GreenReaper:

NASA is also going through the radiation belts and outside the magnetosphere, neither of which SpaceX has done to this extent. Launching a car into low Earth orbit is one thing, driving around on Mars for years is another. They have something they know works and it would cost a lot more to replace it if you wanted the same level of reliability.

My comment isn't an insult to NASA. Think of it this way - had NASA more funds, who knows how they might approach the aforementioned. It isn't to also say they need to either. Now - it has been well documented that budget issues long stunted the shuttle program; that's not in dispute so you cannot discount what I said earlier there is merit to it. I don't think that is to say its affected every area of NASA or methodologies but it does speak to private contracting on some level. On the other hand, private contracting (SpaceX and others) has provided additional innovation and perspective.

Every electronic on earth hit by a solar flare ...dead.... Mars rover be like "hihi that tickles!"

Kevin Mauro:

My comment isn't an insult to NASA. Think of it this way - had NASA more funds, who knows how they might approach the aforementioned. It isn't to also say they need to either. Now - it has been well documented that budget issues long stunted the shuttle program; that's not in dispute so you cannot discount what I said earlier there is merit to it. I don't think that is to say its affected every area of NASA or methodologies but it does speak to private contracting on some level. On the other hand, private contracting (SpaceX and others) has provided additional innovation and perspective.

Well they kinda showed what they can do with unlimited budget ! I mean they went to the moon and back with hand knitted memory over half a century ago!

Venix:

Every electronic on earth hit by a solar flare ...dead.... Mars rover be like "hihi that tickles!"

Solar flares are diffused by the atmosphere.

Astyanax:

Solar flares are diffused by the atmosphere.

The usual ones yes they do, but if it is big enough ...it can cause local blackouts and much much worse . https://www.pnas.org/content/116/47/23368 . Also my point was that such things as the mars rover etc they have to make em able to endure solar flares.

One of the most powerful solar flares ever seen, the Carrington Flare of 1859, was accompanied by a CME that hit Earth and buffeted the planet’s magnetic field, generating electric currents strong enough to melt telegraph wires. The flare energy is estimated at around 5 × 10^25 joules, equivalent to 10 billion megatons of TNT. During the past few decades, spacecraft have kept a close eye on the Sun. The strongest flare yet seen, in November 2003, was about 3 × 10^25 joules

It's not just reliability but also low weight and dimensions, contemporary desktop CPUs have huge dies just to begin with and need whole other motherboard circuitry to work. Weight and size of the things is huge problem for spaceflight. However, they use regular lenovo computers on ISS. So it depends on application too.

Venix:

Every electronic on earth hit by a solar flare ...dead.... Mars rover be like "hihi that tickles!" Well they kinda showed what they can do with unlimited budget ! I mean they went to the moon and back with hand knitted memory over half a century ago!

Right. True, I mean yes yes. It doesn't simply come down to money I should acknowledge that. Say with the 200 MHZ processor I'm no expert but I'd imagine part of what has to do with it as opposed to something operating at a higher frequency is a larger circuit design to combat the bombardment of extreme radioactivity being reported. Someone pointed out SpaceX's processors in one of their rockets I think and I can't speak to that or how they're shielding them - perhaps the difference is also the implementation like the environment they plan to use them in (whereas the rover being on another planet & being exposed to harsher conditions etc) So... just thought I'd add this but far as your point I think with the lunar program it was seen as a part of that "space race" the government was heavily involved because it became highly politicized as an action against Russia for the US. Afterward, less so. This is unfortunate because for years many in NASA insisted on how important space exploration was. The other argument became we needed to use tax payer's dollars on other issues and were overspending when problems elsewhere (infrastructure etc) were going left unaddressed. My personal opinion is money is an elusive concept and in reality, it's a matter of how a country wants to utilize its resources as the two define different concepts in actuality. It's funny to me how many criticize Musk and Bezos for turning their eyes to the stars as it were and not doing anything for the people here and or not enough. Whether or not that's true isn't for me to decide; there are those born to criticize those born to contribute to the impoverished, those that become philanthropists, and then the titans of industry that want to take up Space exploration. I think unless someone or some people are actively seeking out & harming others I'm "live and let live".

They're also testing some ARM chips on that little helicopter, I believe, so be interesting to see how well that'll run.