Nasa's Curiosity Mars Rover Looks to 'Jump' Sand Dune

Aleister
reply to post by gortex

 

And whatever happened to the U.S. presidential limo? How was it moved from the edge where it got stuck because of its enormous size and weight? I wonder why the secretive service doesn't look at those kind of hazards in advance (I bet they will now). Hopefully the same type of governmental workers aren't driving the Rover into a blind sand dune, not knowing what massive boulders are underneath. This may be a trip of inches-at-a-time, accessing what it's bumping up against, if anything.

edit on 4-2-2014 by Aleister because: (no reason given)

That happened in Dublin, the front end suspension collapsed, it must have been some kind of air suspension. I think it was a bit of a headache getting the thing out of there. Obama took the next bus. BTW, on curiosity I went looking too and indeed Curiosity's wheel or wheels do have the aluminium punctured. I'm looking for a picture. Found some, this one is the left front wheel, it has several holes.




Nore pictures from Discovery Channel,

news.discovery.com...

Seems there is a little concern now of, while not unexpected wear, but premature wear. No mention though of what I would anticipate, that being something jamming the wheel after getting caught in one of those holes. In one of the pics at the link there is actually a quite thin but extended tear laterally across the wheel, think it could be near the large squared 'dust holes' that are part of the design of the wheel.

gortex
According to NASA the dune is 3 feet high at the middle , I guess they may try to go for the either end of the dune.

They need to get a run at it! Yeee-Hahhhh!!!

Sol 533 : As planned the rover has climbed part way up the dune at Dingo Gap. It will remain in this position for a short time to see how the dune behaves, this gives the team an opportunity to safely return to the starting point if there are any issues. Initial assessment of the wheel tracks indicated good compaction of the sand. This NavCam image shows the front right wheel close to the top of the dune.

reply to post by wildespace


Thanks for the update wildespace
It looks a long way down , fingers firmly crossed.

gortex
reply to post by wildespace

 

Thanks for the update wildespace

It looks a long way down , fingers firmly crossed.

Well, it got to the top, so that's a good sign that it can drive on the top of the sand. Hopes are higher. A little.

I've also seen this move to make by the rover. Pretty prestigious move to make.. ill hope curiosity don't kill the rover... I really like that sandbug

Photosynth version of the Sol 533 Navcam panorama, which allows you to "look around" the place: photosynth.net...



Far from perfect stitching (done automatically in Microsoft ICE), but it's a great view, being atop that dune.

I would hope for a MAHLI self-portrait in such a spectacular location.

reply to post by wildespace


This gives me much hope. I was concerned about the rover getting over the sand in front of Murray Buttes, and then, when it gets out of there, how it was going to get to the foothills of Mt. Sharp over what seems like more sand. If the sand is so compacted here, almost like driving on a gravel road, hopefully the same will be found at those locations. I bet folks at NASA and the other tracking locations have popped the corks off some good wine over this sand dune surfing excursion.

wildespace

Sol 533 : As planned the rover has climbed part way up the dune at Dingo Gap. It will remain in this position for a short time to see how the dune behaves, this gives the team an opportunity to safely return to the starting point if there are any issues. Initial assessment of the wheel tracks indicated good compaction of the sand. This NavCam image shows the front right wheel close to the top of the dune.

its like a scene from Ice Cold In Alex. That rover and its drivers deserve a nice cold drink.

Concerning the wheels,how long did they test them on earth? The weight is less on mars so the sharp rocks must be extremely hard. I hope those wheels have enough torque to free them selfs if a spikey rock sticks through one of those holes.

Don't they have an arm with a scoop on it that could be used to test the dune as well? I don't remember if they have it but ground penetrating radar sure would be nice as well. They could probably duplicate the condition on earth and test the prototype. Three feet in height doesn't sound too difficult if the run up and descent are gradual enough. It would just be such a shame if they get it stuck and not be able to get it out.

gortex
It looks a long way down , fingers firmly crossed.

Actually, from this angle, it looks like it kind of flattens out on top. So it's not a drop down, and once you get to the top, you're pretty much already there.

wildespace
Photosynth version of the Sol 533 Navcam panorama, which allows you to "look around" the place: photosynth.net...

Far from perfect stitching (done automatically in Microsoft ICE), but it's a great view, being atop that dune.

I would hope for a MAHLI self-portrait in such a spectacular location.

Nice link buddy.

Well it looks like it made it up the Dune just fine on the right side. Without a doubt the drop is a bit more steep, but looks like the safest route. I also noticed tracks off to the left, lower down. Maybe they circled around?

