Endeavour Drive - Drivability analysis Options

[djellison]

http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200809191

You can listen via NPR, or via one of the web feeds that are listed on the site, but make sure you do listen if you can.

[djellison]

I'd like to see end to end HiRISE imagery before we set out - a month, maybe two - and seriously - there is still fun to be had at Victoria anyway.

How else are we going to play the part of noisy back-seat drivers?

[RoverDriver]

I'd like to see end to end HiRISE imagery before we set out - a month, maybe two - and seriously - there is still fun to be had at Victoria anyway.

How else are we going to play the part of noisy back-seat drivers?

Doug, as anticipated privately, I'm going to break out of my silent lurking. First of all let's make sure everyone understands I'm speaking for myself only, if my employer wants to speak they have their own channels and definitely I'm not one of them. That's what my signature says, and hopefully the meaning will be clear to everyone. Hopefully I won't get into trouble for posting here, I like my job and I'd like to keep it.

Speaking for myself, I did appreciate immensely the suggestions, comments and good ideas that I read on this forum. Besides keeping my morale high I picked up many good ideas from all of you. It is pretty amazing what you have been able to infer from the little information that has been released.

Is is time to hit the road. Once we extricate the rover from the current position (we tried to reach a pretty compelling science target knowing full well the likelihood of success was low) we will head for Endevour. I have seen some suggestions from you guys about paths to follow. While it is premature to analyze the terrain until we have HiRISE, I'd like to understand what was your line of reasoning behind the path, what data you used and how you made the assessment.

Paolo

[SFJCody]

I have seen some suggestions from you guys about paths to follow. While it is premature to analyze the terrain until we have HiRISE, I'd like to understand what was your line of reasoning behind the path, what data you used and how you made the assessment.

Paolo

The rover driver on the forum asking us about the potential routes we've come up with! Now this is surreal.

Anyway, for this map I took a direct straight line route from Victoria to Endeavour (using a THEMIS mosaic assembled by slinted)and split it up into 'legs' determined by terrain type. I added a kink to get the rover to a moderate sized crater ('mini-Endurance') on the grounds that it would be a good window for the project scientists to check geological heterogeneity. I put the end of the journey at the hills of the western rim as the MGS hematite map seems to (maybe possibly) show a compositional difference at the visible rim of Endeavour (both west and east), although it's difficult to be certain.

Thinking about it, though, it might be better if I had put Leg A directly due east across Victoria's annulus rather than due south. That would make Leg B through the Etched Terrain more south-trending and reduce the number of times the rover would have to cross over the ripples.

You know you have one of the best jobs in the world, right?

[RoverDriver]

The rover driver on the forum asking us about the potential routes we've come up with! Now this is surreal.
...

What is surreal is a rover driver asking for directions

The thing is, the terrain is so vast, hazards potentially everywhere that I will take suggestions and "heads up" from all. On my end it is good because the more eyes I have the better it is. Yes, we do have many drivers and they do have the final saying, but as I said I have seen in the past some suggestions that clearly show you know your way around.

From your perspective, and as a separate attempt from Scott Maxwell's Mars 3.0, I want you to get a better taste of what it is to explore another planet. What tradeoffs you need to consider, what it means to come up with tricks to keep the rover going.

Unfortunately there will be instances where I will not be able to divulge or discuss some technical details which means certain decisions seem puzzling and contrary to common sense. Don't be alarmed and/or frustrated. Your trust in the MER team should not be diminished because I decided to start posting.

I do realize I have a great job. Not only I get to explore a planet, but I get to work with the finest minds I have ever met in my last 26 years of my engineering life. I wish you were part of all this, more than you already are, and if Scott is successful maybe you will.

Paolo