Mars rover Opportunity successfully escapes sand trap

June 6, 2005 

The Mars rover Opportunity has successfully escaped from a sand trap. JPL engineers cheered when images returned from Mars showed the rover's wheels were free. Engineers worked for nearly five weeks to carefully maneuver the rover out of the sand dune. 
"After a nerve-wracking month of hard work, the rover team is both elated and relieved to finally see our wheels sitting on top of the sand instead of half buried in it," said Jeffrey Biesiadecki, a JPL rover mobility engineer. 
Traction was difficult in the ripple-shaped dune of windblown dust and sand that Opportunity drove into on April 26. In the weeks following, the rover churned 192 meters (629 feet) worth of wheel rotations before gaining enough traction to actually move one meter (about three feet). The rover team directed the drives in cautious increments from May 13 through June 4.
Mars rover Opportunity successfully escapes sand trap June 6 , 2005 The Mars rover Opportunity has successfully escaped from a sand trap . JPL engineers cheered when images returned from Mars showed the rover 's wheels were free . Engineers worked for nearly five weeks to carefully maneuver the rover out of the sand dune . " After a nerve - wracking month of hard work , the rover team is both elated and relieved to finally see our wheels sitting on top of the sand instead of half buried in it , " said Jeffrey Biesiadecki , a JPL rover mobility engineer . Traction was difficult in the ripple - shaped dune of windblown dust and sand that Opportunity drove into on April 26 . In the weeks following , the rover churned 192 meters ( 629 feet ) worth of wheel rotations before gaining enough traction to actually move one meter ( about three feet ) . The rover team directed the drives in cautious increments from May 13 through June 4 .
Mars rover Opportunity
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sand trap
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The Mars rover Opportunity
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a sand trap
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JPL engineers
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images
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Mars
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the rover's wheels
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Engineers
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nearly five weeks
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the rover
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the sand dune
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a nerve-wracking month
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hard work
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the rover team
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our wheels
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top
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the sand
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Jeffrey Biesiadecki
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a JPL rover mobility engineer
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Traction
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the ripple-shaped dune
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windblown dust
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sand
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Opportunity
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April 26
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the weeks
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the rover
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192 meters
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629 feet
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wheel rotations
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enough traction
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one meter
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about three feet
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The rover team
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the drives
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cautious increments
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May 13
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June 4
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