Tin Foil Hats Donned? A Theory the Size of Mars.

[true_notes]

First, please forgive the typos, I am typing from an Italian keyboard.

To the point. I was traveling through the internet just now and I came across an article describing how the Mars rover is still active and exploring the surface of Mars. Correct me if Im wrong, but didn't NASA predict failure of these rovers long before now?

NASA has good reason to tell the public these rovers aren't capable of lasting long, when in fact they can because of decreased funding and increased pressure from the Bush administration to send a man to the moon by the next decade. A longer-than-expected rover life on Mars boosts the public morale of the Science platform in the United States and gives Bush another reason to smirk of his empty agenda.

If that was to vague or confusing for you, my theory is that due to decreasing interest in the Space Program and using the space program as a minor pawn in the mind control agenda, NASA is purposely gouging the information on these modules to boost morale.

I hope you see my point....It's a hard concept to grasp

[salvorhardin]

1. Baka! n/t

[The Witch]

2. ano ne.

riyuu mo iwanakute hito o baka to yobu no wa kanari hidokunai?

And if you don't speak Japanese what the hell you doing cursing someone out in it? :spank:

:flying away:

[Behind the Aegis]

22. Question?

I thought "baka" meant "fool." It derived from one being uable to tell the differences of a stag (deer) and horse in writing. Is this incorrect?

[librechik]

3. yes and even stranger

somehow something has been CLEANING THE WINDSHIELDS for better camera visibility. They were dusty one day, and then one day---not. No explanation has immediately presented itself.

I kid you not.

[bluedawg12]

7. The windshield story is true- and it supports my theory

that there is life on Mars- but it has been suppressed by the fundy's because that blows the whole genesis story.:tinfoilhat:

How would they explain aliens performing menial tasks that no American would want? :sarcasm:

OK..seriously the wind shield thing is true and a puzzle and it's also true fundy's believe that there can never be life elsewhere because it goes against the 7 day creation story.

[librechik]

21. if you like that theory you should visit here:

http://marsanomalyresearch.com/

very interesting analyses of Mars satellite images from NASA

also here
http://marsanomalyresearch.com/evidence-directories/main/main-directory.htm

for the "evidence" archives

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. Actually, it is the solar panels that have been getting cleaned

and so far it is only happening to one rover. They think it might have something to so with the wind that comes up at night in that area.

[Moochy]

14. Good point

More reason for the OP to unwrap the tinfoil. :-)

:tinfoilhat:

[Spinzonner]

15. It's those damn skid-row Martians always hanging around

with their rags insisting on cleaning your camera when you stop

[Hubris Heaver]

4. I don't agree with your premise

I think the engineers at NASA plan on something going wrong...but nothing has to the rover. Its a happy accident its still going.
BUsh's "lets go to MArs" ( even more effective when spouted by the Gropenfuhrer) was just BS to distract us- he really doesnt give a shit about exploration of the cosmos.
THe only way for NASA to get adequate funding is if they tell W they think they found oil on Mars. We won't be going to the moon or mars unless it can somehow result in big money for halliburton and cause the deaths of millions of people/

[Moochy]

5. Here's the explanation I heard

on NPR Science Friday a few months ago, the head of the program was on, and explained that they expected the solar panels to be caked with martian dust, so that over time the rover would get less and less sunlight. However, they've figured out that there are two factors that they didnt account for which was the severity of the storms, and the wind effect. Also when they went up and over a hill they shook much of the dust off.

So basically they had accounted for dust build up that just isnt happening at the rates they expected.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. and the dust devils. A NASA scientist pointed out that several photos

showed wind-driven structures, like mini-tornados crossing the surface of tha planet. They assume that change from day to night causes them to grow and that these dust devils act as a fan to blow off the dust.

I wondered why they wouldn't also act to blow dust on, but I couldn't call him to ask.

By the way, the fake studio where these mars shots are directed and produced are in a big building in Area 51.

