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Mars Rover Stuck in a Dune
Bamfarooni writes "The NASA Mars rover Opportunity has gotten stuck in a dune, buried up to the hubs of the wheels. While they haven't given up yet, it doesn't look good for the little guy who's now 359 days into the extended mission." From the article: "The Mars machinery had been cruising southward across the open parking lot-like landscape of Meridiani Planum, full of larger and larger ripples of soil. Opportunity has been en route to its next stopover, Erebus crater, nestled inside an even larger crater known as Terra Nova."
It was probably attacked by a giant sandworm.
You have to see the humor in our incredibly exspensive, technical revolutionary machinery being put out of commision by some sand. Help, Rover's fallen and he can't get up.
Clearly the Martian Highways Dept. need to get a crew up there right away and fix these potholes before someone gets hurt.
They need bigger wheels! Knew they shoulda opt for those shiny 18" !
We should have sent a jeep :)
If they had a caddie they would know that they could use a sand wedge to get it out. But nasa is far too cheap and doesn't like to tip.
NJ Local Music Scene
This is going to take a whole lot of floorin'! /obligatory simpsons quote
Poor little rover. We should send someone up to push it out. I volunteer!
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
If you had let Xzibit and West Coast Customs pimp out the Rover with 20 inch rims you would have avoided this problem.
Letter
Too bad if it's permanently stuck, but what an amazing success for this mission, which has gone on far longer that it was planned for. I hope the NASA engineers get the recognition they deserver for this job well done.
If any NASA or JPL people are reading this thread I have one thing to say:
Mission _very_ accomplished.
The human race knows infinitely more of our red neighbor thanks to your hard work.
THANK YOU!
They have two rovers. The solution is obvious.
They'll get there in less than 30 minutes or the next tow is free!
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
Hope NASA has AAA emergency roadside assistance membership.
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
One of the NASA engineers is going to use his AAA card and tell the tow truck driver that it's his rover.
AAA is going to get shafted on this one, but problem solved.
BEAGLE to the RESCUE!!!
...or maybe not...
Hack your mind out of its sandbox.
"We are very optimistic that we'll be able to get out of here, but we're really going to take our time doing it."
It sounds like NASA is going to use a technique I discovered playing video games as a child. If you're stuck somewhere, just wiggle the joystick back and forth for a few hours to see if you can work your way out of it. Too bad they can't reload a saved game. I found that technique helpful too.
I'm a big tall mofo.
My bet is that its grounded on the wreckage of Beagle II. :)
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
From TFA: Rover operators are optimistic they can extricate the robot from its jam, having gotten dug in before. and said Steve Squyres, lead scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover effort at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "We are very optimistic that we'll be able to get out of here, but we're really going to take our time doing it."
I'd hardly interpret that as "it doesn't look good for the little guy".
I told them not to cut the winch out of the design! But do they listen? Nooooooooooo, they don't!
"Back up! Are you backing up? Okay that's not working, try going forward. Cut it out, you'll flood the engine! Have you tried backing up yet? Oh no, you flooded the engine!"
On the lighter side of things they might want to call up someone from Winnepeg, Toronto, or Montreal. Anyone who's used to nudging their way out of being stuck in a snow drift.
We're pulling for you little Rover, we just wish we could get out and push too!
Starkle, starkle, little twink.
Watch out for those sand worms!
maybe a dust devil will give a push
I'm sure someone riding a buggalo will fly by soon and rescue it.
(S(SKK)(SKK))(S(SKK)(SKK))
With all of the rediculous trucks on the road in the US, you'd think NASA would have been inspired to build a montster truck version of the rover. Couldn't we just send a Hummer next time?
If only NASA engineers watched more BattleBots they'd have realized that they needed a flipper arm underneath.
Be real patient, go real slow and use lots of ... oh wait.
Kiteboarding Gear Mention slashdot and get 10% off!
