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Wheel Trouble, ...down to 5 good wheels?
mars_armer
post Mar 14 2006, 12:29 AM
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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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elakdawalla
post Mar 15 2006, 08:24 PM
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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


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Shaka
post Mar 15 2006, 09:07 PM
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QUOTE (elakdawalla @ Mar 15 2006, 10:24 AM) *
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. sad.gif 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. wink.gif

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.


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Guest_AlexBlackwell_*
post Mar 15 2006, 09:10 PM
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QUOTE (Shaka @ Mar 15 2006, 09:07 PM) *
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.

It's a radar image of the venusian surface from Magellan.
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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
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