Mars rover suffers failed front wheel

[Mark R]

One of the wheels on Nasa's Martian rover Spirit has stopped working.

The robotic vehicle is now dragging the wheel as it moves to a slope where it can get maximum sunshine on its solar cells to sustain it through the winter.

Link

Damn. These things always happen after the warranty runs out!

 

[Zolty]

They have been having trouble w/ that wheel for a while now.

 

[KillerCharlie]

How long have these things been going? Weren't they hoping for like 3 months of operation each? They must be 10x that now.

 

[PowerMacG5]

Originally posted by: Zolty
They have been having trouble w/ that wheel for a while now.

Yeah, I remember like a year ago when they first started reporting problems with the dragging wheel. Somehow it got fixed, and I guess its broken again.

Whatever, the rovers have long outlasted their predicted life span.

 

[KillerCharlie]

I think they should've fought the two rovers battle bots style.

 

[Minerva]

Those NASA engineers are singing Kenny Rogers!

"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"

:laugh: -M

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Minerva
Those NASA engineers are singing Kenny Rogers!

"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"

:laugh: -M

ugh groan. boo!

/me throws peanuts at Minerva

 

[Atheus]

Arms and legs FTW.

 

[bernse]

Originally posted by: PowerMacG5

Originally posted by: Zolty
They have been having trouble w/ that wheel for a while now.

Yeah, I remember like a year ago when they first started reporting problems with the dragging wheel. Somehow it got fixed, and I guess its broken again.

Whatever, the rovers have long outlasted their predicted life span.

I don't know if it is the same wheel or not, but one was taking too much current, so they instead just drove it backwards and dragged it. They could still drive the wheel though if need be (for say a sticky situation).

But, aparantly it is taking 0 current now, so it is indeed broke.

Too bad, I know that they have insanely lived beyond their life expectancy, but I was hoping (unrealistically of course) to have those rovers zooming around the surface for years to come, and greet the Humans when we finally get there.

 

[Lumathix]

Originally posted by: Minerva
Those NASA engineers are singing Kenny Rogers!

"You picked a fine time to leave me loose wheel"

:laugh: -M

lol that's awesome

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
I think they should've fought the two rovers battle bots style.

:thumbsup:

 

[venk]

Just call Triple A.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Mars broke its "leg" and it still keeps going. These rovers are unstoppable! :thumbsup:

 

[jagec]

They should have sent it some nails...nails are like candy to robots.

 

[m2kewl]

Hey! it could of been worse!

 

[PhaZe]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie
How long have these things been going? Weren't they hoping for like 3 months of operation each? They must be 10x that now.

Yes the initial estimate was projected to be 3 months of operation and they been there two years past their mark.

I just read this article for a class I have that deals with the next generation of rovers.

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/mar06/3059

They are designing autonomous rovers (their prototype is named Zoe) so that they don't have to give step by step instructions to the current rovers such as Spirit.

from the article

The Mars bots get their driving instructions from operators back at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena, Calif. Progress is slow?on a typical day, each rover may move only a few tens of meters. As of January, Spirit?s odometer stood at a little more than 6 kilometers, while Opportunity had trekked about 6.5 km. Their Chilean descendant, Zoë, by contrast, can cover that distance and more in a single day and can operate autonomously. And while the Mars machines are designed to study the planet?s geology, Zoë is more a biologist, looking for signs of microscopic life.

 

[FeuerFrei]

This is why rovers have more than one wheel. Redundancy.

 

[virtueixi]

They are hiding something!! Text

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: virtueixi
They are hiding something!! Text

Text

 

[Ornery]

Mars Rover SPirit Stuck by its own airbags, NASA sent a VERY Expensive digital camera to mars .
nanyangview 01/08/2004

• man..even a toy car won't get stuck like that:
  Rover is Stuck
  
  NASA's efforts to clear the way for the Spirit rover to reach Mars' surface have so far failed, and engineers are considering alternative routes for manoeuvring the six-wheeled robot off its lander, scientists said Thursday.
  
  Hope it breaks a wheel when trying to do a 3Pt turn on that ramp.

 

[bernse]

Originally posted by: m2kewl
Hey! it could of been worse!

Heh. That was pretty funny. Even on cinder blocks.
:thumbsup: