New serious damage to Curiosity’s wheels?
Click for original image.
I must start this post with a strong caveat. The serious damage, as posted to the right, of the zig-zag growser treads on one of Curiosity’s wheels that was photographed by one of the rover’s cameras yesterday and downloaded today, could very well not be new damage. As noted in a report in June:
The team discovered that the left middle wheel had damaged one of its grousers, the zig-zagging treads along Curiosity’s wheels. This particular wheel already had four broken grousers, so now five of its 19 grousers are broken.
The damaged wheel to the right appears to be that left middle wheel. This photo thus might simply be documenting the damage noted in June, and not new damage. Since Curiosity has six wheels (three on each side), the middle wheels like this one are likely slightly less critical and can be worked around should it no longer function well.
Nonetheless, the damage to these growsers is of concern. Previously, the wheel damage has consistently involved breakage in the metal plates between the growsers. Though the science team noted in that June report that it has “proven through ground testing that we can safely drive on the wheel rims if necessary”, the team also said that it did not think that was going to happen soon.
Based on this image, however, it is happening, at least on one wheel. Fortunately, a review of all the images downloaded yesterday does not show any other broken growsers on any other wheel, though the image survey is not thorough and does not cover the entire surface of every wheel. For example, I could not identify any images of the damaged sections of the wheel that I have been tracking since 2017. It could be that the photo’s orientation this time was significantly different, making it difficult to find a match. It could also be that the damage had increased so much that no match with an earlier photo was easily possible. Or it could simply be that the same section on the wheel was not photographed this time.
Either way, the damage on this middle wheel foreshadows the rover’s eventual future, a future that is likely getting closer because of the roughness of the mountain and rocky terrain that Curiosity is presently traveling, and appears to have no end as it now climbs Mount Sharp.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Click for original image.
I must start this post with a strong caveat. The serious damage, as posted to the right, of the zig-zag growser treads on one of Curiosity’s wheels that was photographed by one of the rover’s cameras yesterday and downloaded today, could very well not be new damage. As noted in a report in June:
The team discovered that the left middle wheel had damaged one of its grousers, the zig-zagging treads along Curiosity’s wheels. This particular wheel already had four broken grousers, so now five of its 19 grousers are broken.
The damaged wheel to the right appears to be that left middle wheel. This photo thus might simply be documenting the damage noted in June, and not new damage. Since Curiosity has six wheels (three on each side), the middle wheels like this one are likely slightly less critical and can be worked around should it no longer function well.
Nonetheless, the damage to these growsers is of concern. Previously, the wheel damage has consistently involved breakage in the metal plates between the growsers. Though the science team noted in that June report that it has “proven through ground testing that we can safely drive on the wheel rims if necessary”, the team also said that it did not think that was going to happen soon.
Based on this image, however, it is happening, at least on one wheel. Fortunately, a review of all the images downloaded yesterday does not show any other broken growsers on any other wheel, though the image survey is not thorough and does not cover the entire surface of every wheel. For example, I could not identify any images of the damaged sections of the wheel that I have been tracking since 2017. It could be that the photo’s orientation this time was significantly different, making it difficult to find a match. It could also be that the damage had increased so much that no match with an earlier photo was easily possible. Or it could simply be that the same section on the wheel was not photographed this time.
Either way, the damage on this middle wheel foreshadows the rover’s eventual future, a future that is likely getting closer because of the roughness of the mountain and rocky terrain that Curiosity is presently traveling, and appears to have no end as it now climbs Mount Sharp.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
A number of swear words come to mind.
I hope they addressed the wheel issue when they design Perseverance.
Kyle: They did.
Unfortunately, “irony” isn’t a color like “silvery” only rust colored! They paid so much attention to making those wheels as light as possible, and ironically they’re now getting lighter all the time by themselves!
They need to adjust the track tension says the Chieftain
When you think of the total milage on those wheels, it isn’t really that much. I wonder if that’s totally abrasion or if there is some kind of chemical weakening by compounds in the soil too?
What about undeflected solar wind?
How about they only designed them for the length of the original mission?
As thin as possible to hold up the craft and still role.
This damage was happening a few months after mission start.