NASA Keeps Mars Rovers Spirit and Opportunity Rolling
Spirit and Opportunity Get Two More Years
This marks the fifth extension to the rovers' missions. Both rovers had original mission lengths of ninety days, when they each landed on Mars' surface in January 2004. However, as both Spirit and Opportunity continue to operate and send images back, there is no reason to end the program that is adding new insight into the Earth's second nearest planetary neighbor.
NASA's associate administrator for Science Mission Directorate, Alan Stern, said in a statement today, "We are extremely happy to be able to further the exploration of Mars. The rovers are amazing machines, and they continue to produce amazing scientific results operating far beyond their design life."
The rover project manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, John Callas, echoed Stern, "After more than three-and-a-half years, Spirit and Opportunity are showing some signs of aging, but they are in good health and capable of conducting great science."
Currently, the rovers are operating on opposite sides of Mars near the Martian Equator. Spirit is on a volcanic plateau, and Opportunity has climbed into the Victoria Crater, which spans nearly a half of a mile in diameter. Both rovers have uncovered geological evidence that water did indeed exist on Mars at some point.
In June 2007, NASA reported that the rovers are starting to show signs of aging. The rovers are becoming less tolerant of the great fluctuations in temperature that are a daily occurrence on the planet. Temperatures change seasonally as well, which has also been an issue for the two rovers. Yet, the data Spirit and Opportunity send back to Earth regarding temperature changes is immensely useful to scientists studying the Red Planet. And as the rovers are still in operation, it speaks volumes about the engineering and design of the rovers in that they compensate for sensors and tools that no longer work.
So far, Opportunity has traveled over seven miles and has sent more than 90,000 images back to Earth. Spirit has gone four and a half miles, but has transmitted more than 100,000 images. The rovers did take a six-week break this summer during dust storms that obscured the rovers' views and caused problems for electrical equipment.
Source: NASA
Published by alex cruden
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- Spirit and Opportunity are continuing their mission to explore Mars.
- Check out NASA's website for images sent back to Earth by the rovers.