10 years - with Opportunity, The MER mission continues Options

[ddeerrff]

Didn't see this posted elsewhere

Ustream event Jan 16, 7PM PST
http://www.ustream.tv/NASAJPL

[Explorer1]

Also on Youtube (wasn't sure whether to make a new thread or not)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaJ_xZ1kjiA

[CosmicRocker]

Thanks for posting these links. However, when I try to watch the YouTube video, I get a message telling me the video is private.

[Explorer1]

The live stream was on Youtube. Now that it's over, the archive is here.

[CosmicRocker]

Ahh, thanks. I didn't realize YouTube did live streaming. I was hoping to use my Chromecast to stream it to my TV, but it doesn't work with U-stream, yet.

[Astro0]

As has become customary, Stuart and I have collaborated on a new poemster to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Mars Exploration Rovers.
We hope that you enjoy it. Stu's words are absolutely beautiful and capture the spirit of these two mighty explorers perfectly. I hope my artwork does his poem justice.



You can find larger versions of the poster on my blog, along with my special 10th anniversary logo that I put out earlier this month.

[vikingmars]

Astro0, your visual is so nice : this is what we can call "astro-archaeology" !
Just imagine entering a mysterious tomb below a Martian monument and discover such a mid-relief ! Enjoy !

[James Sorenson]

I made this.

Link to Original Full Size

Desktop Wallpaper Version, 1920x1080
Link to Original Full Size

[nprev]

VERY nice, James, thank you!

Eagle Crater--seems like a lifetime ago now. Wow.

[Astro0]

That reminded me of one of my very early SFX image attempts. So long ago!



Original version

[Ant103]

Wow wow WOW ! Very nice pictures there !!! This is awesome

(Maybe I should contribute to this…)

[James Sorenson]

Thank you guys

Yes you should Damia!

[James Sorenson]

Not finished yet, but here is a CAD model of the Mars Dial that I'm working on.

[Explorer1]

Oppy press conference at 11 PST on NASATV and Youtube.
Starting now...

[Astro0]

Just a bit of amusement. At the CanberraDSN we're celebrating Opportunity's 10th anniversary (birthday).

Our rover model is in party mode

[Ant103]

My contribution to this 10 years on Mars anniversary

(Yes, I was a "little" inspired by a recent event ^^. And pretty amusing that the 10 Years on Mars coinciding with the 30 Years of Mac:) )



Better resolution and explications here : http://www.db-prods.net/blog/2014/01/26/op...0-ans-sur-mars/

[James Sorenson]

I did this animated GIF and created deck pan's up until Sol-2814 using PDS images.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/43581439@N08/...094172/sizes/o/

[bear10829]

A cartoon, which you might enjoy: Opportunity Anniversary Cartoon

[Explorer1]

Hilarious!

The mouse-over caption suddenly reminded me; the RAT is still sharp and ready to go? Its been so long since I've heard anything about it, but I do recall at Gusev the rocks were much harder then at Meridiani, so Spirit's teeth started to wear down much faster than Opportunity's.

[TheAnt]

Thank you all! A huzzah huzzah for Opportunity and a chortle for 'That's Opportunity's ½ of the planet'. =)

[RichforMars]

Does anyone here think this rover could make a long trek to Ares Vallis?

It came to mind, as last month I was reading the old Pathfinder mission press briefing which was posted days after the mission's last data transfer from the craft. Sojourner Rover's mission was not yet over if the battery failure hadn't occured when it did the extended mission was designed to send the six wheel probe to the outer vicinity of the landing site.

It would of been a target 50KM from Pathfinder, the challenge to anaylis the rocks.

From what I understand the rover will eventually go past marathon valley, going south.

[djellison]

Does anyone here think this rover could make a long trek to Ares Vallis?

No. Even in her most rapid of years - Opportunity covers, typically, about 10-15km/year. It's 2000km from Opportunity to Pathfinder - so it would take more than a century of driving.

It came to mind, as last month I was reading the old Pathfinder mission press briefing which was posted days after the mission's last data transfer from the craft. Sojourner Rover's mission was not yet over if the battery failure hadn't occured when it did the extended mission was designed to send the six wheel probe to the outer vicinity of the landing site.

I think you mis-read the press briefing. The plan was to send Sojourner on a long drive of around 50 meters around the lander - but not to the edge of the MPF landing ellipse. Sojourner's maximum theoretical radio range was about 500 meters - not the 30km+ to the edge of the MPF landing ellipse.
From https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/newspio/mpf/r...es/mpfover.html
The rover team had planned to send the rover on its longest journey yet -- a 50-meter (165-foot)clockwise stroll around the lander -- to perform a series of technology experiments and hazard avoidance exercises when the communications outage occurred. That excursion was never initiated once the rover's contingency software began operating.

[RichforMars]

No. Even in her most rapid of years - Opportunity covers, typically, about 10-15km/year. It's 2000km from Opportunity to Pathfinder - so it would take more than a century of driving.




I think you mis-read the press briefing. The plan was to send Sojourner on a long drive of around 50 meters around the lander - but not to the edge of the MPF landing ellipse. Sojourner's maximum theoretical radio range was about 500 meters - not the 30km+ to the edge of the MPF landing ellipse.
From https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/MPF/newspio/mpf/r...es/mpfover.html
The rover team had planned to send the rover on its longest journey yet -- a 50-meter (165-foot)clockwise stroll around the lander -- to perform a series of technology experiments and hazard avoidance exercises when the communications outage occurred. That excursion was never initiated once the rover's contingency software began operating.

Ah yes, okay I muddled it up, perhaps I understood that orginally. It was about two weeks ago I read this.

Ofcourse the rover could of gone beyond the fartherest rock it had been to, that was the next logical step.

But just how rough is that terrain in that region, presuming the rover went west diaganolly?

So is the Mars Six lander closer, I'm sure the terrain in that direction is quite rough.

[djellison]

Mars 6 is approx 1,500km to the SSW. Same story applies - it's two orders of magnitude further than any year of driving Opportunity has ever had.

You can see the landers and measure the distance between them yourself using Google Earth and switching to the Mars map.

[RichforMars]

Mars 6 is approx 1,500km to the SSW. Same story applies - it's two orders of magnitude further than any year of driving Opportunity has ever had.

You can see the landers and measure the distance between them yourself using Google Earth and switching to the Mars map.

Sure, thanks.

I guess the team in theory wouldn't want to speed a bit to such a hypothetical location.

I guess starting a thread about a new mission to that region is out of the question. Hopefully some day that may happen. It's just great place.