(Animation from @DLR_en, who also provided the mole.)
-
-
Show this threadThanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
That Mole was made by Poles

-
Yes, lots of international help got me to where I am! And you’re right:
@DLR_en took the lead on the instrument, with partners at the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Space Research Center and@astronika_space providing that elegant hammering mechanism.
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
There you are on Mars, by virtue of our most advanced technology, using the simplest machines known to man (the wedge, the inclined plane/screw), to do unprecedented science. You're not only clever, you're elegant.
-
Thank you -- and thanks to @astronika_space for their design of the hammering mechanism!
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
What happens if there is a rock just below the surface? I mean the amount of times I'll dig the soil in my back garden and ill hit a stone with the fork. Im intrigued how that is handled.
-
My team was careful to pick a landing site where I’d have a good chance of getting to the 3- to 5-meter depth we aim for. The mole can push aside small rocks, and if it meets a bigger one, depending on rock shape it might edge past it and keep going. In any case, I’ll do my best!
- 1 more reply
New conversation -
-
-
Absolutely awesome! What's the end depth goal?
-
Anywhere from 3-5 meters (or about 10-16 feet).
- 1 more reply
New conversation -
-
-
How is all of this controlled? Has it times programme been set up? Is it controlled remotely? Or is it controlled by the passing of satellites?
-
Each day, the team back at
@NASAJPL sends me a to-do list of commands. I do my best to complete them all. Then, at the end of the day, I report back how everything went. I send data, images, etc. up to the Mars orbiters overhead, and they send it back to Earth for me. - 2 more replies
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.