Mars Rovers STILL going strong! Whoo-hoo!

MattusMaximus · 3rd January 2009, 11:40 AM

Five years and still going! Yaaaay NASA!

Quote:

Talk about getting your money's worth. Five years ago today, NASA's roving geological robot called Spirit landed safely on the planet Mars. It was designed to last 90 days. Five years later, Spirit is still going.

And going.

And going.

The mission would have been considered a success if the rover had made it 600 yards from its landing site. Spirit has now driven nearly five miles. ...

MG1962 · 3rd January 2009, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by MattusMaximus

Five years and still going! Yaaaay NASA!

NASA's Mars Rovers Still Making Tracks

Maybe we should give 15 billion dollars to the people who made the thing, instead of the big three who would be stunned if they had a car run that long

Gord_in_Toronto · 3rd January 2009, 01:14 PM

Wow. Just Wow!

Can you imagine what the people who worked on designing, building, flying and controlling these robots must feel?

mumchup · 3rd January 2009, 02:12 PM

Truly incredible, and it's been great to read about the mission & findings all this time.
I just wish this was being made into a bigger news story. Like, perhaps, as much coverage as when they make a mistake...

Just thinking · 3rd January 2009, 02:24 PM

The only thing that might get greater media coverage with NASA as to their making a grave mistake or accident would be discovery of extraterrestrial life.

Maybe.

MG1962 · 3rd January 2009, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by mumchup

Truly incredible, and it's been great to read about the mission & findings all this time.
I just wish this was being made into a bigger news story. Like, perhaps, as much coverage as when they make a mistake...

Its an interesting point. When NASA do get it right, they get it really really right. A number of previous probes going all the way back to the Pioneer series have exceeded their design limits by some amazing amounts.

Pioneer 10 was still being used for training exercises as late as 1997, that is over 25 years in space. Pioneer 11 made it too 20 years, and both Voyager probes may get beyond 30 years.

It is refreshing to see humans can occasionally be really really smart sometimes

BenBurch · 3rd January 2009, 07:11 PM

Pioneer 6 (for all we know) is still going. It was last tracked for telemetry in 2000 on the occasion of its 35th anniversary. They no longer track it because what science data it can return still is not that valuable.

shadron · 3rd January 2009, 07:45 PM

It brings tears to the hardboiled engineer's eye, doesn't it? They said in one article I read that the two rovers will eat up another four lifetimes of work each before it gets cold again.

MG1962 · 3rd January 2009, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by BenBurch

Pioneer 6 (for all we know) is still going. It was last tracked for telemetry in 2000 on the occasion of its 35th anniversary. They no longer track it because what science data it can return still is not that valuable.

Good call - according to wiki 6 7 8 9 are all still capable of contact at the momment, but as you said. There is little they can record that we need to know anymore

Kinda sad really

mumchup · 5th January 2009, 01:20 PM

I like to picture them hurtling through interstellar space for a few hundred million years or so, until they burn up on entry somewhere interesting.

MG1962 · 5th January 2009, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by mumchup

I like to picture them hurtling through interstellar space for a few hundred million years or so, until they burn up on entry somewhere interesting.

I recall when young reading a story set in the far future when the last stars in the galaxy are starting to fade. There are millions of these probes from all the millions of races that inhabated the galaxy at one time all starting to congregate around the central black hole, trying to figure out how they could continue their various missions to gather data

Monketey Ghost · 5th January 2009, 01:52 PM

I'm beyond proud of our achievements and thrilled that they're still on the move. The future could be very exciting.

geni · 5th January 2009, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by MG1962

Its an interesting point. When NASA do get it right, they get it really really right. A number of previous probes going all the way back to the Pioneer series have exceeded their design limits by some amazing amounts.

Common across a fair number of fields. If an initial design flaw doesn't take it out then wear and tear can take a long time to finish it off. Deep space missions have something of an advantage here. Surface probes should suffer more wear.

