Mars Rover Perseverance Landing... and continuing...

[Ryujin]

I'm not trying to troll or criticize anyone's interest, but I'm left wondering what the point of this is. Haven't we had rovers on Mars for the past 40 years (or longer)?

Every subsequent rover had used new tech, been more capable, and has been able to provide more information than has the last. Camera tech has improved greatly in the last couple of decades, they packed in a helicopter drone, and NOW, WITH SOUND!

 

[darjr]

This one has droppings. Later one will clean up.

 

[Arilyn]

I'm not trying to troll or criticize anyone's interest, but I'm left wondering what the point of this is. Haven't we had rovers on Mars for the past 40 years (or longer)?

Different rovers are equipped to do different things. We are learning more and more about Mars, without actually sending people there. I'm excited.

 

[embee]

Even if there had been only modest advances in tech over the decades,the Perseverance mission is worth it. Even if only from a fiscal standpoint.

NASA spent $2.8 billion dollars on Mars Perseverance. Wow that sounds like a big number.

There are about 331 million people in America per the 2020 census. That's also a really big number.

So that means NASA spent $8.46 per person. But wait... There's more.

The $2.8 billion was spread over the project's 11 year span. So the actual cost comes to...

77¢ per person per year. Even rounding up, that is two pennies a week.

So, every American gave NASA two pennies a week for a decade and they built a robot and put it on the surface of another planet.

 

[Istbor]

I'm not trying to troll or criticize anyone's interest, but I'm left wondering what the point of this is. Haven't we had rovers on Mars for the past 40 years (or longer)?

23 Years.
So about half as long as your guess. And Mar's is a whole planet. Can you imaging trying to explore a whole planet with a rover like these in that time? There is understandably more stuff to see or explore, especially as our technology improves.

I believe this lander has a bit more of a focused mission on looking for signs of ancient life on our red neighbor.

Simple fact is while you may lack the interest, humanity as a hole is generally curious. Not always about the same things, but enough that missions to explore and learn more about our solar system and its history are still something deemed important.

 

[Retreater]

23 Years.
So about half as long as your guess. And Mar's is a whole planet. Can you imaging trying to explore a whole planet with a rover like these in that time? There is understandably more stuff to see or explore, especially as our technology improves.

I believe this lander has a bit more of a focused mission on looking for signs of ancient life on our red neighbor.

Simple fact is while you may lack the interest, humanity as a hole is generally curious. Not always about the same things, but enough that missions to explore and learn more about our solar system and its history are still something deemed important.

Viking 1 landed in 1976, so well over 40 years since we've sent instruments to gather scientific data from Mars.
The whole thing just seems pretty expensive for a glorified science fair experiment, which has so far produced tech we could have developed on earth, with no real world applications while we destroy our planet, people are suffering without access to vital resources.

 

[Ryujin]

23 Years.
So about half as long as your guess. And Mar's is a whole planet. Can you imaging trying to explore a whole planet with a rover like these in that time? There is understandably more stuff to see or explore, especially as our technology improves.

I believe this lander has a bit more of a focused mission on looking for signs of ancient life on our red neighbor.

Simple fact is while you may lack the interest, humanity as a hole is generally curious. Not always about the same things, but enough that missions to explore and learn more about our solar system and its history are still something deemed important.

But.... but.... Star Wars tells us that whole planets only have a single ecosystem!

 

[Retreater]

I mean I'm also a guy who thinks maybe we didn't go to the moon. If there was a conspiracy theory I'd believe it's that one.

 

[Istbor]

Viking 1 landed in 1976, so well over 40 years since we've sent instruments to gather scientific data from Mars.
The whole thing just seems pretty expensive for a glorified science fair experiment, which has so far produced tech we could have developed on earth, with no real world applications while we destroy our planet, people are suffering without access to vital resources.

You said rover. Viking 1 was not a rover. Otherwise I would have cited the first lander which was in 1971, even though it only transmitted for like 20 seconds.

 

[Maxperson]

I mean I'm also a guy who thinks maybe we didn't go to the moon. If there was a conspiracy theory I'd believe it's that one.

I don't get this at all. We see rockets/shuttles go into space with people all the time. They make it to the space stations with no problem. What's so hard to believe about going somewhat farther to the moon and back?