Looking at the Exploratorium - it appears we've left Vostok on a very long drive - I guess a few days of spectrometer integrations is data-thin giving time to dump out the flash memory ready to pack it up full with Autonav again

I believe a 10 or 11 x 3 L257 Pan was taken at Vostok on Sol 400 so should be some pretty pictures soon I'd put cash on it being downsampled to 256 x 256 like the Triplet imagery however.

Anyhow - here's to the next leg of the big-treck (raises a glass of Diet Coke as a toast)

Doug

I've had word that these meetings are a free affair for anyone to attend with no charge.


2005 April 23rd
Doors open 14:00. Meeting begins 14:30 (Note later time than stated in the Meetings Card) The English Heritage Lecture Theatre, Savile Row, London

Programme
"Quasars, black holes and galaxy formation" - Omar Almaini (Nottingham
University)
"Sky notes" - Martin Mobberley
"Bonneville and Beyond : A Year on Mars with the Spirit Rover" - Doug Ellison

Meeting finishes at about 17:30

Doug

I'm convinced of it - they're in two navcam images for sure. Right size, right distance apart. I wonder where they're off to

Doug

Looks like it came ( in that shot ) off the plain to the W - over near the lookout point, down into the valley - across the valley and quite probably carried on across beyond the hills.

Doug

Looks to me ( look at the tracks ) like we've left the area of Larrys Lookout (the outcropping on the left ) and are moving - erm - NE perhaps to take a route up the valley? (the direct route to the summit looks very very hard going to me)

Doug

Yup - it's often thought the only one spotted was that one that gets over used in vile colours - but there were others..

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&clien...nG=Search&meta= is worth perusing



Anyhoo - interesting wind 'tails' on the rover



Doug

Yeah - the sun is from the left on one, and from the right on the other. Granted - different illumination conditions, but still what I'd classify as 'comparable' to some extent

Doug

Nope - not done any since - but it might be cool to go back and hunt for some

Doug

Have you thought of having it download MI Images - and make pseudo-colour MI images from the orange MI cover filter?

Doug

http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=69

WOW that was a long time ago

Doug

Well - yes - you could have a little wind-sock type thing. Infact - they did with Mars Pathfinder to study the meterology.

BUT

Does a geologist going out to explore rock formations take a rain gauge and an anemometer with them? Similarly - does a meterologist take a rock hammer

The wind has been studied on mars quite a bit - and a small anenometer could have been fitted - but it would have been a power drag when one were not needed, a volume concern when there wasnt any volume left etc. It's easy to say "they could have put a -blank- on them" - typically involving the words colour camera, wind socks, dust wipers etc. But, lets face it - the best thing they COULD have done is design two rovers for 90 sols, and get 400+ out of each.

Doug

This is technique I tried about a year ago on Opportunity - it showed the blueberrys very well - it's a cunning idea. Of course - the MI has its own filter to fudge colour with as well

Doug

The atmosphere was thing - yes - but the wind speeds can be very high - and I can imagine that Skycrane would still offer considerable X-section.

Take MER - Granted - much bigger X-Section whilst being much lighter - but some quite high speeds before using DIMES and the sideways motors before touchdown

Doug

Might be another orbiter image - we caught one of the viking orbiters earlier on - and this does have the sort of fade up that one might expect from that. Doesnt look like a classic radiation strike to me.


Doug

That is VERY nicely done - good work on the colours as well - hard with the JPL JPG's

Doug

I think the idea is that the crane will hover stationary - although anyone who's ever flown a helecopter simulator, or been lucky enough to fly a real helecopter will know - it's damn hard to hover on the spot in a cross wind

Doug

I cant see the argument w.r.t. delaying MSL to ensure that MTO is in place before MSl arrives.

If MTO dies - it'll be dead 2 months before MSL landing, or 2.5 years before landing - and to be honest, it makes no difference. They couldnt cobble together another MTO for the next launch opp as it is. Unless you say "right - 4 years between MTO and MSL so we can build ANOTHER if the first dies" - and that's just madness.

MRO should be in place and if used carefully enough - could provide some good bandwidth - but only on short UHF sessions.

Of course - there's more than an iota of sense in perhaps flying one or mer MER's under the banner of 'scout' in the '09 frame and pushing two MSL's to '11. THAT way - you've got 4 very-well explored locations from which to pick the most suitable to send an MSL as well

I think sky-crane was designed that way just becaue it will look cool in an animation
Doug

People often mistake the action of wind on fines - as having water involved. I see nothing that wouldnt happen to dry talc in a wind-tunnel there

Doug

Kudos to the forum members for not letting me need them

Doug

Tim Parker has identified what could be an 'entrance ramp' in the NW corner of the crater

Doug

It's the reason I made this place. Sick of the conspiracist crap that exists EVERYwhere else. The blue sky stuff, the fossil stuff, anything involving Hoagland. I can not and will not tollerate that junk I've had to delete ONE post in a year of this place existing - I think we just set a 'tone' that works When NASA screw up, when they make mistakes - I'll say so. But suggesting they're hiding or lying about things on mars is beyond moronic - and anyone who signs up to that mind set has never been welcome here. Somehow - it's just worked - this place is more than I ever dreamed of and I'm amazed the way the 'bug' has caught on.

How easy/hard it will be to maintain that tone when I start the 'big' project (anyone with PHP/SQL/PHP Fusion/Invision Board experience who wants to help, let me know. Also - any space news-hounds who want to chat about ideas etc - ditto - doug@rlproject.com. Cant give you money - can give you your own ..@unmannedspaceflight.com email address )

Doug

Half the size of lahontan crater? Call it 30ft across maybe?

Doug

Interesting thing if you look at this

http://themis-data.asu.edu/img/V07909002.html

Many of the dust devil tracks ( particularly one ENORMOUS one starting left edge of centre ) start at a crater - or perhaps the northern rim of a crater.

Maybe being in a slight wind 'shadow' allows the air pocket inside the crater to warm up faster in the morning, rise, draw air in down the crater walls and it cycles from there.

Perhaps this is why Opportunity got cleaned so well?

If you look closely - some devils start AT the columbia hills - perhaps a north facing slope playing the same roll as the crater - being a trigger point.

Any glider pilot will tell you - a sun-facing slope is often a good trigger for thermals

Doug

Look at the dunes One was taken looking west - the other looking north - they dont actually join up. The 'gap' data will be down before too long I'm sure - but I thought I'd just put that out there as I think they make nice views on their own

It's probably another 3 x 4 to slip in between them.


Doug

Pity they only did the 456 in 1/4 resolution, but then, for those of an old-school disposition, this is about the resolution that IMP on Pathfinder offered.

Doug