The planned night launch of Space Shuttle Discovery had been commanding pretty much all of the attention directed toward NASA this week. But with the launch scrubbed because of a malfunctioning valve, our eyes started wandering around to see what else was up at the space agency.
And what to our wandering eyes should appear but the latest update on the Mars Rover Spirit, the plucky little robot explorer that has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations during its tour of the Red Planet. However, it’s been stuck in soft sand since May 1, and scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have been trying to find a way to get it out. The effort has been dubbed “Free Spirit.”
The latest ploy? It’s “crab walking,” as explained by a perky and clearly enthusiastic Ashley Stroupe, a rover driver at JPL. Using Spirit’s six independently maneuverable wheels (one of which no longer rolls), the operators are trying to find a way to move it sideways up the incline where it rests, to get it away from obstacles in front of the robot.
While the rover is still stuck, there’s been some good news. It’s in a windy area, so its solar panels have been swept clean of dust and are providing enough power not only for the extraction attempts, but to continue use of its cameras and other instruments. But even if Spirit remains stuck (maybe until the long-proposed manned mission to Mars becomes reality?), there’s plenty to celebrate: Originally expected to operate for 90 sols (Martian days), it has surpassed 2,000 sols and counting.
– [the other] Eric Francis / Dogtown Writer