I hope i'm alive to see the dvd returned, but will we still be able to play it?

i regard Memorial Day as a celebration of war. It is a day that  divides and  isolates, and which should have no place in the  exploration of space.  

I am truly hoping that we find something more in that ice up there. Just think about the possible biological possibilities we may find in that. Although this mission should've been done 20 years ago I am at the least excited to be alive now to see multiple trips. I mean IT"S ICE! how exciting is that alone!! Man! the possibilities!!

If eBay is still around, then yeah... you'll still be able to play it!  :)

Natasha Bro _ I don't know what planet you're from, but Memorial Day has always been about the utlimate sacrifice many veterans have made for their country, it never did, and never will have anything to do with "celebrating" war. You need to get your antennae adjusted (-:

i fail to see how whatever "memorial" the mars lander is carrying or events about to take place can compare to memorial day and what it represents.

i also don't understand how memorial day "divides and isolates"; it is simply a day set aside for everyone to take a moment and remember the sacrifices made by the military.

i am dismayed that both comments highlight just how ignorant we have become of our history and the present day events that surround us.

michael e.
usafret

Thank you, MJ DeYoung, for putting Natasha's antennae in their proper place.  I was about to rip into her myself.  You were far more polite than I would have ever been.  War is a ghastly thing and should never, never be celebrated.  My wife has never felt like celebrating her nine month stay as a guest of the Nazi's in Warsaw's infamous Pawiak prison during WWII.

Memorial Day is a sober reminder of the horror of war, of the brutal sacrifice made by those in defense of ideals of peace and the greater good. To those of us with a better memory of space exploration's travails, January 27/28 could be a 'space memorial day' pairing, in memory of the 10 that lost their lives willing to brave great danger in the pursuit of ideals of peace, knowledge and the greater good, too. It's not necessarily a comparison that comes to mind easily, yet in both cases, brave men and women put their lives on the line for the betterment of their fellow humans.

Didn't mean in my previous comment to overlook those lost on Feb. 1st, 2003, of course.

I guess I'm also curious, was the DVD standard format or BluRay? :-)

I would have to agree with MJ, Memorial day is actually a celebration of the sacrifices that people have made for this great country.  Not a celebration of war..sacrifices have been made by the military as well as NASA, we have lost several astronauts in the name of space travel.  This is both a day of joy, in that we can  all be here to celebrate the freedoms that have been defended to the very core, as well as a day of sadness in which we remember those who paid the ultimate price, so that we can today, live the lives that we so richly enjoy. Hats off to our country, I have never been more proud to be an american, as I am today!

Nature reporter Eric Hand is blogging the Phoenix landing live from Arizona, where the science operations center is based: http://blogs.nature.com/news/blog/events/nasa_phoenix_landing/

Leroy, unless you expect to live to be 500 years old, don't get your hopes up. :p

I hope we do find life on mars. My favorite movie mars attacks has mars and the Martians in it. But these Martians aren't friendly. It would be nice to know if life can exist on mars and its not just in the movies.

Best wishes for a successful landing. Send us answers to mysteries and give science even more puzzles to solve. To the Moon, Mars & Beyond - Good Luck.

About war.  Are you crazy.  This day is for the sacrifices those that serve in the military give so people like you can be free to express yourself.  They should have never done away with the draft.  We are rasing a bunch of ungreatful wimps that expect the liberities we live with every day. People dont understand what solders have given so we can have so much.  

To Natasha: Memorial Day Honors the lives of those sacrificed. It Doesn't celebrate it!

Regards,

Greg V

NASA Mission events, like the arrival at Mars or any other planet, are not related to holidays at all.  Missions are designed based on what mathematics will allow. Sometimes it just turns out that key events happen on or near holidays.

People like Natasha forget that all the early astronauts were military volunters. They didn't get paid anywhere near what todays civilian astronauts get paid. Memorial Day is for veteran's like me, who fought (and died)for the rights of people like Natasha. We'd still be an English colony if it were up to today's peace loving antiwar crowd! Paying twice as much in taxes, for half as much in wages!

What's happening today FAR TRANSCENDS tomorrow to me. The significance of it is bigger than every battle or war ever fought. (And before a bunch you other vets get your undies all in a bunch, yes, I am one too; doesn't keep me from putting things in perspective.)

as the son of an army sgt. who survived both D-DAY,(omaha beach 2nd wave)and then went on to survive the bastonge siege, he would be very happy to share this day with NASA. because he fought for the right of this great country, to become all that GOD will allow it to become.I could not be more thrilled for NASA.

My father who was a WWII veteran, one of 137 men left of 1600 after multiple battles, would be proud that His country has come so far.  I honor him and his country honors him.  We have traveled far because we have vision and the willingness to defend that vision. Mars is wonderful.  Thanks Dad for allowing me to see the wonders these people have found.

