How did I miss that this thing was running on nuclear power. I guess I just assumed battery + solar.
Pretty sweet! It can run for a minimum of 14 years. I don't recall the last rovers using nuclear?
Pretty sweet! It can run for a minimum of 14 years. I don't recall the last rovers using nuclear?
The situation might change enough being on planet where the sun is slightly filtered by the thin atmosphere, and the sun doesn't shine ~12 hours a day.
RTGs have many other advantages: they provide heat as well as power (which is really important on Mars) and they don't wear out when covered with dust. If Curiosity stops running within a decade, it won't be because of power.