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  #631 (permalink)  
Old 25-March-2008, 05:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Sticks View Post
Come on if they shut them both down today, you have had more than what was originally planned for them, so be grateful for that. Governments have more than one spending priority and sometimes they have to make hard choices, which is what we elect them to do.
True. Still very, very sad news
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Old 25-March-2008, 05:28 PM
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And, in case you did not know, Ulysses solar probe is being shut down on March 30.

Although AFAIK that has to do more with Ulysses' plutonium power supply running low than with budgets.
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  #633 (permalink)  
Old 25-March-2008, 05:56 PM
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False alarm...

NASA: Mars Rovers Won't Be Cut

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NASA says it has absolutely no plan to turn off either of the Mars Rovers because of budget cuts.
NASA is saying Tuesday that it has rescinded a letter that recommended budget cuts in the Mars Rover program to cover the cost of a next-generation rover on the Red Planet.

The move comes a day after scientists at the agency's robotics center said they would need to hibernate one of the twin Mars robots and limit the duties of the other because their budget was being cut by $4 million.

That announcement was based on a letter NASA sent to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena last week.

But NASA is saying in a statement Tuesday that neither of the rovers will be shut down.
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  #634 (permalink)  
Old 25-March-2008, 09:36 PM
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Well, that's a bit of good news, Toseek. Truthfully, until the things fall a part, I find it very hard to believe that they would not be able to find the money to keep these things running. It really is pocket change for the gov. Of course if they wanted to lose some of their pocket change in my couch I wouldn't mind.
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Old 25-March-2008, 10:15 PM
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  #636 (permalink)  
Old 26-March-2008, 01:49 AM
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My first instinct in seeing the news of the rover budget cut was to check the calendar. But April 1st is still a week away. . .
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Old 26-March-2008, 03:16 PM
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the sky was falling!
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Old 01-April-2008, 02:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Ilya View Post
And, in case you did not know, Ulysses solar probe is being shut down on March 30.

Although AFAIK that has to do more with Ulysses' plutonium power supply running low than with budgets.
You are correct. The output from the RTGs is now too low to power the heaters that keep the spacecraft's electronics working.
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Old 01-April-2008, 11:07 PM
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There is the usual high-quality detail in the Planetary Society Mars Exploration Rovers Update: Spirit Takes in Home Surroundings, Opportunity Roves to Cape Verde

Cool news is that Opportunity, in Victoria Crater, has taken off for the base of Cape Verde (Planetary Photojournal):



Quote:
"This is going to be one of the most interesting and challenging and exciting things we've ever done with these rovers," said Squyres. "We're going to get as close as we can."
Good coverage is likely to be had over at UnmannedSpaceflight, in topic To the Cape!.

Given recent events, the update includes much about the budget for operating the rovers.

Edit: (I should add: the Martian Chronicles Blog, by a few on the front lines remotely at Cornell, will also likely provide good coverage of the assault on Verde.)
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Old 02-April-2008, 04:47 PM
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interesting they would call anything on Mars "Verde"
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Old 02-April-2008, 04:57 PM
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interesting they would call anything on Mars "Verde"
All the promontories in Victoria crater are named after capes on Earth.
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Old 02-April-2008, 05:02 PM
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and one day when Children are born on Mars they're going to think Verde is some kind of ancestral heritage and not a color.
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  #643 (permalink)  
Old 02-April-2008, 07:33 PM
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Actually- the capes and bays of Victoria crater are named after places visited by Magellan.

doug
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Old 04-April-2008, 02:45 AM
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Actually- the capes and bays of Victoria crater are named after places visited by Magellan.

Which happen to be capes and bays on Earth
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Old 04-April-2008, 02:00 PM
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Which happen to be capes and bays on Earth
Actually, I was trying to figure out just which cape Cape Verde was, and all I could come up with was the group of islands that likes to send hurricanes our way.
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Old 05-April-2008, 02:23 AM
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Actually, I was trying to figure out just which cape Cape Verde was, and all I could come up with was the group of islands that likes to send hurricanes our way.
The Cape Verde Islands are off Cape Verde, in Africa. Magellan visited Cape Verde early in his voyage. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan

Hope this helps!

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Old 05-April-2008, 02:14 PM
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sounds like the Spanish got there first!
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Old 01-May-2008, 05:18 PM
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Planetary Society 2008-04-30 update

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The good news is that Spirit's odds for survival seemed to improve significantly as the skies cleared dramatically over at Gusev Crater. Not only was the rover able to maintain better-than-anticipated power levels this past month, but the engineers "probably won't have to do anything extraordinary" to keep it alive, according to Jake Matijevic, chief of rover engineering.
...
While Spirit was experiencing the clearest Martian skies either rover has seen on the mission, on the other side of the planet, at Meridiani Planum, Opportunity was under the "dark clouds" of aging, as its shoulder joint stalled, again. This time, Opportunity is facing the prospects that the motor that moves its shoulder from side to side is kaput – and that is going to change things for the glamorous, happy-go-lucky twin.
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  #649 (permalink)  
Old 28-May-2008, 06:22 AM
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Remember those 2 cute little rovers that used to be on Mars? I just found out they're still there! Still working!

Planetary Society Weblog: The press room is buzzing... [awaiting Phoenix landing]

Quote:
[Steve Squyres] mentioned they've been doing a lot of work in the testbed with the engineering model, figuring out if it's safe to drive Opportunity with its arm sticking out. He said that they've driven it up and over bricks, slamming the front end to the ground (and he mimed the arm jiggling up and down alarmingly) and the thing hasn't even moved off its calibrated position. So, he said, it's safe to drive, and they're very likely planning on proceeding toward Cape Verde later this week; they'll hold a decision about it on Wednesday. You'll be able to read all about it on Thursday or Friday [...]
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  #650 (permalink)  
Old 28-May-2008, 01:26 PM
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Oh rovers, that is so 2004. There is a new kid in town and he's getting all the press.

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