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

[fredk]

I thought something looked a bit odd about the LM wheel on the latest survey, from 1512. Comparing it to an earlier view, from 708, you can pretty clearly see that the grousers near the top have been bent inwards:

They've bent where the skin in between is quite heavily damaged, so I guess it makes sense that this is a weaker point.

I haven't checked carefully to see how far back this bending occured, but judging from Emily's LM compilation it seems to show up at around sol 1315.

(Mods - oops, sorry, I forgot about the pinned wheel thread.) [MOVED - MOD.]