What's So Interesting? Options

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Hopefully we might get some idea of whats going on after the latest images are posted.......they shouldn't be too long 

I spoke too soon lol..... the one day new pics are late in being posted lol

[odave]

Or will it turn freely, flopping whereever fate takes it?

...kinda like the one wheel on that bum shopping cart I always seem to end up with?

I confident the MER engineering team will come up with something, it seems like there are several avenues for a workaround/solution.

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Well........no update today, so I gues they're still tinkering with it.

[Phillip]

Well........no update today, so I gues they're still tinkering with it. 

I just saw this and thought I would pass it on:

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Steering Tests After a Long Drive - sol 430-437, April 18, 2005



The terrain that Opportunity is crossing has been steadily getting more wavy. After a long drive southward from "Voyager" crater, Opportunity's right-front steering motor stalled out on sol 433 during an end-of-drive turn. While performing tests to help the team diagnose the condition of that motor, the rover also continued to make remote-sensing observations. Testing in sol 435 did show motion in the steering motor, but analysis is still underway. The rover resumed normal science and driving operations on sol 436, but with restrictions on use of the right-front steering motor. It drove 30 meters on sol 437. Opportunity and Spirit are capable of driving with one or more steering motors disabled, though turns would be less precise. The latest revision in flight software on both rovers, uploaded in February, gives them improved capabilities for dealing with exactly this type of condition. It gives them upgraded ability to repeatedly evaluate how well they are following the intended course during a drive, and to adjust the steering autonomously if appropriate.

[helvick]

And also very assuring note:

Sol 437:
The team planned a southward drive of about 45 meters, but Opportunity curved left, sensed it was off course, and ended the drive after 30 meters. The same driving commands produced the same results in a software testbed at JPL, indicating that the curving resulted from how software parameters were set, rather than a hardware problem. Observations with the panoramic camera were completed as planned.

Odometry total as of sol 437 (April 16, 2005): 5,225 meters (3.25 miles).

[mhoward]

Wow, that is a big relief. I hope we see some driving soon, then.

[Jeff7]

And also very assuring note:

Sol 437:
The team planned a southward drive of about 45 meters, but Opportunity curved left, sensed it was off course, and ended the drive after 30 meters. The same driving commands produced the same results in a software testbed at JPL, indicating that the curving resulted from how software parameters were set, rather than a hardware problem. Observations with the panoramic camera were completed as planned.

Odometry total as of sol 437 (April 16, 2005): 5,225 meters (3.25 miles).

I just think that's really cool - rovers that are able to figure out that they're not where they're supposed to be.

[dot.dk]

Also this sounds like it's not completely dead

Sol 435:
The sol's plan included more remote sensing, plus diagnostic tests using attempts to change the steering direction of the right-front wheel very slightly at different times of day and at different voltage levels. The testing did show motion in the steering motor. While analysis continues, the rover is resuming normal science and driving activities with restrictions on the use of the right-front steering motor.

[Jeff7]

Hopefully it's just some dust somewhere in there that'll work its way out. Or else just a software glitch.

[gregp1962]

Where is the rest of the world? We have this big news item concerning the wheel problem and no one seems to know or care. It isn't even being mentioned by NASA..yet.

[dot.dk]

Where is the rest of the world? We have this big news item concerning the wheel problem and no one seems to know or care. It isn't even being mentioned by NASA..yet.

Oh, yes it is
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/mission/status.html#opportunity

[CosmicRocker]

Oh, thank god. I can breath again. Although Opportunity is not out of the woods yet, I was concerned it might have developed a serious mobility problem just as it was getting to the etched terrain. It's very encouraging that not only have they been able to drive a fair distance with the problem, but also that "the testing did show motion..."

[deglr6328]

Well that's certainly a bit of a relief. I wonder what's causing these problems with the steering actuators....the same fault on both rovers seems highly unlikely unless there's a design weakness in that part somewhere .

[Marcel]

Well that's certainly a bit of a relief.  I wonder what's causing these problems with the steering actuators....the same fault on both rovers seems highly unlikely unless there's a design weakness in that part somewhere .

It's the same dilemma i always have with my twin daugthers. If they're BOTH ill by a not contageous disease: is it because they're built the same way (with the same stongnesses and weaknesses) or is it just pure coincidence ?

I'd say the steering actuator problems have to do with a "weakness" in both....though we don't have the inside information on what's exactly going on.

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Oppy is moving again.........but did take a little detour again.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...B0P1893L0M1.JPG