Curiosity Rover's drill is ill. But chill: we can dig Martian sand instead of rocking hard

The Curiosity Rover's drill is in trouble. NASA announced the instrument was “in hiatus” in late 2016 due to “an issue with a motor that moves the rover's drill.” Now we've learned that the rover is concentrating on scooping sand while the space agency tries to sort things out. “A balky brake appears to be affecting drill …

[A K Stiles]

Ingenuity at work

Incredible to think that they can contemplate a fix for a dodgy drill from several million miles away, without replacing parts! All speed to those scientists and engineers - top boffins every one!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Ingenuity at work

Definitely a tip of the hat to the JPL boffins, although I'm quite mystified how they're quite so brilliant without having access to a shed, strong tea and a good pipe.

[imanidiot]

Re: Ingenuity at work

@Mike Richards, Take a look at JPLs Mars yard where it conducts tests with Curiosity's twin Maggie. (https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/51m2b4/meet_maggie_the_earthbased_copy_of_the_curiosity/?st=j2bu8dtu&sh=81b405b4)

That looks suspiciously like a shed to me. I don't know about the tea but I know that smoking is not allowed there (air quality issues around the test article and all that).

[Doctor Syntax]

Re: Ingenuity at work

"That looks suspiciously like a shed to me."

That's a shed!

[Peter X]

Re: Ingenuity at work

Curiosity's twin Maggie. (https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/51m2b4/meet_maggie_the_earthbased_copy_of_the_curiosity/?st=j2bu8dtu&sh=81b405b4)

Should we worry that the " L-A-B T-E-C-H-N-I-C-I-A-N " * is _completely_ naked from the waist down? Because, quite frankly, that sort of behaviour is filthy!!

* (big air-quotes, and pronounced loud and slow for full comedic effect)

[Mark 85]

Re: Ingenuity at work

Since it's "Merica.. they have the shed as others pointed out, smoking outside in the designated area (we had to go off property to the street and we did in herds :) ) and coffee pots that also provided hot water for tea.

[PNGuinn]

“A balky brake appears to be affecting ..."

Balky.

A bit of Martian I have not yet had the privilege to learn.

Que, anyone?

[phuzz]

Re: “A balky brake appears to be affecting ..."

balky: Awkward; uncooperative..

(However, the UK spelling is usually baulky)

Often used in this sense where something is not moving as smoothly as it is supposed to, eg the door was baulky, and kept sticking, because Alex had not oiled the hinges.

[PNGuinn]

Sand ...

Next communique from NASA:

"Drill instability now fixed - Rover drill now fully bolloxed by sand ingestion"

OK El reg - invent a daft headline for that one!

[Tom Paine]

...astroboffins are looking forward to figuring out how much sand is blowing about so we can ponder Martian dune formation and how different grains of different minerals move about.

Interesting stuff for those us weird enough to have a genuine interest in comparisons between Martian and terrestrial geomorphology and geological processes, and all knowledge is a Good Thing, but.... for that, Trump wants to spend $500Bn so we can do the same science with humans?

[John Brown (no body)]

astroboffins???

Areoboffins maybe?

[John Jennings]

Send Elon up with some McLube, Wd40 or Ranch Hand

And a hammer

Fo