Okay, I Know It Isn't Houses or Food, But...
 

...holy fucking shit. Rover Opportunity on the surface of Mars, as seen from the latest Mars orbiter.

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/fig...08816_fig1.jpg

Don't forget another fact. The Rovers were almost shut down. Having lasted far longer than predicted, the Rovers had return to Congress and the (we are smart) White House for more $millions. But NASA's objectives had been changed by the (we are smart) White House. NASAs' purpose is manned flight and colonization. Rovers are about science. Therefore the Rovers (like Hubble and nine environmental study satellites) all found funding denied. Rovers lucked out because they could rationalize it supported a 'Man to Mars' mission - which it does not. But politicians are too often lawyers - tend to believe what sounds good rather than what is good or necessary.

One Rover has lost use of and is dragging that wheel. Other traveled six kilometers to sit on the edge of a crater. Waiting for summer sun that would provide it with enough energy to get down there and to survive. Survival is a problem on a planet where temperature drops to something like -130 degree F. Somehow man will do something more useful than a robot in that kind of environment? Lawyer politicians tell us it is so.

Rovers have been taught new tricks since they arrived - science adapting as it learns. Rovers are now programmed to override functions when an interesting phenomenon occurs. By the time a dust devil is detected and Earth commands get sent, the dust devil has disappeared. Rovers were upgraded so that, for example, Rover will stop what it is doing and track a dust devil.

Due to something unique in Mars atmosphere, dusk and dawn occur two hours after and two hours before sunset and sunrise. So many science curiosities but no Martians yet. Eventually we expect to find the booth where Martians are selling tickets for their newly discovered metallic animal exhibit. Only then will we really know what a Rover is worth on Mars.

The series of images on Nasa's site from the rover and the satellite are awesome. I like how you can see tracks of the rover going to the first promontory. And you can see the picture it took there of the second promontory. And you can then continue following the tracks as it goes over to the second promontory to check out what it saw.

When we get Google mars we can watch them. ;)

Quotes and postcards from the Rovers:
Mars Exploration Rover Mission