There's discussion on the Mars Rover Discussion Board and again. It seems careful Rover Watchers noticed that it hadn't moved in a few days, and started to wonder why. Apparently NASA had to say something, because people were asking questions.
Yes you, solar panel washer martian dude.
How about a little help over here.
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
I wonder if a passing dust devil, of the same sort that periodically clear the dust off the rover's solar panels, might be able to blow some of the sand away from the wheels?
It might take a while, but hey...
This space intentionally left blank.
Now they need somebody from upper midwest, or upper New York to show them how to get out. I have been in worse than that, and they are 6 wheel drive.
As much as my Nerd Gene wants a manned mission to Mars, it's hard to argue with the scientific value of (relatively) cheap missions like this. NASA shifted in the late 90's to a series of relatively inexpensive probes with a narrow purpose (as opposed to the Voyager-class missions). These probes make sense. For one, there's less financial damage if one fails or is destroyed. And two, they can be put together, tested, and launched more cheaply and more quickly.
And we're getting some excellent science from them. The Mars rovers were an hour-by-hour news story, then a day-by-day news story, there was a lot of public interest in them during those first few days. These kinds of missions are, I think, more crucial to human space exploration than launching a dude to Mars.
There's some things you must have people in space to accomplish, but we've got a lot to learn yet through frugal unmanned space exploration and I hate to see so much of NASA's focus being shifted towards manned operations. Honestly, I hate to see NASA continuing to be involved in the production and operational side of space exploration. I think NASA should be reformulated as a primarily science and research-oriented organization and launch operations should be almost entirely privatized. NASA does too many things and most of it not that well, and none of it efficiently.
"I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
All that research on folding space, and look what happens.
The rover is driving backwards so there is more to see in the front view than there is in the back view
I hope they get it out...
wot no sig
Also Opportunity and Spirit were given a further 18-month mission extension on 5 April 2005.
Number five stay alive!
With the other rover on the other side of the planet, it looks like it will be a while before the tow truck gets there.
I bet if you called Marvin, he could help you out of a jam.
Don't they have a tiny shovel that could dig the wheel out of the dirt?
This sig has been removed pending an investigation.
Road? Where we're going, we don't need roads!
In other news, a spokesperson for the Council of Elders announced yet another success in the struggle against the Earthling invaders. "Our sandmines have incapacitated the autonomous monster from Earth. Though the Earthlings detected our new Illudim PU-36 Zypher weapon, it is now only a matter of time until the vicious winds of war reduces the impotent machine to nothing."
Triple-A.
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
Dammit, I wasted those pilots! Lost so many suits in that fight...but my drones won in the end!
Considering the Martian soil is practially all sand (at least where they like to land) wouldn't it be better to use hovercrafts there? there's plenty of atmospheric gasses (CO2 mostly) and i think this doesn't get all that affected by dust.
Either that or either a miniature tracked vehicle, tank style or a roibotic spider like thingie.
Anti-grav's still a long ways off.
As any redneck will tell you... you should never go muddin without a winch.
It's the battle of the minds, and everyone's unarmed.
In other news, AAA membership fees are being raised to $70,000,000 per year.
While they haven't given up yet...
I envision a NASA tech and a NASA manager lurking infront of a big control panel
Tech: Sir it appears to be...uh...stuck in some sand
Manager: Sand? Well, try all our options to get it unstuck!
Tech: I uh....can...tell it to move forward...again...
Manager: Great idea!
*Tech presses obvious large red button*
Tech: Uh...still won't move...
Manager: Well dammit, what else can we do?
Tech: We could....push the button again...
Why did this never happen to R2-D2?
Rover: Could uh... could someone give me a push?...
"I only speak the truth"
Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
They're too embarrased to admit it, but they actually found the rover on red cement blocks and some Mars fiend has stolen the wheels.
No way - the article said it has already worked more than a year.
....and that's probably how it got stuck, but they could possibly rock it out like a car.
