Finally the tax payers got something more then expected. Mars Rovers

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Finally the tax payers got something more then expected. Mars Rovers

Posted: 1/1/2006 6:43:27 PM EDT

They have just spent 2 years on Mars and are still active. Each have covered over 7 miles. They were originally expected to survive only 3 months on Mars.

Now only if we could get this kind of mileage out other government programs.

Posted: 1/1/2006 6:51:10 PM EDT

[#1]

What's the MPH on 7 miles in two years?

Heh heh...that's an average of 2.1 feet per hour.

Posted: 1/1/2006 6:53:05 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
What's the MPH on 7 miles in two years?

Slower than Jesse Ownes, after he was dead.

Posted: 1/1/2006 6:56:07 PM EDT

[#3]

I was just thinking about them today... wondering if they were still ticking.

That 3 month guestimate was hogwash, IMHO. Probably came up with a super short timeframe, incase Nasa screwed something up again.

Posted: 1/1/2006 6:56:55 PM EDT

[#4]

How much was that Mars Lander that impacted into the back of the planet because of a metric-conversion error?

Posted: 1/1/2006 6:57:04 PM EDT

[#5]

I think it would be about 7.99086e-4 mph.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:01:09 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I was just thinking about them today... wondering if they were still ticking.

That 3 month guestimate was hogwash, IMHO. Probably came up with a super short timeframe, incase Nasa screwed something up again.

Yep. +1

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:05:46 PM EDT

[#7]

And then again, Pioneer 10, Voyager 1, and Voyager 2 have all passed beyond Pluto and the boundaries of our solar system, achievements that utterly dwarf their intended lifespans and missions.

Even though Pioneer 10, launched 34 (!!!) years ago, is experiencing such power shortages due to
the nuclear battery wearing out, that it can't turn its instruments on because doing that may cause
the electrical system to go dead due to the drain, it still provides useful data in its communication
stream itself. Chaos theorists are analyzing its very weak radio signals for distance-related
changes that are predicted.

(Actually, Pioneer 10 ran out of power and stopped transmitting in 2003...or a Klingon shot it.)

Voyagers 1 and 2, being faster than Pioneer 10, are even further out than Pioneer 10.

Voyager 1 is the fastest manmade object ever, currently ripping along at 39,000 MPH, or 10.833 miles per second.

CJ

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:08:11 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
How much was that Mars Lander that impacted into the back of the planet because of a metric-conversion error?

Wrong place Macallan, but I gotta say it.........I love your sigline.....what a jackass........

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:10:53 PM EDT

[#9]

That 3 month guestimate was hogwash, IMHO. Probably came up with a super short timeframe, incase Nasa screwed something up again.

Either that or they intentionally shortened the expected lifespan so that now they have a huge victory. They said something about one of them being in a tornado or freak windstorm and the dust being cleaned off the solar panels. Never made sense to me. We have the money and technology to put a rover on frickin Mars but they can't put a fan or wiper blade on there. Come on.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:11:59 PM EDT

[#10]

They'll all be the death of us someday.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:13:27 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
That 3 month guestimate was hogwash, IMHO. Probably came up with a super short timeframe, incase Nasa screwed something up again.

Either that or they intentionally shortened the expected lifespan so that now they have a huge victory. They said something about one of them being in a tornado or freak windstorm and the dust being cleaned off the solar panels. Never made sense to me. We have the money and technology to put a rover on frickin Mars but they can't put a fan or wiper blade on there. Come on.

You're kidding right?

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:14:24 PM EDT

[#12]

You're kidding right?

How so?

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:18:22 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
You're kidding right?

How so?

Solar power, especially on Mars, isn't exactly a plentiful power source. If you add another electrical load, like a wiper motor, you'll end up hitting the point of diminishing returns much faster. Sure you may be able to last a little longer, assuming the dust doesn't smear, but the depth of the experimentation wouldn't be there as you would have to sacrifice experiments for the wipers.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:21:24 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
www.starfleetlibrary.com/tos/images/TOS03702.jpg

They'll all be the death of us someday.

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of photos some of you guys have stored.......

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:24:30 PM EDT

[#15]

Solar power, especially on Mars, isn't exactly a plentiful power source. If you add another electrical load, like a wiper motor, you'll end up hitting the point of diminishing returns much faster. Sure you may be able to last a little longer, assuming the dust doesn't smear, but the depth of the experimentation wouldn't be there as you would have to sacrifice experiments for the wipers.

Oh ok, I'm not that smart on solar power. It just seemd such a trivial little thing to have such a major impact on a multi-million dollar project. Heh, i guess thats why I'm not a rocket scientist.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:25:08 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Quoted:
You're kidding right?

How so?

Solar power, especially on Mars, isn't exactly a plentiful power source. If you add another electrical load, like a wiper motor, you'll end up hitting the point of diminishing returns much faster. Sure you may be able to last a little longer, assuming the dust doesn't smear, but the depth of the experimentation wouldn't be there as you would have to sacrifice experiments for the wipers.

Every ounce given over to something besides an experiment is one more thing that will not get you anything and you are paying to get it there.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:29:36 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Solar power, especially on Mars, isn't exactly a plentiful power source. If you add another electrical load, like a wiper motor, you'll end up hitting the point of diminishing returns much faster. Sure you may be able to last a little longer, assuming the dust doesn't smear, but the depth of the experimentation wouldn't be there as you would have to sacrifice experiments for the wipers.

Oh ok, I'm not that smart on solar power. It just seemd such a trivial little thing to have such a major impact on a multi-million dollar project. Heh, i guess thats why I'm not a rocket scientist.

That's why they aimed the rovers for specific points. They made calculated guesses as to which locations would yield the most information given the probes they were building. They estimated how long it would take to get the information and they built the probe to match. Anything above and beyond those calculations is gravy. Also they don't know too much about the dust on Mars, so they had to take a SWAG at how much dust would build up and how quickly with an eye towards the worst case.

Think of the probes as the scientific equipment of a race car. It may not have many bells and whistles and creature comforts, but it is purpose built to do what it does well.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:33:24 PM EDT

[#18]

As pointed out weight is a serious factor or we would send something like a M1 over to roam the planet. But every gram counts when you going so far away and have to LAND.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:46:48 PM EDT

[#19]

That 3 month guestimate was hogwash, IMHO. Probably came up with a super short timeframe, incase Nasa screwed something up again

well, if they sent 1000 rovers (and they all survived landing), the average life would probably be 3 months.

I'm guessing the two up there now were not built on a Monday or Friday.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:48:59 PM EDT

[#20]

We need and ARFCOM colony on the moon.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:49:15 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
You're kidding right?

How so?

Solar power, especially on Mars, isn't exactly a plentiful power source. If you add another electrical load, like a wiper motor, you'll end up hitting the point of diminishing returns much faster. Sure you may be able to last a little longer, assuming the dust doesn't smear, but the depth of the experimentation wouldn't be there as you would have to sacrifice experiments for the wipers.

Every ounce given over to something besides an experiment is one more thing that will not get you anything and you are paying to get it there.

Sheesh, just put a roll of the stuff they use on race car cameras over the solar collectors. When it gets dirty, roll off the dirt and presto, clean solar panel.

Maybe...

Sounds good to me.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:53:09 PM EDT

[#22]

They are operating only because of the incredible talents of Maintenance Man Marvin Martian.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:54:25 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
They are operating only because of the incredible talents of Maintenance Man Marvin Martian.

membres.lycos.fr/starmars/marvin/snapshot(17).jpg

You make me very angry.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:59:15 PM EDT

[#24]

Here's a picture one of them sent back before it had it's problems right after it landed.

Posted: 1/1/2006 7:59:24 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Quoted:
They are operating only because of the incredible talents of Maintenance Man Marvin Martian.

membres.lycos.fr/starmars/marvin/snapshot(17).jpg

You make me very angry.

Keep talking to me like that, and I'll destroy the earth. I'm planning it now.

Posted: 1/1/2006 8:00:27 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
They have just spent 2 years on Mars and are still active. Each have covered over 7 miles. They were originally expected to survive only 3 months on Mars.

Now only if we could get this kind of mileage out of ~~other government programs~~ American automobiles.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Finally the tax payers got something more then expected. Mars Rovers

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