BAD NEWS MARS ROVER

[Chipstone306]

BAD NEWS MARS ROVER ?

NASA cut means no roving for Mars rover

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080324/rover_nasa_080324/20080324?hub=SciTech

 

[MJR]

Everyone saw that coming unfortunately.

 

[tblaxland]

It is not as bad as they make out. The rovers are in hibernation for winter anyway, same as they have been in previous years:
http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2008/03/give_us_what_we.html

 

[Urwumpe]

also, please remember that the age of the rovers is much bigger as its design goal - i think the goal was once 4 months.

 

[Bj]

Both rovers were originally planned for three-month missions at a cost of US$820 million, but are now in their fourth year of exploration. It costs NASA about US$20 million annually to keep the rovers running.

why does it cost so much to keep them going? its up there... does it cost that much for the team to be working on it?

 

[thomasantony]

Maybe its the payroll itself that forms a big amount, like in the case of the shuttle.

 

[n0mad23]

Maybe its the payroll itself that forms a big amount, like in the case of the shuttle.

I'm sure this is the correct answer. Just think of how many people are involved with this project, if not daily, as part of weekly duties.

Still, that either is still running is cause for celebration. They were supposed to have 'died' already years ago.

 

[thomasantony]

Just saw this:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j1ExT948JtSH7ZaYSH6OG-hP1hUQD8VKICKG0

NASA: Mars Rovers Won't Be Cut

1 hour ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NASA says it has absolutely no plan to turn off either of the Mars Rovers because of budget cuts.
NASA is saying Tuesday that it has rescinded a letter that recommended budget cuts in the Mars Rover program to cover the cost of a next-generation rover on the Red Planet.
The move comes a day after scientists at the agency's robotics center said they would need to hibernate one of the twin Mars robots and limit the duties of the other because their budget was being cut by $4 million.
That announcement was based on a letter NASA sent to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena last week.
But NASA is saying in a statement Tuesday that neither of the rovers will be shut down.




Now what does that mean? Will the experiments still go on/

 

[tony]

Someone give me the joystick, I'll only charge $2 million

I'm glad they've changed their minds. That would be a waste to abandon a perfectly good rover. It might be time to take on some riskier adventures.

 

[Cosmos]

It really amazes me that they've been up there that long! How is it that they can survive the dust storms, freezing temps and dust collection. I bet if the tested them that long on Earth they would have already died. I think that when we finally get people on mars that they will honor the Rovers!

 

[startrekmaniac]

I was just on the rovers web site. It said that it hill be put to sleep for the winter.

 

[tblaxland]

That is standard procedure for the rovers. The sun angle is too low in winter for rovers to get enough power other than for keeping their electronics warm.

 

[mikey451]

Some of this is posturing (imho). See www.nasawatch.com for elaboration...