Engineers design probes with a certain lifespan in mind, but some hardy robots just keep going. The tradition begun by the Voyager twins, which outlasted their missions to Jupiter and Saturn by decades and are now reporting from the edges of the solar system, continues today: In March a combination of luck and solid engineering allowed the Stardust probe to complete its second comet-chasing mission. Here is how it and two other plucky space explorers have defied retirement.
Courtesy NASA
Original Mission: The $333 million probe, launched in 2005 to shoot a copper slug into the heart of comet Tempel 1, revealed organic molecules and water ice. Secrets to Survival: A surplus of fuel onboard and a flawless debut performance. Second Life: Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory restarted the probe’s thrusters in November 2007, sending it on a new mission to survey comet Hartley 2. Current Status: ...
