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Opportunity Mars Rover Stuck in Sand

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posted on Apr, 29 2005 @ 05:25 PM
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space.com...


NASA’s Opportunity Mars rover has run into a sandy snag. All of its six wheels have sunk in deep into a large ripple of soil.

Rover operators are optimistic they can extricate the robot from its jam, having gotten dug in before. But ground controllers will need time to wheel back on top of the soil again.

Time will also be spent figuring out what’s different about the soil that has bogged down Opportunity, hoping to keep this problem from occurring down the road.

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.


this sucks...

these twin rovers are the best!!!

don't worry, NASA says they can free the rover...

ENJOY!!!





posted on Apr, 29 2005 @ 05:27 PM
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The craziest part is how far past their shelf life these rovers are. It's awesome that they're still ticking at all. Even better that NASA's going to be able to save this opportunity from a little snafu. Very groovy



posted on Apr, 29 2005 @ 05:30 PM
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Originally posted by junglejake
The craziest part is how far past their shelf life these rovers are. It's awesome that they're still ticking at all. Even better that NASA's going to be able to save this opportunity from a little snafu. Very groovy


yes...

these rovers are over-due their "warranty"...

and they're still living






posted on Apr, 29 2005 @ 05:58 PM
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Yeah, we can finally stop saying "we can put a man on the moon but we can't make a [insert product] that lasts a damn year".

I was getting tired of that one..



posted on Apr, 29 2005 @ 11:02 PM
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Bummer, but I'm optimistic. These critters are fantastic. It's been, what, 15 months? That's really amazing, about four times as long as a baby stays interesting, and 10 times the shelf life of a windows comptuer.



posted on Apr, 29 2005 @ 11:09 PM
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Yeah I agree these rovers have been great
If you guys didnt allready now about it theres a great site www.marsquestonline.org...

You can visit all the sites, pan and zoom through the real panaramic photos, have found some cool stuff in there, its a great rover site.



posted on May, 8 2005 @ 08:34 PM
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Each Rover has six solid wheels made of aluminum alloy and have a sort of paddle wheel tread pattern. Four of the wheels are interconnected (two each side) and the front two are independent. The front wheels can also be rotated or turned steeringwize independently. That is, each front wheel can turn any way they choose independent of the other front wheel so in theory they could turn in entirely different directions. This drive set up will allow the scientists to maneuver the Rover quite effectively. The tread pattern works very well in sand. They are currently running a simulation with a matching rover in a specially prepared test bed full of a sand with similar properties. Once they determine the best method to use they will be able to drive the rover out of the sand it is currently mired in. I have full confidence in the design and the work that the scientist are doing and expect the Rover to be back in action shortly.
I worked with a full scale model of the Rover that was built by JPL for NASA's education outreach program and have knowledge of its capabilities and design. We haven't heard the last of this bad boy by a long shot.



posted on May, 9 2005 @ 08:56 AM
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Lets pray the rover can right itself.

These two little machines have been absoloutley fantastic and for me one of NASA's greatest missions.

Their way past their best before date and still going strong.

The Duracell bunny must be green with envy!!!

Hoo Ray for Spirit and Oportunity!!!




posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 12:28 AM
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Opportunity on the Move Again



The Mars rover Opportunity has successfully escaped from a sand trap. JPL engineers cheered when images returned from Mars showed the rover's wheels were free. Engineers worked for nearly five weeks to carefully maneuver the rover out of the sand dune. (Jun. 4)



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 07:49 AM
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Yeah, this is outstanding news! It's amazing that those little things are even still going.

What do you think will put an end to this project- will the rovers stop functioning or will the budget for the project get cut? I'm sure it's way over-budget now since they lasted so much longer than they were supposed to.



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 08:01 AM
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man would i like to send a personal robot there and just enjoy driving around for a year or two, snapping photos of strange new worlds, seeking out new life and old civilizations


for the rover



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 10:46 AM
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Just saw the news myself - great stuff! That lil girl can really tough it out.

I think it will finall end when the bots just kick it - dunno how long it will take, but something will happen. Technical difficulties will rise, the environment will have a larger effect, etc. Eventually something will happen that will kill em.



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 10:57 AM
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Got to love it .I was getting to the point I thought they were stuck for good.
Never give up never surender . It just keeps going and going and going and well you get the point.



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 11:13 AM
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Glad to see that NASA worked that one out, because it really is amazing how they are still alive out there. I wonder how they are doing it?



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 04:29 PM
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Originally posted by Zanzibar
Glad to see that NASA worked that one out, because it really is amazing how they are still alive out there. I wonder how they are doing it?


last email i got said something along the lines of energizer batteries and viagra



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 07:27 PM
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Anybody know where Opportunity is headed now



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 07:41 PM
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Yeh its great there still going, obviously used duracell



posted on Jun, 5 2005 @ 09:04 PM
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you mean engergizer.. as in the energizer bunny

It is sad tho how unmanned exploration is being used to promote manned exploration



posted on Jun, 6 2005 @ 01:49 PM
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Originally posted by Jehosephat
you mean engergizer.. as in the energizer bunny

It is sad tho how unmanned exploration is being used to promote manned exploration


why is it sad???

this is a GREAT leap...

we send the rovers to look at the safest or the "best" places to explore with man, and then explore with humans...

isn't this great???





posted on Jun, 6 2005 @ 03:34 PM
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Actually its Duracell
www.bandt.com.au...

And what would happen if we launched manned missions without reconasince? we need to know the conditions and resources we will need to carry out such missions.

[edit on 6-6-2005 by Merkeva]



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