I've always wondered why they built it with wheels and not tracks though. Guess some of them are wondering the same thing now.
This sucks. Really.
do() || do_not();
Actually, this incident was a demonstration of a new feature; that's how the rover was supposed to operate.
P.S. Its now also an industry standard
If you are about to mod me down, keep in mind that this post was most likely sarcastic.
I wouldn't worry too much about this one - the engineers are already using the engineering test rovers to test possible means of escape here on earth. The test rovers have proven invaluable in the past for modelling such complex situations (where computer models would be unlikely to be of much help).
The rover had made it many kilometers, I don't a little sand dune is going to stop it. All the scientists I've spoken to about this seemed optimistic (which was not how they felt about the spirit anomoly back in January 2004) so... I'm not worried just yet.
Does make for some very cool pictures though!
-- Justin
Now if only one of those dustdevils that's been cleaning the solar panels would be kind enough to wedge a 2"x12" behind the drive wheel...
Why don't they use the other rover to push this one out of the sand dune?
Did anybody else read ... Montreal!
montreal?
muahahahahahahahahaha
Sure it would have only gotten a few km down away from the lander before needing to gas up, but no little dune would stop it unless the engineers were afraid of getting it dirty since they only want to use the H2 to drive to the local Mars mini-mart and back.
"Look Lois, the two symbols of the Republican Party: an elephant, and a fat white guy who is threatened by change."
looks like worm sign to me...
More like Opportunity is being piloted by people who never lived in the Great White North and haven't had the pleasure of learning to drive in deep snow without 4WD and chains.
I used to do about 10,000 miles a year of winter driving, often on ice, through slush or snow. Even cruising home a few nights in blizzards. I'm fascinated, living in California, how few people seem able to drive in rain. (We're having a rainy year, BTW)
"ok, it's not going to budge, call MAA"
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
I was suggesting adding a heavy duty winch on rovers, but no... too much weight they said. Ha! Now what are you going to do, call road service? :-P
The Mars Rover would look completely dope with some chrome-plated, 20-inch spinnaz, yo.
We need to get those volvo driving NASA geeks out of the drivers seat and call in Cousin Clyde. Sure, he's used to driving a F350 with 10" lift and 32" mudboggers, but hell, just tell him it's eight wheel drive and there's a case of PBR in it for him. He'll have it unstuck in no time.
I told NASA to call MTV so they could Pimp Their Rover. These bureaus just don't listen. It's gonna be tough to drive the beater to West Coast Customs now.
Though I do wonder how fine it would have went with spinning rims...
You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
:-)
This is my sig.
Actually it's not a bad idea at all. I mean, kids play with their remote-controlled toys and sometimes they have to flip them over. If this happens with a toy, what tell us it won't happen to the Mars Rover?
After all, didn't DaVinci used his creativity to design the precursors of today's modern inventions, like the helicopter, or the glider?
So yes, why not play with more toys and watch more robot battles to get ideas?
the sleeper must awaken!
That really is a small planet!
I am defenseless. Use your button. Mod me down with all of your hatred.
WTF??
/. with some windows bashing and hoping to please some OSS-fanatic-moderator.
Dont you think this joke is kinda old and redundant? Enough of windows bashing. There is more to life than posting on
My advice: GET A LIFE!
fuvoo: watch something
I guess that's why I'm not in charge of NASA.
sigs, as if you care.
The wheels on the rovers have visible ridges on them (like tread on a car tire). Looking at the picture, it appears that the sand has stuck pretty tightly to the wheels, because the ridges aren't visible. That rover is in a sticky mess :(
"False hope is why we'll never run out of natural resources!" - Lewis Black
The Mars machinery had been cruising southward across the open parking lot-like landscape of Meridiani Planum full of lager
Just let him sleep it off, apart from a headache he'll be alright in the morning.
-= This is a self-referential sig =-
ALL THESE WORLDS
ARE YOURS EXCEPT
PHOBOS
ATTEMPT NO
LANDING THERE
Overheard just before it got stuck.
