NASA: Second Mars rover having problems

Sigurd · Posted on: Wed Jan 28, 2004 6:49 pm

Besides a serious malfunction that has idled the first rover, Spirit, since last Wednesday, mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said they are now contending with a power drain on Spirit's newly arrived twin, Opportunity.

Mission manager Jim Erickson told reporters said the power loss appeared to be from one of the craft's heating units that keeps turning itself on and running overnight without receiving commands from NASA to do so.

While engineers do not believe the faulty thermostat will overheat the vehicle, the long-term consequences of the glitch and whether it can be fixed are not yet known, Erickson said.

full article: http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/2 ... index.html

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Sigurd Moon Mission Member Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2003 8:46 pm Posts: 1204 Location: Kapellen, Antwerp, Belgium, Europe, Planet Earth, the Milky Way Galaxy	NASA: Second Mars rover having problems Posted on: Wed Jan 28, 2004 6:49 pm Besides a serious malfunction that has idled the first rover, Spirit, since last Wednesday, mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory said they are now contending with a power drain on Spirit's newly arrived twin, Opportunity. Mission manager Jim Erickson told reporters said the power loss appeared to be from one of the craft's heating units that keeps turning itself on and running overnight without receiving commands from NASA to do so. While engineers do not believe the faulty thermostat will overheat the vehicle, the long-term consequences of the glitch and whether it can be fixed are not yet known, Erickson said. full article: http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/2 ... index.html _________________ Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. - Lord Kelvin, 1892
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