14 DAY TRIAL // The battered exploration rover Spirit, which has been stuck in a patch of loose soil on Mars for the better part of the last six months, has recently wiggled its wheels for the first time. The move is the first since the robot became embedded in Troy, and represents the beginning of efforts to extricate the rover, which may last several months. The move does not mean that the robot is free, and it's only a warm-up exercise. But it also brings new hope for engineers at the Pasadena, California-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), who manage the rover and its twin, Opportunity, The Planetary Society reports.
Scott Maxwell, the rover driver, said via Twitter a couple of days ago that the wiggling of the wheels had a single purpose, namely that of moving them in the correct position that would allow for future drives. However, people cannot help but feel excited at seeing the rover moving again. Over the past five years, since Spirit and Opportunity have been roaming the Red Planet, they have become something of a cult among space enthusiasts, each of them having their own dedicated fan pages, which get constant updates. When the announcement that extrication procedures would begin was made, everyone was thrilled.
The new “drive” was only made possible by months of thorough tests, which saw Spirit's predicament being mimicked in a JPL sandbox. A test rover – a robot that is built precisely as Spirit and Opportunity are – was used to attempt all sorts of maneuvers, as the engineering team established the best course of action for the stuck robot. NASA experts did not want to try anything rush, as one foul step could lead to Spirit remaining trapped in Troy for ever. Another thing that somewhat forced the JPL team into action was the fact that the Martian winter was approaching Home Plate, the robot's location, and, with it, Spirit's power supplies would dwindle, Wired reports.
The robot has already endured five winters on the surface of the Red Planet, and more than 2,137 days of exploration. Like Opportunity, it was originally scheduled to spend only 90 sols (Martian days) on the planet, but its resilience allowed scientists to further use it. Indeed, it would appear that the two robots were excellently built, as evidenced by the fact that, in spite of all hardships they endured, they still roam Mars today. Spirit has a busted wheel, which it has been dragging around for three years, while Opportunity's robotic arm is not in the best shape of its life.
For more details on Spirit's status, check back here.
An animation showing how Spirit wiggled its wheels during the latest maneuvers Credit: NASA / JPL / animation by Damien Bouic