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Michael Meyer, about Phoenix and MSL
Cugel
post Sep 25 2006, 10:01 AM
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http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Managing_...ssions_999.html

Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program, spoke at the recent Viking anniversary celebration. One remarkable quote:

"Considering how long the Spirit and Opportunity rovers have lasted beyond their design lifetimes, it almost boggles the mind to think how long MSL could last. It may be there to greet the astronauts when they arrive on Mars."

That's what I call optimism.
I always thought that the lifespan of an RTG was pretty predictable and that in case of MSL it lasted for about 2 earth years. Maybe he's talking about the solar array powered version?
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djellison
post Dec 24 2006, 10:52 AM
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I thought they did....MSL certainly will, and I know others have, I assumed they all had - my bad.

DOug
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Bob Shaw
post Dec 24 2006, 11:06 PM
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Strangely, Sojourner's battery was a primary - ie non-rechargeable - battery - the solar panel didn't recharge it; and many allegedly 'non-nuclear' spacecraft have employed 'heaters' which use radioactive decay to heat the vehicle. Funny old world, eh?

Bob Shaw


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Posts in this topic
- Cugel   Michael Meyer, about Phoenix and MSL   Sep 25 2006, 10:01 AM
- - djellison   Or the sort of failures we're seing on MER - a...   Sep 25 2006, 10:02 AM
- - climber   Do we know for sure whether MSL will be solar or R...   Sep 25 2006, 11:07 AM
- - Cugel   Apparently not. According to Meyer the project is ...   Sep 25 2006, 02:12 PM
- - Jim from NSF.com   MSL has its PDR in June. MSL DEIS briefings are t...   Sep 25 2006, 04:47 PM
|- - climber   QUOTE (Jim from NSF.com @ Sep 25 2006, 06...   Sep 25 2006, 05:38 PM
|- - AlexBlackwell   QUOTE (climber @ Sep 25 2006, 07:38 AM) T...   Sep 25 2006, 05:43 PM
- - Analyst   QUOTE (Cugel @ Sep 25 2006, 10:01 AM) I a...   Sep 25 2006, 06:55 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (Analyst @ Sep 25 2006, 07:55 PM) ....   Sep 25 2006, 08:25 PM
|- - Stephen   QUOTE (helvick @ Sep 25 2006, 08:25 PM) T...   Sep 26 2006, 01:31 AM
|- - Jeff7   QUOTE (helvick @ Sep 25 2006, 04:25 PM) T...   Sep 26 2006, 11:39 AM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (Jeff7 @ Sep 26 2006, 12:39 PM) The...   Sep 26 2006, 04:23 PM
- - lyford   Maybe they are planning to use the ChemCam to zap ...   Sep 26 2006, 04:06 AM
- - edstrick   I do not know the possible engineering constraints...   Sep 26 2006, 09:40 AM
- - Spacecadet   MSL is an RTG powered rover. Keep in mind there a...   Dec 23 2006, 07:30 AM
- - djellison   MSL will still have a battery, as all other RTG po...   Dec 23 2006, 09:43 AM
|- - Jim from NSF.com   QUOTE (djellison @ Dec 23 2006, 04:43 AM)...   Dec 23 2006, 01:51 PM
|- - punkboi   QUOTE (djellison @ Dec 23 2006, 02:43 AM)...   Jun 23 2007, 07:15 PM
- - Analyst   QUOTE (djellison @ Dec 23 2006, 10:43 AM)...   Dec 23 2006, 02:54 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (Analyst @ Dec 23 2006, 02:54 PM) I...   Dec 23 2006, 05:10 PM
|- - tedstryk   QUOTE (Analyst @ Dec 23 2006, 02:54 PM) V...   Dec 23 2006, 05:23 PM
- - Analyst   QUOTE (helvick @ Dec 23 2006, 06:10 PM) T...   Dec 24 2006, 09:32 AM
- - djellison   I thought they did....MSL certainly will, and I kn...   Dec 24 2006, 10:52 AM
|- - Bob Shaw   Strangely, Sojourner's battery was a primary -...   Dec 24 2006, 11:06 PM
- - DFinfrock   Off topic... But when we get around to sending a ...   Dec 27 2006, 12:57 AM
|- - Bob Shaw   QUOTE (DFinfrock @ Dec 27 2006, 12:57 AM)...   Dec 27 2006, 08:52 AM
- - Geographer   Of all the things to protest in the world, tiny nu...   Jun 21 2007, 10:00 AM
|- - Jim from NSF.com   QUOTE (Geographer @ Jun 21 2007, 06:00 AM...   Jun 22 2007, 11:31 AM
- - edstrick   There's also the one minor detail.. Nukes are ...   Jun 23 2007, 04:47 AM
- - mchan   QUOTE (Jim from NSF.com @ Jun 22 2007, 04...   Jun 23 2007, 08:16 AM
|- - lyford   QUOTE (mchan @ Jun 23 2007, 01:16 AM) One...   Jun 23 2007, 04:51 PM
- - nprev   Well, the good thing, as Ed observed, is that UMSF...   Jun 23 2007, 08:12 PM
|- - David   QUOTE (nprev @ Jun 23 2007, 08:12 PM) The...   Jun 24 2007, 12:47 AM
|- - dvandorn   QUOTE (nprev @ Jun 23 2007, 03:12 PM) Wel...   Jun 24 2007, 08:16 PM
- - mchan   Something I had always wondered about regarding us...   Jun 25 2007, 05:35 AM

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