NASA Launching Two Mars Rovers in June

shaniber writes "NASA is planning the launch of the Mars Exploration Rovers this month. The rovers are scheduled for two two separate launches, between June 5th and July 15th. These rovers will both work as robotic geologists, including a human-eye height panoramic camera and a miniature thermal emmision spectrometer amongst their scientific equipment. NASA plans on webcasting the launches, as well. A press kit, with many more details, is also available as a pdf."

Comments

Anti-europeanism

[mark2003]

Comment with a story about the European space programme.

A lot of money is going into rocket technology also; with this and the 'European version' of GPS are we heading towards a future conflict across the Atlantic?

Why the diferent spin for European vs. American space programs on Slashdot? Why does this project not lead to conflict?

I never had you guys down as nationalist but I have been disapointed by many of the recent comments on /.

Re:Or Helping Other People

[nurightshu]

Probably because throwing money and/or food at a Third World country doesn't help raise the standard of living (except for the standard of living of the fatuous oligarchies in power in most of them). I submit Somalia as an example of how the entire world can get behind a relief effort, only to watch it fail miserably because they're trying to cure a symptom and not the disease.

Ever look at the banana republics with their {brutally oppressive right-wing juntas|criminally inept left-wing politburos} and thought, Hey, maybe the crap living conditions in Absurdistan are a function of having a fscked-up governmental system, and not the other way around? You can't really do much for a country in the throes of terminal governance. There's a hell of a lot to be said for a free press, too -- I believe it was anthropologist Amarta Sen who noted that there hasn't been a famine in any country with a truly free press.

You really want to help the hell-holes of the world? Go down to one and start teaching the people about the importance of property rights, rule of law, freedom of expression, and circumscription of government behavior. The payoff from that would be worth a whole air wing of B-2s.

Of course, it's entirely possible that you think that my proposal is just another Terrible American(TM) trying to force his eeeevil Western values and culture onto the people of Southern Trashcanamunda.