A thought on MER longevity |
A thought on MER longevity |
Apr 27 2006, 10:06 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 8-February 04 From: Arabia Terra Member No.: 12 |
It's not completely impossible that one or both MERs could be in a semi-functional state by the time MSL lands in 2010.
If this happens, 3rd Jan 2004 might just go down in history as the last date on which humanity didn't have a working asset on the surface of Mars... |
|
|
Apr 27 2006, 10:49 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 178 Joined: 13-September 05 Member No.: 498 |
Interesting thought... and worrying comparison with the Moon, where we haven't had any active hardware on the surface for ages and orbiters come and go.
What is the corresponding date for Mars orbiters? Did MGS start the current continuous coverage, or did she overlap with an earlier working bird? |
|
|
Apr 27 2006, 11:01 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Admin Posts: 4404 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
Interesting thought... and worrying comparison with the Moon, where we haven't had any active hardware on the surface for ages and orbiters come and go. What is the corresponding date for Mars orbiters? Did MGS start the current continuous coverage, or did she overlap with an earlier working bird? Yes, it seems like a distant nightmare, but after the Viking 1 Orbiter mission ended on August 17, 1980, there was a gap until MGS arrived on September 11, 1997, with the exception of January 30 - March 27 1989, when Phobos 2 was operating in Mars orbit. As for landers, after the November 1982 loss of the Viking 1 lander due to a command error, there was the gap until July 2004. So between the early 80s and mid-to-late 1990s, there was a real drought, and I see no reason it couldn't happen again. -------------------- |
|
|
Apr 27 2006, 11:15 PM
Post
#4
|
|
IMG to PNG GOD Group: Moderator Posts: 2250 Joined: 19-February 04 From: Near fire and ice Member No.: 38 |
I'm convined that sooner or later there will again be no functional spacecraft at Mars for some time, i.e. neither an orbiter nor a lander. Possibly within 15 years.
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 24th April 2024 - 06:56 AM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |