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Astroearth - by CMoreStars

Rovers Top Four Years On Mars

April 22nd 2008 12:13
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Spirit used its front hazard-identification camera to capture this wide-angle view of its robotic arm extended


Sprit and opportunity have chalked up four years on Mars. These tiny technical rovers have made an incredible journey of survival. They have outlasted their initial three months life span and are still in operation. The twin rovers landed on Mars in January 2004 and NASA plans to extended the mission to 2009. To date, Spirit has driven 7.26 kilometers and had beamed back 102,000 images. Opportunity has driven 11.57 kilometers more than 94,000 images to its credit. Although a total of 18.83 kilometers traveled in four years may not seem much, you need to remember these rovers are tiny and must traverse the Martian landscape with care even with on- board sensors much of the navigation is instigated from Earth with a delay in sending commands back to Earth from Mars taking around 20 minutes for the round trip.

Each rover carries a suite of sophisticated instruments to examine the geology of Mars for information about past environmental conditions. Opportunity has sent back to Earth evidence that parts of Mars stayed wet for an extended period of time Eons ago. Opportunity has analysed a series of exposed rock strata recording how environmental conditions changed during the times when the layers were deposited and later modified. Both rovers have found metallic meteorites on Mars. Opportunity discovered one rock with a composition similar to a meteorite that reached Earth from Mars.



Wide angle view taken last November by Sprit of Husband Hill
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3 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Thoraiya Dyer

April 23rd 2008 02:53
It's really great when technology performs better than expected. I wish people paid more attention to success stories like this - instead of swamping us with doom and gloom when things go wrong.

Comment by James Rickard

April 23rd 2008 03:31
Great post! It's so nice to hear that something went right in the space program!

Comment by CarlCan

April 23rd 2008 03:43
Hi folk’s thank you for reading the blog.Yes miracles do happen. In the words form a popular ‘70s television show “ I love it when a plan comes together”

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