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 15 2006, 08:24 PM
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#2
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Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 5172 Joined: 4-August 05 From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth Member No.: 454 |
Squyres did not mention the wheel trouble in his talk today about Spirit. In fact he said at the end "Spirit has just completed a drive in the direction of Oberth and Korolev, we hope in a week or so to be on one of those nice toasty slopes that will allow us to survive another winter at Mars."
For what that's worth. --Emily -------------------- My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
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Mar 15 2006, 09:07 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1229 Joined: 24-December 05 From: The blue one in between the yellow and red ones. Member No.: 618 |
Squyres did not mention the wheel trouble in his talk today about Spirit. In fact he said at the end "Spirit has just completed a drive in the direction of Oberth and Korolev, we hope in a week or so to be on one of those nice toasty slopes that will allow us to survive another winter at Mars." For what that's worth. --Emily It's not exactly the kind of note a scientific 'knight in armor' wants to conclude his latest progress report with, Emily. He would say it's too soon to evaluate the problem, so 'not worth mentioning' today. Fair enough, I suppose, but I'll bet he's wishing he'd made an update last week at his Mission to Mars site. Then it could have been entirely upbeat, now... Obviously, those static detents, Mars_Armer described are doing their job too well, the bad wheel has not budged despite that long drag. Marcel may well be right, a protruding bedrock meeting the bad wheel might 'anchor' us fast, forcing a back-up. Might mean trickier drive programming and keeping to the sand where possible. Dam'n'Blast! Time's'a'wastin'! We've got to get North, FAST before we freeze! Don't know about those pyrotechnic charges, boys. One short-circuit or static discharge might instantly convert us into a stationary 'rover'. Better to equip MSL with a powerful rock-biting sampler that could be programmed to gnaw the leg off. P.S. Emily, do you mind if I ask a personal question? What is your avatar a picture of? I've guessed 'dented daisy', 'tattered tutu', 'mutant ephyra', but I'm still unsure. Hope the weather's fine in Houston. -------------------- My Grandpa goes to Mars every day and all I get are these lousy T-shirts!
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Guest_AlexBlackwell_* |
Mar 15 2006, 09:10 PM
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#4
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Guests |
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