Mars Rover

NASA's JPL has reported that our beloved robot rovers Spirit and Opportunity are alive and moving after having emerged relatively unscathed from the Martian dust storms. The photograph shows the trail marks from Opportunity's 13m advance towards the Victoria Crater. Spirit meanwhile has driven about 0.5m towards its target, a rock. The solar panels from both robots are generating about 300Wh (watt-hours) of energy per day.

Having emerged from the precarious dust storm, Spirit now becomes the second-longest spacecraft to survive on the Martian surface after Viking I. Spirit has been running faithfully for about 1290 sols (Martian days) while it was only designed to last for 90sols. Viking I is the longest lasting Martian lander with a lifespan of 2245 sols.

In a project dubbed Northern Light, a group of Canadian universities have joined forces to launch an all-Canadian mission to Mars in 2009. The researchers may opt for a small robot rover to explore the mysteries of the Red Planet although a stationary lander seems more likely. Northern Light is expected to cost only $20 million, compared to the ~$400 million it cost NASA to launch the Phoenix Mission. The Canadians will shave costs by launching the project aboard a Russian Rokot (modified Ballistic Missile) and reusing the British Beagle Lander design. Headquartered in York University, Northern Light is designed for exploring the Martian surface for signs of life and water. It is also being designed to gather information that could pave the way for future Mars projects such as a return mission to bring back Martian rock samples and a manned mission. The Discovery Channel is a likely commercial sponsor of the project. ... continued