IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Wheel Trouble, ...down to 5 good wheels?
mars_armer
post Mar 14 2006, 12:29 AM
Post #1


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.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
 
Start new topic
Replies
GregM
post Mar 17 2006, 03:22 AM
Post #2


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 123
Joined: 21-February 05
Member No.: 175



.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Shaka
post Mar 17 2006, 04:32 AM
Post #3


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1229
Joined: 24-December 05
From: The blue one in between the yellow and red ones.
Member No.: 618



QUOTE (GregM @ Mar 16 2006, 05:22 PM) *
My biggest concern about all of this is that if the Rover cannot climb the hill on 5 wheels, it will not gain enough altitude to catch the wind, and therefore not be able to clean off the solar panel. Even if it gets to the base of the hill and gets on a tilt that alllows better positioning with respect to the sun, it is only buying a little time. Eventually the dust will accumulate on the panel and starve Spirit anyway. Sooner or later it will need wind. The wind is up high on the hill. It needs to be able to climb somehow.

Be brave, Greg! We don't know yet what Spirit can do on 5 wheels. Maybe it will be able to climb McCool, slowly and with frequent roadblocks when the Bad Wheel (TBW) catches on a rock. Then we will have to back up, turn, and go around the rock. It will be slooowwww progress. But we have all the time the gods of space probes have allotted Spirit.
As to catching the wind, we could see a huge improvement as soon as we get into the Pass between McCool and Husband Hills. If you aren't familiar with the wind power they can provide, Google on wind farms, and Tehachapi, San Gorgonio, and Altamont Pass. We don't have to reach the peak of McCool to get the wind. On the contrary, it may be extra strong down in the pass.
To be the final, ultimate, SuperHero of Mars exploration, Spirit needs to slowly climb the north face of McCool Hill. If it gets even half way to the summit, it should have a bronze statue in every city park in America! smile.gif


--------------------
My Grandpa goes to Mars every day and all I get are these lousy T-shirts!
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
RNeuhaus
post Mar 17 2006, 06:11 AM
Post #4


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1636
Joined: 9-May 05
From: Lima, Peru
Member No.: 385



QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 16 2006, 11:32 PM) *
As to catching the wind, we could see a huge improvement as soon as we get into the Pass between McCool and Husband Hills.

That is true. I have observed it on the Earth experience. The highest point of a valley, goes a strong wind tunneled by the lower valley. Hope that the point of junction of two hills: Husband and McCool there would be windy.

