[extropy-chat] Mars rovers RIP?

[Technotranscendence]

On Sunday, January 01, 2006 6:42 PM Jeff Davis jrd1415 at yahoo.com wrote:
> No one showed any interest at the time.  With the
> appearance of this article:
>
> Rovers Still Circle Mars
> http://wired.com/news/wireservice/0,69949-0.html?tw=wn_tophead_5
>
> Wherein we read:
>
>            "These rovers are living on borrowed time.
>             We're so past warranty on them,"...
>
> I once again invite you all to participate in the
> "Rover expiration pool".  If we could get enough
> people to join in, the pot could grow sufficiently to
> make things veeeeery interesting.  I've already made
> my predictions, I'm just six months away from one of
> those.
>
> Also it occurs to me that a clear definition of
> "expiration" is needed.  Would it be loss of mobility?
>  Loss of some specified degree of functionality?
> Total loss of signal?
>
> Also, perhaps obviously, since it's likely (unless we
> get thousands of participants) that no one will get
> the expiration date exactly, the winner would be the
> person who's prediction is closest to the actual
> "expiration" date.
>
> And finally, if any of you diligent space science
> enthusiasts and rocket science professionals have an
> inside track on the equipment specs -- you know like
> batteries and solar panels -- and thereby a better
> data set for making your predictions, would you
> consider sharing those specs with the rest of
> us,...say after waiting briefly for all your
> lesser-informed brethren to commit themselves to their
> predictions.

Geez, I would've predicted Spirit to have already been under by now.
So, I'd have lost.

What I wonder is whether anyone on the MER team has suggested an all out
endurance run of either rover.  I.e., keep it going for a long distance,
to get as far from the landing site, until it fails.

> May the new year bring you love or good luck,...or
> more love.

Thanks and the same for everyone else!

Dan