data rate is @ 1.68 kb/s...still impressive.
[youtube]gFo4u_ADiw4[/youtube]

[QUOTE=VictordeHolland;405903]The scientists will have to wait till the end of 2016 before all the data from the Pluto encounter is transmitted back to earth. Understandable at a transmissionrate of 1kb/s.

I was surprised by the details in the images presented so far, considering the distance from the Sun.[/QUOTE]

The instantly-iconic 'closeup' I posted to the Science News thread last night is in form of a JPG of 70kB, thus ~= 8min transmission at the above data rate, assuming similarly-compressed encoding in the JPG and the original data.

[QUOTE=ewmayer;405923]The instantly-iconic 'closeup' I posted to the Science News thread last night is in form of a JPG of 70kB, thus ~= 8min transmission at the above data rate, assuming similarly-compressed encoding in the JPG and the original data.[/QUOTE]My understanding is that a few images are lossy-compressed and sent to Earth quickly for the purposes of publicity and exposure etc., but the main payload of data is being sent with lossless compression over the course of the next 16 months. So the JPGs we seen now are just the teasers.

[URL="http://qz.com/458781/elon-musk-says-spacexs-latest-rocket-exploded-after-a-single-strut-snapped/"]Elon Musk says SpaceX’s latest rocket exploded after a single strut snapped[/URL]

[QUOTE=chalsall;405893]All systems nominal!!! :tu:[/QUOTE]

Today at work a bunch of us got this comment on the use of the word nominal:

Nominal does not mean normal mode.

nominal
(ˈnɒmɪnəl)
adj
1. in name only; theoretical: the nominal leader.
2. minimal in comparison with real worth or what is expected; token: a nominal fee.

[QUOTE=stars10250;406205][nominal]
2. minimal in comparison with real worth or what is expected; token: a nominal fee.[/QUOTE]So that would match the current low res pics we have so far then? And the real worth of high res pics is expected.

[URL="http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/27/it-doesnt-take-much-to-ruin-a-space-insurers-year.html"]It doesn't take much to ruin a space insurer's year.[/URL]
When a rocket blows up —1 in 20 fail—who pays for it?
[QUOTE]A few bad launches in an unlucky year can cause the failure rate to bounce between 3 percent and 10 percent, and accidents tend to be total losses.

But the industry has other unique upsides that have attracted investors. A company knows right away whether its coverage is a loss or a gain. Space insurance is also uncorrelated with other types of insurance, so even if a hurricane wipes out hundreds of seaside homes all at once, the space insurance market remains serenely independent. The huge premium payments are also attractive to companies.

Interest in funding space insurance has been strong recently, and the extra coverage capacity has driven down rates to around 6 or 7 percent, compared with almost 20 percent a decade ago.

"Rates are approaching historical lows, despite the fact that we have had claims of approximately $500 million and only $250 million in premiums," said Mike Vinter, executive vice president of Aon International Space Brokers. "The underwriters are certainly in a loss position for the year."[/QUOTE]

Today (13 August) is Perihelion day for comet 67P and the European Rosetta space mission:
[URL]http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/[/URL]

[QUOTE=chappy;367218]A bit off-topic, but I highly recommend [URL="http://www.amazon.com/The-Martian-Novel-Andy-Weir-ebook/dp/B00EMXBDMA"]The Martian [/URL]by[URL="http://www.galactanet.com/writing.html"] Andy Weir[/URL]

Hard SF, pro space exploration, pro science, it has an in-your-face writing style that takes some getting used to, but in the end Andy Weir is a steely-eyed missile man.

[URL="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/853252895"]My review.[/URL]

[URL="http://forum.dansimmons.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=153828&fpart=1"]Dan Simmons review.[/URL][/QUOTE]

It's still not too late to read the book!

[YOUTUBE]ej3ioOneTy8[/YOUTUBE]

edit: small mea culpa, I thought this referenced back the recommended reading thread-- [url]http://mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?p=377548&highlight=Martian#post377548[/url]

Hip hip [URL="https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/indias-mars-orbiter-sends-stunning-031331072.html"]for India[/URL], and very nice photos if you click the link at the end of the article (to their web page).

[QUOTE=LaurV;408303]Hip hip [URL="https://www.yahoo.com/tech/s/indias-mars-orbiter-sends-stunning-031331072.html"]for India[/URL], and very nice photos if you click the link at the end of the article (to their web page).[/QUOTE]

A gallery on the project is [URL="http://www.isro.gov.in/pslv-c25-mars-orbiter-mission/3d-portrayals-of-ophir-chasma-terrain"]here.[/URL] This is a marvelous accomplishment in the interests of science!