Rodolfo
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

Posts in this topic
- mars_armer   Wheel Trouble   Mar 14 2006, 12:29 AM
- - Myran   Thank you for the heads up mars_armer. With winter...   Mar 14 2006, 12:44 AM
- - DFinfrock   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 14 2006, 12:29 AM...   Mar 14 2006, 01:20 AM
- - Sunspot   You mean the wheel will no longer turn at all anym...   Mar 14 2006, 01:27 AM
|- - mars_armer   QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 13 2006, 05:27 PM) Y...   Mar 14 2006, 01:44 AM
- - Shaka   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 13 2006, 02:29 PM...   Mar 14 2006, 01:31 AM
- - Jeff7   Yeah, let's really just hope that it's jus...   Mar 14 2006, 03:28 AM
- - BruceMoomaw   Do you mean that the wheel won't turn even if ...   Mar 14 2006, 04:13 AM
|- - Shaka   QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Mar 13 2006, 06:13 P...   Mar 14 2006, 05:15 AM
|- - mars_armer   QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 13 2006, 09:15 PM) Do ...   Mar 14 2006, 04:37 PM
|- - RNeuhaus   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 14 2006, 11:37 AM...   Mar 15 2006, 12:49 AM
- - BruceMoomaw   Under ordinary circumstances that is possible. In...   Mar 14 2006, 05:17 AM
- - CosmicRocker   Oh, no. So that is one reason why Spirit has move...   Mar 14 2006, 07:08 AM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Mar 14 2006, 07:08 ...   Mar 14 2006, 08:25 AM
- - Bill Harris   Oh well, stuff happens. We're all a lot creak...   Mar 14 2006, 08:34 AM
- - edstrick   I note that both from Husband hill and from the dr...   Mar 14 2006, 10:37 AM
|- - Marz   Poor Spirit, just as she regains the lead in milag...   Mar 14 2006, 03:43 PM
- - tty   Design lesson for future rovers: there should be s...   Mar 14 2006, 05:53 PM
|- - Bob Shaw   QUOTE (tty @ Mar 14 2006, 05:53 PM) Desig...   Mar 14 2006, 11:06 PM
|- - RNeuhaus   QUOTE (tty @ Mar 14 2006, 12:53 PM) Desig...   Mar 15 2006, 01:06 AM
|- - monty python   QUOTE (tty @ Mar 14 2006, 11:53 AM) Desig...   Mar 15 2006, 09:49 AM
|- - Ames   QUOTE (monty python @ Mar 15 2006, 09:49 ...   Mar 15 2006, 10:47 AM
||- - odave   QUOTE (Ames @ Mar 15 2006, 05:47 AM) But ...   Mar 15 2006, 02:16 PM
|- - lyford   QUOTE (monty python @ Mar 15 2006, 01:49 ...   Mar 15 2006, 07:35 PM
|- - imipak   QUOTE (monty python @ Mar 15 2006, 09:49 ...   Mar 15 2006, 08:37 PM
- - Bill Harris   QUOTE there should be some simple and reliable mec...   Mar 14 2006, 06:09 PM
- - alan   Something in there?   Mar 14 2006, 07:49 PM
|- - Toma B   That's good news...if it got in, it can posibl...   Mar 14 2006, 08:23 PM
|- - helvick   [quote name='alan' post='45573' date='Mar 14 2006,...   Mar 14 2006, 08:32 PM
|- - mars_armer   QUOTE (alan @ Mar 14 2006, 11:49 AM) Some...   Mar 14 2006, 09:34 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 14 2006, 09:34 PM...   Mar 14 2006, 09:46 PM
||- - helvick   QUOTE (helvick @ Mar 14 2006, 09:46 PM) A...   Mar 14 2006, 10:05 PM
||- - Shaka   QUOTE (helvick @ Mar 14 2006, 12:05 PM) A...   Mar 14 2006, 10:34 PM
|||- - helvick   QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 14 2006, 10:34 PM) ......   Mar 14 2006, 10:37 PM
||- - Daba   QUOTE (helvick @ Mar 14 2006, 11:05 PM) A...   Mar 14 2006, 11:28 PM
|- - Shaka   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 14 2006, 11:34 AM...   Mar 14 2006, 09:46 PM
- - Sunspot   I thought it might have been a rock at first... bu...   Mar 14 2006, 10:55 PM
- - djellison   At a first look - it just looks like dust to me - ...   Mar 14 2006, 11:05 PM
- - slinted   There was a tiny bit of motion between sol 779 and...   Mar 14 2006, 11:39 PM
|- - ElkGroveDan   QUOTE (slinted @ Mar 14 2006, 11:39 PM) T...   Mar 15 2006, 01:24 AM
- - djellison   That's a very odd motion - at first I thought ...   Mar 15 2006, 12:11 AM
- - Bill Harris   Not at all good. Slinted's animated-GIF shows...   Mar 15 2006, 04:01 AM
- - mars_armer   Looks like a drive will be attempted on Sol 781 (d...   Mar 15 2006, 04:33 AM
- - edstrick   quote: "I've got a little list..... I...   Mar 15 2006, 10:49 AM
- - Burmese   Yeah, wheel bearing looks likely to me, or some ot...   Mar 15 2006, 01:57 PM
|- - MahFL   Strange co-incidence......today the front left whe...   Mar 15 2006, 06:10 PM
- - djellison   I gave a talk to some 16-18 y.o. school students t...   Mar 15 2006, 06:48 PM
- - Sunspot   Still limping along: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/...   Mar 15 2006, 07:54 PM
|- - general   QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 15 2006, 08:54 PM) S...   Mar 15 2006, 08:13 PM
|- - Marcel   QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 15 2006, 08:54 PM) S...   Mar 15 2006, 08:16 PM
|- - Sunspot   QUOTE (Marcel @ Mar 15 2006, 08:16 PM) Oh...   Mar 15 2006, 08:50 PM
- - Burmese   Good, they aren't going to sit still and spend...   Mar 15 2006, 08:05 PM
