Spirit loses use of one wheel
Posted: Tue, Mar 21, 2006, 8:30 AM ET (1330 GMT)
One of the six wheels on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has stopped working entirely, forcing rover engineers to drag the wheel along as they try to move the vehicle into a safe position for the coming winter. The right-front wheel on Spirit had been experiencing problems since mid-2004, when its motor starting drawing large amounts of current. Driving the rover backwards redistributed lubricant and allowed the wheel to work normally again, but last week the motor for that wheel stopped working entirely. Rover drivers play to drag the wheel along as they move the rover to a north-facing slope, where the spacecraft can get enough sunlight to operate throughout the coming Martian winter. As of late last week Spirit was about 120 meters away from its desired location and moving at about 12 meters per day. Last week NASA named John Callas as the new manager of the rover program, which includes operations of both the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.
One of the six wheels on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has stopped working entirely, forcing rover engineers to drag the wheel along as they try to move the vehicle into a safe position for the coming winter. The right-front wheel on Spirit had been experiencing problems since mid-2004, when its motor starting drawing large amounts of current. Driving the rover backwards redistributed lubricant and allowed the wheel to work normally again, but last week the motor for that wheel stopped working entirely. Rover drivers play to drag the wheel along as they move the rover to a north-facing slope, where the spacecraft can get enough sunlight to operate throughout the coming Martian winter. As of late last week Spirit was about 120 meters away from its desired location and moving at about 12 meters per day. Last week NASA named John Callas as the new manager of the rover program, which includes operations of both the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX sets Nov. 18 launch date for sixth Starship test flight
Posted: Sat, Nov 9 9:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, November 25
Rocket Lab Successfully Launches Two Missions in Less Than 24 Hours
Rocket Lab — 5:15 am ET (1015 GMT) Start thinking about space tourism, Travel Counsellors agents told
Travel Weekly — 5:15 am ET (1015 GMT) Greater transparency will enhance space governance
Australian Strategic Policy Institute — 5:14 am ET (1014 GMT) Rural visionaries and space frontiers: How Terry Kilgore helped transform Virginia into a commercial space hub
Cardinal News — 5:14 am ET (1014 GMT) Colorado Springs named permanent home for 250 Delta 15 Space Force guardians, ahead of possible Space Command fight
Colorado Springs Gazette — 5:14 am ET (1014 GMT) |