Junior Engineer: "Sir, it looks like the rover is headed for a small dune of sand."
Operations Manager: "I've got a bad feeling about this."
Senior Engineer: "That's no small dune", *eyes wide*
user@host$ diff
If they would just have coughed up the $50 for their AAA membership, this wouldn't be a problem.
As it stands, the towing charges are going to be astronomical.
trans reverse
power full
trans forward
power full
trans reverse
power full
trans forward
power full
trans. . .
"I worked hard for it. I deserve it. And I have it," Campbell said. "It's all mine."
everyone knows we cant get into space, the world is flat, and that this landing like the moon landing, was/is staged in hollywood. pthff they will do anything to create drama these days.
He had a life, but he got it from Microsoft so it crashed! hahah. I'm so clever.
Send a probe to a sandy planet - and noone brings a shovel?
...
Oh, wait, it's NASA. Never mind
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
hooked them up with a 40" plasma screen and 3 xbox playstations instead !
I can't help notice the one and only visible point of light in the upper right sky. Could that possibly be Earth?
Letter To Iran
"Mars rovers get stuck in sand trap on way to 18th hole." Mars would make a nice golf course! (But the moon would be even better!
Sand worm signs spotted. Head for rocky areas.
They should wait till summer. Full charge it using the solar pannels and such and accelerate it at full power.
And they could have launched it on a Rice Rocket. I'm picturing an old Delta-2 with an oversized "Type R" decal, a dozen gigantic fog lights, oversized chrome-plated bell nozzles on the engines, racing stripes, and extraneous fins. ;)
Dear Lord: One of your creatures may be hurt tonight. Please let it be the other creature.
On a closed beach (due to incoming storm), late at night, doing doughnuts in the sand...
and the car gets stuck.
We tried getting traction by putting the (many) empty beer cans under the wheels. Still no luck.
Then a park ranger stops by, shines a flashlight on the wheels (illuminating the cans) and gives us the 'you are too stupid to live' look.
Ahhh.... spring break!
if the rover stays in one place too long, it may be eaten by a sandworm. I hate it when sandworms eat my harvesters.
Just call MacGyver! Get him some straws, a soda can and some duct tape and he'll be there next week!
http://xs4.xs.to/pics/04481/p556222.gif
The rover is dead. Somebody has already stripped the hub caps and key'd the side of the vehicle. Left rear axle is up on blocks. Birds have covered the front and rear windows with poop. It doesn't look good for the little guy who's now 359 days into the extended mission. It is unlikely that a tow truck will reach it anytime soon.
Why does this remind me of the opening shot from the movie My Favorite Martian?
They need bigger wheels! Knew they shoulda opt for those shiny 18" !
Not bigger wheels, bigger tires. Shoulda went with some 44" Baja Claws.
Find coupons in Greeley
I created this handy package the other year, but no one from JPL bought it, although one NASA person did write to enquire about the plan:
Thanks for looking at my sale.
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Martian Automobile Association Membership card with booklet.
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Mexican Pesos, Japanese ¥, and even European Euros.
Australian $, UK £, Canadian $, coins or Money Orders.
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Consult my eBay About ME page for handy links regarding Canada Post shipping. I'll ship the same day, or next business day payment arrives. Insurance is available on request if you do not want me to ship by the regular Lettermail or standard XpressPost. I will ship almost anywhere in the world.
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Copyright computer_saskboy 2004
Please note this is for the card and booklet only; membership benefits are only available on Mars.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
Nope, it's the front - the rover was driving 'backwards' at the time. See the corner of the stowed arm at the lower left of the image?
They were driving in reverse because the right front wheel has developed a steering problem.
"Oh shit."
http://xs4.xs.to/pics/04481/p556222.gif
And that would be the Astronomical Automobile Association?
