Rough Red Planet Rocks Rip Rover Curiosity Wheels

universetoday.com ^ | December 26, 2013 | Ken Kremer on

[BenLurkin]

“Dents and holes were anticipated, but the amount of wear appears to have accelerated in the past month or so,” Erickson noted.

“It appears to be correlated with driving over rougher terrain. The wheels can sustain significant damage without impairing the rover’s ability to drive. However, we would like to understand the impact that this terrain type has on the wheels, to help with planning future drives.”

The team is now inspecting the new imagery acquired of the wheels and will decide if a course alteration is in order.

“Routes to future destinations for the mission may be charted to lessen the amount of travel over such rough terrain, compared to smoother ground nearby,” says NASA.

[Kickass Conservative]

Next thing you know a Martian will Key the paint.

[Noumenon]

If they go to Les Schwab, they’ll get a free cut of beef.

[Blood of Tyrants]

All that damage in only 3 miles? At this rate they will be damaged beyond functionality before they get to 10 miles.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Bleeping idiots didn’t renew their AAA membership. What do they expect?

[Blood of Tyrants]

Too much durability was sacrificed over weight.

[GeronL]

They lasted a lot longer than anyone thought they would

[djf]

Rumors abound that there are things near or on that mountain that are not exactly “natural”, ya know?

Of course now they have a pretty dependable excuse “Well, you know we’d love to go closer over there and take a better look at that thing that looks like an ATM/Cash machine.... but the wheels... the wheels...”

[KoRn]

The extreme cold temperature there also couldn’t help matters.

[Conspiracy Guy]

That that that

[BerryDingle]

They need to send up an extra large 3D printer and a Canadian remote manipulator arm.

[piytar]

Yup. I confused my Rovers.

[fso301]

We used to know how to make space wheels.

[BenLurkin]

Years ago (pre-internet) I read that there supposedly was one Apollo landing during which our guys drove to a crater to have a look inside.

Turned out the video from that trip was somehow “lost”.

Good luck finding that story today. Internet searches only bring up rafts of repetitive and spurious websites which sound similar but are either unrelated or totally bogus.

[Calvin Locke]

My first thought too, but weren't they shaped from "screens" of spring steel?

I bet that they would have shredded much sooner.

[SgtHooper]

I can’t believe they didn’t bolt a spare on to the back of that contraption.

[FAA]

Drive it like you stole it.

[FAA]

“BTW, UPS delivers to my remote area (much like Mars, climate-wise and road-wise), although FedEx doesn’t.”

You too, eh. UPS has delivering to the ranch for 30 years but Fed Ex, to this day, doesn’t deliver within 30 miles of the place.

[fso301]

My first thought too, but weren't they shaped from "screens" of spring steel?

I don't remember exactly but they were designed to move the lunar rover and they performed their job well. How well they would have done on Mars I don't know but they weren't designed for such conditions.

[Jack Hydrazine]

They’ll have to wait ‘til February!

[Jack Hydrazine]

What did they find in the crater allegedly?