Integral
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Gold Member
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You wonder why they did not plant some complex mechanism in stead of a simple mirror. If you want to know why they took the rover instead of an 18 wheeler...Think about it... As I said every OUNCE was planned, they took what they could. Back then they did not have the remote sensing capability so a robotic mission was not possible. Now we can leave behind the humans and accomplish MORE for less money. Simply because the spacecraft need only be structural enough to survive the trip though the atmosphere, the ENTIRE payload can be devoted to science.