3rd January 2009, 11:40 AM	#1
MattusMaximus Intellectual Gladiator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In the midst of a vast, beautiful & uncaring universe Posts: 14,175	Mars Rovers STILL going strong! Whoo-hoo! Five years and still going! Yaaaay NASA! NASA's Mars Rovers Still Making Tracks Quote: Talk about getting your money's worth. Five years ago today, NASA's roving geological robot called Spirit landed safely on the planet Mars. It was designed to last 90 days. Five years later, Spirit is still going. And going. And going. The mission would have been considered a success if the rover had made it 600 yards from its landing site. Spirit has now driven nearly five miles. ...
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3rd January 2009, 01:14 PM	#3
Gord_in_Toronto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 13,417	Wow. Just Wow! Can you imagine what the people who worked on designing, building, flying and controlling these robots must feel?
	__________________ "Reality is what's left when you cease to believe." Philip K. Dick

3rd January 2009, 02:24 PM	#5
Just thinking Philosopher Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New Jersey Posts: 5,169	The only thing that might get greater media coverage with NASA as to their making a grave mistake or accident would be discovery of extraterrestrial life. Maybe.
	__________________ Our greatest challenge is not just to ask the important questions, but to recognize the meaningless ones.

3rd January 2009, 07:11 PM	#7
BenBurch Gatekeeper of The Left Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: The Universe 35.2 ms ahead of this one. Posts: 32,177	Pioneer 6 (for all we know) is still going. It was last tracked for telemetry in 2000 on the occasion of its 35th anniversary. They no longer track it because what science data it can return still is not that valuable.
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3rd January 2009, 11:58 AM	#2
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	Originally Posted by MattusMaximus Five years and still going! Yaaaay NASA! NASA's Mars Rovers Still Making Tracks Maybe we should give 15 billion dollars to the people who made the thing, instead of the big three who would be stunned if they had a car run that long

3rd January 2009, 02:12 PM	#4
mumchup Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Fort Dictyoptera Posts: 1,325	Truly incredible, and it's been great to read about the mission & findings all this time. I just wish this was being made into a bigger news story. Like, perhaps, as much coverage as when they make a mistake...

3rd January 2009, 04:26 PM	#6
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	Originally Posted by mumchup Truly incredible, and it's been great to read about the mission & findings all this time. I just wish this was being made into a bigger news story. Like, perhaps, as much coverage as when they make a mistake... Its an interesting point. When NASA do get it right, they get it really really right. A number of previous probes going all the way back to the Pioneer series have exceeded their design limits by some amazing amounts. Pioneer 10 was still being used for training exercises as late as 1997, that is over 25 years in space. Pioneer 11 made it too 20 years, and both Voyager probes may get beyond 30 years. It is refreshing to see humans can occasionally be really really smart sometimes

3rd January 2009, 07:45 PM	#8
shadron Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 5,719	It brings tears to the hardboiled engineer's eye, doesn't it? They said in one article I read that the two rovers will eat up another four lifetimes of work each before it gets cold again.

3rd January 2009, 08:00 PM	#9
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	Originally Posted by BenBurch Pioneer 6 (for all we know) is still going. It was last tracked for telemetry in 2000 on the occasion of its 35th anniversary. They no longer track it because what science data it can return still is not that valuable. Good call - according to wiki 6 7 8 9 are all still capable of contact at the momment, but as you said. There is little they can record that we need to know anymore Kinda sad really

5th January 2009, 01:20 PM	#10
mumchup Graduate Poster Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Fort Dictyoptera Posts: 1,325	I like to picture them hurtling through interstellar space for a few hundred million years or so, until they burn up on entry somewhere interesting.

5th January 2009, 01:42 PM	#11
MG1962 Guest Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kansas (Australia) Posts: 14,750	Originally Posted by mumchup I like to picture them hurtling through interstellar space for a few hundred million years or so, until they burn up on entry somewhere interesting. I recall when young reading a story set in the far future when the last stars in the galaxy are starting to fade. There are millions of these probes from all the millions of races that inhabated the galaxy at one time all starting to congregate around the central black hole, trying to figure out how they could continue their various missions to gather data

5th January 2009, 01:52 PM	#12
Monketey Ghost Body of Work Join Date: May 2003 Location: I'm on your screen! Posts: 14,807	I'm beyond proud of our achievements and thrilled that they're still on the move. The future could be very exciting.

5th January 2009, 02:45 PM	#13
geni Anti-homeopathy illuminati member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: UK Posts: 26,570	Originally Posted by MG1962 Its an interesting point. When NASA do get it right, they get it really really right. A number of previous probes going all the way back to the Pioneer series have exceeded their design limits by some amazing amounts. Common across a fair number of fields. If an initial design flaw doesn't take it out then wear and tear can take a long time to finish it off. Deep space missions have something of an advantage here. Surface probes should suffer more wear.