Will Mars rover roll again?

Courtney, Seattle, WA — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:48:11 GMT

I love hearing, reading, and looking at pictures from the rovers! just goes to show you that space projects that are put together well, and push the boundaries are the ones that last! look at Voyager I, now the furthest man made object away from Earth! I hope Spirit can get out, for the sake of the project! So much more life left in the little rover! and who knows, maybe one time when man lands on Mars and goes exploring we'll find the little rover and extract it, regardless of what happens I'll be waiting with baited anticipation!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Joe, Philippines — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:54:30 GMT

I bet Howard Wolowitz has something to do with it!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Ed from NY — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:48:49 GMT

The 7y year old kid knows what every machine operator knows. When you get your excavator or skid steer stuck, you use the bucket (arm) to push you back out.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Gerard Pardeilhan, San Luis Obispo, CA — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:51:31 GMT

Hello,

I am Julian's father. Thanks for mentioning him in your
article. He was thrilled to hear back from JPL and see
these articles.

Regards.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Dan Nelson, Vancouver WA — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:47:02 GMT

Why don't we put the head of the rover development team in charge of GM?

Will Mars rover roll again?

Ken Bell, Springfield, IL — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:38:33 GMT

Try using volcanic ash or glacial sill. It's very fine. You can obtain Glacial sill in Alaska around Valdez and Volcanic Ash can be obtained in the Dominican Republic.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Lunchbox — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:58:22 GMT

I dont know why this is so funny to me. Maybe because if someone were to come along and give it a good kick itd probably get moving again.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Thomas Ashby — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:35:47 GMT

What are they talking about?...the fuzzy pic shows the rover solidly on the ground. If they have other pics, I and everyone sure would like to see them. The hoisting suggested by the 7 year old is a good bet if it is stuck underneath by a rock

[ALAN ADDS: The fuzzy pic I linked to was a test image taken by Opportunity, just to see if the procedure would work. JPL has other fuzzy pics of Spirit's situation, which you can see in the raw, but the mosaic hasn't yet been released.]

Will Mars rover roll again?

Arthur Welser — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:13:18 GMT

Gotta agree with the kid too! Been there done that!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Michael M, Kent oh — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:58:53 GMT

The arm certainly seems like an option,but the question is,how strong are the motors on the arm,how much force can they apply to the rover and what might the damage to the arm be.Remember,they didnt just grab some motors and make an arm like you do on earth. They used the smallest motors that could get the job done,move the arm that is,probably at a glacial speed,so I doubt the arm has much extra power to move the rover. Still,it might do something.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Allan Paterson, Austin, TX — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:03:35 GMT

I don't think the rover is stuck at all and this is all about gaining publicity/media coverage for a rover/program that got marginal coverage at best before this incident. It's all about money, and leveraging their next billion dollar beg fest. 1 billion dollars!, that just makes me sick at a time like now with the economy! I know you space nuts won't like my comment, but I know so many other places that money should have gone to rather than grainy images from mars.

Will Mars rover roll again?

evan wagenske, shorewood,wisconsin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:57:51 GMT

"rover" is so cool!! All those tires like a ATV-like thingy w. 6 tires is sooo phat! (Pmp my ride anytime). Too bad it don't got Firestone/Bridgestone AT/Revo's ... Too bad "i" didn't have "mine" on when my Ford Escape went Deep-Six in the river--when "we" went aswimming...Runs even bettah' now. Ford Tuff!!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Deep Trout, Sioux Falls, S. Dakota — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:49:28 GMT

Spirit Rover may have stumbled on the very element that proves water may have existed in great abundance on Mars. From what I have researched, ferric sulfate can become a mineral crystal called "coquimbite" when inundated with water. In other words water permeated the region where Spirit is stuck. Ferric sulfate is also found in Arizona, and coquimbite, in Chile. Spirit could also be stuck on the tip of an underground iceberg and could melt its way out with its heating elements, unless it's sitting on gunpowder or some other unthinkable deposit, like at the end of Planet of the Apes when the astronauts realized they were time travelers, and unearthed the top of the Statue of Liberty, which had been buried there in the past until discovered in the future on a planet earth that had been destroyed for centuries until Charlton Heston returned. My advice would be, "When in doubt drill. But please call before digging in that area."

Will Mars rover roll again?

Miss Spare — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:07:03 GMT

The rovers have outperformed everyones best expectations. With that said, I am really rooting for them to come up with a fix. If any one can, its this team!

Will Mars rover roll again?

