it’s morning on Mars the Sun is 140 million miles away but strong enough to
million miles away but strong enough to
million miles away but strong enough to send current flowing through the solar
send current flowing through the solar
send current flowing through the solar panels of the rover called opportunity
panels of the rover called opportunity
panels of the rover called opportunity waking it up for another day of work at
waking it up for another day of work at
waking it up for another day of work at the same moment the Sun is setting on
the same moment the Sun is setting on
the same moment the Sun is setting on the other side of the planet and the
the other side of the planet and the
the other side of the planet and the rover spirit is shutting down for
rover spirit is shutting down for
rover spirit is shutting down for another long cold night the two
another long cold night the two
another long cold night the two explorers have been on Mars for almost
explorers have been on Mars for almost
explorers have been on Mars for almost five years spirit landed three weeks
five years spirit landed three weeks
five years spirit landed three weeks ahead of opportunity in Gusev crater a
ahead of opportunity in Gusev crater a
ahead of opportunity in Gusev crater a hundred mile diameter basin the
hundred mile diameter basin the
hundred mile diameter basin the scientists believe once held a Martian
scientists believe once held a Martian
scientists believe once held a Martian lake but on the ground spirit finds no
lake but on the ground spirit finds no
lake but on the ground spirit finds no evidence of water history every Rock
evidence of water history every Rock
evidence of water history every Rock appears to be volcanic lava I wouldn’t
appears to be volcanic lava I wouldn’t
appears to be volcanic lava I wouldn’t have wanted to admit it at the time but
have wanted to admit it at the time but
have wanted to admit it at the time but the spirit landing site initially was a
the spirit landing site initially was a
the spirit landing site initially was a crushing disappointment if the evidence
crushing disappointment if the evidence
crushing disappointment if the evidence they’re looking for has been buried they
they’re looking for has been buried they
they’re looking for has been buried they might find it exposed in the walls of
might find it exposed in the walls of
might find it exposed in the walls of Bonneville crater some four hundred
Bonneville crater some four hundred
Bonneville crater some four hundred yards from the landing site
but when spirit finally pulls up to the
but when spirit finally pulls up to the rim two months after landing there’s
rim two months after landing there’s
rim two months after landing there’s nothing inside but more lava we hoped
nothing inside but more lava we hoped
nothing inside but more lava we hoped for something a little more spectacular
for something a little more spectacular
for something a little more spectacular than this I’m gonna be surprised if we
than this I’m gonna be surprised if we
than this I’m gonna be surprised if we decided to drive down into the crater we
decided to drive down into the crater we
decided to drive down into the crater we might but I don’t know spirit was just
might but I don’t know spirit was just
might but I don’t know spirit was just seeing nothing but lava as far as the
seeing nothing but lava as far as the
seeing nothing but lava as far as the eye could see and the spirit team got a
eye could see and the spirit team got a
eye could see and the spirit team got a little disheartened after a while even
little disheartened after a while even
little disheartened after a while even so many on spirits team embraced the
so many on spirits team embraced the
so many on spirits team embraced the role of the underdog people just got
role of the underdog people just got
role of the underdog people just got emotionally attached to their Rover you
emotionally attached to their Rover you
emotionally attached to their Rover you know I tell him will you switch to
know I tell him will you switch to
know I tell him will you switch to opportunity and he’s to say no no I’m
opportunity and he’s to say no no I’m
opportunity and he’s to say no no I’m not gonna because they had gotten their
not gonna because they had gotten their
not gonna because they had gotten their heart set on spirit succeeding
heart set on spirit succeeding
heart set on spirit succeeding opportunity was certainly the lucky
opportunity was certainly the lucky
opportunity was certainly the lucky Rover but for me I worked on spirit and
Rover but for me I worked on spirit and
Rover but for me I worked on spirit and spirit is my favorite Rover because
spirit is my favorite Rover because
spirit is my favorite Rover because spirit had to work for everything she
spirit had to work for everything she
spirit had to work for everything she ever got in her life the best chance for
ever got in her life the best chance for
ever got in her life the best chance for spirit to salvage its mission now is a
spirit to salvage its mission now is a
spirit to salvage its mission now is a mile and a half away in the Columbia
mile and a half away in the Columbia
mile and a half away in the Columbia Hills a two-month journey four times
Hills a two-month journey four times
Hills a two-month journey four times farther than the rover was ever expected
