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Mars Rover Opportunity Still Stuck In a Dune

Posted by Zonk on from the lonely-little-guy dept.

Maddog Batty writes "The mars rover Opportunity, which has been stuck in a sand dune since the end of April, is still going nowhere after wheel spinning attempts were made to free the probe. It did manage to move a very short distance as can be seen in the difference between these two images. Before this attempt the NASA JPL team were playing in their own sandpit trying to replicate the conditions on Mars. (older coverage)"

7 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Well, it's not a pit by Council · · Score: 5, Funny

    At least it's doing better than Spirit, which last I heard was sliding inexorably into an ominious pit of sand, where it will be slowly digested over a thousand years.

    --
    xkcd.com - a webcomic of mathematics, love, and language.
  2. Just a test by g00set · · Score: 5, Informative

    According to JPL's site the latest move was not an attempt to *free* the rover.

    "Opportunity rotated its wheels on sol 463 for the first time since the rover dug itself into a sand dune more than two weeks earlier. The wheels made about two and a half rotations, as commanded, and the results were a good match for what was expected from tests on Earth. In the loose footing, the rover advanced 2.8 centimeters (1.1 inch) forward, 4.8 millimeters (0.19 inch) sideways and 4.6 millimeters (0.18 inch) downward. After further analysis of the results, the rover team will decide whether to repeat the same careful movement again on sol 465."

    --
    ... and furthermore ... I don't like your trousers.
  3. Relax, it's far from doomed by thompson42 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The rover managers have successfully tested methods for extracting Opportunity from the sand. Principal investigator Steve Squyres has said all along that it will be a slow process:

    http://athena.cornell.edu/news/mubss/

  4. The Mars Rover isn't really stuck in a dune... by consumer_whore · · Score: 5, Funny

    NASA is just practicing to be on http://www.carstuckgirls.com/

    1. Re:The Mars Rover isn't really stuck in a dune... by rich_r · · Score: 5, Funny

      Possibly the finest example of a niche market I have ever seen!

  5. I've skimmed TFA's, but... by tunabomber · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I still have this question: if they do manage to get it free, how long until it just gets stuck again?

    From the pictures it looks like Opportunity is entering a Martian dune sea, which will offer many more opportunities (npi) to get stuck once more. Do they have a plan to identify/avoid soft spots like this one in the future?

    --

    pi = 3.141592653589793helpimtrappedinauniversefactory71 ...
  6. Call AAA by www.sorehands.com · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nasa: Hello, my rover is stuck in a dune.

    AAA: Where is the dune?

    Nasa: On mars.

    AAA: What is the make and model of the vehicle?

    Nasa: It's a rover.

    AAA: What color?

    Nasa: Grey.

    AAA: What is the license plate?

    Nasa: It does not have a license plate.

    AAA: I'm sorry, if you don't have a license plate, we can't send out a tow truck. [click].

    --
    Fight Spammers!