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Spirit Rover Disabled on Mars

Posted by michael on from the tow-truck-rates-astronomical dept.

Nick Driver writes " Space.com is reporting that the Spirit Rover hasn't moved since October 1st and is suffering from two wheels that can no longer steer and thus are being held in a fixed direction by their locked steering motors. Hopefully one of the workarounds being considered will allow the rover to be moved again and still retain sufficient steering control over the remaining wheels to continue the mission."

3 of 29 comments (clear)

  1. I'm Surprised by XsynackX · · Score: 1, Insightful
    I'm surprised the rover even lasted this long at all as its life span was only planned to be 90 days.

    On another note, I read that another issue that would be happening with the rovers would be dust building up on the solar panels, blocking sunlight (maybe dust jammed the wheels as well?). Anyway, I always wondered why NASA didn't foresee these types of issues and BUILD IN workarounds, like little wipers for the solar panels!?

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    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    I'm not a vegan because I love animals, I'm a vegan because I hate plants!
    1. Re:I'm Surprised by pediddle · · Score: 2, Insightful

      YHBT. YHL. HAND.

  2. Re:Oh well by R2.0 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I think a more proper analogy would be an American that had traumatic brain surgery as a child, made a full recovery, and has been working its ass off for 120 years and finally twisted a knee so bad it has to take a day off work.

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    "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson