Mars rovers roll on to five years

[Nono]

BBC NEWS | Technology | Mars rovers roll on to five years

The US space agency's (Nasa) Mars rovers are celebrating a remarkable five years on the Red Planet.

The first robot, named Spirit, landed on 3 January, 2004, followed by its twin, Opportunity, 21 days later.

It was hoped the robots would work for at least three months; but their longevity in the freezing Martian conditions has surprised everyone. (...)

[Jack]

It's those Energizer batteries.

Seriously, I like that they managed to underestimate their engineering abilities.

[Scribbler1]

And they say Americans can't make anything good. Fah!


Unless it was made with mostly foreign parts, like the ISS.

[Gods_Mercenary]

ISS was supposed to be made with foreign parts

[Scribbler1]

ISS was supposed to be made with foreign parts

I know that. That's why it was named the INTERNATIONAL Space Station.

My point was that I'm not sure if the Rover was made with all American parts. I used to think my Ford Ranger was all American until I fount out is was half Japanese, and I used to think my RCA (Radio Corporation of America) VCR was American made too, until I found out NO VCRs were made here.

And I was being less-than-serious about the whole post, anyway. So you just stick that tongue back in that smiley's mouth.

[Gods_Mercenary]

No, I got your point, the smiley denotes sarcasm.

I'd think these sort of components are so specialized that it'd be useless to get them made somewhere else, since politicians like having NASA stuff made in their constituencies. I was taught by an ex-NASA engineer, and I have nothing but respect for the agency.

[Scribbler1]

I am a HUGE far of NASA and our space program and I've done a number of articles on them. But specs are specs and if they can be made here they can be made elsewhere.
And if Dan Goldin's influence is still alive at NASA, if something can be made cheaper elsewhere they will likely have farmed out some of those components.

Either way though, that rover is still an incredible machine.