SC, Central NJ — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:32:40 GMT

What other attachments does Spirit have? Any other arms than the camera tipped one? If so could one of those be used without risk of damaging the camera lens?
Also, exactly how close are the other Rovers on Mars to Spirit? One Rover helping the other could get Spirit unstuck. At least another rover might be able to get a better picture of what they are dealing with.
Does the Rover have any cabability to collect and pressurize gasses? If so, a bit of pressurized gas quickly released could act as a sort of propulsion, particularly with the weaker gravity of Mars than compared to Earth.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Al Davis — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:25:29 GMT

Have Opportunity tow Spirit out of the muck.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Eric, Salinas, CA — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:27:39 GMT

Nice article Alan! I sure hope that NASA finds a way to free Spirit so it can keep giving us great data on Mars. The two Mars Rovers have given us great value for our money and have lasted a long time longer than expected. Now we feel a connection to our little rovers who can and have grown accustomed to them being like Timex watches that take a licking and keep on ticking. Hopefully the next rovers will be made better as we've learned so much of the problems that face these robotic explorers.

Free Spirit!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Michael Rathgeber, Phoenix, AZ — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:43:51 GMT

To Allan Paterson... get a life. The rovers are a national treasure. Tell us what better use that 1 billion dollars should have gone to?

Will Mars rover roll again?

Rev, MI — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:20:21 GMT

I've followed the progress of Spirit and Opportunity since they were launched. The fact that they're running so well after 6 years (from an estimated 90-day warranty!) is a testament to their durability and the ingenuity of our scientists. The steps we take now enhance future generations, and these two have been very big steps. Not just for Mars exploration, but for innovations in human/robot technology.
We have a lot to be proud of with these two explorers and all their human handlers.
Poor Spirit seems to have an unfair dose of bad luck between the two. Good luck! Hope Spirit gets free. I'll be cheering loudest when that happens!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Hopeful Space Cowboy — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:31:30 GMT

Check with the folks at AAA if Julian's robot arm idea doesn't work. (Did NASA/JPL send Julian an application yet? They better!) I have confidence they or us will come up with something. Are there any flaps or shields that could be opened and used as a sail to catch a fresh Martian breeze?

Will Mars rover roll again?

Jon, NY, NY — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:37:15 GMT

SC - There is only one robotic arm on each of the rovers, and as someone above you mentioned, its motors are probably not very strong. As for the other rover, it is on the other side of the planet. Even if it were within a few miles, even at that distance, it would still take a couple of years for it to get there. And no, there is no capability for pressurizing gases.

Will Mars rover roll again?

William (Bill) Sykes — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:40:43 GMT

Its over my head, but I've always been facinated by space and whats out there and at 83 I may know before you guys

Will Mars rover roll again?

William (Bill) Sykes — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:08:42 GMT

I pray for patience and I believe its working!

Will Mars rover roll again?

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:41:11 GMT

I hope that they continue to work until we get a workable base on Mars. The rovers are a testament to those that know how to build things well. I wonder if, in a few years, they could get a rover up there that moves on legs rather than wheels.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Mike, Houston — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:29:49 GMT

On future rovers perhaps it would be benficial to plan for the addition of a few small & powerful jets in the rover's backside. These would be invaluable to assist a stuck rover get out of a jam. Or perhaps a install a sail that could be ejected and then just wait for the next windstorm. "All things are possible"

Will Mars rover roll again?

Leo Canada — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:35:31 GMT

I believe one of the two rovers will still be usable after another four years.

Will Mars rover roll again?

scott green bay wi — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:11:49 GMT

i always here about the dust on these rovers causeing delays why didnt they mount fans on these things to blow dust off of there solar panals?

Will Mars rover roll again?

Sherry Salem, OR — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:13:45 GMT

Opportunity and Spirit are nowhere near each other.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Laura Marsh — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:40:03 GMT

Allan Patterson -

Please read the article: "The price tag for the twin rovers' original primary mission was $820 million. Five years and five extensions later, the cost still hasn't come up to the $1 billion ballpark figure for a single space shuttle mission." The key words are "still HASN'T come up to..." - The $1 billion is for a SINGLE (1) shuttle mission. A litte research would also help your perspective -- try making a list of the benefits that have come to the planet because of our space exploration - something to which I wish NASA would devote a special page on their web site.

As far as I'm concerned, we're behind the 8-ball. Almost 1/2 century after we landed on the moon, and we don't even have the teeniest, tinyest, research station on the Moon. We don't even have a complete space station. Pathetic!!

Will Mars rover roll again?

TP — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:51:10 GMT

Just reading about what these 2 rovers have done and are still accomplishing fills me with pride and hope for mankind

Will Mars rover roll again?

