Wheel Trouble, ...down to 5 good wheels? |
Wheel Trouble, ...down to 5 good wheels? |
Mar 14 2006, 12:29 AM
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#1
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 90 Joined: 13-January 05 Member No.: 143 |
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I just heard that there is a serious problem with Spirit's right front drive actuator after yestersol's drive. (This is the actuator that had high currents in the past and led to the backward-driving strategy.) It will take awhile to evaluate the situation, but early speculation is grim.
In a worst-case scenario, they can still drag the bum wheel along, but don't expect another summit view. Best-case scenario would be a rock or debris jammed in the wheel. This is a heads-up, sorry I can't really give more info at this time. I still thought you all would like to know. |
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Mar 14 2006, 05:53 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 688 Joined: 20-April 05 From: Sweden Member No.: 273 |
Design lesson for future rovers: there should be some simple and reliable mechanism for unclutching a wheel once it is certain that it is inoperable and cannot be recovered. Some kind of pyro mechanism perhaps?
tty |
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Mar 15 2006, 09:49 AM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 184 Joined: 2-March 06 Member No.: 692 |
Design lesson for future rovers: there should be some simple and reliable mechanism for unclutching a wheel once it is certain that it is inoperable and cannot be recovered. Some kind of pyro mechanism perhaps? tty In a future mission, how about just blowing off the whole wheel? Pyro wouldn't add much weight. |
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Mar 15 2006, 07:35 PM
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#4
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1281 Joined: 18-December 04 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 124 |
In a future mission, how about just blowing off the whole wheel? Pyro wouldn't add much weight. well, maybe just to blow open the clutch or something so it could freely turn - then dragging it wouldn't be dead weight. -------------------- Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test |
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