NASA's Opportunity Mars rover took a first tentative step into the planet's Victoria Crater Tuesday, as the opening of a risky trek that could spell trouble for the little explorer.
The rover, whose scientific mission has essentially been on hold during the last two months of dust storms, is headed into the half-mile-wide crater on its way to an unusual set of exposed rocks. Researchers hope these formations may give them new information about atmospheric conditions that existed millions of years ago.
But it may be a tough journey. The crater offers steep sides and uncertain footing. Or rolling, in this case. NASA has debated whether to send the Rover down at all, but have decided the potential scientific gains are worth the risk.
Opportunity's first foray in brought it about 13 feet into the crater, far enough that all six wheels were past the rim, NASA reported
Tuesday. It then tried backing up – but towards the end, began slipping fairly seriously. Orders were to stop short if it passed 40
percent slippage, and so the probe called it a day with its front wheels still sitting inside the crater.
"We will do a full assessment of what we learned from the drive today and use that information to plan Opportunity's descent into the crater," said John Callas, rover project manager at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Opportunity Takes A Dip Into Victoria Crater[NASA press release]
(Photo: Opportunity looks over its own wheel tracks into Victoria Crater. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
