NASA Troubleshooting Drill Problem On Mars Curiosity Rover

cbsla ^ | 12/13/2016

[BenLurkin]

NASA says it’s troubleshooting a snag on the Mars rover Curiosity that’s preventing it from moving its robotic arm and driving to another spot.

The space agency said Tuesday the problem involves a motor in the rover’s drill that is used to bore into rocks.

Curiosity has been taking pictures, but doing little else for the past two weeks.

[Covenantor]

While it would be cool to see American men walk on Mars, we could send 50 more robots there in the next 20 years and scan half the planet for the same cost!”
And at best, learn half as much ...

Really?

And exactly what sort of useful data would a human, clad in protective gear, acquire that robot instrumentation could not?

[trebb]

Wolowitz impressing a new girlfriend...

[HiJinx]

GMTA...!!

[PIF]

” And exactly what sort of useful data would a human, clad in protective gear, acquire that robot instrumentation could not?”

If you cannot figure that out on your own, then there’s nothing I could say.

[Covenantor]

And exactly what sort of useful data would a human, clad in protective gear, acquire that robot instrumentation could not?”
If you cannot figure that out on your own, then there’s nothing I could say.

I ask a civil question and you respond with that?

Climb down from your high horse and enlighten us poor benighted souls lacking your vast knowledge and insights.

Surely you had something specific in mind when you posted that. Let it shine forth.

[PIF]

Its attitudes like yours which killed the manned space program and hold the rest of us back 40 years later. Just remember that when you send your pet Roomba out, daring to venture beyond your safe place, that you may find it reports back only what you asked it to find - nothing more. And so those fossils ground off in search of some rock strata were lost forever.

[Covenantor]

Attitudes like mine?

I ask a simple question twice.

I’ll repeat it. “And exactly what sort of useful data would a human, clad in protective gear, acquire that robot instrumentation could not?”

Apparently I was mistaken in assuming that you would understand that all the mass required for human vistation, which includes a habitat of some sort, breathing scrubbers, food, tools, human compatible equipment, medical supplies, etc. for any stay. What about a return trip? All that mass comes at enormous cost on the launch pad.

You seem to think that human explorers will be trekking all over Mars like Lewis and Clark at will. Any extra-habitat exploration will of necessity be limited by breathable air, heating and cooling and so forth. What’s that walking range, rhetorically speaking?

That sets up the feasible walking radius from the habitat. Then what? Plant the flag and call for the ultimate uber ride home after taking some small core samples, the curious small bits?

Again, what can be learned from visual and whatever tactile observation can bevlearned by a human on site that will provide data that a far ranging rover or even a platoon of rovers can not provide better and more accurately?

Or do you think that the habitat will be mobile (jumping ahead of you in case you were thinking, “Oh well, they’ll have a Martian ATV.”) Mass, mass, and more mass.

Thanks for playing kiddo, binge out on all the Star Trek episodes and films for the holidays. It will be so soothing for you.

Merry Christmas

[PIF]

What a sourpuss you are ...

Guess your reading comprehension a tad on the short side ... stay home sniff your socks while the rest of us explore the universe one step at a time in manned ships.

Star Trek/Star Wars what’s the difference?

You should have been counsel to Queen Isabella; she could have saved a bunch.

[Covenantor]

In the time it took you to post your previous answers you could have concisely stated the reasons why a manned expedition would reap more benefits than robotic rovers.

Nothing rational in any of your responses pertaining to the issue, mere puerile remarks.

I grew up in that era that saw the first ballistic missiles were developed, never mind the rockets and started my avid support for further advances.

You want men on Mars, then you put up your dollars along with others, but don’t put an enormous tax burden on my grandchildren or their children. Will come a time when such expeditions make sense. Today ain’t that day sport.

[PIF]

Such a Hopeless troll, you are.