Mars Rover Spirit Has Brush With Death Thanks To NASA

Writing by Evan Ackerman on Wednesday, 26 of March , 2008 at 12:00 am

It’s kinda funny how the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have spent about four years all alone on a hostile planet a hundred-odd million miles from Earth, and the most dangerous thing to happen to them is a NASA budget cut. Earlier this week CNN reported that NASA was planning to cut $4 million from the $20 million Mars Exploration Rover budget, which would force Spirit to be abandoned and Opportunity to only be able to work every other day. A further $8 million was slated to be cut from the 2009 budget. Fortunately, NASA has new rescinded the directive, which has saved the rovers (for now) but will almost certainly mean cuts from elsewhere in the Mars program. Originally designed to operate for 90 days, the Mars rovers are in surprisingly good shape after about 1500 (!) days, with only a few minor problems that don’t materially effect their science return. There’s no reason to think that they’ll stop being useful anytime soon. But there’s a lot more to these little robots that just science… Just by virtue of being where they are, and doing what they do, they’re inspiring kids and adults all over the world.

Let’s be honest here: how often has the government accomplished something that really, truly inspires people? It’s a fairly rare occurrence, but it’s one of those things that the space program just does. The Apollo program did it. Hubble did it. And now the Mars Rovers are doing it. When you think about what it takes to keep the little robots active (some $20 million or so a year), it’s hard not to consider all of the other things that the government is spending $20 million on. I won’t belabor the obvious, but how many of those things can claim such a purity of mind and spirit as exploring other worlds? Star Trek may have made it a clich├⌐, but historically, it’s the truth: we are explorers. That’s what gives us a thrill. Going to new places, experiencing new things… That’s what it’s all about, and it’s what the space program embodies. Let’s just hope that NASA, and the administration that oversees NASA, doesn’t forget that.

After the jump, I’ve put together some of my favorite pictures from the Mars rovers, including self portraits, sunsets, movies of dust devils, and even a snapshot of home.

VIA [ CNN ]

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Category: Research

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Comment by Matt

Made Wednesday, 26 of March , 2008 at 12:57 am

You are so absolutely right. It makes me mad to think about all the billions upon billions of dollars getting wasted on things like pointless war, and these little guys are at risk of going dark over 20 million… it’s just really sick. I’m not a huge space nerd, but I truly appreciate what these little bots have done.

Exactly as you say, when is the last time ANYTHING the government does go so amazingly well and beyond expectation. Le sigh.