[X] My Assistant

[azstrummer]

Okay, I've posted a number of times indicating my desire to see Spirt get quickly to the top of the hills and peer over the other side and each time have been chided by Doug that I'm thinking more like a tourist than a scientist and I'd like to know if I'm the only one in this mindset.

Sol 310. Way past the expected. Gravy from here on out. So what should it be - tourist or geologist?

[YesRushGen]

I voted for continuing and moderately stopping. Although the tourist in me wants the rover to charge straight on, I do at least recognize that there is important science to be had in the various types of rocks along the way.

Just like how Oppy at Endurance crater made several stops to fully examine almost every type of rock found, so as to get a complete (more or less) picture of the crater's geology.

But Endurance was what, only 10m deep? Husband hill I think is some 90m tall. We could be in for a very long wait.

I just hope that future rovers will have more advanced analysis techniques that will not take such a long time.

cheers everyone!

Kelly

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

it looks like they've made some major progress towards Husband Hill:

Forward HazCam (looking backwards) we havent seen a set of wheel tracks like that from Spirit in quite a while :

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/fo...00P1214R0M1.JPG

Rear HazCam (looking forwards):

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/re...A7P1302R0M1.JPG

[mook]

Yes, Sunspot. Having chided NASA in these forums for making glaciation seem positively zippy, suddenly they seem to have gotten the tourist bug, and are mashing the gas to get to the top of the hill for that million-dollar panorama. (Or in Spirit's case, the ~$410 million panorama).

WHEEEEE....

[slinted]

I would encourage anyone who voted for 'tourist mode' to listen to the realvideo stream of the 11/11/04 - Media Teleconference: Mars Exploration Rovers at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/.

I won't even try to summerize what was said in it (it's an hour+ of science-rich goodness), except to say that they are finally putting a coherient picture together of the action of wind/volcanic deposition for the layered rocks they've found so far in the hills, and the way that water played a role in altering them. It is a huge departure from the "Gusev was a giant lake" hypothesis, and without this trip into the Columbia Hills, they may have never figured it out. These 'boring' week long stops at rocks along the way has truely opened up the possibility of understanding Gusev Crater.

[OWW]

I'm all for good science, but how many more 'soft rocks' on West Spur do we need to drill? In that regard, I am very impatient to reach the summit and look around to find something new! Spirit isn't going to last forever.

But, on the other hand, remember it's winter and if Spirit reaches the summit too soon it won't be able to descent along the other side of Husband Hill to the layered stuff anyway, because of the south-facing slopes there.

Same thing for Opportunity. Yes the heatshield and etched terrain are very interesting, but this northfacing slope near Burns cliff is very comfy during the winter. Can't hurt to stay here a while longer baking in the sun taking pictures of the very layers we were looking for.

[slinted]

I'm all for good science, but how many more 'soft rocks' on West Spur do we need to drill?

Steve Squyres mentions in the teleconference that they do have something specific they are looking for in the 'soft rocks'. They've seen sedementary volcanic rocks that appear to be altered by underground water, but what they hope to find is a similar rock which hasn't been altered, as a baseline to determine how much water action may have been involved. The composition of the Columbia Hills is wildly different than the 'unaltered' rocks they saw on the plains below, so they need to find something in the hills for comparison. If they found that tomorrow, after studying it, I think they'd be more willing to get on up the hills.

[mook]

The guy in the teleconference projects that it'll take another three months to get to the top of Husband Hill. That puts it sometime in February 2005. I liked the little comment that they're still really keen "to see the other side"!

[djellison]

(Or in Spirit's case, the ~$410 million panorama).

Nope - $410m got you the first 90 days The rest is from the Extended mission budget.

I maintain - that nice though the view from the summit will be, the science on the way is even better, and I would hate for them to ignore the science ( which is why they went ) just to get a better postcard.

Of Course - there is some science to be had from the view at the top of the hill - but the best science is the rocks they'd drive straight over if they were to go rambling without intention.

Of course - the manpower isnt in situ to have day after day of driving. Running on fewer 'drivers' and 'planners' it takes a sol or two to figure out a driving sequence, a sol or two that is best spent doing in situ science using the arm. So - drive for a day or two, spend a few days doing in situ science. Drive for another day, another couple of days doing in situ science, drive for another day or two, then have 3 in situ days of observation over a weekend. It takes longer to make sure they can park Spirit in an N facing direction at the end of a drive. A bad end-of-drive position now could kill spirit within 24 hrs, and that isnt an understatement.

There's 6 scientific instruments on each rover. (MB, APXS, MI, Mini TES, Pancam, Magnetic Targets) - only one, perhaps two will benefit from driving straight to the hill.

So - take things steady - do things carefully - look after these assets, priceless as they are, but dont rush to the top of a hill just to see what's there, chances are you'd trip and fall in the process.

Hare and Tortoise and all that.

Doug

[EckJerome]

Hey strummer...looks like it's just you and me. Still, I almost voted for the moderate approach and in reality that may be the more pragmatic choice. But to heck with reality, I wanna see that panorama from the top!!

Likewise, it does seem pragmatic to "stop and thoroughly smell the rocks" upon having reached a distinctly different area, so I don't lament too much the time spent on West Spur but once they start seeing more of the same stuff, it's time to move on. It seems that is essentially what they did out on the plains...seen three or four basaltic rocks and dune riffles, seen 'em all.

Eric

[azstrummer]

Yep, and from the images today it appears there's this vast area they have to cross that has very few rocks in it so I'm guessing it's full steam ahead for the near future. Keep your fingers crossed.

[OWW]

What are they doing? Spirit is going downhill!? Detour to the north?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/fo...C4P1212R0M1.JPG

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/re...C4P1312R0M1.JPG

[mook]

At a cursory glance, looks like they're trying to get as much sun on the solar panels as possible.

[djellison]

Yup - taking a route that essentially runs along the northern slope of the spur that leads to Husband Hill. The power budget for spirit is VERY low - <400Whrs is not a lot at all - iirc, basic housekeeping requires >200Whr/sol - so they have to tread quite carefully!

Doug

[OWW]

And further down the hill we go: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/fo...00P1212R0M1.JPG

Apparently this patch of 'soft rocks' is a science target, I guess.