Comments on: Casual Friday — MSL has a snack http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/29/casual_friday_--_msl_has_a_snack/ Science for people who never knew it could be interesting Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:17:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Sam Wise http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/29/casual_friday_--_msl_has_a_snack/#comment-306 Sam Wise Tue, 04 Mar 2008 02:32:55 +0000 http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/29/casual_friday_--_msl_has_a_snack/#comment-306 Quite a few more (about twice that long, if memory serves). Bear in mind, though, that the MSL rover is dramatically bigger, has far more instruments, and is supposed to roll farther & faster than the MER rovers. The usual comparison is that the MER rovers are each about the size of a riding lawn mower, while MSL will be about the size of a Mini Cooper. You just can't package enough solar array area to power a beast the size of MSL... Quite a few more (about twice that long, if memory serves). Bear in mind, though, that the MSL rover is dramatically bigger, has far more instruments, and is supposed to roll farther & faster than the MER rovers.

The usual comparison is that the MER rovers are each about the size of a riding lawn mower, while MSL will be about the size of a Mini Cooper. You just can’t package enough solar array area to power a beast the size of MSL…

]]> By: PhilDS http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/29/casual_friday_--_msl_has_a_snack/#comment-303 PhilDS Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:27:39 +0000 http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/29/casual_friday_--_msl_has_a_snack/#comment-303 From the MSL website: "This power source gives the mission an operating lifespan on Mars' surface of a full martian year (687 Earth days) or more" I wonder how many active days the current rovers have had with solar power. From the MSL website:
“This power source gives the mission an operating lifespan on Mars’ surface of a full martian year (687 Earth days) or more”

I wonder how many active days the current rovers have had with solar power.

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