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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.
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" !
If you had let Xzibit and West Coast Customs pimp out the Rover with 20 inch rims you would have avoided this problem.
Letter
They have two rovers. The solution is obvious.
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.
If only NASA engineers watched more BattleBots they'd have realized that they needed a flipper arm underneath.
> 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.
My wife hasn't moved in a few days either. Being a careful watcher, I am starting to wonder why.
- For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat
Can you name the truck with four wheel drive, smells like a steak and seats thirty-five.. CANYONERO!!!
All movements for social change begin as missions, evolve into businesses, and end up as rackets.
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.
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...
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."
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.
That really is a small planet!
I am defenseless. Use your button. Mod me down with all of your hatred.
I guess that's why I'm not in charge of NASA.
sigs, as if you care.
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.
He had a life, but he got it from Microsoft so it crashed! hahah. I'm so clever.
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.
if the rover stays in one place too long, it may be eaten by a sandworm. I hate it when sandworms eat my harvesters.
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.
What the hell is this shit? Did /. just become livejournal?
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