Whatever happened to the Mars rovers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Loren Booda
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Mars
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the current status and activities of the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Participants share updates on their operational conditions, missions, and recent findings, reflecting on both the scientific significance and public interest in the rovers.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express curiosity about the fate of the Mars rovers, with one humorously questioning if they "fell off the edge of the world."
  • One participant provides an update from NASA's Mars Rover website, noting that both rovers are healthy and active, having completed their primary missions and now operating on extended missions.
  • Another participant comments on the decline of media excitement surrounding the rovers, while confirming their operational status.
  • A participant shares a link to an interesting photo related to the rovers, referring to it as a "pot of gold" as described by NASA.
  • Details about the current activities of the rovers are shared, including Spirit's exploration of the Gusev Crater and Opportunity's examination of the Endurance crater, with mention of potential challenges for Opportunity in exiting the crater.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that both rovers are still operational and active on Mars, but there is no consensus on the implications of their current missions or the public interest in their findings.

Contextual Notes

Some statements depend on the latest updates from NASA, and there may be limitations in the details provided about the rovers' conditions and missions.

Loren Booda
Messages
3,115
Reaction score
4
Did they fall off the edge of the world? :surprise:
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
NASA's Mars Rover website updated daily:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov

Summary: Both rovers are healthy and active on Mars. They have both completed their primary missions and are now running on extended mission time that could last to September (I think). Opportunity is credited with discovering direct evidence of surface water on Mars in the past.
 
The media excitement has certainly died down, but both rovers are still operational, as TALewis said.
 
rover's current status...

Spirit - Exploring the Gusev Crater region (likely dry lake bed). Having minor trouble with one of its 6 wheels.

Opportunity - Just entered a 490-ft wide & 66-ft deep crater called Endurance to examine stratified rock layers (clues about the geologic history of Mars). It's unclear if it can get out of the crater again, but that's just "being stuck in the candy store" according to mission scientists.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad What part of Mars Rover or Mars satellite has this cone object fallen from?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K
Rock on Mars possibly indicating Life
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
6K
Undergrad Potential biosignature found in Mars rock
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K
High School Mars Terraforming: NASA & Beyond - Plans & Prospects
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
Undergrad Did NASA's Curiosity Rover Discover Ancient Organic Matter on Mars?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Undergrad Update on liquid water on Mars - maybe it is sand?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
4K
Stargazing Join the occult (Dec. 7th/8th, Moon will occult Mars.)
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Stargazing Satellite grids around other planets
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad What's the scale on Mars rover "Microscopic Imager" images ?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
Excellent Mars Perseverance video
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K