‘Captain Kirk’ And ‘Wesley Crusher’ Narrate NASA Curiosity Rover Video

[youtube_video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj67YHeo_ac[/youtube_video]

Video Courtesy of NASA

On Aug. 6 at 1:31 a.m. EDT NASA will have its Mars Science Laboratory Rover Curiosity “beam down” to the Martian surface (albeit without the use of a nifty matter transporter device). To mark this historic, and dramatic, event none other than William Shatner and Wil Wheaton (Captain James T. Kirk and Wesley Crusher respectively from the highly popular television series “Star Trek”) have narrated a video detailing this mission so far. 

The space agency has events spanning the country heralding the arrival of Curiosity to the Red Planet. NASA has several “socials” at a number of centers where space enthusiasts can follow Curiosity as it progresses through one of the tensest phases of its mission known as entry, descent and landing. In space circles this period is commonly referred to as the “seven minutes of terror.”

[youtube_video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVg_R2VquDU[/youtube_video]

Video Courtesy of NASA

NASA hopes that by producing a video with a popular culture hook, from actors from different generations will attract more attention to the mission.

“Shatner and Wheaton are mavericks in inspiring film, TV and social media audiences about space,” said Bert Ulrich, NASA’s multimedia liaison for film and TV collaborations. “NASA is thrilled to have them explain a difficult landing sequence in accessible terms that can be understood by many. Thanks to their generous support, Mars

exploration will reach Tweeters, Trekkies and beyond!”

Curiosity thundered off of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V541 rocket in November of 2011. As mentioned in the videos EDL has been dubbed “seven minutes of terror” for good reason. The rover must be slowed from a searing 13,000 mph to a complete stop. While the entire process takes only seven minutes, communications with the rover take fourteen minutes to return to Earth. It is all over long before controllers at JPL receive the signal announcing the rover’s encounter with the upper atmosphere.

For more information on NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover, visit: MARS

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