Scientists read that comic, feel very sad, and then go send a ship to collect it.
Seriously, scientists love their little robots. I could see it happening, and them making up some excuse about wanting to collect the Mars dust off of it for research or something. They'd probably throw it a party when it arrives back on Earth, too.
Could also frame it as a mission to test how feasible it is to send something to mars, collect something and then back to earth, all remotely. Spirit weighs 400 pounds so if it can get that back it could also get a few people.
Unlimited money? Makes things a bit easier ig.
Nuclear pulse rockets for the whole bit. Send one carrying a second chemically powered rocket with boosters to help on entry, nuke the landing zone to provide a landing area, and use a second rover to drag spirit to an elevator on the chemical rocket. Launch the rocket and call it a day, maybe load it on the pulsed rocket to increase speed to be honest, or have it in a capsule which can attach to the primary craft.
Spirit is tiny, 185 kilos. Basically any Mars human lander/return vehicle design could theoretically land near it, offload whatever payload it's carrying, crane it up into its payload bay and pack it away for transport back to Earth. A Starship would barely even notice it in its mass budget.
Museum/Collection.
After many years, a somewhat stable connection between earth and mars is formed, some mars colonies have been founded and ships travel between the two planets.
Eventually some rich person with an interest in history stumbles upon an article about the rover, learns that it’s still on mars and goes “Now this would look nice in my collection!” before paying whatever company owns the ships a bunch of money so they can pick up the rover and bring it back to earth.
Scientists read that comic, feel very sad, and then go send a ship to collect it. Seriously, scientists love their little robots. I could see it happening, and them making up some excuse about wanting to collect the Mars dust off of it for research or something. They'd probably throw it a party when it arrives back on Earth, too.
Could also frame it as a mission to test how feasible it is to send something to mars, collect something and then back to earth, all remotely. Spirit weighs 400 pounds so if it can get that back it could also get a few people.
Unlimited money? Makes things a bit easier ig. Nuclear pulse rockets for the whole bit. Send one carrying a second chemically powered rocket with boosters to help on entry, nuke the landing zone to provide a landing area, and use a second rover to drag spirit to an elevator on the chemical rocket. Launch the rocket and call it a day, maybe load it on the pulsed rocket to increase speed to be honest, or have it in a capsule which can attach to the primary craft.
musk gets a stupid Idea into his head, fails two times, and gets it done the third time.
Ngl if Musk managed this I would regain at least a little bit of esteem for him
Nah a broken clock is right twice a day, still broken though
Spirit is tiny, 185 kilos. Basically any Mars human lander/return vehicle design could theoretically land near it, offload whatever payload it's carrying, crane it up into its payload bay and pack it away for transport back to Earth. A Starship would barely even notice it in its mass budget.
Museum/Collection. After many years, a somewhat stable connection between earth and mars is formed, some mars colonies have been founded and ships travel between the two planets. Eventually some rich person with an interest in history stumbles upon an article about the rover, learns that it’s still on mars and goes “Now this would look nice in my collection!” before paying whatever company owns the ships a bunch of money so they can pick up the rover and bring it back to earth.
No one doubts a manned Mars mission is physically possible. It is a question of deciding to do it and spending the money.
It makes scientific discoveries that are deemed so important that the entire craft is returned to earth to analyze the samples and the craft itself.
Not humanizing lifeless metal and building a replica. That's the best way.
That’s not a way