Just take the floormats out and put them under the wheels for traction. Or you can let some air out of the tires which will give them a bigger footprint and better traction.
I'd have thought the dust devils the rover's been seeing to be hazardous to the mission [and they potentially could be] but at this point they've given the rover a boost, as the dust that's been settling on the solar pannels, has been partially cleaned off, which increases the rover's power generation.
. html
"Accompanied by Wind
NASA's Spirit rover spotted the first dust devil of the Mars Exploration Rover mission on martian sol, or day, 421 (March 10, 2005). The dust devil was observed the day after martian winds cleared the rover's deck and increased the amount of power the rover harvested from sunlight shining on its solar panels." http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/spotlight/20050325
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
Er, doesn't the rover have an arm? With a little rock-grinder on it, even?
I don't think it's *designed* to dig, or push off, but you might be able to do it...
Why are you looking for a snappy comment down here?
/. forces me to type some stupid shit in this box...la la la la la
Because
Man -- hope Jeep didn't provide the drivetrain for this little piece of hardware, 'cause finding out THIS product isn't "trail rated" could pretty much put them out of business.
IronChefMorimoto
....Red Rover.... send the tow truck on over!
Why don't they send Spirit over to give it a little push?
Jeez!
Why are you letting these clowns ruin our country?
Damn.
I don't want knowledge. I want certainty. - Law, David Bowie
I'm not saying they don't deserve recognition, but using this mentality, if I always over estimate project timelines I could be VP in a year.
I thought everyone knew that Opportunity is a girl.
Wow, that looks cool. /me grabs his snowboard and thumbs a ride to mars.
Maybe they can get it out later in the season if the terrain blows off or freezes?
The towing fee after the free miles might be rather large... -B
Would it help if I got out and pushed?
Mid-Eastern Pennsylvania Gaming Convention
First you stole all of my spice and then you told the sandworms not to rescue me!
Oh well, I guess I will just have to do an extensive study of the mechanics of wind speed, sand grain size and moisture in creating sand formations.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
I can't get enough.
You mean to tell me that the design didn't include arms underneath the rover that would account for this type of situation? That strikes me as preposterous!
but everyone is going on about all we learned from this mission - what did we learn? It's certainly a huge challenge and an amazing feat - but what do we know that we didn't know before (other than some tips on how to explore a planet)?
-P
Why have ONE conviction when you can have TWO?
I wonder why they didn't provide the rover with two skis, just in case they ran into a problem like this? Lower the skis, and use the rear wheels to drive it, like a ski-doo.
I mean, they could have envisioned encountering a snow bank maybe? [Yeah I'm kidding about the snow, but the ski idea is a good one I think, on a sandy planet.]
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
Always get the towing rider on your insurance policy.
Being an avid 4x4'er and no stranger to getting stuck, the best suggestions are this:
1. Do *not* make things worse by spinning the wheels and digging yourself *in* further.
(You're not rushing so you know this already, but certainly don't spin the wheels)
2. Try to wiggle/dig *out* some clearance between your undercarriage and the sand. The more contact points you have the more friction you need to overcome. (After exhausting all options you may want to use the arms to remove as much sand from around the wheels and undercarriage as is possible. This may ruin the scientific instruments on those arms, but at least you'll better your chances of getting out.)
3. Straighten your wheels as much as possible, but also try to match the entrance route.
(noticed in the picture that one of the wheels is perpendicular to the track line, not a great way to get out.)
4. Use your highest gear and slowly without tire spin, REVERSE!
(It's usually best to go the route you came from, *not* visa versa because you've compacted the sand and you don't want to "plow" anymore)
5. If that is difficult, ROCK the house! Rocking back and forth to create a space to give momentum on the way out is a great way of "punching" through the hard spot. Again, the reverse route is usually the best choice to rock out of. Give one last good pendulum type run at it when you're ready to try to bust out. Rocking forward then at the pinnacle, rock with all you have backwards.
