PFS issue on Venus Express, PFS scanner stuck in its closed position Options

[Rakhir]

Bad news for PFS. I hope they will be able to solve this issue.

The PFS scanner is stuck in its closed position.
Several attempts to move it were made at the time, but the instrument did not respond. Experts suspected a thermal problem by which low temperatures were blocking the rotation of the mechanism.
Another attempt to move the scanner was made on 16 March 2006, in warmer flight conditions. Unfortunately, the scanner remains stuck.

The next opportunity to perform another test on the spacecraft will be end of April, after the Venus Orbit Insertion.

From http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/in...fobjectid=38964

[sawyer]

I've thought that a very smaller crawler robot (maybe something centipede like) would be what to put on a craft. It would have ability to charge up at some outlet, wireless communication (not absolutely necessary as the plug for power could also allow download communication capability), some optical recording capability, and a few small appendages. This general purpose crawler could relay state information of anything it could reach...and because of its small crawler design that would be a lot of the at least external portion of the craft. It could also provide some leverage or force (like a snake using its body for leverage), to help unstick some pesky parts, but the main help would probably just be relaying information about the actual state of the craft so that intelligent remedial action could be taken.