Mars Rover "Spirit" In Danger

Riding with Robots writes "Just days after announcing that the Mars Phoenix Lander has met its icy demise, NASA reports that a dust storm has left the rover Spirit on the edge of power failure. During one recent Martian day, the robotic geologist's solar array produced only 89 watt hours of energy, the lowest output by either rover in their nearly five years on Mars. Mission managers are taking steps to protect the hardy, battle-worn spacecraft, but the agency describes Spirit's status as 'vulnerable.'"

Comments

Only 89 watt hours of energy

[Anonymous Coward]

This has required mission managers to shut down the dual graphics cards and switch to the integrated graphics. Really sad.

Hrm

[Steauengeglase]

Can you really call a rover a "spacecraft"? That is kind of like dipping my car in the ocean and call it a boat.

Re:Mars Rovers, Landers, and Orbiters

[gregbot9000]

Hmm... the only constant I see there is that the equipment with names that are based on motivational posters are still going.

I propose the next landers be named:
Success
Achievement
Teamwork
StopShrink

Options

[florescent_beige]

1. An 89 watt-hour high-speed dash to blow the dust off. By my calculations they should be able to go 6 feet at 4 mph so ok forget that.

2. Launch a nuclear powered feather dusting support rover. No that's stupid.

3. Fire a kazillajoule laser at Mars to energize the solar panels. This is actually the least worst idea so far which is depressing.

4. Spend the remaining energy teaching the rover to do the Hammer Dance with it's eight independently swiveling wheels. If you got to go down, go down doing the Hammer Dance that's what I always say which is maybe why nobody sits with me in the cafeteria.

Re:Options

[UnknowingFool]

Your post advocates a

(X) technical ( ) legislative ( ) market-based ( ) vigilante

approach to Rover problems. Your idea will not work. Here is why it won't work. (One or more of the following may apply to your particular idea, and it may have other flaws which used to vary from planet to planet before a bad solar system law was passed.)

(X) It requires too much power
( ) It may make situation worse
( ) It doesn't solve the problem
(X) It works here on Earth but not on Mars
( ) It will work for two weeks and then it might get stuck
( ) It does not account for the climate of Mars
(X) Marvin the Martian will not put up with it

Specifically, your plan fails to account for

( ) Weight limitations on mission payload
( ) Space limitations on mission payload
( ) Extreme cold of Mars
(X) Atmosphere of Mars
(X) Difference between Mars gravity and Earth gravity
(X) Materials don't exist yet
( ) Survivability of materials on Mars
(X) Distance between Mars and Earth
(X) NASA bureaucacy
(X) Technically illiterate politicians
(X) Marvin the Martian
(X) Democrats
(X) Republicans
(X) Ralph Nader

and the following objections may also apply:

(X) Ideas similar to yours are easy to come up with, yet none have ever been shown practical
( ) Solution is beyond mission scope
( ) Solution solves the wrong problem
(X) Only delays the inevitable
( ) Cost limitations
( ) Requires redesign
( ) Scientific instruments may have to be excluded
(X) Feel-good measures do nothing to solve the problem

Furthermore, this is what I think about you:

( ) Sorry dude, but I don't think it would work.
(X) This is a stupid idea, and you're a stupid person for suggesting it.
( ) Nice try, assh0le! I'm going to find out where you live and burn your house down!

Re:Mars Rovers, Landers, and Orbiters

[naz404]

Ah, Rover Phoenix... such a loss at such a young age...

Re:It's been a good run

[Paradise Pete]

Did Obama's grandmother have wheels? If so, they'd have called her a wagon.

Well they did call her an ambulance.

Interview with K'Breel: Next Triumph Awaits

[Tackhead]

The most Illustrious Council of Elders has issued an update following yesterday's Planetary Day of Celebration of Victory over the Northern Invader. K'breel, Speaker for the Council, spake thus:

Rejoice! One mechanical nightmare from the evil blue planet has fallen silent. The other robotic terror stirs, but only because it in quivers in fear, for we have darkened the skies with the ashes of its bretheren. We shall starve the invaders of light -- there shall be no mercy for them, as the day shall soon come when our planet itself shall rise to entomb them in a cloak of red dust! On the Tracks of the Founders, this we swear!

When a newly-hired journalism intern implied a correlation between the invaders' movements and seasonal weather patterns, and pointed out that that the current sandstorm had begun to abate, and that the same winds that were promised to bury invaders in dust could also, on occasion, blow accumulated dust off the invaders, K'Breel, in a rare display of compassion, responded by offering him a piece of jerky made from the dried gelsacs of a recently-retired member of the Press Corps.

Re:It's been a good run

[spun]

fuck you looser

Tighter is better.