Santa Maria! Options

[Julius]

think it deserves a topic on its own

[Stu]

On the slope of Santa Maria...

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Hopefully we will get some close ups of Crocodile Tale rock.... so much to see though.

[belleraphon1]

WHOA!!!!

I was 23 when the Viking1 lander pad image scrolled down a screen.

These journies .... Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity.

Awesome, poignant... tears in my eyes and chills down my spine!

Craig

[fredk]

On the slope of Santa Maria...

Judging from the drive direction pans, we're headed pretty much in the direction in Stu's image next drive. Perhaps to the "saddle" along the rim behind the big rock in that image? These rocks are big enough that I'm sure they'd want to go around them, not over.

[nprev]

Man, did I pick a heckuva day to move!!!

But at least we've achieved connectivity here at the new, improved Casa de Nprev ( A Robot Arms^tm LLC property), and apparently just in time....stunning!!!

Now I gotta bust open boxes to find my 3D specs

[Guest_Bobby_*]

Anyone here see any Rocks the Rover Scientist will start investigating? I see a few including Crocodile Rock.

Maybe we should give this place a Christmas Theme? Which Rock will be named Rudolf??? Just joking

[dilo]

First rough stitch of Navcam pictures (alignment on the crater rim, not on the foreground)

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[walfy]

This crater is way more fascinating than I expected. Thanks to everyone for posting the pictures. I don't mind sticking around here for awhile, if that's what they'll do.

[climber]

Judging from the drive direction pans, we're headed pretty much in the direction in Stu's image next drive. Perhaps to the "saddle" along the rim behind the big rock in that image? These rocks are big enough that I'm sure they'd want to go around them, not over.

So, the plan is to get closer and have a look at the inside, and rocks studies will comme afterward, right?

[Astro0]

From the most recent monthly Rover report on TPS:

1) Although there is no detailed exploration plan for Santa Maria, Squyres said that he does not anticipate the rover will venture into the crater.
That's qualified of course with: “We may pull up to the rim of this thing and find something different.”

2) “We're very excited about Santa Maria, because it is the last really spectacular thing we expect we’ll come across before the rover gets to Endeavour,” said Squyres. “Because it's in the same size class as Endurance, but appears to be a little fresher, we think there might be some interesting things to see in the ejecta," he noted. "We'll go into it with eyes open, and we'll make our decision about how long we will spend there when we see it,” he said.

3) “One of the most valuable things we did at Endurance is we took big panoramas from a couple of points around the rim that enabled us to developed a very, very good 3-dimensional digital elevation model for that crater and terrific science has come from that,” Squyres pointed out. “We will probably want to do something very much like that at Santa Maria.”

So the plan is:
1) There is no firm plan until they get a closer look
2) They think that the ejecta will be interesting (and it looks like it is) so they'll be studying the rocks (big surprise there!)
3) Expect some really nice panoramas from a couple of angles (get your favorite stitching software ready)

Then of course, as we've all come to expect of the MER mission...something will catch the mission team's eye and everything will change.

[jamescanvin]

So, the plan is to get closer and have a look at the inside, and rocks studies will comme afterward, right?

Right. Scott said on Twitter yesterday that after the next drive Oppy should be ~3m from the edge!

[Floyd]

Five years ago, Scott was driving Spirit up to Comanche and who would have guessed that they would discover carbonates there. So keep you eyes open everyone... I'm feeling lucky...

[climber]

Thanks James and AstroNAUT, as for the route map, it's nice to see what's coming up.

[fredk]

I was surprized to find some specific plans in the latest update:

Opportunity will conduct an in-situ (contact) science campaign at the crater, which will likely extend through Solar Conjunction (through early February 2011).

In addition to a sophisticated wide-baseline stereo-imaging survey from several positions halfway around the crater, the rover will explore minerals located around the southeast portion of the crater, using the instruments on the end of the rover's robotic arm.

Obviously the mention of the SE rim could only be based on orbital imagery. Perhaps they noticed the circled area in my image, and thought it might provide easier access to layers than the rest of the rim, which seems to drop into the crater pretty abruptly most other places:
[attachment=23311:MERB_Sol...0_1_crop.jpg]
Obviously we're about to find out how it looks from the ground...

[climber]

I'd said this is positive. As you point out news from the sky changed the original plans in only 2 weeks or so. I'd guess a lot of speculations are going to be discussed here very soon!

[mars loon]

see my Sol 2450 article and mosaic here plus several from UMSF folks:
http://www.universetoday.com/81738/landfal...tunity-on-mars/



ken

[Stu]

"Tail Rock"...



There are going to be many wonderful rocks here, I think...

[Toma B]

There should be some amazing images coming soon to exploratorium...
Opportunity has moved closer to the rim of SM.

[charborob]

We're like a pack of wolves waiting eagerly to pounce on poor helpless images as soon as they appear on Exploratorium.

[Stu]

Some personal thoughts on our arrival at Santa Maria...

http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2010/...-at-santa-maria

[Stu]

Well, we have our first name... and some colour shots coming up...

02451 13:13:47 p2557.26. 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 pancam_juan_de_la_cosa_L2567R12

[Julius]

Some personal thoughts on our arrival at Santa Maria...

http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2010/...-at-santa-maria

I know perfectly what you mean by the ecstatic feeling of being there in person and able to see something you've been hearing about and watching on tv for most of your lifve and then getting to be there for real.It happened to me on my first visit to London in 2000;blackpool tower i've seen as well and been to golden gate bridge in san fransisco last summer and just missed out on yosemite as we didnt have enough time..but thats a good reason for me to come back to california!!!

[Tesheiner]

Well, we have our first name... and some colour shots coming up...

02451 13:13:47 p2557.26. 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 pancam_juan_de_la_cosa_L2567R12

Based on the pointing info at the tracking web, that's the Croco Tail.

[ElkGroveDan]

Juan de la Cosa (c.1460-1509) was a Spanish cartographer, conquistador and explorer. He made the earliest extant European world map to incorporate the territories of the Americas that were discovered in the 15th century, sailed first 3 voyages with Christopher Columbus, and was the owner/captain of the Santa María.

So did he have a reptilian-looking backside?

[Stu]

Santa Maria crew names here...

http://www.immigrantships.net/v4/1400v4/sa...a_nina1492.html

[climber]

Juan de la Cosa....
[So did he have a reptilian-looking backside?

a Queue de Pie it is:

Attached File(s)

 Queue_de_Pie.bmp ( 436.87K ) Number of downloads: 300

 

[jamescanvin]

Wow thats one big hole!

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...IEP1905L0M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...IEP1905L0M1.JPG

And some nice driving

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...IEP1905R0M1.JPG

[fredk]

What a chasm!

And some mighty fine rover driving!
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...0M1.JPG?sol2451

[elakdawalla]

WOW!

(that is all)

[Burmese]

The interior, what we can already see, does indeed show some differences from Endurance.

[Explorer1]

Worth the wait, eh?

Any estimates how deep it is? We still can't see the bottom from this side.

[charborob]

Partial pan.

[Tesheiner]

Watch your step, baby!

PS: updated map, tomorrow.

[NickF]

*peer*

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[climber]

Will not be very easy to get closer here or somewhere else.
The feeling of been a big hole is "higher" than what we've seen so far in the mission, I'd say.

[ElkGroveDan]

Hey Scott remember to set the parking brake.

[climber]

Watch your step, baby!

PS: updated map, tomorrow.

Don't worry, we're not gona get lost overnight

[jamescanvin]

A quick stitch

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[climber]

We're driving forward again: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...IEP1212R0M1.JPG

[Stu]

What a place...

[Julius]

Magnificent Mars!

[PDP8E]

Opportunity spun around this sol and started to drive forwards for the first time in a long time.
I suspect the drivers wanted a nice clean approach with the auto-hazard software (no Maxwell Shuffles near a crater)

[jvandriel]

Partial Navcam view on Sol 2451.
I will add more images when they
are down.

Jan van Driel

[mhoward]

[fredk]

That fhaz view is absolutely stunning. It looks like she could be on the brink of the Grand Canyon.

Definitely brings back memories of Endurance, but a lot messier.

[jamescanvin]

A quick attempt at matching features. My normally vertical lines aren't quite this time, largely because the ground position I took for Oppy as a basis for the reprojection of the HiRISE was a complete guess. In hindsight I think I guessed a little too close to the edge.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[climber]

Looks like there are some "fractures":

[Hungry4info]

Looks far too steep to take the rover in.

[fredk]

Those ID's look good, James. Following your lines you can see what the potential easy-access study area looks like, that I circled on this image (attachment has mysteriously disappeared from my original post, so here it is again):

It's heavily foreshortened from our current viewpoint, but I could imagine Oppy driving in there.

[brellis]

It's like a whole new mission! This time, I say, don't go in!!

Re: fracture marks - From Mars quakes? How recently could that have happened?

[Ant103]

AMAZING crater ! I didn't had the time to post here, but when I can, I do.

Approaching Santa Maria



Closer…


More closer, Sol 2451

And at the opposite side :


After many sols of flat ground, it's a pleasure to see some "hills" and "caves".

