http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/ Engadget Comments for NASA's Mars Opportunity rover falls on hard times http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 2:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
didn't the english send something along at about the same time? didn't it fail miserably? what was it called? ferret or something?]]>Nov 16th 2007 2:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
Source: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/spirit_talks_040123.html]]>Nov 16th 2007 3:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
Remember Mars is only a little rockier, dustier, and generally more harsh than your backyard. And it's only a couple thousand or so miles farther away.

Sure NASA Could use some restructuring, but I think the accomplishments of these 2 things have been pretty amazing. I say we mount a rescue mission. Leave no man, er...robot behind.]]>Nov 16th 2007 3:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
you're an idiot.

science run solely by private companies? yeah, we could hire SPECTRE]]>Nov 16th 2007 3:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
As for the topic, Ya i feel that this current mission is a great success story, but out of how many failure? Think of it this way if Microsoft was the only OS on the market you think they are going to consistently try to work better by producing better products and conserve spending as they go? I feel NASA in essence is almost the same thing. Of course you have Russia and China, but they are somewhat behind. I just feel that privatizing most the space industry is lead to better productivity for mankind.


Also as for the rover ya they lasted very long but in that time what have they accumulated? a few samples of data? Of course we can argue about the measurements of achievement, but my main more is open the gates for "privatization."

Also I feel this will lead to more job opportunities, by having more people in the industry we can covert all that raw data that have been accumulated into something productive for mankind. And not for the benefit of one government or country. ]]>Nov 16th 2007 3:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
What's more, private companies would all want to keep the rewards for their efforts (i.e., information) in the hopes that it would bring them future riches, so we'd add intellectual property issues to the mix of problems.

While I definitely see a role for private companies in space travel/exploration, I feel pretty strongly that the infrastructure is best put in place by NASA.]]>Nov 16th 2007 4:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
:chuckle:]]>Nov 16th 2007 3:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/If you think the government can anything other than national security better than private companies, you need to put down the KoolAid, buddy.]]>Nov 16th 2007 3:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
Still quite an achievement (and a good investment as well). I bet that $820 million price tag could have been a lil' lower. ]]>Nov 16th 2007 4:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
You, sir, obviously do not know the first thing about designing spacecraft. Do you honestly think it is easy to design, build, and operate a robot that travels to another PLANET to achieve "years" of reliability? There is a reason it's called rocket science.

As for the cost.. that is the TOTAL cost. Current operations is a small *fraction* of that figure. The expensive part is paid for, it would be dumb not to run these rovers into the ground.

Folks, this country spends more in one MONTH on the War than it has on the whole Mars Rover mission. That tells you something about where our priorities are ... [sigh]

]]>Nov 16th 2007 4:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
As an example. As much as i do not like apple, even though i own an iphone, and also Google to name a few(neutral stands on them). I have to say these companies have revolutionized many of things we now see in the computer industry. You can't possibly thing the government can do a better job then the what the free market can do? Seriously when did it become so prevalent that government can do a better than the people? We have a great system(not the best)for check and balance on private companies. but we have nothing but the government to keep NASA in check and NASA is the government. I'm sorry to say this but the people in congress cannot possibly truly understand the technology involved and be allowed to approve and deny funding.

Like the saying "just pick the lesser of the two evils." Both have there flaws but in my opinion government should not get involved but only to monitor and help guide the way. ]]>Nov 16th 2007 4:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
A private organization doesn't get involved in spaceflight to make Americans feel better about themselves. They are in it to make money.

And I tell you this: If you can prove that there are thousands of tons of gold deposits or diamonds on an asteroid somewhere, the private sector would start designing spaceships faster than you can say Buck Rogers! But until that day, don't be upset that our government pumps so much money into the space program. Because if we didn't, we wouldn't have a space program at all.]]>Nov 17th 2007 8:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
I think the problem you are going to find privatizing the space industry is where the solid profit is. Typically things like this (especially when the money (some would say) should go to more worthy causes) need to have a solid return in the investment of its shareholders and companies.

Heck even the Spaceship one stuff is only happening because some rich people are giving the majority of the funding.

So like other things like this the Government will fund away... Profit? who needs no stinkin' profit.]]>Nov 16th 2007 3:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
Are you asking to turn the moon into the next Austrailia?]]>Nov 20th 2007 1:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 3:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 5:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/]]>Nov 16th 2007 6:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 20th 2007 1:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
@mark richardson - well, the government did so well with USPS that they spun them off. i think that same, unique arrangement might help NASA.]]>Nov 16th 2007 4:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
If the post office is so successful why is it requesting funding every year?

The truth of the matter is, the USPS is an essential part of economy, should it be handed to a private firm or firms and go bankrupt. it would essentially corrupt our country. The USPS operates at a lost. ]]>Nov 16th 2007 5:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
it ain't amtrak. it's also the nation's 3rd largest employer.]]>Nov 16th 2007 6:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
I'd much rather attend to our planet first.

Before we put a man on Mars, let's put a homeless guy in an apartment.]]>Nov 16th 2007 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 7:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 17th 2007 3:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
Have you had a mammogram or know someone who has?
well congrats NASA helped you there the techniques used to identify cancerous cells in mammograms is around because of a stuff up on the Hubble

In the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson
"You cannot script these kinds of outcomes, yet they occur daily. The cross-pollination of disciplines almost always creates innovation and discovery. And nothing accomplishes this like space exploration, which draws from the ranks of astrophysicists, biologists, physiologists, chemists, engineers and planetary geologists. Their collective efforts have the capacity to improve and enhance all that we have come to value as a modern society."
http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2007/edition_08-05-2007/Space

just remember NASA takes less than 1% of the US budget The US DOD takes 21%

If it was up to people like you we would still be huddling in caves in Africa]]>Nov 21st 2007 2:21PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
Discoveries are made by people and groups with intelligence, not by their employer or location.]]>Nov 21st 2007 2:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 7:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 16th 2007 8:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/
A lot of companies would be profitable if they didn't include their failed e-commerce initiatives and their large, unanticipated operating expenses. And if they were government-enforced monopolies on necessary services, which no one seems to be mentioning. Turning a profit when you're a monopoly doesn't prove anything... but NOT turning one sure does.]]>Nov 16th 2007 11:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 17th 2007 2:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 17th 2007 1:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/Nov 18th 2007 6:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/nasas-mars-opportunity-rover-falls-on-hard-times/_______________________________
elsphit

A team of successful entrepreneurs credited for www.SelectWealthSystem.com
A new home-based-business marketing system that provides the strategic high ground for internet marketing.
Pro Team Marketing uses an automated marketing system that is currently promoting a cutting-edge young company, entering the early growth stage, that targets the largest consumer base in the United States with their financial educational products.
http://www.SelectWealthSystem.com
http://www.SelectWealthSystem.com]]>Apr 4th 2008 5:05PM