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Press Release Images: Opportunity
06-May-2005
Rover Team Tests Mars Moves on Earth
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This image shows engineers checking how a test rover moves in material chosen to simulate some difficult Mars driving conditions.
Tests to Help Plan Opportunity Moves

Rover engineers check how a test rover moves in material chosen to simulate some difficult Mars driving conditions. The scene is inside the In-Situ Instrument Laboratory at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. These tests in early May 2005 were designed to help plan the best way for the rover Opportunity to drive off of a soft-sand dune that the rover dug itself into the previous week. The mixture of sandy and powdery material brought in for these specific tests matched the way the soil underneath Opportunity caked onto wheels, filling the spaces between the cleats on the wheels.

Image credit: NASA/JPL
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This image shows engineers preparing a mixture of sandy and powdery materials to simulate some difficult Mars driving conditions.
Preparing to Test Rover Mobility

Rover engineers prepare a mixture of sandy and powdery materials to simulate some difficult Mars driving conditions inside a facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The tests in early May 2005 were designed to help plan the best way for the rover Opportunity to drive off of a soft-sand dune that the rover dug itself into the previous week.

Image credit: NASA/JPL
Browse Image | Medium Image (145 kB) | Large (5.1 MB)
This image shows engineers checking how a test rover moves in material chosen to simulate some difficult Mars driving conditions.
Testing Rover Mobility in Challenging Soil

Rover engineers check how a test rover moves in material chosen to simulate some difficult Mars driving conditions. The scene is inside the In-Situ Instrument Laboratory at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. These tests in early May 2005 were designed to help plan the best way for the rover Opportunity to drive off of a soft-sand dune that the rover dug itself into the previous week.

Image credit: NASA/JPL
Browse Image | Medium Image (176 kB) | Large (5.8 MB)

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