Comments on: A Chilly Sunrise on Mars

By: troy

troy — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:09:21 +0000

i agree with thumpy's say

By: Jesper

Jesper — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:38:58 +0000

Jeremy, I've heard more about your question on Planetary Radio ( http://www.planetary.org/radio ). When it gets too cold and dark, the batteries don't work anymore and they can't be recharged anymore. I don't remember in which episode they talked about this, but maybe you can find it in the archives.

Here's a list of episodes which were mainly about Mars:
http://www.planetary.org/radio/archive/subject/6/

By: Thumpy

Thumpy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:01:33 +0000

Yestersol…
Well that's a new word for the day

By: Jeremy C

Jeremy C — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:52:24 +0000

The thing I really don't get with these missions is how once the sunlight runs out or the batteries die then the project is unable to be resurrected when the sun comes back. Does non-volatile memory (flash, ROM etc not work outside of the earth's magnetic field? and even so can't it be screened? Why can these things not reboot when the sun returns, or when the batteries have recharged? I have been in projects that require battery backup lasting months to years. In these cases the unit goes to sleep with an alarm clock that wakes it up for a few seconds to do a bit of maintenance and then goes back to a deep sleep? I am always amazed at the prehistoric methods and equipment that the so-called brilliant minds at the likes of JPL and others employ. Everything always seems to be designed from scratch.. its just plain stupid if you can't apply lessons learn't and evolve a piece of tech, but its even more stupid to design "wheels" when the experts have already done all the work.

By: cheld

cheld — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:16:14 +0000

Why a red filter-image? Why are pictures always tempered with as soon as it involves a view of the atmosphere of Mars?

By: Maxwell

Maxwell — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:36:34 +0000

A mission extension would be great but… how long can that platform run without direct sunlight?
If its unlikely to survive hibernating through the winter you might as well keep working till the little things frozen over.

By: David R.

David R. — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:01 +0000

Awesome pic…