21. How many miles from their landing site can the Mars rovers travel? How are the rovers controlled and how long will they last? (A K2S Question)

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As of August 2005, both Spirit and Opportunity have traveled over three miles. The rovers were designed to last for only three months but are currently both approaching 600 working days! The rovers cannot function indefinitely. Over time, they will be unable to store enough heat in the daytime to prevent the temperature of their components from falling too low. Eventually, the cold will cause the rovers' systems to fail.

Answer provided by Laura Peckyno & Robert Peckyno


Image:K2S logosmall.jpg Question and Answer extracted from the book Kids to Space - by Lonnie Schorer


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