farther than the rover was ever expected
farther than the rover was ever expected to drive Squyres thinks it’s the best
to drive Squyres thinks it’s the best
to drive Squyres thinks it’s the best option
option
option but the engineers are dubious I remember
but the engineers are dubious I remember
but the engineers are dubious I remember he said that this is where we’re going
he said that this is where we’re going
he said that this is where we’re going maybe gonna drive up in those hills
maybe gonna drive up in those hills
maybe gonna drive up in those hills this is gonna be lot more than 90 days
this is gonna be lot more than 90 days
this is gonna be lot more than 90 days good luck
good luck
good luck we probably gonna die on the way there
we probably gonna die on the way there
we probably gonna die on the way there he said no we’re gonna go that’s okay
he said no we’re gonna go that’s okay
he said no we’re gonna go that’s okay you’re driving you’ve got the keys
you’re driving you’ve got the keys
you’re driving you’ve got the keys good luck after an 8-week mile and a
good luck after an 8-week mile and a
good luck after an 8-week mile and a half track through a desert of broken
half track through a desert of broken
half track through a desert of broken lava spirit finally reaches the Columbia
lava spirit finally reaches the Columbia
lava spirit finally reaches the Columbia Hills
evidence of water maybe on the upper
evidence of water maybe on the upper slopes the summit is just 300 feet above
slopes the summit is just 300 feet above
slopes the summit is just 300 feet above the crater floor but it’s a monumental
the crater floor but it’s a monumental
the crater floor but it’s a monumental challenge for this Rover
challenge for this Rover
challenge for this Rover she’s already driven three times as far
she’s already driven three times as far
she’s already driven three times as far as she’s supposed to be able to drive
as she’s supposed to be able to drive
as she’s supposed to be able to drive and live twice as long as she was
and live twice as long as she was
and live twice as long as she was supposed to live
supposed to live
supposed to live if you imagine you’ve driven your car
if you imagine you’ve driven your car
if you imagine you’ve driven your car 300 thousand miles without taking it to
300 thousand miles without taking it to
300 thousand miles without taking it to a gas station and now you’ve got to
a gas station and now you’ve got to
a gas station and now you’ve got to climb Mount Everest with it but most
climb Mount Everest with it but most
climb Mount Everest with it but most ominous is the approach of the first
ominous is the approach of the first
ominous is the approach of the first Martian winter which no one expects the
Martian winter which no one expects the
Martian winter which no one expects the rover’s to survive its seasons were
rover’s to survive its seasons were
rover’s to survive its seasons were changing spirit is in the southern
changing spirit is in the southern
changing spirit is in the southern hemisphere of Mars and what that means
hemisphere of Mars and what that means
hemisphere of Mars and what that means is in the winter the Sun is going to go
is in the winter the Sun is going to go
is in the winter the Sun is going to go lower in the northern sky and it’s going
lower in the northern sky and it’s going
lower in the northern sky and it’s going to get lower and lower and lower and as
to get lower and lower and lower and as
to get lower and lower and lower and as it gets lower the amount of power that
it gets lower the amount of power that
it gets lower the amount of power that we’re gonna get from solar arrays is
we’re gonna get from solar arrays is
we’re gonna get from solar arrays is going to get less and less and less
going to get less and less and less
going to get less and less and less unless we can do something they could
unless we can do something they could
unless we can do something they could solve the problem and possibly survive
solve the problem and possibly survive
solve the problem and possibly survive the winter by tilting the solar panels
the winter by tilting the solar panels
the winter by tilting the solar panels toward the Sun to get more power
toward the Sun to get more power
toward the Sun to get more power well we didn’t build a tilt mechanism
well we didn’t build a tilt mechanism
well we didn’t build a tilt mechanism into the rover the only way to tilt them
into the rover the only way to tilt them
into the rover the only way to tilt them towards the Sun is to tilt the whole
towards the Sun is to tilt the whole
towards the Sun is to tilt the whole Rover towards the Sun but the beauty of
Rover towards the Sun but the beauty of
Rover towards the Sun but the beauty of it was now we had a hill if they can
it was now we had a hill if they can
it was now we had a hill if they can find a route that keeps the solar panels
find a route that keeps the solar panels
find a route that keeps the solar panels tilted toward the Sun spirit might be
tilted toward the Sun spirit might be
tilted toward the Sun spirit might be able to survive the winter and climb the
able to survive the winter and climb the
able to survive the winter and climb the mountain at the same time
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