- - elakdawalla   Squyres did not mention the wheel trouble in his t...   Mar 15 2006, 08:24 PM
|- - Shaka   QUOTE (elakdawalla @ Mar 15 2006, 10:24 A...   Mar 15 2006, 09:07 PM
|- - AlexBlackwell   QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 15 2006, 09:07 PM) P.S...   Mar 15 2006, 09:10 PM
|- - Shaka   QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Mar 15 2006, 11:10...   Mar 15 2006, 09:49 PM
||- - djellison   QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 15 2006, 09:49 PM) I s...   Mar 15 2006, 10:18 PM
||- - odave   QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 15 2006, 04:49 PM) I s...   Mar 15 2006, 10:20 PM
||- - Shaka   QUOTE (odave @ Mar 15 2006, 12:20 PM) See...   Mar 15 2006, 11:00 PM
||- - ToSeek   QUOTE (odave @ Mar 15 2006, 10:20 PM) See...   Mar 16 2006, 05:48 PM
||- - AlexBlackwell   QUOTE (ToSeek @ Mar 16 2006, 05:48 PM) Sh...   Mar 16 2006, 05:50 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (AlexBlackwell @ Mar 15 2006, 09:10...   Mar 15 2006, 09:54 PM
- - centsworth_II   "Looks like she's returning to Home Plate...   Mar 15 2006, 09:01 PM
- - Bill Harris   >Looks like she's returning to Home Plate ...   Mar 15 2006, 10:23 PM
- - djellison   I think they moved to the nearest patch that offer...   Mar 15 2006, 10:31 PM
- - alan   First impression: the right front wheel looks like...   Mar 15 2006, 10:34 PM
- - Shaka   http://static.flickr.com/41/113051772_e40da86735_o...   Mar 15 2006, 11:57 PM
- - CosmicRocker   QUOTE (elakdawalla @ Mar 15 2006, 02:24 P...   Mar 16 2006, 04:10 AM
- - mars_armer   The wheel is definitely looking dead (open circuit...   Mar 16 2006, 04:44 PM
|- - Sunspot   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 16 2006, 04:44 PM...   Mar 16 2006, 05:28 PM
|- - ToSeek   QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 16 2006, 05:28 PM) O...   Mar 16 2006, 05:50 PM
|- - mars_armer   > Well, until next summer, at least. And don...   Mar 16 2006, 06:13 PM
- - odave   I'm sure the MER engineers will be able to squ...   Mar 16 2006, 06:17 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (odave @ Mar 16 2006, 06:17 PM) I...   Mar 16 2006, 06:46 PM
|- - Bob Shaw   QUOTE (helvick @ Mar 16 2006, 06:46 PM) O...   Mar 16 2006, 08:46 PM
- - odave   Yeah, I know that Ma'adim Vallis is not a real...   Mar 16 2006, 06:55 PM
|- - Marz   QUOTE (odave @ Mar 16 2006, 12:55 PM) Yea...   Mar 16 2006, 09:14 PM
|- - Shaka   QUOTE (Marz @ Mar 16 2006, 11:14 AM) lol ...   Mar 16 2006, 10:57 PM
- - djellison   The day time temps might be getting to -60 instead...   Mar 16 2006, 10:02 PM
- - Jeff7   Can't they just use the routines they develope...   Mar 16 2006, 10:46 PM
- - djellison   Spirits wheel wasnt stuck back in the 150-350 sol ...   Mar 16 2006, 10:50 PM
- - GregM   .   Mar 17 2006, 03:22 AM
|- - Shaka   QUOTE (GregM @ Mar 16 2006, 05:22 PM) My ...   Mar 17 2006, 04:32 AM
|- - RNeuhaus   QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 16 2006, 11:32 PM) As ...   Mar 17 2006, 06:11 AM
|- - MahFL   "We're now in a drive or die situation,...   Mar 17 2006, 03:17 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (MahFL @ Mar 17 2006, 03:17 PM) ...   Mar 17 2006, 04:08 PM
|- - ToSeek   QUOTE (helvick @ Mar 17 2006, 04:08 PM) P...   Mar 17 2006, 06:23 PM
- - ddeerrff   QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 16 2006, 04:57 PM) Mar...   Mar 17 2006, 04:29 AM
- - djellison   <360 Whr's per sol and decreasing quite rap...   Mar 17 2006, 04:09 PM
- - mars_armer   How sure are we of the 280 Whr "death" n...   Mar 17 2006, 06:37 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 17 2006, 06:37 PM...   Mar 17 2006, 07:21 PM
|- - Bob Shaw   QUOTE (mars_armer @ Mar 17 2006, 06:37 PM...   Mar 17 2006, 11:44 PM
- - Sunspot   Was Spirit supposed to drive today? http://qt.e...   Mar 17 2006, 07:08 PM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 17 2006, 07:08 PM) W...   Mar 17 2006, 08:29 PM
|- - akuo   QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 17 2006, 07:08 PM) W...   Mar 17 2006, 08:40 PM
- - Oersted   I think we're all happy that the team was pret...   Mar 18 2006, 12:00 AM
- - nprev   On the weakly positive side, I hope that the wheel...   Mar 18 2006, 12:28 AM
- - marsman   In today's press release below, there are a fe...   Mar 18 2006, 01:39 AM
- - odave   QUOTE (marsman @ Mar 17 2006, 08:39 PM) N...   Mar 18 2006, 02:42 AM
- - Steve   QUOTE (marsman @ Mar 17 2006, 08:39 PM) N...   Mar 18 2006, 02:59 AM
3 Pages V   1 2 3 >


Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 31st October 2024 - 11:02 PM
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting.

IMAGE COPYRIGHT
Images posted on UnmannedSpaceflight.com may be copyrighted. Do not reproduce without permission. Read here for further information on space images and copyright.

OPINIONS AND MODERATION
Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators.
SUPPORT THE FORUM
Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member.