I am delighted to hear that we are back on Mars again, especially after a number of disappointing disasters lately, like Britain's flagship mission Beagle 2. Most of all, I am astounded at the march of science.
Back in 1976, NASA landed two robot probes on Mars, Viking I and Viking II. These were simple devices by modern standards. They had three landing pads; a fixed, unmoving platform; a radioisotope thermoelectric generator; a meteorological boon; a radio mast; a robot arm; a scoop for taking soil samples; two mini-labs to test the soil samples for signs of life and a colour camera.
That was then, this is now. Thirty-two years on, Phoenix has every bell and whistle you could want: three landing pads; a fixed, unmoving platform; solar panels; a meteorological boon; a radio mast; a robot arm; a scoop for taking soil samples; one mini-lab to test the soil samples for signs of life and a black-and-white camera. By Vulcan's Hammer, the technological dawn has reached us indeed!
See how their stats stack up:
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/basics/bsf9-2h.gif
http://pal2pal.com/BLOGEE/images/uploads/phoenix_lander_labels.jpg
Oh I know, I'm being too cynical, but, damnit! where's my hi-tech future gone to? Where's HAL? Why aren't any of these devices on Mars?
Why aren't they walking abroad and talking us through what they see? Don't we have the technology to put Robbie the Robot in space yet? Actually, I think we do... (click here to see an amazing video) so why are we still recycling 1970s designs?
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