5. Use time to your advantage; keep working at it with the above. You don't want the sand to settle like cement though, so don't just sit there. Further those pesky dust devils may fill your tracks.
6. Perhaps you can use gravity to your advantage on a slope.
I'd wish you good luck, but there is no such thing as luck.
There's only statistically calculated coincidence.
So good "statistical calculating"!
They just need a thumper to call the worm and hitch a ride out of there, don't they? Oh wait . . . "in a Dune" not "on Dune." Never mind.
Don't you get it? This is /., the more you complain about the redundancy of a joke, the more the joke is used. Therefore, I, for one, welcome our new redundant-joke-telling overlords!!
"Sorry, sir. My wife asked to drive."
The scientists were optimistic about that Spirit glitch, at least the ones with considerable past mission experience. It looked very strongly like a software problem from the start.
Alabama rednecks from Huntsville drive.
"Hey Vern, watch me jump this dune!"
Some of you people need to get out more. You attach the winch's hook and cable around the nearest tree, and then- oh, wait a minute...
[Source:" http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tl_surface
What will be learned from this information will help in future Mars missions, you gotta start somewhere!
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
You can have it your way,
how do you want it
You gon' back that thing up,
or should i push up on it
Temperature rising,
okay, lets go to the next level
Dance floor jam packed, hot as a teakettle
I break it down for you now, baby its simple
If you be a nympho, I'll be a nympho
In the hotel, or in the back of the rental
On the beach or in the park,
just whatever you into
Got the magic stick, I'm the love doctor
Wow, just get out and push.
Just straighten the wheels and try rocking it a bit. Usually works for me.
--
"Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos." - Homer Simpson [1F10]
Maybe it is above a sandworm that is going to be eaten up soon? Hmm, I played too much Dune games. [grin]
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
He who controls the spice, controls the universe...
We just need to get Mau'dib to whip us up some rain to wash away the sand....
If that would be one of, say, 50 little rovers sniffing around Mars plains this wouldn't even be news.
And it's another argument in favor of manned mission. Why? Because people on site can do something creative in difficult situations while an automatic rover clearly can't.
So either massive robotic exploration or manned missions. Of course both would be best. But neither is just crawling, not research and not expansion.
I thought that the Rover was stuck on Dune.
.. paranoid crackpot leftover from the days of Amiga.
Finally a shot worth justifying the RAM.
First On Race Day
It just needs some NAWWS and a cold air intake
Yeah I know, it was never anticipated blah blah. Don't you get the feeling you were played there a little bit? The old promise low and deliver high? Even if thats not the case (because NASA don't need a PR victory...ahem), that stat that keeps being quotes is a product of someone making a mistake but nobody calls this. It might look like a win but for all we know it might be a massive mistake because we'll never know what planning and funding could have been put in place if the true lifetime of the Spirit Rover had been more accurately estimated. I know it sounds miserable but theres gee-whiz standards and there are engineering standards.
If you take a look at the time my post was posted, it was at the same time as the other AAA posts. They all were posted within seconds of each other at 11:40AM.
I bet it is a metric sand dune.
Just have spirit drive over and push it out :)
He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.
Sitting in my backyard reading this /. article, I watch as the neighbor's kids throw baseballs up into a tree to get a stuck soccer ball out of its wedge in position on a high branch.
:-)
I think... Gee, if we took that railgun, maybe we could tag the rover just enough to get it out of the sand.
Then again, maybe not. Alas...
One bonus to not having water on your planet is that eventually, the other rover could get there and push him out.
Maybe they have already found it :
project hello (work safe link, agecheck is because there is an advertisement for heineken alcohol in there)
and click "play movie"
Don't forget a ton of fucking stupid pseudo-kanji letters because you know if you stick fake Asian characters all over your vehicle it will go much faster.
Dune: The Stuck Rover
Soon on Sci-Fi Netowrk...
Sponsored in part by Sun, the makers of Java...
