Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to CNN says problem with Opportunity, no other sites confirm it.

re: CNN says problem with Opportunity, no other sites confirm it.

I heard it mentioned during the press conference, but it was also made very clear that this is a very, very minor issue. It bothers them a bit that something isn't behaving as expected, but they didn't see any likely impact of it at all.

Specifically, there is a small heater for the shoulder joint of the instrument arm, which controlled by a thermostat, or can be turned off entirely. Normally they'd leave it off when not using the arm, but instead it is on. Doesn't mean the heater is on continuously it just means that the joint is being kept at operating temp, rather than being allowed to cool down on days when not being used.

At least that's what I understood. They said they're doing some research to see if they can identify any potential impact, but right now it's a benign anomaly, not a "problem".

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