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Mars Curiosity Rover Experiences Short Circuit, Will Be Stationary For Days

Posted by Soulskill on from the shocking-news-from-mars dept.

hypnosec writes: NASA says its Mars Curiosity rover has experienced a transient short circuit. The team has halted all work from the rover temporarily while engineers analyze the situation. Telemetry data received from Curiosity indicated the short circuit, after which the vehicle followed its programmed response, stopping the arm activity underway whenthe irregularity in the electric current happened. Curiosity will stay parked as its engineers analyze the situation and figure out if any damage has been done. NASA says a transient short circuit would have little effect on the rover's operations in some systems, but it could force the team to restrict use of whatever mechanism caused the problem.

5 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. LOL ... Spring break ... by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Funny

    A spokesman for Curiosity said it would be taking some well deserved downtime, basking in the sunshine, and streaming "Rovers Gone Wild" videos.

    The spokesman also added Curiosity is long overdue for a vacation in the Martian Riviera.

    NASA officials were unavailable for comment on how Curiosity seems to have gotten a bottle of Wild Turkey, a keg, and a beer bong.

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  2. Better get the service manual, then by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Like this

    http://www.amazon.com/NASA-Mar...

    I'm curious myself about Curiosity, any way to get the hardware schematics for this thing? Like the real thing, not just a block diagram. How does it detect a short circuit? Just too much current sensed on this power rail = short? Or is there something more being done to analyze the kind of fault?

    --
    Mostly random stuff.
    1. Re:Better get the service manual, then by cdrudge · · Score: 5, Funny

      I definitely wouldn't get the Haynes manual. It covers 16 model years and it's just going to be very generic drawings of the circuits that are pretty obvious anyways. Plus half the photos are just going to be stock photos that may or may not have come from an actual rover tear down. Some may be from a lunar rover...a few probably will be from Voyager or Pioneer too. The spark plug diagnosis photos though will be useful in determining if it's running rich or improperly gapped or physically damaged. Or completely missing.

    2. Re:Better get the service manual, then by bobbied · · Score: 3, Funny

      And all re-assembly sections following a 5-page teardown will read "Re-assembly is the reverse of removal."

      Yea, but any disassembly that starts with "Retrieve Rover and place on jack stands with the emergency break set" is going to be impossible from the get go..

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  3. Number 5 by Nite_Hawk · · Score: 3, Funny

    Mr. Five, Mr. Five, how do you feel?

    How do I feel? I feel... ALIVE!