The Mars rovers were designed to last 90 days. They landed in 2004, and yet we still have one that works. To keep that timeframe in perspective, Opportunity started its work on Mars before the founding of Youtube.

Would have been better if the camera were pointed in the same farking direction each time. This is a just a fast black and white slideshow.

Prickly Pete: Would have been better if the camera were pointed in the same farking direction each time. This is a just a fast black and white slideshow.

Someone pee in your cornflakes this morning?

Where's the kaboom?

I was expecting an earth-shattering kaboom!

That cartoon....so damn sad! I hate when anthromorphosized objects affect my emotions!

croesius: That cartoon....so damn sad! I hate when anthromorphosized objects affect my emotions!

^^This.

I find something profoundly compelling that speaks to the ingenuity and curiousity and limitlessness of man when I see surface pictures of other worlds. The Russian Venus stills, too. Thanks for the link, subby.

croesius: That cartoon....so damn sad! I hate when anthromorphosized objects affect my emotions!
There's an alternate dialog one on the site that is actually more accurate. (YAY SCIENCE.... etc YAY STATIONARY LABORATORY!)

croesius

That cartoon....so damn sad!

^ This

Fomby_Belcher: The only plausible explanation for the rear-facing photographs is that NASA had evidence that aliens were following the rover.


I was curious as to why we saw 2 sets of tracks when it looked back once. Did it have to backtrack for some reason? Perhaps an earlier sample location was later deemed worthy of an extra scoop?

Fomby_Belcher: The only plausible explanation for the rear-facing photographs is that NASA had evidence that aliens were following the rover.

3 years travel and not one Wal-Mart, that in itself is amazing.

Flying Lasagna Monster: The Mars rovers were designed to last 90 days. They landed in 2004, and yet we still have one that works. To keep that timeframe in perspective, Opportunity started its work on Mars before the founding of Youtube.

[marsrover.nasa.gov image 500x500]

OK, put this in perspective:

OSCAR 7 was built in a garage by amateur radio operators. It was launched into orbit 1974, and worked until a battery failure ended it's useful life in 1981. Then, in 2002, due to a change in battery chemistry that changed a short circuit in the battery to an open circuit, it came back to life. It's been semi-operational ever since then, available for use by radio amateurs while it's solar panels are illuminated.

It's been in orbit for 27 years, and is older than most farkers.

That doesn't look like the kind of place to raise your kids.

/srsly farkers?
//this long and still noone?

Well... I take it xkcd doesn't like to be hotlinked.

this: Link (new window)

DesertEagle: this: Link (new window)

Is that what you complaining that no one had posted yet? DammitIforgotMyLogin beat you by 4 hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ajsXzTFLYA

unimpressed.

Loomy: Fomby_Belcher: The only plausible explanation for the rear-facing photographs is that NASA had evidence that aliens were following the rover.


I was curious as to why we saw 2 sets of tracks when it looked back once. Did it have to backtrack for some reason? Perhaps an earlier sample location was later deemed worthy of an extra scoop?

At least two of the axis can turn independently for extra manuverability. That could account for the added tracks. Though it looks like it went one way and got stuck so went back the other way and really got stuck. Someone should go kick it a little to unstick it.

Road_King you rock! OP was the best thing I have seen in my life, and I am old.