The US space agency (Nasa) has approved up to 18 months of further operations for its twin Mars Exploration Rovers. Solar-powered robot geologists Spirit and Opportunity have both found signs of a watery past on Mars since landing on the Red Planet in January 2004. The rovers are showing signs of wear - for example, the teeth on Spirit's rock grinding tool seem to have worn down - but otherwise remain in good shape. They were originally meant to carry out missions lasting just three months...
These two rovers have already proven one resounding thing: robots are the future. The next rover in development is almost two meters long. After that I would expect a car-sized rover, followed by construction robots that share a small nuclear reactor. |