I'm particularly looking for one of the "Ithaca or bust" gang to step
forward and say that they value heading to the horizon above checking
out East Victoria, given the unique features over there.

On the other hand, I wonder what the chances are that those
"linear fractures" are not really unique, but are just a coincidental
weathering pattern on the layers already being studied by Opportunity.
The only way to know for sure may be to go and see.

November 2006 - 03:08 and I couldn't agree more with you...

I`d like to propose a route for Oppy after Victoria... This route could allow it:1.pass through difficult but accessible and already passed dune-field, so we could drive safe on the rover`s old tracks, 2.give a second look at Erebus as most of the MER team menbers feel they have unfinished business there, 3.possibly re-visit Endurance crater (although I don`t think it worths), 4.study two Endurance-sized craters (Triumph and Emprise), 5.pass near five small craters (Mettle,Nigh,Pathfinder,Sojourner and Trek), 6.study a very fresh crater (not many years old) and 7.study an old, Erebus-style crater (Ipparchus). The most interesting target of all is, of course, Junior crater because of it`s dark ejecta and the recently excavated substrate .The 17 km we need to go there may look a lot, but I think we have a very interesting and rare target there waiting us to explore it! Please, tell me what you think about my proposed route, targets and names of the craters!I specially ask for the opinion of Doug and the other Doug! :wheel: :pancam: :mars:

Intriguing Ipparchus. I infact had no idea that there was a fresh crater nearby!
But I must say that from an engineering standpoint Opportunity may not be able to last all the way.
Nonetheless your route map is worthy of consideration.

My thoughts exactly. In fact, I'm pretty sure what you label Triumph, Emprise and Pathfinder are the craters I was labeling A, B and C. In other words, the destinations I had pointed out a year or so ago.

Taking a trip up to the fresh crater would be a bonus in this traverse concept.

I will note that you can jog to the east of the old track we took south and avoid most of the soft ripple country. Assuming the wheel holds out, you could get up to the general area we're discussing in only a few months.

-the other Doug

I hope you are right about the easterly path being easier, Doug, but I would be less optinistic about it!

I personally don't anticipate such long distance driving. I expect to see relatively slow movement across the etched terrain, hoping for a serendipitous new exposure, maybe going slightly up or down the section. Westwards just a few km lies a very eroded large craterlike depression. Southwards or southeastwards maybe just more etched terrain, but always a chance of a particularly good exposure with different blueberry concentrations or festoons or whatever.

Long distance extended mission planning wasn't part of the site selection process for MER, because drives of only 1 or 2 km were anticipated and the landing site was uncertain by tens of km. But I think we can expect that MSL and ExoMars site selection will include assessments of good extended mission opportunities - in fact we can see that in the MSL workshop presentations.

Phil

I seem to recall that there was some interesting-looking object sticking up to the east as Opportunity headed south from Endurance. This would provide a better chance to have a look at that as well.

Can u please show me this interesting object if you dont mind

That would be the rim mountains of Ithaca crater. As I recall, at one point we were seeing the northern rim, and later we saw the western rim; the rim is largely degraded.

Were you referring to the dark patch way back before Opportunity encountered any dunes? There was some discussion of whether this could be the cruise stage impact (and I have no opinion with regard to that).

HiRISE has cleared that up quite a lot (greyscale, 100%)

Also attached - the Heatshield in IGB at 200%

Any estimates as to how deep the "fresh crater" is? What would we learn from it that we haven't gotten from a fresher impact, for example where the heatshield impacted?

I remember it as a dark object sticking up on or near the horizon, almost due east as Opportunity was going from Endurance to Erebus. But I've just gone through dozens of images from that period, and I can't find it now. Sorry.

Are you referring to the bump on the horizon that kept being mistaken for Victoria? I believe it was to the west.

Perhaps you're referring to the rim of "Ithaca", as algorimancer suggested, which was visible to the east as we approached Victoria:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...ZTP2293L7M1.JPG