This 900 kg (2,000 lb),
six-wheeled rover has been transmitting back to Earth since 6th August 2012,
the day it touched down on Mars. Although its planned mission duration
was around two years, it continued to be operational for considerably longer,
like the previous rovers, Spirit and Opportunity.
In fact, its onboard plutonium generators carried enough heat and electricity
to last 14 years. By 2026 the machine is finally grinding to a halt. The last
signal is received from the rover this year.
Various campaign groups voiced
concerns, including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the RSPB and WWF, as well
as conservation organisation The National Trust, and developmental charities
Oxfam and Christian Aid, alongside Hillingdon Council – a local government in
West London. Among the biggest concerns were the impacts on local communities.
Environmental campaigners warned that the increased CO2 caused by the
additional flights would make it harder for the UK to meet its commitments to
the Paris climate agreement.
Many people also resented
London gaining yet another major project, drawing money away from the rest of
the UK. The widening gap between London and everywhere else had already created
a worrying socio-economic divide. This ever-growing sense of inequality may
have been a contributory factor in the Brexit referendum result. The arguments
from the opposition side were strong. In the end, however, the importance of
Heathrow as an international transport hub and a catalyst for wealth generation
in London and the South East was deemed too great. The construction of its
third runway would be completed in 2026.
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