-
Spirit Stuck but Still Sleuthing
June 28, 2009 / Posted by: Aaron GronstalNASA’s Mars rover Spirit is having traction trouble in the martian soil. Although stuck, the rover is taking advantage of the situation by learning more about Mars’ environmental history.
Source: [astrobio.net]
- Professor at University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo makes impact on the Study of Planetary Habitability
- Daniel Glavin Wins 2010 Nier Prize
- Vatican Hosts Study Week on Astrobiology
- Taking a Bite of Antarctic Ice
- Dr. Linda Billings Recieves Lifetime Achievement Award
- Discoveries in the Deep
- Ethics of Space Exploration
- Eigenbrode Earns Chief Technologist’s Top Prize
- Success in Monterey Bay Canyon
- Can Darwin Help Us Find Life Elsewhere?
fred roberts said:
unstuck algorithms (note: from Canada, the land of snow and ice.)
“Jack” up the rover on an unstable angle using whatever probers are available.
This will probably not work, but you might get enough traction to move it . Assuming that doesn’t work, you power 1 side and violently release the “jack”.
This MAY get the wheels on fresh crust, or pack down the soil in a “new area”. If you get fresh crust you might drive it out. If you are still stuck, repeat this a couple thousand times and you may find a path out.
This technique is used in Canada when all else fails. Jack up the rear bumper, rev the engine and push it off the bumper jack.