Bag's Rants

The appliance of science.

In 2004 two robots arrived on Mars to start what I remember is a three month study of one of our closest, in astronomical terms, planets. After three months they surprised everyone as they just went on going. Takes a lickin and keeps on tickin. I must confess I was really impressed by this technological feat.

Now here we are three years later and I was just reading about how they may be under threat from the weather. Those bloody 4x4s again. Read here. I thought they had died ages ago.

Fingers crossed that they keep enough power to keep going but even if they don't it is still an excellent result for the team. I'm impressed. Mainly because I know how difficult it is to keep any complex bit of kit going for any length of time without sending someone there to touch and fettle and get it started again. Three years is a long time without a squirt of oil, a rub down of the panels or any real interaction at all. The designers and builders will undoubtedly have gained a well deserved reputation for this.

posted by Bag @ 10:12 pm