[QUOTE=DesolateGrun;35893539]practically on the other side of the planet, and in the 6~ years Opp has been traveling it only covered ~18 mi[/QUOTE]
Not only that, but the rover is completely dead. It stopped communicating years ago.
When these rovers hibernate for the winter, NASA keeps some of their components running in order to keep the rover warm. Otherwise it would freeze and damage the components.
Because Spirit got stuck, it was unable to get to a good spot to hibernate (usually a sunny hillside), and therefore froze to death.
On a side note, Curiosity is going to be amazing. Evidently it's equipped with video cameras, which means we'll be able to see video footage of mars as well - not just pictures.
[QUOTE=McMissile;35893697]On a side note, Curiosity is going to be amazing. Evidently it's equipped with video cameras, which means we'll be able to see video footage of mars as well - not just pictures.[/QUOTE]
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A3XGzkcDUA[/media]
I know it's only a timelapse, but it [i]feels[/i] like a video. Neat regardless.
Opportunity better have a welcoming party for Curiosity.
They should just send people to mars to recover the rovers. They were awesome.
Even the concept of us having a robot up there right now is incredible
It's just weird that we've sent something to another bit of rock
I don't know maybe that's just me, but I get this awesome feeling I can't really describe :v:
[QUOTE=jordguitar;35894208]They should just send people to mars to recover the rovers. They were awesome.[/QUOTE]
It should be a priority to preserve them for a space museum or something, same with the landing sites on the moon.
[QUOTE=latin_geek;35894239]It should be a priority to preserve them for a space museum or something, same with the landing sites on the moon.[/QUOTE]
I wish we could get past all this military spending and politics bullshit and just make a fucking moonbase/manned mission to Mars.
[QUOTE=RagerTrader;35894327]I wish we could get past all this military spending and politics bullshit and just make a fucking moonbase/manned mission to Mars.[/QUOTE]
Agree x100000
I would love to see that happen.
The spending in the USA is so warped. We need to stop spending on useless shit and start re-allocating our budget towards space programs like NASA.
And I understand that the counter argument is that NASA is unnecessary and that the space program should be left to the private sector.
And even though I'll all for cutting spending and reducing the size of the government, trying to do that to the space program is unrealistic.
No private business is going to want to get involved in an industry as expensive and risky as the space industry until it can be done reliably and safely.
Therefore, anyone that thinks that privatizing the space program is going to breed any substantial ground breaking results has not thought it through.
Some might say that SpaceX is an example of a private space program that is working... But look at where their funding is coming from. Literally HALF of their total funding has come [I]directly from NASA.
Okay I'm done ranting.[/I]
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