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Recurring problem delays Mars rover launch again

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 July 2003, 06:00 CDT

Recurring problem delays Mars rover launch again

Associated Press

Monday, June 30, 2003

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- NASA delayed the launch of its second Mars rover until at least Wednesday, after problems resurfaced Sunday with the cork insulation on the rover's rocket.

The band of cork, designed to insulate the rocket from excessive heat, wasn't sticking to the skin of the rocket, causing gaps that could lead to damage during liftoff, said George Diller, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at the Kennedy Space Center.

The problem was found during inspections after wind forced the launch to be scrubbed twice late Saturday and early Sunday. The launch of the rover Opportunity had already been pushed back last week because the adhesive wasn't bonding with the cork.

The cork was replaced, but the problem reappeared Sunday.

"They don't fully understand what the problem is," Diller said. "If it's not adhering to the vehicle, you don't get the full effect of the insulation."

Opportunity and its sister rover, Spirit, launched this month, are to act as robotic geologists during their three months of exploration on the Martian surface. The rovers, expected to arrive on Mars in January, are to send back images of sediment and mineral deposits to help scientists determine whether there was ever enough water on the planet to sustain life.

The six-wheeled Opportunity rover is about the size of a large riding lawn mower.

Rover mission: mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mer

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