Sacrifices ave been made in NASA'S Space Program from test pilots, scientists and astronauts.Those people made it possible for Phoenix to land on Mars. Let us honor their memory today as well as those lost in war. Their battles were hard fought and our Nation felt the impact of their loss.

to me the real reason for space travel is to look for a back up for earth, we are wearing this planet out and will need a second home in the future,  to Dream the Impossible Dream , should lift the spirits of all mankind. I won't see it happen, but  somewhere in the future my genes will have a new home, lets hope they treat it better than we have this one. I am very proud of all the space travelers that so far have put their lives at risk and honor those that lost theirs.  On this day I pay honor to those that have lost  their lives for love of country, I do not pay honor to Wars. We are losing 1000 vets of WW2 per day now, from 1776 to 2008, wars have taken a toll of lives, but please do not tell me those lives were in vain, I live in America because of them, and I would not exchange places any where else in the world  for that.

What a touching Memorial Day post, Nicolette Thompson. Not even a zillionth joking.

Space exploration is to expand our limited knowledge of what has been philosiphised for thousands of years.  We were made to seek the unknown with uncertainty.  We would not be the innovative Nation we are without the freedoms to propose new ways of seeking, experimenting and analyzing the data and information.  
We have an event that coincided with the day of Remembrance for the sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces, and extended families and neighbors that gave the ultimate sacrifice.  It is a time to celebrate their courage and willingness to honor their Country for purposes they could not understand except their moment of truth to preserve for their families the freedom that is never free.  We could not celebrate the friendship lost for those that went on to honor their fallen family and neighbors in building these machines to the future understanding of Creation.  It is a time to say past, present and future sacrifices of service men and women, and pioneers for science are a testiment to returning what has been given by Grace.

The late Robert A Heinlein - a dedicated patriot (he refused to allow foreign publication of his book, "Expanded Universe", because it contained certain criticisms of American policies) - in a speech he once delivered to an American military academy, referred to the Apollo astronauts as being inspired by a higher patriotism than that represented by loyalty to their country, since their actions, as he put it, tended to improve the chances of the continued survival of the human race as a whole -"because of their actions, it is possible that the human race will outlive the planet on which we stand tonight".

"Peace hath its victories, no less renowned than war".
- both kinds being worthy of celebration.

Incidentally, with regard to the possibility of America remaining a British colony, as raised by another contributor; as a number of commentators have pointed out, under those circumstances, slavery would have probably been abolished in the U.S.several decades before it actually was, and without the need for a bloody civil war.

Still, no use crying over spilt milk - or blood, for that matter.

Natasha's hateful, uninformed, and unfortunate post while sad is actually one of the best tributes to both the space program and those we honor on Memorial day.  In what other country would such drivel be embraced as a persons right?  Pity Natasha, but remember that Memorial Day is for those who have protected a wonderful country, one in which even Natasha has a voice.  For many, that country and thier dreams are represented and realized in continued space exploration.

For many, Memorial day honors those that have died during or after serving their country and they have no other thoughts but honor for them.  This is unique to mankind.
Others have in their thoughts those that died fought for our Consitutional Freedoms so we can whine and complain, while for some we think others are only thinking about their own ability to be free to whine and complain about what ever it is they whine and complain about.  
To some it is a 3 day holiday to get out of work; for some it is just a reminder that there are wars here on Earth as suggested above. Such is Human nature. By no means perfect.

Someone above suggested we need to get to another planet soon as we are running out of natural resources. Sorry, Mars has no natural food, no Populus tremuloides on the mountain sides or Acer Succarum for maple syrup.  It might have some water, but probably not enough to use without some serious conservationism.  It is hardly a place to go to in the event the Earth gets all used up.  Anyhow, I would venture to guess that Earth, being a living planet, will get rid of the life it has on its surface in due course.  It will not be destroyed or ruined even when the population doubles in the next generation.  Only a dying sun or a very large planet sized rock will destroy Earth as a planet.  A rock 20 miles across hitting the planet will only kill off the planet's present inhabitants, not kill the planet.  Historically it has been shown that the Earth has a resiliency to it.  Something will grow back. It has gone through a multitude of cycles.

I think mankind is sort of conceited to think we are the Earth or that we will be here for the rest of the planet's natural life.  Of course most of us will not know if something happens or not in the future as we will be some of those honored on Memorial Day, but historically, the slate will once again most likely be wiped clean.

The Mars adventure this weekend only shows that there are some people on Earth willing to find out all they can before the slate gets cleaned.  We are truely an amazing life form.

Please, get a life folks. Everything this world does some how, some where, some way ends up with war. War causes death. Death is the reason for "Memorial Day". Stop worrying about what just might be the next safe haven in the universe. Start worrying about how much longer you'll be able to voice your silly opinions

Isn't a week goes by that we aren't reminded of some war, past or present. It is amazing that this landing was associated with some "memorial day", which politically grew from a southern, civil war event (started by women), to this that is really just some burger-flipping-gather-round-the BBQ-day-off-work-get stoned and/or drunk have a good time day off.

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