

A Three-Year Journey at .00037 mph - wallflower
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2088306,00.html

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GeneTraylor
I remember watching Spirit and Opportunity land on mars, sitting next to my
uncle,the day he was diagnosed with lung cancer, and I still remember the
prediction that the rovers would die in 3 months due to buildup of dust. I
couldn't help but wonder that my uncle was, at least, going to outlive them. I
was wrong.

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invisiblefunnel
"NASA engineers were counting on it to function for just three months" and it
is still functioning 8 years later? What an impressive accomplishment.

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seanalltogether
If I recall, they assumed the solar panels would end up fully covered in dust
after 3 months, but the wind just keeps clearing them off.

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rorrr
.00037 mph = 0.0065 inches/sec = 0.165 mm/sec

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Groxx
I don't see Mars-rover races being a spectator sport any time soon. That must
require a _lot_ of patience - not sure I care to have that much.

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rprospero
The three year average might be low, but the average speed of the Opportunity
rover over the past eight years is over 2700 mph.

