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Tuesday June 9, 2009
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When in doubt, take a picture? NASA's Spirit rover has taken photographs of its underside in order to help engineers figure out the best way to free the stuck rover, according to Space.com. The rover is currently buried up to its hubcaps, with the problem being that if someone gives it the wrong command--such as flooring it, which admittedly did work once before--the rover could end up even more stuck.
To get a better look, Spirit took images of its belly on June 2nd (Sol 1925). Scientists utilized the rover's microscopic imager instrument, which is mounted on the end of her robotic arm, according to the report. Project scientists tested out the operation using the other rover, Opportunity, which is currently exploring the opposite side of the red planet. (If it looks a little blurry, that's because the camera was designed to focus on targets only a few centimeters away.)
The next step is for scientists to figure out whether a small mound, showing in some of the photos, is in fact touching the rover--and whether it is a rock or more of the same soft soil, according to Steve Squyres, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Rover Project. The report said that a rock would mean more risk for any emergency maneuvers. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/USGS)
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June 9, 2009 10:42 PM
Poor Spirit! I hope they manage to get it free soon! Seriously, the rover has so much life left in it to just be a stationary camera!