What driving strategy allowed Spirit to continue operating after its right front wheel became disabled?
Answer
Dragging the stuck wheel to operate as a five-wheeled drive system
Faced with an immobilized right front wheel in May 2009, mission engineers devised an innovative workaround to salvage the mission. Instead of abandoning the rover, they commanded Spirit to continue driving, forcing it to drag the disabled wheel along the Martian surface. This maneuver effectively turned the six-wheeled rover into a functional, albeit strained, 'five-wheeled drive' system. This strategy, though risky, allowed the rover to navigate further, successfully reaching scientifically valuable locations like Troy before its eventual power depletion.
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