Frank Herbert would be so proud...
It is really stuck in gridlock!
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Gotta call AAA right away for some road service. First tow is free. Subsequent ones might incur a destination fee. Also, mount the 'dust tires' with the half inch studs. That should help, too.
It used to run Windows 95, but when they had technical difficulties at the outset they reformatted the hard drive and installed Linux. Then it worked fine until now. Got any other bright comments, you Cheeto-powder-covered loser?
They should send Xzibit and the crew of West Coast Customs up there to pimp Opportunity's ride. Some 22" Giovanni spinners should get NASA out of their jam!
What is so interesting about craters? I don't remember what craters on earth hold that is interesting when trying to explore this planet. Why isn't NASA looking in canyons, or on mountains which contain caves, or even in those spots which seem to have once held rivers or other bodies of water?
Time for nasa to join project H.E.L.L.O
http://www.h-e-l-l-o.org/
Be sure to watch the movie!
... that s stopping the rover. everybody knows there is an ancient structure in Erebus... (hint: doom3 addon) :D
It's gonna get pissed and come back as Op'nity, I swear it.
Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
At first I thought the back view was trying to be funny. It looked a lot like Beach Houses at the top of a dune on the horizon.
How come there are tracks in front of the front .. err .. 'rear wheels' ?
wheels ? If this thing drives in reverse most of
the time, wouldn't it be more convenient to name
front wheels
> If this thing drives in reverse most of the time, wouldn't it be .. err .. 'rear wheels' ?
> more convenient to name front wheels
Or "the wheels formerly known as front"
3.243F6A8885A308D313
Onstar?
Use your head, can't you, use your head,
You're on earth, there's no cure for that - S. Beckett
Should have gone with the "OnStar" option!
The next Rover should have wheels made of an alloy that can heat up enough to melt the soil and retain it's shape, or maybe a high power laser to heat up the soil, or something like that. Just like lightning can turn soil into glass, it may be possible to use this somehow to get the Rover out of jams like this. :)
It takes just a moment and an action to destroy. It takes some time and thought to create.
"I've fallen into a sand dune and can't get up!"
Cat got your tongue? (something important seems to be missing from your comment ... like the body or the subject!)
I was gonna post to the Mars Forum when I got home, and you slashdott3d it!! You hosed the forum!! Thanks a lot, now I have to go do something productive.
Josh
gigantino.tv - Heavy but weighs nothing.
...or try modulating the primary deflector.
Honestly.. for however many millions of dollars this damn thing cost, you think someone would've had some insight about that possibility. I've seen tyco r/cs that are impossible to get stuck, and they only cost $50.
You're nothing; like me.
I do not wish to diminish the spectactular achievements of the rover missions but it is asinine to compare manned and unmanned missions.
Have the other rover come by and give this guy a tow.
It is no longer uncommon to be uncommon.
My dictionary disagrees with you, but since I suspect that you're a citizen of the USA I won't castigate you - since I believe that everybody should be allowed to spell things the way they want.
tire (1) [tr]
(3rd person present singular tires, present participle tiring, past tired, past participle tired)
transitive and intransitive verb
1. grow or make somebody tired: to make somebody feel in need of rest or sleep, or to grow weaker and less energetic and feel a need for rest or sleep
2. exhaust somebody's interest: to lose interest in and become bored and impatient with somebody or something, or to cause somebody to do this
tire (2) [tr]
transitive verb (3rd person present singular tires, present participle tiring, past tired, past participle tired)
clothe somebody: to attire or adorn somebody or something (archaic or literary)
noun (plural tires) (archaic)
1. attire: clothing or attire
2. head covering: a woman's head covering or ornament
tyre
tyre [tr]
(plural tyres)
noun
1. hollow rubber edging: a circular hollow band of rubber fitted around the edge of a vehicle's wheel to ease movement and help absorb bumps in road surfaces.
It is filled with compressed air.
