http://www.livescience.com/space/sci...niversary.html

Two robots the size of golf carts were given 90 days to squeeze as much science as possible from the barren, dust-swept terrain of Mars. After that, scientists expected nothing more from them than death.

Nearly four years after their warranties expired, however, the Mars Explorations Rovers (MERs) "Spirit" and "Opportunity" continue to play productively in the red dirt.


in my 30 years of existence this is the most remarkable story regarding space to me. i remember years ago waitingto see if they survived the flight, and then after landing in huge airbags, bouncing about a mile or so, before coming to rest.

only a 90 day shelf life and 1 stuck wheel there still rocking on 4 years later

 

Will be cool if the 25% chance of impact from those asteroids pays off and the rovers are near.

 

that would be bad ****, if not seeing the impact, im sure if it did, the rovers would be gone as well, but if it catches the dust ploom that will go out into space, that would be one of the best thing cameras have ever captured

 

There is only one explanation on their survival, it has to be raining on Mars to wash the dust off the solar cells as there is no feature to wipe them clean. Also if it was a dry dust with no way to disperse it would have ground up the rotating parts a long ago time ago. NASA had problems with the lunar rovers and the dry dust on the moon.

 

The only reason those things are working is because the klingons fixed the rovers when they crash-landed. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been any data sent from mars.

I have been hearing this story on and off lately...It is truly one of NASA's greatest achievements.

 

I think the offical word from nasa was a wind storm blew the dust off. If that is even possible on mars.

 

Maybe an intergalactic Cat named "Snickers" dropped by Mars to lick/wipe the slate clean ?