Three generations of Martian rovers.
Technology generally allows for miniaturization over time. In this case the reverse is true:
Full-scale models of three generations of NASA Mars rovers show the increase in size from the Sojourner rover of the Mars Pathfinder project that landed on Mars in 1997 (center), to the twin Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity that landed in 2004 (left), to the Mars Science Laboratory rover for a mission to land in 2010 (right).
The Mars Science Laboratory rover is about 9 feet wide, 10 feet long (not counting its robotic arm) and 7 feet tall.
Part of this may certainly be attributed to capability growth, the power of reinforced success and technological ambition. Another element may be the decrease in cost per payload pound from roughly $18,000 in 1990 to a little less than $12,000 by 2000 (constant dollars). The downward pressure is chiefly attibutable to aggressive pricing by China and Russia in their Long March and Proton launch vehicles (respectively).
Market forces!
It’d be nice to see bootprints up there some day.
Lex, would you have been the type to be interested in being an astronaut if they had had a lunar or Mars manned exploration program at the right time in your careeer?
Since you spent your time in Naval Aviation, I would reckon that implies you either didn’t want to be an astronaut, or that you didn’t find the Space Shuttle sufficiently rewarding to get in the program.
I applied for the astronaut candidate program when I was a junior O-3 SWO with no advanced degree. Once they quit laughing they sent me a response starting with, “Thank you for your interest in the Astronaut Candidate Program…”
Surprisingly, that’s about the same response I received when I applied for an aviation vision waiver and entrance into flight training as a more seasoned O-3…
Just couldn’t shuck those black shoes.