:)

[Moochy]

10. dust aggregation on mars

on earth, I can imagine the dust would have more water vapor / ice in it, that would cause it to cake more. However Mars has less water on it than earth. :)

Either that or Homeless Martians with Squeegies who are just looking for a handout and cleaning the windshields.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

16. they were lonely and want to have more visits from us.

I just hope we recognize the KEEP OFF - PRIVATE PROPERTY signs.

[petronius]

13. As for winds blowing dust on the rover, they probably do

but since the solar panel is smooth (very little friction), I'd bet that all the dust on the panel is removed easily each time the wind gets to a certain strength. So, the only dust accumulating is that which settles out as the wind dies away. In other words, the slate is wiped clean after each wind event.

The result is that there is always some dust, but not nearly as much as if it was continuously accumulating and not being removed.

[Loonman]

6. O....kay

So is Hoffa really buried at Giants stadium or what?

[longship]

8. LImited life.

The predicted lifetime of any of these planetary probes is going to be a very conservative number, the reason being that in order to justify the expense of such adventures--launching an object into a transplanetary mission--one has to have a firm grasp of the prospective benefits. So the lifetime is stated in the most conservative terms.

The Pioneer 10 and 11 probes have now left the solar system. Pioneer 10 is dead, but Pioneer 11 is still kicking. Unfortunately, in a moment of monumental stupidity, NASA cut off funding and it is no longer being tracked. Pioneer 10 is way, way beyond its predicted lifetime. Also, engineers have taken actions from interplanetary distances to preserve and extend the power sources of these probes.

[nashbridges]

11. No, it's a dumb concept to grasp.

It's a happy accident they are still roaming. Hubble wasn't supposed to last this long, either. The engineers plan for a certain lifetime and then anything that exceeds it is cause for celebration. Kind of like the warranty on your car. Just because it expires doesn't mean the car is going to stop running.

[havocmom]

17. Mars? That's the reddish shiny thing in the sky, right?

Seriously, it has always seemed likely to me that NASA might undersell expectations on their equipment in order to avoid too much disappointment if it fails AND look like miracle workers when things went a bit better than official estimates. (Think: Scotty always gave Kirk longer time estimates to fix damage than what he actually figured)

My theory is based on the decision to postpone that Mars landing that was originally scheduled for July Fourth in 1976. It was postponed because some PR savvy types figured it would be a MAJOR bummer if the thing crashed on the big bi-centennial whoopla, especially with all the other bad news going down at the time.

[Gold Metal Flake]

18. Obsolesence and redundance.

1) The Mars Rovers have not broken. Very important to longevity. Spacecraft are designed with redundant systems. If you break a wire, another wire is there doing the same function.

2) Yes, there is dust on Mars. Yes, there is also wind. There is very little moisture, and none in the form of fog or mist. So, when dust is deposited on the solar cells, it can be blown off. Early on it was noticed that the rail voltage increased after a windstorm. This was a surprise, a bonus. So, the dust that does gather on the Rovers can be shaken or blown off. It's not by design, but it helps. As long as the solar panels can convert energy, and the batteries can store it, and nothing else breaks, the Rovers will work.

4) Funding. The program is still getting funding. If the funding stops, the fun is over.

The Rovers represent a smart way of exploring Mars. Sending humans there now, with all the problems we have as a country, is not, IMO.

[pitohui]

19. it's called managing expectations

i don't doubt that they make a conservative estimate of lifespan of space vehicles, that way, if the device does fail on the early side, people are not upset & disappointed, yet if the device does not fail & continues to give good service for many extra years, people are very happy

i wouldn't call it tinhat, i think managing expectations is a routine part of press or customer relations, don't over-hype your product or people may be disappointed where they would have otherwise been pleased

[DaveJ]

20. It's an issue of scheduling and funding

By predicting the rover would only last a few weeks, it forced their scientists to schedule the geological testing to be completed within that time frame. They want the testing scheduled to be completed within a relatively short time for various reasons, but it all comes down to less money they have to budget, making funding easier.