Secrets Of Rovers' Success

摘要

Five years ago this week, NASA's twin Mars rovers touched down on opposite sides of the Red Planet.rnWhen Spirit and Opportunity rolled off their landing platforms and began conducting experiments, they were expected to operate for around three months - by which time their solar panels should have been plastered with sunlight-blocking dust. But five years on both rovers are still going, although Spirit is ailing. So what is their secret?rn"It has been a combination of three things," says Steve Squyres, the Mars Exploration Rover Mission's lead scientist. "First, we built some very good hardware, and we're very proud of that."rnThe rovers have also been lucky with the weather, he says. "We thought dust could end the mission, but on several occasions we have had lucky gusts ofrnwind hit the rovers and clean the dust away, giving them a new lease of life."