To the Cape!, Quackmire and arm troubles |
To the Cape!, Quackmire and arm troubles |
Mar 31 2008, 12:16 PM
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#101
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14433 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
"Hey folks! I’m on-duty with Opportunity this week and it’s going to be pretty exciting. We are in the process of driving the rover over to the wall of Cape Verde to study the layers of rocks there in much greater detail. I will be posting updates all week with the spectacular new pictures that we should be receiving. Stay tuned, it’s going to be a pretty cool week!"
Thanks for the update Ryan : http://martianchronicles.wordpress.com/200...ng-to-the-cape/ I wonder how close they'll get. I think no closer than the height projected from it's base ( i.e. 45 degrees ) |
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Apr 24 2008, 05:57 PM
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#102
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Bad but not hugely surprising news... she's been through it, our gal, and time has to start taking its toll eventually.
Anyway, a few questions spring to mind... How will this affect the decision on where to send Oppy next? Will having an out of action arm mean she's less or more likely to exit the crater and go scouting for cobbles? After all, if she can't touch the rock of Verde will that mean it's now a less attractive target than Elsewhere? As for those cobbles, I got the impression that studying their composition was their big "sell"; without a working arm would Oppy actually be able to do much with them? Will this glitch mean Oppy will now become basically a roving photographer, rather than a roving geologist? Discuss. -------------------- |
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Apr 24 2008, 06:22 PM
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#103
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
...if she can't touch the rock of Verde will that mean it's now a less attractive target than Elsewhere? What I most looked forward to was a close-up hi-res pancam pararama of the wall of Cape Verde. That is not affected by the arm trouble. As far as chemistry goes, did they ecpect to see anything that is not present in the layers of Duck Bay already explored? |
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Apr 24 2008, 07:51 PM
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#104
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Member Group: Members Posts: 646 Joined: 23-December 05 From: Forest of Dean Member No.: 617 |
What I most looked forward to was a close-up hi-res pancam pararama of the wall of Cape Verde. That is not affected by the arm trouble. The pancam's quite different from the micro-imager optically speaking, but I think the depth of focus is short enough that Oppy could park right next to the west Verde cliff-face and get a sort of "half-way house". The rock surfaces would be closer to the lens than even the ground right next to the wheels - perhaps even as close as it is to the deck, and at that range very small details are resolved, of the order of a millimetre, at a guess? Not a substitute for the MI, but perhaps a consolation prize. The mast cams have never been able to look rock layers "straight in the eye" before, after all. -------------------- --
Viva software libre! |
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