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Mars Rovers Get Extra 18 Months

Posted by timothy on from the unhappy-parole-board dept.

iamlucky13 writes "NASA has stated in the latest mission press release that funding for an additional 18 months of exploration has been approved. The rovers have breezed through 14 months of operation so far, and the money will cover expenses through September of 2006. The rovers are still operating well, and recently both experienced dramatic power boosts from their solar cells. They are no longer like new, however. Opportunity has recently experienced data loss from one of its spectrometers, while Spirit has a smudged camera lens, a heavily used rock abrasion tool, and has previously struggled with intermittent steering issues."

5 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. Well.. by Flounder · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At least SOMETHING is getting enough funding in NASA.

    --

    No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

  2. Most successful ever? by Pants75 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    In terms of science per dollar these two babies have got to be the most effective probes ever sent to another planetary body. Surely

    Shame that our British version was ever so slightly less successful. *Sobs*

  3. Re:Well, it's difficult to answer that by jeffy210 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Frankly, Voyager is useless now, and money used to fund that project could be going to more worthwhile projects like the JPL rovers. The Voyager project was never meant to measure data outside of the solar system, but rather to gather data on the gas giants and outer planets. They accomplished that a long time ago.

    Yes, but tell me, when is the next time we'll have a probe that far out in say, oh, the next 20-30 years?? While we're out there and it's sending data we might as well gather it. All data is new data that can be used. And as for "the original mission", don't forget the rovers were only supposed to be for about 90 days and look how much they've done.

    --
    ------
    "And may your days be long upon the earth."
  4. Re:Good value... by LordPixie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Incremental costs of running them must be a bargain. Great to see how well these things were made.

    One can basically say the same about the Voyager probes. But that doesn't seem to have saved them from being eyed for downsizing.


    --LordPixie

  5. Re:Really nice new by Eminence · · Score: 5, Insightful
    • I like idea of human presence on Moon and Mars, but not for price of cutting other succesful projects like Voyager.

    I don't like the idea of scraping Voyager too, but if we really get to the Mars the amount of technology developed and overall advancement of space exploration would make another long distance probes more likely than not.

    In other words, if we go to the Mars we may some day go beyond our system but if we don't then surely not.