Four years of Mars exploration

Nobody has noticed, just a small notice hidden at the deep of the
scientific sections of the news when there is one.

In a society obsessed with the short term, the exploration of
Mars has disappeared from view like one of those science fiction
stories that disappear into the oblivion.


But those machine go on. Billions of miles from earth, they have
resisted the incredible harsh conditions, the enormous and daily
temperature differences between day and night, they resisted a huge
storm that nearly killed them.


And they go on. Opportunity is still within the huge Victoria crater,
exploring the geological past of the planet. Spirit is wounded,
a leg that doesn't work anymore. Opportunity's teeth are worn, she can't
grind rocks as she did 4 years ago.


But both are OK. And sending each day the photographs of their
surroundings. This belies all those naysayers that said that
robots "just couldn't do it". Of course they are supported by
an incredible team of dedicated explorers driving from earth.

They have demonstrated that machines can be driving in Mars
from earth, in spite of the HUGE light delay. It just
needs planning.

All this incredible trip in a budget that belies all the
stories about expensive Mars exploration and opens the way
of exploring into new perspectives.

Four years of Mars exploration!

Cheers!

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


--
jacob navia
jacob at jacob point remcomp point fr
logiciels/informatique
http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32