Slashdot Mirror
Mars Rovers Alive Until 2005?
maggeth writes "The BBC is reporting that negotiations are under way to extending funding for the Mars rovers beyond this September. Originally designed to work for 90 Martian days, they now predict they may last well beyond the 250 Martian days they had announced previously." hoferbr writes "A new analysis by Phil Berardelli at the United Press International quotes Steve Squyres, chief scientist for the Mars rover mission, in which he says that the Mars rovers '... could go into 2005'. Spirit and Opportunity will complete six months on the Martian surface on July."
I read that last line as " Spirit and Opportunity will compete six months on the Martian surface on July."
I hope they do. Might as well go out with a bang after such success. Might be a way to get funding too.
Go here for teh [sic] funny.
Just one extra mechanical arm with a small wisk broom to brush dust off the solar panels, and those rovers might last for a decade.
Starbucks have just opened on Mars and the helpful staff have offered to clean the rover's solar panels once a day and stick in a couple of extra AA batteries.
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
In other news, NASA plans on visiting all 3,158 Starbucks locations on Mars.
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
Kodos to the designers !
Kang to everyone else !
LaForge: "Yeah, well I told the captain I'd have this analysis done in an hour."
Scott: "How long would it really take?"
LaForge: "An hour!"
Scott: "Oh, you didn't tell him how long it would *really* take, did you?"
LaForge: "Well of course I did."
Scott: "Oh, laddie, you've got a lot to learn if you want people to think of you as a miracle worker!"
-- "Relics", Stardate 46125.3
Johnny Five is Alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tyler: You don't know where ive been, Lou. YOU DONT KNOW WHERE IVE BEEN!!
...the second they release Mars Rover: Longhorn.
I destroy stickers trying to peel them off. Imaging a robotic arm doing the same. It would be more retarded-looking than those Skill Crane games at the bowling alley trying to pick stuff up.
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
His website offers insight into why he does this ('to be different') and has pictures of the 4000+ craters he's visited.
"Is this just useless, or is it expensive as well?"
If only...
"Not to be too trollish, but if you are building a bridge to hold 10 tons and it ends up holding 100 tons, you are wasting resources."
As if your mama reads those signs before she crosses.
"Derp de derp."
I for one welcome our new Rigelian IV overlords.
Kodos for President.
Gives him more time to turn pictures of rocks into alien temples and vehicles. Im sure he will claim it was his dillegence that got NASA to extend the program....right after he slams NASA for covering up the image of a dinosaur on Mars.
Although the NASA coverup about Saturn has his attention now.
So the OP was correct, for X == 0.82.
All NASA needs to do is find some evidence of materials that could be used in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction and we'll have Rovers all over the red planet.
Of course the new Rovers will be contracted out to the biggest campaign contributors and NASA will quickly be integrated into the Department of Homeland Security and tasked with finding fossil fuels throughout our solar system...
ANWR, hell! We got Jupiter!
I ferment meat and I'll have the food groups wired...
One out of two planets relies on solar electric power for 100% of its transportation needs. The other is pumping out so much CO2 that its temperature is rising. It seems like they need more CO2 on Mars and we need more solar electricity here. Ah, humans, doing things backwards.
welcome our new martian enhanced overlords
The Mars Extended Service Plan:
3 (Earth) years or 36,000,000 miles...
Both rovers are on opposite sides of the planet, aren't they? So why not sending them on a trek on opposite directions, so that they might meet someday at about 45/-45 degrees of their actual longitude, and have them play destruction derby????????!!!!!!!