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:55:40 GMT

It looks like a pile of gravel and dirt. If it's so soft that the wheels dig in it seems unlikely that the tip of the pile could support the rover enough to high center it.

Thomas: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm

Will Mars rover roll again?

Dennis, Richmond VA — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:44:13 GMT

Ok, next time, BIGGER WHEELS. Or maybe the ability to lift and "walk" out of traps.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Dare to Believe — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:19:50 GMT

It could be just me, or maybe a trick of the light, but when you look at the picture of the underbelly of Spirit, thank you Tim for posting the link,... the tip of the object under Spirit looks as if it has a very clearly defined edge going from the very tip and running down and slightly to the right (when looking at the picture). If this is a pile of loose dirt, I would highly doubt that there would be a defined edge in it. To me this looks less like a pile of loose dirt than it does a solid piece of... something.
Ok, now this was a just a passing thought through my head and I don't really believe it myself, but how crazy would it be if all the Hollywood movies were right, and this is the very tip of an Egyptian-like pyramid built by some ancient race of beings that dwelled on Mars and has since been buried by countless sand storms!! Not likely I know, but it would be perhaps the most incredible accidental discovery ever!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Jared, Atlanta — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:17:27 GMT

Here is a pic of the wheel. It looks pretty deep: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/m/
1925/2M297264645EFFB1DQP2906M2M1.HTML.

[ALAN ADDS: Thanks for that picture link. I assume this is the pointy, pyramid-shaped obstruction that John was talking about:]

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/m/1925/
2M297264901EFFB1DQP2906M2M1.HTML

Will Mars rover roll again?

abby winfeild al. — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:33:27 GMT

i pray that it can rove mars agin.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Mike Church, Buckner, MO — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:35:00 GMT

Being an anti nuclear zealot, I just love each day that goes by while these dogged sun powered bots compile mountains of information compared to the "nuclear powered" devices which while possessing greater short term power can't hold a candle to the accomplishments of these "little engines that can"! Any response in the, "nuclear power has it's niches" vein becomes totally irrelevent and laughable in comparison to these rovers' astounding achievements!

Will Mars rover roll again?

Frank Glover, Rochester, NY — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:12:52 GMT

"I don't think the rover is stuck at all and this is all about gaining publicity/media coverage for a rover/program that got marginal coverage at best before this incident. It's all about money, and leveraging their next billion dollar beg fest."

So, you can't believe that something that a machine that has to function with no maintenance, under the harsh Martian conditions, well past its design lifetime, is finally breaking down?

And I haven't seen this story in the mainstream media at all. Only in places like this where we 'space nuts' (And why are *you* here? Shall I invoke the 'T' word?) must go out of our way for such information.

BTW, most of the money is in development and launch, both done well before the economy went sour...and they *might* still be working when it gets back to normal...

Will Mars rover roll again?

Rebecca N.y. — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:12:14 GMT

wow soooooooooo cool and stuff

Will Mars rover roll again?

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:45:26 GMT

I'll put my nuclear powered submarine up against your solar powered version any day. Or night.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Onevoice, Frederick MD — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:26:55 GMT

The next rover needs to have a short "hop" ability. Even if it uses 90% of the battery to do it, it would prevent this kind of problem from crippling the mission.

Will Mars rover roll again?

RobotsAreReal — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:34:27 GMT

Why hasn't anybody just called up Starscream to give it a little nudge. That's where their hiding now right?

Will Mars rover roll again?

Mechman — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:35:46 GMT

Onevoice you mean like Jump Jets? I always loved DFA.

Will Mars rover roll again?

Mitch Morgan in Cherry Hill, NJ — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:55:17 GMT

NASA should have photos of the pyramid-shaped bump that is high-centering the rover. They photograph the area ahead of the rover well before they drive into that area, so they should be able to look back at earlier photos to see what is underneath it.

It looks like it is touching the underside near the front edge. I would set all the wheels in motion in reverse, push down as hard as possible with the arm (which hangs over the front) and see what happens. What's to lose?

Will Mars rover roll again?

Frank, Dallas, TX — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:11:15 GMT

I wonder if just extending or retracting the arm (which I assume to be relatively delicate, and not appropriate for lifting the rover out of a jam except as a last-ditch effort) would change the center of gravity enough to help the rover gain traction. Probably not, but it would definitely be a lower-risk way to get it unstuck.

Will Mars rover roll again?

David Ebert Cape Coral, Florida — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:53:30 GMT

The pyramidal obstruction hanging up the undercarriage is a probe sent up to investigate Spirit by the Martian Moorlocks. (If your planet was dying, where would you go to live? You'd drain all the water into subsurface caverns, and move the civilization underground.)