probes are not all about bringing back pretty pictures. We know more about Titian now then we did with all the science before it.

This mission was an astounding success and will continue to do so years from now

Originally posted by E_T

Originally posted by crisko
Sorry guys, but I am not impressed at all. Gallelao (sp) has given me better images of the planet than this probe.

But for me, the average person..I want to spend my tax dollars else where.

Wrong planet, and you don't do a sh*t with optical telescope because Titan is covered under very thick haze high in its atmosphere.
And it's Galileo.

Yeah, like attacking to other countries.... or donating them to poor hands of military industry?

Okay, it wasnt full scale, I can buy that, however, this is the second time the ESA has "piggy backed". Beagle anyone?

Mars Express is 100% ESA project, Beagle was British "addition" to it.

Originally posted by merka
I'm pretty sure NASA is wasting no time to figure out how to waste even more money that ESA, just to be the best.

Yeah, why not to use all moneys to making as much nukes as possible and then launch full scale nuclear war and let this specie out of its misery.
After all that might be best thing to happen!

E_T, no disrespect, but I think you could have been a littl more mature in your reply. It's okay, I understand how my original statements could have seems skewed.

I do know a lot about optics, and I am very dissapointed. Still no hi res images.

And I hate to say it, but the ESA forgot to tell NASA to turn on channel two.. To put it simply. So we got half the data. (ESA has confirmed it only recieved half the images it anticipated).

Will the EU taxpayer get a mail in rebate for the project?

Distance really isnt an issue, hardware quality is.

The failed Beagle was a rip-off name of the Eagle (the first manned American ship to land on the moon.)

I applaud President Bush's direction of sending NASA on new manned missions to the moon and Mars...we've been totally stagnant with NASA being a glorified pony express taking satellites to orbit. The private sector should take most of this over and get the gov't back into the real cutting-edge manned space exploration!

Regarding a Venus landing, the Russians did this years ago. It always amazes me how few people are aware of it. Even space enthusiasts.
nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov...

Originally posted by crisko
Sorry guys, but I am not impressed at all. Gallelao (sp) has given me better images of the planet than this probe.

gallileo gave you images of river channels and recorded methane groundwater?

The best description they could give us was that of a desert

Sure, if deserts are made up of oily-ice and have methane rain.

Stop with the rovers and probes

I say, double the budget of NASA, coordinate with other global Space Agencies, and fund the Shuttle Program along with dozens of more planetary probes. Hell, send one to every single planet and moon.