RIP Mars Rover Opportunity, Update in OP - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - RIP Mars Rover Opportunity, Update in OP (Page 1 of 6)

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:48:30 AM EDT

The rover has run out of juice to run its own systems due to a massive dust storm on Mars and has gone in to sleep mode.
If it does not get Sun light soon in may turn into a frozen brick and not be able to power up again.

https://www.space.com/40873-mars-dust-storm-opportunity-falls-silent.html?utm_source=notification

RIP little fella.

Update, the Rover is still sleeping.

https://www.space.com/41079-nasa-opportunity-mars-rover-silent-dust-storm.html?utm_source=notification

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:50:37 AM EDT

[#1]

Sad that it may finally be over for the little guy, but damn did he ever last longer than anyone had hoped. What a kick ass mission. There is still hope that it comes back though, so lets hope it pulls through the storm.

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:51:22 AM EDT

[#2]

Sleep well, fair prince.

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:52:30 AM EDT

[#3]

Hats off to ya, brave explorer.

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:53:21 AM EDT

[#4]

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:53:38 AM EDT

[#5]

It had to stop working sometime considering it was only initially intended for a few month mission and has been running for almost 6 years

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:53:49 AM EDT

[#6]

Great job designers

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:54:32 AM EDT

[#7]

Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

Posted: 6/13/2018 10:55:02 AM EDT

[#8]

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Posted: 6/13/2018 10:58:22 AM EDT

[#9]

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:02:05 AM EDT

[#10]

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Quoted:
It had to stop working sometime considering it was only initially intended for a few month mission and has been running for almost 6 years

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Been going for over 14 years now

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:02:23 AM EDT

[#11]

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:03:02 AM EDT

[#12]

Proof positive there is no such thing as over engineered.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:03:02 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

View Quote

Next rover in the line up is a Curiosity style, so no more solar

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:03:14 AM EDT

[#14]

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Been going for over 14 years now

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Quoted:
It had to stop working sometime considering it was only initially intended for a few month mission and has been running for almost 6 years

Been going for over 14 years now

He's thinking of Curiosity.

Kharn

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:03:37 AM EDT

[#15]

90 day warranty long expired.
American workmanship ftw?

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:03:46 AM EDT

[#16]

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I actually liked the John Carter movie, and thats the wrong rover

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:04:46 AM EDT

[#17]

RIP Johnny 5.

eTits up.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:08:13 AM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
It had to stop working sometime considering it was only initially intended for a few month mission and has been running for almost 6 years

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Quoted:
It had to stop working sometime considering it was only initially intended for a few month mission and has been running for almost 6 years

Try 15 years.

From OP's link:
The nearly 15-year-old rover launched in 2003 and has been exploring Mars since it landed in January 2004. Opportunity has lasted more than 50 times longer than its original 90-day mission plan

ETA: beat badly

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:09:55 AM EDT

[#19]

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Quoted:
Proof positive there is no such thing as over engineered.

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Over built.

German cars are over engineered, under built.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:10:20 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

View Quote

It would be great to have a nuclear RTG and not have any panels.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:15:45 AM EDT

[#21]

I always thought the Rovers needed a dust brush (like a windshield wiper) to keep the panels clean. They don't have one?

And didn't a dust storm blow the dust off a rover once, allowing it to recharge?

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:17:06 AM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

View Quote

You would figure this would be... common sense.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:17:50 AM EDT

[#23]

Martians did it.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:18:51 AM EDT

[#24]

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I'm not crying, you're crying.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:19:07 AM EDT

[#25]

Fuck you Mars.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:19:11 AM EDT

[#26]

Let's send Matt Damon up to fix it.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:19:20 AM EDT

[#27]

Quote History

Quoted:
Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

View Quote

Well the current gen rovers have been/are being cleaned by something.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleaning_event

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:19:36 AM EDT

[#28]

I wonder what Ken M thinks about this.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:20:18 AM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:
Well the current gen rovers have been/are being cleaned by something.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleaning_event

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

Well the current gen rovers have been/are being cleaned by something.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleaning_event

Consuela from housekeeping?

