Space Spin - Rover extraction tests begin

Rover extraction tests begin

Tue Jul 7, 2009 at 18:40 UTC

Using a test rover in a sandbox at JPL with special soil simulating Spirit's predicament on Mars, engineers are assessing possible maneuvers for getting Spirit out and onto firmer ground.

They began on Monday, July 6, with the simplest maneuver on their list of options: driving forward with all five operable wheels.

In the first set of tests, the wheels turned enough to cover tens of meters, or yards, if there had been no slippage. The test rover moved slightly forward and sideways downslope. Weeks of further testing and analysis of results are expected before engineers identify the best moves to command Spirit to make.

After commanding five of a test rover's six wheels to drive forward, rover driver Paolo Bellutta (left) measures how much the rover moved sideways, downslope, during the maneuver. Rover mission manager Alfonso Herrera (standing) checks computer entry of the data. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
	More on • Spirit • Mars Exploration Rovers • Mars

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Rover extraction tests begin

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