I am a little concerned about those large rocks in the targeted gap ahead. It also looks as if more smaller dunes lay just past the gap area. Sand is so unpredictable, but I suppose sharp rocks may be even more so though. ~$heopleNation

reply to post by wildespace


The very heavy Rover has a wheel right next to the edge of the "peak" of the sand dune and the sand under it doesn't look like it's moved at all. If it were loose sand, as most sand on earth is, the part under the wheel would have already given way. So it seem pretty solid, even on the edge of the top of the sand dune.

And look how the color changes once the sand is disturbed. Darkens considerably. I don't think earth sand dunes do this, although I may be mistaken. I wonder if NASA has called in sand dune experts (i.e. beach bums) to consult.

Thorneblood
reply to post by Jukiodone

 

I am fairly certain that NASA has no intention to jump anything and that it was just the author's way of drawing attention to the article.

I agree, because the rover can't jump. Anyone who does not know the top speed of these things, google up some info and videos of it being tested on Earth. The top speed is slower then that of a human walking.

gortex
It sounds like a feat of daring-do but in order to avoid sharp rocks that have been denting Curiosity's wheels NASA intend to mount and drive over the dune at Dingo Gap.

Smoother terrain ahead: Looking over the top of the dune at Dingo Gap

Curiosity has already had one scuff at the base of the barrier, using a wheel to test the sand's consistency. The robot would have no problem managing the incline but mission planners will be concerned about the potential for any rocks hidden inside the dune to damage or snare Curiosity. Engineers believe the path ahead between two scarps referred to as "Dingo Gap" will be kinder on the rover's wheels.
www.bbc.co.uk...

This could be quite a ride , fingers crossed we don't lose the rover in the sand

Gosh. I guess that dune wasn't "a blatant photoshop" after all, huh? SMH...so many photoshop experts on ATS these days.

Mianeye
reply to post by gortex

 

Good luck Curiosity

Maybe next time NASA should send one of these

edit on 4-2-2014 by Mianeye because: (no reason given)

Seriously though - NASA ( And I would have all-caps'd that even if it weren't an acronym ) - can't build a rover for $400,000,000 capable of driving across some dunes and rocks that's impervious to said conditions, even when they knew those would be the conditions; but the guy up the street from me with a welding torch and some used tires can launch his sand-rail a hundred feet across the local beach and drive away with a smile on his face.

What EXACTLY did those folks spend all of that money on? Give me the federal budget for Just the rover, and the technological resources; and I assure you - I'll build a rover, landing craft, and orbital satellite that will literally map the entire planet with no 'hiccups'. Sounds arrogant; but people build amazing feats of technology for fractions of the cost of this project that encourage me to believe that this is hardly a Real 'attempt'.

All it takes is to drop one or two of the vehicles depicted in the image above ( Cost w/ electric motors && solar? 100k ); covered in research equipment, weather-resistance features, and energy collection equipment - put like... 4 RC 'quad-copters' on each one that deploy from and return to it based on power availability, and you cover hundreds of miles a day in full detail - not to mention that you could map your rovers course much more safely.

Instead - they build a 6-legged frickin' flamingo that looks like something out of a Lego kit, give it half a trillion in dirt sampling hardware, and call it good. Sad to say - NASA may be full of brilliant engineers and scientists; but they have very few innovators. This project cost too much and is producing relatively nothing IMO. We'll end up with a 10% mapping of the planet ( guess ) that giant sections will be cut out of as 'classified', and NASA will get another billion to send back a 'more qualified' rover.

A bit of a rage-induced rant; my apologies - I just can't fathom that any of the elements of this project could cost this much money; and still malfunction. I would leave this with NASA as my final remarks - If you can't make a '$30,000 sprocket' last 6 months; you all need to reevaluate your research and development processes - and stop spending my money. I wouldn't mind if we learned everything that they do - but half a billion dollars of 'our' money was spent on a project that is falling apart 6 months later, and that is collecting information that we are not privier to. It was our money spent, it's our knowledge you are withholding NASA. There are no terrorists in space ( Are there? ) - there is no reason to cover up information found beyond this planet. None.

Jump a sand dune?

Our space program has now become a futuristic Dukes of Hazard?

Here's an interactive Panorama of Curiosity’s View from the Dingo Gap Sand Dune
Interactive Panorama

This new interactive image put together by panoramacist Andrew Bodrov using the latest imagery from Curiosity allows you to nearly join the rover on Mars as it looks down across a sand dune and into the “Dingo Gap” area and the valley beyond.