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:20:42 AM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
I always thought the Rovers needed a dust brush (like a windshield wiper) to keep the panels clean. They don't have one?

And didn't a dust storm blow the dust off a rover once, allowing it to recharge?

View Quote

I have an idea. The solar cells could be mounted on a long trianglar “tubes” that could rotate on the long axis. The top face exposed, bottom 2 faces covered by enclosure below them. If top face gets duty just rotate to expose clean cells. The rotation could brush against some bristles.

Have enough of them and you could rotate individual tubes to clean without disrupting power.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:21:11 AM EDT

[#31]

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Let's send Matt Damon up to fix it.

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I'm up for that preferably without an environmental suit.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:21:57 AM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
Sad that it may finally be over for the little guy, but damn did he ever last longer than anyone had hoped. What a kick ass mission. There is still hope that it comes back though, so lets hope it pulls through the storm.

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Sad the the fucking hippies forced NASA to use solar power. Good thing they did with Curiosity, and will with other new ones.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:22:01 AM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:

I have an idea. The solar cells could be mounted on a long trianglar “tube” that could rotate on the long axis. The top face exposed, bottom 2 faces covered by enclosure below them. If top face gets duty just rotate to expose clean cells.

View Quote

Some sort of soft silicone brush that cleans off the dust like those cameras they put on NASCAR cars that rotate and clean all the tire residue off.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:24:22 AM EDT

[#34]

Outstanding! Now we can lay off the team that's been running that damned thing and save some money for more important things. It failed to find Matt Damon so the mission is an utter failure!

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:24:41 AM EDT

[#35]

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... right in the feels

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:26:52 AM EDT

[#36]

Quote History

Quoted:
I wonder what Ken M thinks about this.

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"My buick is over 30 years old and it didn't cost millions of dollars! What a waste! MUST BE NICE SPENDING OUR MONEY NASA! TYPICAL GOVERNMENT!

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:29:23 AM EDT

[#37]

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Fuuuuuuck, we need to go get him.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:32:54 AM EDT

[#38]

Quote History

Quoted:
Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

View Quote

The Curiosity and Mars 2020 rovers are nuclear rather than solar powered.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:33:50 AM EDT

[#39]

Quote History

Quoted:
"My buick is over 30 years old and it didn't cost millions of dollars! What a waste! MUST BE NICE SPENDING OUR MONEY NASA! TYPICAL GOVERNMENT!

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I wonder what Ken M thinks about this.

"My buick is over 30 years old and it didn't cost millions of dollars! What a waste! MUST BE NICE SPENDING OUR MONEY NASA! TYPICAL GOVERNMENT!

He's right ya know...

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:36:02 AM EDT

[#40]

Quote History

Quoted:

The Curiosity and Mars 2020 rovers are nuclear rather than solar powered.

View Quote

Oh great, now we are going to irradiate Mars and make it uninhabitable to the poor microbes we just found there.

NASA is so dumb.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:38:25 AM EDT

[#41]

Quote History

Quoted:
... right in the feels

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/spirit.png

... right in the feels

Good to know I wasn't the only one.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:43:15 AM EDT

[#42]

It will come back soon as the dust storm is over.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:44:05 AM EDT

[#43]

Quote History

Quoted:
You would figure this would be... common sense.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Note to next generation Rover designers...

It would be Boss to have a System to clear dust off those solar panels...

You would figure this would be... common sense.

But what could they use to wipe dust off solar panels....there must be something....but what?

Science is hard!!!

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:44:12 AM EDT

[#44]

Quote History

Quoted:
It will come back soon as the dust storm is over.

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I'm hoping it will.

Posted: 6/13/2018 11:44:42 AM EDT

[#45]

The Opportunity team should look back on a job well done. I look forward to the day that even a small item of the rover is returned to Earth as a testimony to our desire to explore and expand in our universe.