Rover O and S...

[centristgrandpa]

(NASA source): Since landing on opposite sides of Mars during January of 2004, Spirit and Opportunity have made important discoveries about historically wet and violent environments on ancient Mars. They also have returned a quarter-million images, driven more than 21 kilometers (13 miles), climbed a mountain, descended into craters, struggled with sand traps and aging hardware, survived dust storms, and relayed more than 36 gigabytes of data via NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Both rovers remain operational for new exploration campaigns the team has planned...Does anyone have info on the two Mar's rovers, did they survive the long cold winter? It's amazing what those two have accomplish so far and will they discover any signs of past life no matter how primitive? Is this a worth while mission considering the enormous cost to tax payers?

[Arctic Dave]

1. All you what to know about the Oand S rovers.

http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html

I myself think that these type of missions are useful although costly. Without them, most of our assumptions are just that, assumptions.

[centristgrandpa]

2. kudos

thanks for the update.

[The Sushi Bandit]

3. NASA has new rover design

and it comes with a driver too!

[centristgrandpa]

6. LOL

Too funny!

[Phoonzang]

4. An amazing achievment but an astronaut could have accomplished in a week

what it took those two rovers 5 years to do. Instead of taking days to maneuver up to and analyze a rock, a person could just pick it up. The question of primitive life on Mars could be solved rather quickly as well.

[centristgrandpa]

5. one step for mankind?

Do you think the astronauts can survived the long mission and could they physically handle going thru the electromagnetic field?

[Phoonzang]

7. They can survive the mission with enough supplies. As for the radiation out there

it's going to be a problem, but with sufficient shielding I'm sure they'll be fine. They just better have an very heavily shielded room for emergencies (like solar flares).

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Sure, and a trillion extra dollars or so.

And far more years of planning. With a high risk of catastrophe that would set the program back years if not decades.

[Phoonzang]

9. Well better get planning then. Nothing risked nothing gained...

As for the money...oh well. That's the price for progress. International cooperation would lower the cost for us...probably.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. I'd rather have a hundred robots driving over all different sections of Mars.

[centristgrandpa]

11. no human flights...

I could not agree more! I don't think anyone could survive the Van Allen belt anyway, plus the incredible machine they are creating will do the job without sacrificing human life because that's what they would be doing if they send people to Mar's

[Posteritatis]

12. Nine manned spacecraft have gone through the Van Allen belts just fine (nt)

[centristgrandpa]

13. thanks...

I thought the belt extended further, my bad...thanks for the update...