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They were originally designed to last three months. But it's been almost three years now, and the robots NASA sent to explore Mars are still working, sending reams of photos and scientific information back to scientists on Earth. Or sure, they're not quite as spry as they used to be, but then who is these days? The robot named Spirit has one game leg. Its right front wheel won't turn any more. Fortunately it has five other wheels that still work properly, so now it travels backwards, dragging its bad leg behind it. The robot named Opportunity seems to have developed arthritis in one of its arms, which has slowed it down a little, but it still keeps bravely plugging along. Below is a scientifically accurate artist's rendering of one of the two identical robots on the surface of Mars.
It all began almost twenty years ago, in 1987, when planning for the robotic mission to Mars began. The project involved 170 scientists from around the world, and in the summer of 2003, the robots left Earth forever, to begin their seven month journey through space to their new home on the red planet. In order to reach Mars at just the right time and place, they travelled over 320 million miles, as shown in the NASA graphic below.
The two robots landed safely on opposite sides of the planet, and immediately started teaching us new things about Mars. In what has been described as the most important scientific discovery this decade is the evidence that at some point in its history, there was liquid water on the surface of Mars. And where there is water, there is the possibility of LIFE. So far, there's been no direct evidence of life on Mars, but only a minute portion of the planet has been closely examined, and the search goes on. And as they search, the robots are taking extraordinary photos, like the one below of the small Erebus crater.
Right now Mars is at conjunction, meaning it is on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth (as shown in the NASA graphic below), and communication with the robots is temporarily suspended. They have been parked in safe spots, with their solar panels facing the Sun, and waiting until the end of conjunction on November 10.
Once communication is re-established, the robots will begin moving again. Originally designed to travel only 2,000 feet, they have exceeded all expectations. To date, Spirit has travelled 4.3 miles (6.9 kms), and Opportunity has travelled 5.9 miles (9.4 kms). The importance of their mission cannot be over emphasized, because some day humans will outgrow their home planet, and have to move elsewhere, and until we figure out some way to travel faster than the speed of light (good luck with that!), Mars is our only option. So take a good look at the Martian sunset below, captured by the robot Spirit, and think about future generations of humans watching that same sunset, from their new home on the planet Mars.
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