HiRISE and Mars Polar Lander |
HiRISE and Mars Polar Lander |
Guest_Sunspot_* |
Dec 6 2006, 02:05 PM
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#1
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Guests |
Looking at the images of the Spirit/Opportunity landing site, it seems many of the features such as tracks and rocket blast markings have faded considerably often to the point of being invisible in the nearly three years since landing.
This had me thinking about the MGS images taken in the hope of finding MPL. Initially it was reported that MGS had spotted the lander, one image had a white spot/streak interpreted as the parachute and a dark patch with a spot in the centre not too far off, taken to be the blast zone of the rockets with the lander in the centre. However another image taken 5 years later seemed to discount this theory - the features had faded or changed significantly. BUT, seeing how much the rover sites have changed in an even shorter time, wouldn't the same happen to the MPL site in 5 years - perhaps to an even greater degree with the more extreme seasonal changes at that location. Also, the latest HiRISE images show just how difficult it has been to spot the landers on the surface with MGS, the Viking sites in particular. I hope HiRISE takes another look at this spot. Mars Polar Lander NOT Found, MSSS article: http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2005/10/17/ |
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May 14 2008, 01:49 PM
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
Yes, I concur. Ablative material (sort of "cork" as they say in Phoenix video) won't let heatshield very hot.
So, we're back on the search -------------------- |
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May 14 2008, 02:18 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Senior Member Posts: 136 Joined: 8-August 06 Member No.: 1022 |
Yes, I concur. Ablative material (sort of "cork" as they say in Phoenix video) won't let heatshield very hot. So, we're back on the search I thought about the possibility that these pits might indicate sublimation of loose ice by a warm lander and heatshield landing on it (there are two in this area, IIRC - the one that Marsisimportant posted, and a smaller one some hundreds of meters away, again IIRC). But it would have to be pretty loosely consolidated, and ice has a tremendous capacity for absorbing heat. Then, perhaps the real clincher is that other regions of polar terrain show similar pits in abundance. They are intriguing features in their own right, though. -Tim. P.S. Hi Rob! PPS. Emily - I thought I was wrong once, but apparently I was mistaken! |
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