Mars Rover Team Diagnosing Unexpected Behavior

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Jan 28, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (7) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- The team operating NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit plans diagnostic tests this week after Spirit did not report some of its weekend activities, including a request to determine its orientation ...

Spirit rover's wheels stuck in soft Martian dirt

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

May 12, 2009 | 4.4 / 5 (9) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The five wheels that still rotate on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit have been slipping severely in soft soil during recent attempts to drive, sinking the wheels about halfway into the ...

Spirit Rover: Computer Modeling Supplements Dusty Testing

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Sep 15, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (3) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Tests on Earth simulating Spirit's predicament on Mars have reinforced understanding that getting Spirit to rove again will be very difficult.

Controllers Cheer as Data Arrive from NASA's Spirit Rover

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 13, 2008 | 4.7 / 5 (9) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit communicated via the Mars Odyssey orbiter today right at the time when ground controllers had told it to, prompting shouts of "She's talking!" among the ...

Mars and Earth Activities Aim to Get Spirit Rolling Again

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

May 19, 2009 | 5 / 5 (5) | 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's rover project team is using the Spirit rover and other spacecraft at Mars to begin developing the best maneuvers for extracting Spirit from the soft Martian ground where it has become ...

Second Test Rover Added to Driving Experiments

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Aug 24, 2009 | 4 / 5 (1) | 0

A second, lighter-weight test rover has entered the testing setup at JPL where rover team members are assessing strategy for getting Spirit out of soft soil where it is embedded on Mars.

Planned Rover Test to Run a Week or More

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Aug 14, 2009 | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Mars rover team members are planning a long-duration experiment with the test rover at JPL beginning next week. This test will check whether favorable motion seen in earlier tests can be sustained ...

Free Spirit: Longer Rover Tests Beginning

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Jul 27, 2009 | 4.7 / 5 (3) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Mars rover team members have begun a new phase of testing at JPL -- using longer-duration experiments -- in their preparations for driving Spirit again on Mars.

Test Mars Rover Checks Pivoting Technique

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Jul 17, 2009 | 5 / 5 (2) | 0

The Mars rover team is using a test rover at JPL to assess various extraction techniques that might get Spirit out of the loose soil of "Troy" on Mars.

Team Continues Analyzing Spirit Computer Reboots and Amnesia Events

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Apr 21, 2009 | not rated yet | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- After three days of completing Earth-commanded activities without incident last week, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit had a bout of temporary amnesia Friday, April 17, and rebooted its ...

Mars Rover Team Sets Low-Power Plan for NASA's Spirit

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Nov 17, 2008 | 5 / 5 (4) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- After assessing data received from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on Thursday, mission controllers laid out plans for the rover to conserve its modest energy during the next few weeks.

Free Spirit Testing Nearing Completion

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Jul 31, 2009 | 3 / 5 (1) | 0

Mars rover engineers at JPL are winding down testing of different escape maneuvers using a test rover in a sand box filled with soil to mimic the Martian surface. It is possible that in early August the first ...

Dust Storm Passing Over Spirit

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Aug 26, 2009 | 5 / 5 (4) | 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- The amount of electricity generated by the solar panels on Spirit has been declining for the past several Martian days, or sols, as a regional dust storm moved southward and blocked some of ...

Spirit Resumes Driving

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Feb 03, 2009 | 5 / 5 (4) | 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit resumed driving Saturday after engineers gained confidence from diagnostic activities earlier in the week evaluating how well the rover senses its orientation.

Mars rover Spirit has unexplained computer reboots

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

Apr 14, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (13) | 19

(AP) -- NASA's aging Mars rover Spirit has rebooted its computer at least twice for unknown reasons.