2. solid rubber edging: a circular solid band of rubber fitted to a wheel's edge, for example on prams and children's bicycles
3. metal edging: a band of metal fitted for reinforcement to the rims of wheels on various vehicles, for example handcarts and railway carriages
KeS
The wheels are pointing in different directions!! Who the hell is driving this thing?
Just sent the other rover over to push this one out.
"spell things the way you want" - 12
"spell things correctly - 3,600
Result - people should not be allowed to spell things the way they want.
"Land Rovers Rule" - 1,620 hits
"Land Rovers Suck" - 23 hits
Result - Land Rovers clearly rule
tires - 22,300,000 hits
tyres - 3,800,000 hits
Result - the word is spelled "Tires," except for the 10% of trucks that are gyrls.
The ______ Agenda
Time to call the Martian Automobile Association? I recall one of the rovers being mysteriously fixed before (possible dirt devil I think)...
Time for a name upgrade. Give that little sandbuggy a "name upgrade", a shot of new 1s and 0s, and drive that sucker right out of there.
Seriously...can the rock tool lift the chassis? If so maybe they can lift up one end and wait for the sand to fill the holes in. When I was a kid thats the method they used to get our big-ass camper unstuck at the beach. Mom and dad used shovels though. Maybe the basic method could work given enough erosion time.
Don't you mean the ones with the spinning rims?
How comical. Your smug distinction would be completely lost on the 90% of the world's population who have no car at all.
But don't let that stop you from patting yourself on the back. Knock yourself out.
-ccm
Too much Law; not enough Order.
I agree. Overhaulin is a much better show than Pimp My Ride. Even better, though is American Chopper, where they fabricate lots of the stuff by hand.
The problem I have with Overhaulin is that is on the far extreme from Pimp: whereas PMR does nothing but superficial cahnges, Overhaulin leaves almost nothing of the original car... it is often only the chassis that makes it through the process into the new vehicle.
Why can't they have a show where they combine the Monster Garage budget concept with the Chip Foose design awesomeness?
Hell, it would actually be nice to have a show where they take badly "overhauled" cars and bring them back to stock condition. They could do a lot of background about the original design choices, the history of the model, even bring in some of the original people who worked on or designed it in the first place.
I've got a bad attitude and karma to burn. Go ahead. Mod me down.
...after that, you need a tilt-tray or a crane to remove them.
The older ones were too heavy to fly, but damn near indestructible.
The funny ones are Range Rovers. Here in Oz, the spinifex grass gets wedged in between the cover plates and the exhaust in various places, and then catches fire. To know what a spinifex fire is like, fluff up a bale of hay nice and loose, douse it well in turps and throw in a burning match. Hints: stand well back; don't do it near anything (else) flammable; kiss your eyebrows and lashes goodbye. Imagine this happening under your vehicle on a plain packed with the stuff from horizon to horizon and at least 200km from civilisation. Run upwind.
My favourite offroad toy (if I had the money for offroad toys) would be an Oka. A bit too heavy but carries lots and eats Unimogs and the like before breakfast as far as actually getting places is concerned.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
Good thing I'm not into golf, cause something tells me Earth's golf courses are going to "disappear" right after new waves of UFO's sightings soon.
My favourite offroad toy (if I had the money for offroad toys) would be an Oka. A bit too heavy but carries lots and eats Unimogs and the like before breakfast as far as actually getting places is concerne
Got a good link for one of those? I'm always interested in anything that will eat Unimogs.
Find coupons in Greeley
Well... www.oka.com.au seems a bit, kinda... obvious? (-:
This guy seems to like them, and ironically enough also links to Land Rover. Go figure. The Dual Cab seems to be most popular here in Oz, the Multi Cab (into which you can crush 12 people with some configurations!) is not much less popular, and fitted to carry 12 would be nice.
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing
So, what else do they have to do in the mean time? I just can't help but wonder if NASA isn't going to buy AAA's priemium service next year?