In the history of human achievements, Spirit and Opportunity will take a honorable place. So, some quotes from the NASA project leader's
message:
Last night, just after midnight, the last recovery command was sent to Spirit. It would be an understatement to say that this was a significant moment. Since the last communication from Spirit on March 22, 2010 (Sol 2210), as she entered her fourth Martian winter, nothing has been heard from her. There is a continued silence from the Gusev site on Mars...
Spirit was designed as a 3-month mission with a kilometer of traverse capability. The rover lasted over 6 years and drove over 7.7 kilometers [4.8 miles] and returned over 124,000 images. Importantly, it is not how long the rover lasted, but how much exploration and discovery Spirit has done...
But in addition to all the scientific discoveries Spirit has given us in her long, productive rover life, she has also given us a great intangible. Mars is no longer a strange, distant and unknown place. Mars is now our neighborhood. And we all go to work on Mars every day. Thank you, Spirit. Well done, little rover...
Indeed.
6 comments:
Pretty cool. A precursor, no doubt, of our robot overlords to come.
All good things come to an end sadly
The only difference is that the robot overlords to come will be made in China and as such will spend a lot of time in the shop being repaired.
Well, at least its comrade is still moving around.
"To boldly go where no one has gone before."
You can say it again.
Post a Comment