<![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover - io9 Comments]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover - io9 Comments]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> Spirit and Opportunity are complete and total champions. The actual duration of their activity on Mars, compared to the planned mission timeline, is proof of that. And applying lessons learned to a next-generation rover? This is going to be so cool.

Pouncer

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> So when Aliens inevitably took a look at our solar system, they'll see this little machine and it's laser of death, from which they can conclude that Mars was once home to tiny, tiny people, which we invaded and ahinnilated with our tiny, tiny laser?

Evdor

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> Are you guys going to the TOY FAIR in New York(is it there?) Because that would be awesome!!!!!!!!!

Simpsons-Movie-ruled

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> @zafner: NASA probes outliving their missions by years and years isn't uncommon.

Just a couple/few years ago they decided to stop monitoring the signals from one of the Pioneer probes!

I'll always have a soft spot for our first Mars rover because I was building my own ROV at the time.

Spirit and Opportunity? No less than superstars!

-of course NONE OF IT wouldn't be possible without the hard work and dedication of the men and women involved with these projects.

My hat is off to you.

strider_mt2k

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> Considering the last rovers are practically the most wildly over-successful mission anybody's put up there for ages, whatever the next rover is, it sure has some big shoes to fill. If it's designed to last for twenty years, and Spirit and Opportunity have already outlived their design lifetimes by something like 1500%, does that mean the next one will last for a few hundred?

zafner

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> i'd be more inclined to believe that it's a 30 feet than meters. Thirty feet for a laser that vaporizes rock is already an incredible feat... But seriously.. Life on Mars? Come on... lets move out to places where there might actually be a chance of life! I'm looking at you Europa!

-emory-

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> @toopersent: Laser vaporizes a small part of a rock, which allows a spectrograph to see what the minerals/chemicals/ect is in the target. It's supposed to work up to 30 feet...or meters. I can't remember which is right.

Rybanis

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> How does that laser work, exactly?

toopersent

]]> <![CDATA[Looking for Life on Mars with the Next Generation Rover]]> Good thing MSL is laser equipped. You never know when Starscream is going to walk up out of nowhere and try to kick it's ass.

Rybanis

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