Comments on: Rover Update With Video

By: Torbjorn Larsson OM

Torbjorn Larsson OM — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:17:18 +0000

Jake, thanks! If they really had a special design going, and now is trying out something generic, indeed it seems like a done deal.

By: Jon Hanford

Jon Hanford — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:12:12 +0000

PANCAM images of the night sky? Wow, time for some meteoric, auroral and highttime upper atmospheric science Sign me up (any current predicted Martian meteor showers?).

By: Jake Tringali

Jake Tringali — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:03:43 +0000

I asked that question during a 2008 JPL Open House to the rover staff. The engineer said they had originally had a dust remover in designs, but it was removed for time/money considerations.

Seems to me that the next ones will have a dust remover.

By: Torbjorn Larsson OM

Torbjorn Larsson OM — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:52:03 +0000

Thanks, I enjoyed that, and good idea to have regular updates.

The "Goddard depression" seems like a fitting name, all that power and "all" we get is awakened nights.

Btw, I do hope NASA has solved the Mars solar panel dust problem by the time the next such driven probe lands. It's kind of ironic to have rovers with lots of actuators, even arms, but no one to scrape the panels against a known problem. Where's the nearest squeegee when you need it?

(IIRC, and wasn't that a UT article, NASA actually tries out some form of integrated EM some effect or other levitation actuators. Fancy, but weight saving and robust.)