[Stu]

Really nice shout-out for UMSF from Jim Bell on Twitter...

Jim_Bell Rock and Roll Opportunity! Spectacular view of Santa Maria crater this morning. Thanks all at unmannedspaceflight.com: http://bit.ly/gCuiJD

[mhoward]

Here's an animation of the approach on YouTube. Available in 720p.

[ustrax]

And Oppy did it again...what a D-A-Y!
Play the (not so quite) EPIC!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn1PASIZCK0

Juan de la Cosa?...Hmm...
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...mp;#entry166965

[MoreInput]

Today is Christmas time ... can't wait any longer .

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Nirgal]

just ... WOW !

[jasedm]

It's really hard (for me at least ) to get a sense of scale on the brink of the rim here - could anyone please add a stick man for reference?
Much appreciated.

Jase

[SFJCody]

What a beauty! This is far more picturesque than I had anticipated!

In other news Leg B is finished!

[Explorer1]

Gosh those were the days, before Endeavor was named; 'Big Crater' indeed!

[MERovingian]

Oh my God! It's like Opportunity has landed all over again!
Tonight, I'm (nearly) seven years younger!
What a beautiful christmas gift for 2010 from Oppy and Mars!!!

[belleraphon1]

What a place...

Ansel Adams .... resurrected on Mars.....just beautiful

Craig

[nprev]

It's times like this that I feel lucky just to be alive right now.

Thank you for your skill & dedication, MER Team, and as always deepest gratitude & admiration for our enormously talented UMSF members who make Mars come alive for us all every day. In a just world, this first peek into SM would be on the front page of every paper on this planet.

[MERovingian]

UNNECESSARY QUOTING REMOVED - ADMIN

That's just the way I feel Nprev; privileged!
So great to be living in 2010 and discover Mars in its primeval state! In 200 years from now, humans will be living out there and the planet will be no more the one that Oppy is showing us right now. Thanks so much to the MER team and the UMSF members for these wonderful seven years!!

[fredk]

A bit more detail about the SE rim of Santa Maria here.

One planned target area is at Santa Maria's southeast rim. The red circle marked there on Figure 1 indicates the pixel size and location of an observation by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that has piqued researchers' interest. The spectrum recorded by CRISM for this spot, unlike the spectrum recorded for the place indicated by the blue circle on the floor of the crater, suggests what might be a water-bearing sulfate mineral. Although Opportunity has detected such minerals on the surface during its nearly seven years on Mars, none have been detected from orbit at a place visited by Opportunity.

[lyford]

OMG I CAN'T *clink* BELIEVE HOW *clink* BEAUTIFUL THE *clink* *clink* clink* *clink* VIEW!!!!

That's for the swear jar, not the Funding UMSF thread

[Guest_Bobby_*]

I think of all the Craters Opportunity has visited. This one might become my favorite. It's Amazing.

Way to Go Opportunity, JPL & Nasa and all the awesome people here at UMSF with all the great updates,
Pictures and more.

Merry Christmas early.

[Arkarch]

Very Nice! Congrats to the MER Team. While the bigger prize is just over the hill, this is just amazing fantastic to reach here when a few years ago it was likely considered impossible. Yet more to catalog in the Great Voyage of Opportunity.

Karl B
long time daily spectator
and fan of everyone here at UMSF

[climber]

AMAZING crater ! I didn't had the time to post here, but when I can, I do.

Glad you're still there Ant, I was missing your input.

[neo56]

WHAO !!! That's the kind of landscape I was dreaming of during the era of Pathfinder and Sojourner. Congrats again to the MER team !

[remcook]

Wow! And love the image of the 'opposite side' as well, with Oppy slaloming those rocks.

[vikingmars]

What a place...

Indeed ! This single image says it all... BEAUTIFUL Stu ! Thanks to the MER team (and for your nice processing)

[peter59]

Look to the left - sol 2451.

[kenny]

Peter, did you mean to give us a better image or a link to that? It's tiny...

[Stu]

That's the view I'm REALLY looking forward to Peter, thanks for the preview I think those dunes blown up against the northern wal are going to look stunning... l

[peter59]

Peter, did you mean to give us a better image or a link to that? It's tiny...

I'm sorry, it's stamps. We have to wait for the transmission of full-sized images.

[Guest_Oersted_*]

I think of all the Craters Opportunity has visited. This one might become my favorite. It's Amazing.

That's just what I felt two days ago (in the old thread):

"When I see this, I'm just thinking: "The Perfect Crater". I feel like a food critic who just tasted the perfect... ratatouille..

- Not too big, not too small,
interesting topography,
eminently navigable inclines,
easily approachable rocks,
untreachorous solid surface:

Perfection.

Add to that:
a rover team which has reached driving and science operation excellence,
a deep space network that's not just a network but is more like a Swiss clockwork,
and finally a fast-working second-to-none imaging team at UMSF!

These are good times indeed.

Now I just hope Mars doesn't throw us a curve-ball. But even if she does, the MER team will deal with that splendidly, I'm sure."

---- I must add that by eminently navigable inclines I meant the ones outside the crater itself, because I concur with what others are saying in this thread. We shouldn't try to go into this one!

BTW, do anybody remember the discussions the team first had back at Endurance? - "Should we go in for the science, even if we can't get out again?" I must say that Steve Squyres took the right approach: "no way, we must be able to get out!" I personally questioned that approach at Victoria, because I felt there was SO much to see, but I was wrong and this arrival at Santa Maria is the proof!

[dilo]

I want to celebrate the event with a wallpaper!

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Stu]

stamp images panorama...

[climber]

Very high quality, Dilo, right on the mission's standard.
Gracie Mille!

[fredk]

Thanks for the thumbnail pans, guys! (It's a sure sign things are getting interesting when people post thumbnails!)

Even though the resolution is very low, you can just make out the overhanging cliffs inside the northwest rim. I can't wait to see the full res images!

[elakdawalla]

Scott Tweets he has the images! Can't wait...

[peter59]

Scott Tweets he has the images! Can't wait...

We know this.

1. What new EDRs from ANY sol were received on sol 2452?
Sol Seq.Ver ETH ESF EDN EFF ERP Tot Description
----- -------- --- --- --- --- --- ---- -----------
02451 p1905.04 0 0 0 3 0 3 navcam_10x1_az_13_mixed_compression
02452 p1212.09 2 0 0 2 0 4 front_haz_ultimate_2_bpp_pri15
02452 p1311.07 2 0 0 2 0 4 rear_haz_ultimate_1_bpp_crit15
02452 p1963.08 0 0 0 14 0 14 navcam_10x1_az_144_mixed
02452 p1964.10 0 0 0 6 0 6 navcam_4x1_az_90_mixed
02452 p1994.06 1 0 0 0 0 1 nav_1x1_MovieFrame_Leye_1bpp_pri72
02452 p2111.06 13 0 0 0 0 13 pancam_cal_targ_L234567Rall
02452 p2558.26 6 0 0 0 0 6 pancam_sancho_ruiz_L234567Rall
02452 p2601.05 4 0 0 0 0 4 pancam_tau_L78R48

[Tesheiner]

T - 40 minutes and counting...

[Julius]

whats the countdown for??must be missing something here!

[djellison]

The normal refresh times for the image archive at the Exploratorium.

If we know the images are on the ground ( which we do) then the next scheduled refresh time for the Exploratorium ( something we're used to via experience ) will mean we get to see the images.

[Tesheiner]

And, as far as I can see, we should get not only the missing navcams from yestersol's mosaic but the whole 360º of a new mosaic taken from a point 4m closer to the edge.

T - 20 and counting...

[climber]

Now starts the 6 minutes of terror

[jamescanvin]

OMG!
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...J3P1963L0M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...J3P1963L0M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...J3P1963R0M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...J3P1963L0M1.JPG

[MoreInput]

Now starts the 6 minutes of terror

End of Terror: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...J3P1963R0M1.JPG

WOW!

[Julius]

AWESOME!

[jamescanvin]

And don't forget the front hazcams after gawping over the navcams, they are awesome and just little bit scary at the same time.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...J3P1212L0M1.JPG

[SteveM]

What strikes me about these pictures -- or about my reaction to them -- is that the blueberries strewn across the ground, which seemed so alien not that long ago, now seem so normal.

Steve M

[brianc]

Woah I'm staking a claim to this place to open the first Martian sand surfing arena!

[peter59]

The interior of the crater is not available for Opportunity, the walls are too steep.

[craigmcg]

Steep and deep!

[Tesheiner]

Beautiful!
Here's a quick mosaic.


This post has been edited by Tesheiner: Dec 17 2010, 08:59 PM

[climber]

Very very close from the edge indeed!
If you don't trust your brakes, turn the weels:

[NickF]

Now that's a fine-looking crater

edit - newer version of pancam panorama moved to post #114

[Julius]

This place is amazing...we have rock layers to study and that ledge on the opposite rim looks like an accessible safe parking space to do just that...sand dunes at the centre bottom of the crater..dark dunes on the side wall...not to mention the ejecta rocks around the crater itself!