Curiosity Mars Rover Back in Action after Power Glitch

universetoday.com ^ | November 27, 2013 | Ken Kremer on

[BenLurkin]

NASA says that the likely cause is an internal short stemming from the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) – the rovers nuclear power source.

RTG’s have been commonly used on many NASA missions that also experienced occasional shorts and that had no long term impact or loss of capability on their flights.

“This type of intermittent short has been seen in similar RTGs, including the one on the Cassini spacecraft, which has been orbiting Saturn for years. The rover electronics are designed to operate at variable power supply voltages, so this is not a major problem,” says Curiosity team member Ken Herkenhoff of the USGS in a mission update.

[cripplecreek]

That’s what happens when there’s no one there to jiggle the wires.

[Cyber Liberty]

First there was the website “glitch” and now this! Obastard has gone too far this time....

[Darksheare]

“And that’s when we found Curiosity up on cinder blocks and all the wheels missing.”

[Hulka]

Ahhh. . .maybe some”one” did take it off-line to service it and then brought it back on-line.

I think I saw one of the last pictures and there was a blue shirt with a wrench on it in front of the lens. . .

[blueunicorn6]

I’ll bet they tried to start it when it was in “Drive” again.

[cripplecreek]

I had a power glitch last week.

[VRW Conspirator]

It wasn’t a glitch, it was a DUI.

[Hulka]

Good Lord!

Must have been a great light-show.

[cripplecreek]

Tree trimming crew shorted the power line across the cable. It set the neighbor’s house on fire.

[JSepielli]

This one?

[Darksheare]

Yup!
And the Squeegeemen will show up next.

[UCANSEE2]

[mikrofon]

Reactivation Code: “Red Rover, Red Rover.”

Amazing & a testament to its design that it keeps operating in that environment, and well beyond the specs ...

[Darksheare]

And the martian graffiti all over!

[dfwgator]

"We fixed the glitch."

[bandleader]

Time to ask Sheila Jackson Lee if it has got to the place where the Flag is planted?

[headstamp 2]

Shorted Thellmannn wire, I see.

[onedoug]

Oh, for geologists with rock hammers and hand lenses.

[varon]

“And that’s when we found Curiosity up on cinder blocks and all the wheels missing.”

Now, that is frickin' funny..............