Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • ZME & more
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
Home Science News

NASA’s Curiosity Rover rendered armless after a shortcircuit

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is expected to remain stationary for at least a couple of days after a shortcircuit has rendered its arm useless for the time being. The engineering problem occurred on February 27 as the rover was preparing to start drilling in the Martian soil.

by Dragos Mitrica
March 4, 2015
in News, Space
A A

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is expected to remain stationary for at least a couple of days after a shortcircuit has rendered its arm useless for the time being. The engineering problem occurred on February 27 as the rover was preparing to start drilling in the Martian soil.

This raw-color view from Curiosity’s Mastcam shows the rover’s drill just after finishing a drilling operation at “Telegraph Peak” on Feb. 24, 2015. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

“We are running tests on the vehicle in its present configuration before we move the arm or drive,” said Curiosity Project Manager Jim Erickson, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “This gives us the best opportunity to determine where the short is.”

In the meantime, Curiosity has been parked until engineers manage to figure exactly what was the problem – and how it can be fixed. Unfortunately, it’s not clear is this can be fixed remotely. With its limp arm, Curiosity can’t perform most of its tasks. The now wounded arm has worked five times previously.

NASA wrote:

“When the fault occurred, the rover was conducting an early step in the transfer of rock powder collected by the drill on the arm to laboratory instruments inside the rover. With the drill bit pointed up and the drill’s percussion mechanism turned on, the rock powder was descending from collection grooves in the bit assembly into a chamber in the mechanism that sieves and portions the sample powder.”

Recently, Curiosity took a very revealing selfie and revealed that beneath the red Martian dust, there rocks are actually greyish blue. We’ll keep you posted as new developments emerge.

 

Tags: curiosity roverMars

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • ZME & more

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • ZME & more
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.