Next Mars Rover Launch Delayed | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.06.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.07.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.08.24 Airborne-FlightTraining-05.09.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.10.24

Thu, Apr 17, 2003

Next Mars Rover Launch Delayed

'Guillotine' Could Short Boards

'In case of trouble, cut wires.' That's the mandate of a little 'guillotine-like' device that's built into the two Mars Rovers, that are scheduled to launch this Spring and Summer. The problem with guillotines is... they can cut things.

In the case of the Rovers, there is an obscure failure mode in which the blades could short out surrounding circuitry, effectively blowing the brains out of the expensive little vehicles as they approach the Red Planet's surface, with expected (catastrophically negative) results.

NASA is taking both Rovers apart to correct the problem; that R&R will delay the first Rover's launch a bit more than a week. The new launch date can be no earlier than June 8. (The second machine's launch, scheduled for the June 25~July 15 window, is unaffected.)

The last two Mars missions, in 1999, didn't work well: one was doomed by a premature shutdown of the retrorockets on landing; the other's calculations were done in both metric and English units -- and the overseers didn't catch the mixup until... poof happened.

FMI: www.nasa.gov

Advertisement

More News

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.09.24)

"Fly-by-wire flight, coupled with additional capability that are being integrated into ALFA, provide a great foundation for Bell to expand on its autonomous capabilities. This airc>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.09.24): Hold Procedure

Hold Procedure A predetermined maneuver which keeps aircraft within a specified airspace while awaiting further clearance from air traffic control. Also used during ground operatio>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.09.24)

Aero Linx: B-21 Raider The B-21 Raider will be a dual-capable penetrating strike stealth bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. The B-21 will form th>[...]

Airborne 05.03.24: Advanced Powerplant Solutions, PRA Runway Woes, Drone Racing

Also: Virgin Galactic, B-29 Doc to Allentown, Erickson Fire-Fighters Bought, FAA Reauthorization After dealing with a big letdown after the unexpected decision by Skyreach to disco>[...]

Airborne-NextGen 05.07.24: AI-Piloted F-16, AgEagle, 1st 2 WorldView Sats

Also: Skydio Chief, Uncle Sam Sues, Dash 7 magniX, OR UAS Accelerator US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall was given a turn around the patch in the 'X-62A Variable In-flight>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC