Hmmm. Maybe. We’ll see. It might be nothing. Nobody panic, ok? We’ll just keep an eye on this, reported in NASA’s own regular “status update” on our amazing rover…
“On Sol 4750 (June 4, 2017), the plan was to perform a short, tight backward arc, but the left-front steering actuator stalled. With the left-front wheel steered to more than 30 degrees from straight, the focus of the team is first to assess whether this stall was a terrain related phenomenon. So, on Sol 4752 (June 6, 2017), the rover arced back without steering the left-front wheel and imaged the location of the steering stall. Although there is evidence to suggest a terrain effect, it is not conclusive. The next step will be a careful attempt to straighten the left-front wheel. The plan on Sol 4754 (June 8, 2017) is to gently turn the wheel straight.”
Translation? Oppy’s left front wheel is stalled, stuck at an angle off to one side, but they’re going to try to straighten it. As I said, don’t panic, it might be nothing. It probably IS nothing.
Anyway, apologies for the lack of posts for a week or so (did anyone notice? Hello? Is anyone out there???) but we were away on holiday, camping up in the rain-lashed, wind-battered, midge-infested Highlands of Scotland, a place as opposite as it possible to get from the land Opportunity is exploring (and yes, that’s our tent on the right on the bottom picture)…
While we were away I kept up to date with Opportunity’s adventures – I still have to stop myself shaking my head with wonder when I’m curled up in my sleeping bag, late at night, listening to the wind howling and the rain hissing against the tent, looking at my phone, seeing images taken on Mars just a few hours earlier! – and as soon as we got back I set to work making some new colourised images out of the raw black and white images that came back in my absence, and here they are…
More soon, stay tuned for the latest news about Oppy’s wheel…
The Road To Endeavour 
” Hello? Is anyone out there???” Yes! Hello from Seattle area, I enjoy all your Oppy updates and photos. Keep them coming! 🙂
Still reading here in northern Germany. Thank you for your work.
Hello from Texas!! I look so forward to your posts!! Thanks….
I loved your camping site. Maybe Oppy has started showing more signs of aging? But as your blog suggested, that is not conclusive yet. I really want Oppy to show us Perseverance Valley!