Mars Rovers mission extended two years...

[SaveElmer]

Pretty incredible for a mission that was supposed to last 90 days!!!

Mars' aging twin rovers will explore the red planet for at least two more years under an extension approved by NASA.

It is the fifth time the space agency has continued the activities of the solar-powered, six-wheel robots, which landed on opposite ends of the planet in 2004.

The extension means Spirit and Opportunity will conduct science experiments through 2009 provided they stay healthy. The rovers weathered a giant dust storm earlier this year that at one point drastically reduced their power and scaled back their operations.

Spirit is currently exploring a plateau called Home Plate for evidence of volcanism. Last month, Opportunity reached its first stop inside a huge Martian crater and began studying the rock layers. Spirit has driven 4.5 miles while Opportunity has clocked 7.2 miles to date.

The price tag of the original mission, managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was $820 million. NASA previously granted four extensions totaling about $106 million. The latest extension will cost at least $20 million.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/10/16/mars.rovers.ap/index.html

[Sneaky Sailor]

1. Amazing

We need to get onto the return to the moon and get over this stupid Mars thing.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. cheap at the price.

damn, that was some great engineering that went into every aspect, from launch, to land, to operations.

[NekoChris]

3. I agree and disagree

We do need to get back to the moon, and then use it as a launch pad to Mars.

[Sneaky Sailor]

4. That was kind of where I was going

But there are a hell of alot of possibilities.
I recall a book by Arthur C Clark called "Sunstorm"
He talks about the "space elevator" and how the industry and production could all be moved to space and the moon and the Earth could get back to doing what it always did best, serving as the home to the most complex ecosystem ever known.

[LunaSea]

5. Once we can live on the Moon

we can live anywhere in the system.

http://www.space-frontier.org/

[annabanana]

6. The little rovers that could. .

I really like those little guys.