Mars Rover Keeps on Treckkin'

[3113]

...And finally gets to a crater!

Maybe it'll find a Martian this time?

http://images1.variety.com/graphics/photos/_storypics/marvin_martian.jpg

 

[jomar]

Good Martian, that's the image I thought of.

 

[rgraham666]

I think of these when I hear 'Martian'.

http://www.scifiwright.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/765px-Barsoom_green_martian.jpg

 

[lovecraft68]

...And finally gets to a crater!

Maybe it'll find a Martian this time?

http://images1.variety.com/graphics/photos/_storypics/marvin_martian.jpg

People homeless, unemployment at an all time high, debt through the roof and billions of dollars goes to this.

This is the equivalent of that idiot we all know who has to borrow five dollars for lunch but is driving the status symbol car that's killing him financially.

Priorities.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think of these when I hear 'Martian'.

http://www.scifiwright.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/765px-Barsoom_green_martian.jpg

Burroughs, John Carter from Mars. Nice.

 

[3113]

People homeless, unemployment at an all time high, debt through the roof and billions of dollars goes to this.

Actually, this is the gift that keeps on giving. It doesn't cost any more than the original price for it to keep going and going and going and sending back information. Very cost effective.

And if it finds resources that we can use....

 

[stephen55]

Spirit and Opportunity landed on Mars seven years ago for what was supposed to be a three month mission. Spirit was last heard from back in March, 2010 and NASA finally stopped calling this May.

Opportunity just keeps going. It is the first Martian Energizer Bunny. The return on investment for this mission has exceeded everyone's expectations.

Three years ago, with Opportunity doing so well, the decision was made to try something the original mission plan never dreamed of; a 30 kilometer run across Mars to investigate a large crater. This will allow Opportunity to check out Martian rock that is far older than any seen so far.

And Damn!! Opportunity has made it!!

Go little buddy!!

 

[amicus]

You may have to change your Post; we finally, totally, agree on something.

I have been following the Rovers from day one and the tenacity of both is amazing.

amicus

 

[mynameisben]

People homeless, unemployment at an all time high, debt through the roof and billions of dollars goes to this.

This is the equivalent of that idiot we all know who has to borrow five dollars for lunch but is driving the status symbol car that's killing him financially.

Priorities.

You are sadly mistaken. Billions of dollars were never spent on the Mars Exploration Rovers program. The initial cost to build, launch and operate the TWO martian rovers for their initial design life of 90 days was only $820 million. They were launched in 2003, at a time when the U.S. economy was booming, when all-time high unemployment was not a concern.

The mission was so successful, it was granted five mission extensions over 7 years, totaling less than $150 million. That's seven years of operation (and counting) for an initially planned mission of 90 days, and still at a cumulative cost of less than 1 billion dollars. Please refer here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21327647/#.Tk0cnM1WBCo

A 1 billion dollar trice tag, spread out over 7 years and sponsored by a country with a population of 300 million comes at an per capita cost of less than 50 cents per year. Would I pay 50 cents a year for a Mars Rover project? Hell, I would gladly spend one hundred times that amount, and I am dirt fucking poor. But the initial costs have already been amortized out. A one-year extension to the project that keeps on giving comes at a cost of only $25 million -- a measly 8 cents per person.

I believe you would be extremely hard pressed to find anyone who would object to today's 8-cents-per-year Mars program, should you choose to inform them of how insanely cheap it is to keep the mission going. The only affect that the Mars Rovers program has on the record high unemployment is to allow a few dozen JPL space scientists to keep their jobs.

There are far, far better government programs to point your finger of angst at than the Mars Exploration Rover program.

 

[sethp]

You are sadly mistaken. Billions of dollars were never spent on the Mars Exploration Rovers program. The initial cost to build, launch and operate the TWO martian rovers for their initial design life of 90 days was only $820 million. They were launched in 2003, at a time when the U.S. economy was booming, when all-time high unemployment was not a concern.

The mission was so successful, it was granted five mission extensions over 7 years, totaling less than $150 million. That's seven years of operation (and counting) for an initially planned mission of 90 days, and still at a cumulative cost of less than 1 billion dollars. Please refer here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21327647/#.Tk0cnM1WBCo

A 1 billion dollar trice tag, spread out over 7 years and sponsored by a country with a population of 300 million comes at an per capita cost of less than 50 cents per year. Would I pay 50 cents a year for a Mars Rover project? Hell, I would gladly spend one hundred times that amount, and I am dirt fucking poor. But the initial costs have already been amortized out. A one-year extension to the project that keeps on giving comes at a cost of only $25 million -- a measly 8 cents per person.

I believe you would be extremely hard pressed to find anyone who would object to today's 8-cents-per-year Mars program, should you choose to inform them of how insanely cheap it is to keep the mission going. The only affect that the Mars Rovers program has on the record high unemployment is to allow a few dozen JPL space scientists to keep their jobs.

There are far, far better government programs to point your finger of angst at than the Mars Exploration Rover program.

Agreed!

 

[R. Richard]

The Mars rover is an incredible piece of hardware. It had a design goal of a few months of operation and it has lasted years.

However, the real gain is the egineering that went into the rover. The advanced concepts that were built and tested will show up in many, many things that we use each day.

Way back when, engineeers built a telegraph system, The system was useful, but very limited. So, other engineers built radio systems that were more useful and less limited. Now we have satellite communication systems that are still more useful and less limited. Do we spend more resources on further advancement, or do we spend the same resources on breeding more looters?

I know what my choice is.

 

[TE999]

A truly amazing feat of engineering, especially when you consider the delay time for commands from Earth to reach the rover and the fact it is traveling in unknown territory with limited perceptive abilities.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Someone needs to go back and do an in-depth review of how the Rovers were designed and built with the goal of finding out whatinhell went right! Was it the K.I.S.S. principle at work? Who was the overall design boss? Can this knowledge be applied to (fill in your own blank here)?

 

[3113]

The Latest!

From here:

A new site being explored by the Mars rover Opportunity has yielded soil samples unlike any examined before on the red planet and that appear more favourable for life.

Go, rover, go!

 

[mynameisben]

From here:

Go, rover, go!

Far out, man.