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 launches Starlink satellites in final launch of 2024
Posted: Sat, Jan 4 8:39 AM ET (1339 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Friday, January 10
Redwire Camera Technology to Launch Onboard Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost Lunar Lander’s First Robotic Moon Mission to Deliver NASA Science
Business Wire — 6:18 am ET (1118 GMT) US Space Force Selects L3Harris to Design Resilient GPS Satellites
Inside GNSS — 6:18 am ET (1118 GMT) Rocket Lab on Track to Advance U.S. Defense Capabilities, Passing Major Milestone in Development of Spacecraft Constellation for Space Development Agency
Business Wire — 6:17 am ET (1117 GMT) In U.S.: Generals, spies and moguls cross their fingers for Bezos’ New Glenn
Aerospace America — 6:16 am ET (1116 GMT) Weather prompts Blue Origin to push back New Glenn rocket launch
UPI — 6:15 am ET (1115 GMT) |
