Mars Rovers On Last Legs?
The Mars rovers continue to chug along, but how long they will last is anyone’s guess.
Spirit and Opportunity, the two robotic vehicles roving the red planet, have lasted more than 22 months, far longer than anyone anticipated, said scientists and program managers from the Mars rover program speaking at the American Geophysical Union, an annual conference of earth scientists taking place here this week.
Nonetheless, signs of fatigue are beginning to show. Around 10 days ago, the mechanical arm on Opportunity stopped moving. The problem, the rover teams believe, lies with the shoulder joint of the arm. If they can get the elbow of the arm out of the T-shaped housing where the arm rests, the arm can still collect samples.
“If it has failed, it will be a significant hit. It is the contact arm of the mission,” said John Callas, deputy project manager for the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers project.
One of the steering actuators has also blown on Opportunity, but it can still be driven.
Spirit, which has roamed Mars for 684 days, is faring better, Callas said. The only complication right now is with the rock abrasion tool. It has worn out. Made to only take three samples, Spirit has conducted 15 rock scrapings.
Source: News.com.
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