Mars rover stuck in soft ground
Posted: Tue, May 12, 2009, 8:06 AM ET (1206 GMT)
The Mars rover Spirit has gotten stuck in a patch of soft ground, and project officials said it may be weeks before they can attempt to extricate the venerable spacecraft. JPL said in a statement Monday that the rover had been slipping in soft soil recent, halfway burying its five working wheels. Engineers are studying ways to get the rover out of that soil patch without further burying it, a process that could take weeks. Spirit's twin, Opportunity, got stuck in a sand dune several years ago but was able to free itself after several weeks. Spirit, which has been operating for over five years despite being designed for only a 90-day mission, has also experienced a series of computer glitches last month, although those problems have not recurred recently.
The Mars rover Spirit has gotten stuck in a patch of soft ground, and project officials said it may be weeks before they can attempt to extricate the venerable spacecraft. JPL said in a statement Monday that the rover had been slipping in soft soil recent, halfway burying its five working wheels. Engineers are studying ways to get the rover out of that soil patch without further burying it, a process that could take weeks. Spirit's twin, Opportunity, got stuck in a sand dune several years ago but was able to free itself after several weeks. Spirit, which has been operating for over five years despite being designed for only a 90-day mission, has also experienced a series of computer glitches last month, although those problems have not recurred recently.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Vast signs contract with SpaceX for ISS private astronaut missions
Posted: Sat, Dec 21 11:59 AM ET (1659 GMT) Avio signs ESA contracts for Vega upgrades and Earth science satellite launch
Posted: Sat, Dec 21 11:57 AM ET (1657 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, December 23
Isro to launch 24 experiments to space with PSLV Spadex mission
India Today — 7:16 am ET (1216 GMT) Experimental payloads developed by Karnataka-based academia and start-ups to be launched in ISRO upcoming mission
The Hindu — 7:15 am ET (1215 GMT) ISRO to conduct experiments on growing plants in space
The Tribune (India) — 7:15 am ET (1215 GMT) Isro PSLV-C60 Spadex mission: When will it launch and how to watch it
India Today — 7:13 am ET (1213 GMT) NASA probe to fly closer to the Sun than ever before
Axios — 7:12 am ET (1212 GMT) |
