I think this is a huge accomplishment that won't be fully appreciated until later this year or next, when the general population realizes what it is we've really achieved through science and technology and the strength of human endeavor. The Rover has the potential to push our knowledge of "what's out there". We've had probes on the planet before, and (if I'm not mistaken) other robotic vehicles to move about, but what makes this one so unique is the fact that we can now accomplish so much more with the tools we have available.
The fact that we can control robotic vehicles at this distance simply boggles my mind.
When you factor in things like solar interference, radiation, two planetary atmospheres, and signal dispersion, its simply amazing how much control we have. And clarity of the pictures is outstanding!
Our missions to the moon were "pushed" by the Cold War Space Race. Our missions to Mars are "pushed" by ... what? Two things: a quest for knowledge, and the need for NASA to show that it is capable of being the guardian of America's quest for space travel. NASA needs this mission to be successful just as much as America needs this mission to be successful. NASA has stumbled along its journey to this point - Challenger, Hubble, and Colombia for example. And two dead Mars probes lost due to mathematical errors.
Some posters claim that NASA is in it for their own wealth and power. I disagree. Actually, on average, the jobs at NASA pay below comparable jobs in the private sector. I know because I turned down a job offer from Kennedy Space Center because AT&T pays better, even with AT&T's salary increases frozen for the next 2 years. NASA is losing potential talent due to job market competition, and from the meetings I had at KSC my feeling about the folks there is that they are motivated by the same spirit that moved all great inventors - the basic need to know, to explore, to create. There's no dollar signs attached to the end of a successful mission, at least not in their paychecks. The real payoff for them is the knowledge that they get back for their efforts. And its our payoff, too. But to make the commitment to NASA usually means a paycut, and that hurts, particularly with so many outside investments having gone bust or on the way to going bust.
The Mars probe did more than save NASA. It saved America at a time when America is facing threats of terrorism and foreign criticisms of military policy.
It shows that we can still achieve great things. It shows that we're still capable of successful space exploration. It shows our preminence in the world of science, technology, and, more importantly, our willingness to sacrifice to achieve.
And it shows our willingness to share our knowledge with others.
At no charge.
Kudos to NASA and the "Spirit" team on a job well done.
