ROVER WHEELS: Monitoring changes over time, NOTE: Read back through the thread to avoid repeating misconceptions Options

[DeanM]

[MOD NOTE: This thread follows on a post by Ed Truthan containing a MAHLI mosaic of MSL wheels taken on sol 275.]

Ed: zooming in on that marvellous underbelly MAHLI montage, there appears to be further (and previously noted) deformation of the wheel surfaces.

Damage is most evident in the view of the front-left wheel inner surface.

Such wear has previously been discussed and concerns allayed.

Nevertheless, the front left wheel surface *appears* to have been punctured.



We've only done 700 meters, and have 7000 more to get to Mt Sharp.....

Given that more odometry has now accumulated, is any (re-)new(ed) concern valid?

DeanM

[peter.neaum]

The latest series of images from MSL / Mars Hand Lens Imager / MAHLI camera has several views of the wheels.

From Sol 1127 (40 img): http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/ra...mp;camera=MAHLI

One of the images shows a nasty looking spike of metal jutting into the wheel space. I presume the axle shaft will knock it away / back, before it becomes an issue for the wire bundle.
I was unable to find a better image of the metal spike, but here's a ghastly, tweaked & cropped version (I presume it's a spike and not an optical illusion).

From here:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...794E01_DXXX.jpg

Attached thumbnail(s)