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-04.29.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.23.24

 Airborne-Unlimited-04.24.24 Airborne-FltTraining-04.25.24

Airborne-Unlimited-04.26.24

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

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (04.28.24): Airport Marking Aids

Airport Marking Aids Markings used on runway and taxiway surfaces to identify a specific runway, a runway threshold, a centerline, a hold line, etc. A runway should be marked in ac>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.28.24)

"It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for manned aircraft to see a drone while conducting crop-enhancing and other aerial applications at low altitudes and high speeds. We>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.28.24)

Aero Linx: The Skyhawk Association The Skyhawk Association is a non-profit organization founded by former Skyhawk Pilots which is open to anyone with an affinity for the A-4 Skyhaw>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (04.29.24)

“The T-54A benefits from an active Beechcraft King Air assembly line in Wichita, Kansas, where all required METS avionics and interior modifications are installed on the line>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.29.24)

Aero Linx: Aerostar Owners Association The Association offers the Aerostar Owner a unique opportunity to tap an invaluable source of information concerning the care and feeding of >[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Change Display

Headlines Only | Headlines w/ Teasers | View Everything

Advertisement

Top Videos

Airborne 05.01.24: WACO Kitchen, FAA Reauthorization, World Skydiving Day

Airborne-NextGen 04.30.24: Skydweller Flies, Cassio 330, UAV Design Competition

Airborne 04.29.24: EAA B-25 Rides, Textron 2024, G700 Deliveries

See All

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

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