Curiosity - The Million Mile Perspective

While most of the world watches the Drama of the Olympics and the Comedy that is politics, it is Curiosity that will be holding my attention Sunday night.

Curiosity, or the "Mars Science Laboratory" as it is known to some, should be landing on the surface of Mars this Sunday.  An amazing technological feat, the lander will enter the atmosphere of Mars at over two thousand miles an hour,  then deploy ballistic chutes at nearly a thousand miles an hour.  Most impressive is the "Sky Crane" which will lower the one ton, car sized lander the last sixty feet to the surface.

While we bicker about every bit of nonsense here on Earth, Curiosity will begin a mission larger than arguing about imaginary lines and perceived differences.  Curiosity seeks to answer some of the most basic questions man has asked- most notably, "Are we alone?".

Sure, Mars will at best show microbial life.  But maybe, just maybe, proof of such a thing might be a reminder that no matter how different we think we are from each other, after all, we're still Humans and Earthlings. 

Good luck, Curiosity.. may you remind us all that we are more the same than different.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html