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Mars Rover Stuck in a Dune

Posted by Zonk on from the get-out-and-push dept.

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."

2 of 497 comments (clear)

  1. More info by Cyclotron_Boy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  2. Re:Dune, my ass by TCQuad · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My bet is that its grounded on the wreckage of Beagle II. :)

    I was going to dismiss this out of hand, but FTA, Opportunity did find two small craters right before running aground. The cause?
    They could have been created by an object from space that was large enough to make it through the martian atmosphere without burning up.

    And, let's not forget:
    "Given that these two craters haven't been covered by sand even though they are surrounded by sand ripples on a flat plain lends support to the idea that they're fairly recent."