Mars rover battles for its life - DiscussAnything.com -

cellularsociety · #1 11-12-2009, 05:20 AM

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...-its-life.html

Quote:

NASA's twin Mars rovers have outlasted their planned three-month missions for so long that they seem indestructible. Nearly six years on, their presence on the Red Planet is taken for granted, as if they are immutable parts of the Martian landscape.

But we may soon have to confront a new reality. Spirit, which has always suffered more hardships than Opportunity, is facing its toughest challenge yet. When New Scientist went to press, the rover was set to begin a risky push to free itself from a sand trap it has been mired in for six months. Mission engineers say it may not survive the attempt. "She's in a very precarious situation, and we don't know for sure if we're going to get her out," says rover driver Scott Maxwell of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

Spirit encountered its latest difficulty in April, as it made its way south along the edge of Home Plate, a plateau of hardened ash that has been its main haunt for more than three-and-a-half years. Its wheels started to slip in the soft, sandy soil filling an 8-metre-wide crater. By the time the rover team decided to stop driving, Spirit was essentially just spinning its wheels.

I know it's utterly ridiculous to feel this way but I can't help feeling sorry for the little things.

Mark

Red · #2 11-12-2009, 07:49 AM

go go gadget rover...

Saison · #3 11-12-2009, 07:55 AM

waaaaaaaallll-eeeee.

Dogberry · #4 11-12-2009, 07:57 AM

Are they cute like these?

cellularsociety · #5 11-12-2009, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red

go go gadget rover...

If they'd built them with hats with gadgets in they would have been even better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saison

waaaaaaaallll-eeeee.

Almost.

Mark

oki · #6 11-12-2009, 08:37 AM

awww thats so sad.

Ice Pick · #7 11-12-2009, 04:40 PM

Spirit has been on Mars for like six years I think and it has survived Martian winters and dust storms and now it's being stop by stupid sand. But I must say, those twin rovers are tough little guys.

Freedom&Liberty · #8 11-12-2009, 04:47 PM

Why didn't they put some mud tires on that thing?

oki · #9 11-12-2009, 05:24 PM

cant the one rover go help the other? like pull him out or something?

cellularsociety · #10 11-12-2009, 05:42 PM

They are a mighty long way apart for vehicles that can travel at a maximum of some 200 metres per day.

Mark

oki · #11 11-12-2009, 07:06 PM

but they are twins.
hes gonna help ihis brother isnt he?

Ice Pick · #12 11-12-2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oki

but they are twins.
hes gonna help ihis brother isnt he?

The rovers are on opposite sides of the Planet though.

Plus as stated before, they can't drive very fast, they aren't sport cars.

oki · #13 11-13-2009, 07:40 AM

thats even more sad.

lets send a rescue misson.

jeremix · #14 11-13-2009, 08:24 AM

Can't Bruce Willis do anything?

Ice Pick · #15 11-13-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oki

thats even more sad.

lets send a rescue misson.

They are going to send commands to the rover and try to get it out of the sand trap.

Adanch · #16 11-21-2009, 01:02 AM

With this incredible success, NASA should be making dozens of these things and sending them all over the planet.

Oh and GO SOLAR ENERGY! (I'm partial to solar.)

Cd. · #17 11-21-2009, 01:06 AM

Interesting. I was thinking of writing a Sci Fi story in the lines of androids which inhabit a distant planet whose fuction is to extract minerals for humans. The androids have human like intellegence. Anyway they take on a life of their own and rebel against human authority....

..its still in the works...

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