Plan for 90 days, run for 9 years? Here's to you!
Would that all of our kit last over 36 times our warranty!
The never-say-die little rover that could, Opportunity, has set a new distance record for extraterrestrial NASA vehicles. Distance records for lunar and Martian rovers Opportunity has bested larger and faster rovers (click to enlarge) On Thursday, Opportunity's handlers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, …
You're thinking of Voyager 1 and 2! Pioneers 1 and 2 were built to study cislunar space but in both cases the third stage of the rocket failed only allowing a ballistic flight. Both probes lasted less than a day before re-entering Earth's atmosphere!
This was all in the days before the USA had really started to use their Germans to build rockets so they had a tendency to fail often!
"Both probes lasted less than a day before re-entering Earth's atmosphere!"
Yes but one of them now works at a bar in Bristol and the other one teaches dance at the royal academy in London, so technically speaking they have both been active for 35 years, even through the recession.
I know it references Spirit rather than Opportunity, but the same principles apply; http://xkcd.com/695/
Also, I'm surprised how little we've actually covered the Moon or Mars, if I'd thought about it before I'd would have probably guessed at hundreds of miles, not twenties.
Come down to Honest Ron's Motors for our deals that are simply OUT OF THIS WORLD!
[cue jingle] Honest Ron's, Honest Ron's, The others are a con.
Yes sir, this is an excellent vehicle! Only one careful owner. It's been lovingly maintained and looked after beautifully. Oh yes sir, it is a little dusty, but I'm sure you won't mind cleaning your new pride and joy once you've bought it.
What do you mean you don't believe me that a 9 year old vehicle only has 22.22 miles on the clock? Are you accusing me of tampering with this vehicle? How dare you!
I'll grant you she's a bit slow, but steady and extremely low fuel bills.
I'm not asking £5,000, I'm not even asking £4,000! This excellent vehicle can be yours today for a steal, at just £3,000.
Ah yes, delivery. That'll be £28,000,000,000 please.