Told you so!

Looks like I was right about the problem with the TEGA ovens... To quote the NASA website (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/news/phoenix-20080625.html)

"When doors for a second TEGA oven were commanded open last week, the doors opened only partway. Later, the team determined that mechanical interference may prevent doors on that oven and three others from opening fully. The remaining three ovens are expected to have one door that opens fully and one that opens partially, as was the case with the first oven used."

Oops... Now they are in extreme difficulty - sure they still have got the "Wet Lab" and the microscope, but Phoenix's ability to chemically analyse the soil and detect water - the prime reasons for the mission has now halved!

What caused this? Well they say that the oven doors were damaged through the use of the "vibrator" used to get the clumpy soil into the first oven that caused the problem

"engineers believe the use of a motor to create the vibration may also have caused a short circuit in wiring near that oven".

This is of course an electrical problem - hence the use of the word "also" - there is a "mechanical interference" problem according to the first statement - I think that is, at least partially, the fact that the soil is sticking to the doors!

So now there are only three ovens left out of the original 8 - and only one has been used. I still think they should try using the robotic arm to rip the doors open - what have they got to loose?

Or perhaps they have already tried that - have a look at the photo at the start of this blog...

Does it look to you like they are trying to open the oven door with the scoop? I does to me!

Despite the NASA website saying they are showing the "raw images" I think they are being selective about the ones they put up there. The picture above wasn't in the general archive (or at least I couldn't find it).