Going To Mogollon..., ...and points South Options

[Bill Harris]

It was already said that those structures seen on previous hazcam pics (well, in all sort of cameras and filters...) were delicate.

[attachment=3535:attachment] (138k)
But what about these ones? It looks like the smallest touch could broke them.

[attachment=3536:attachment] (138k)
PS: It's time to open a new thread, don't you think so?

Good idea. That topic was "tired" and had the cord showing.

Delicate, to be sure. One thing I've noticed is that the "ledge-forming" rocks are a layer and extend to the right and left of where we camped out. I wonder if that feature is related to the bluff at Mogollon Rim?

We need to check out the "mobile dust" at that site and see if there has been more movement during the stopover.
--Bill

[mars_armer]

Actually, the present strategy means the arm is never permanently stowed. It only gets stowed during a long drive, then immediately unstowed to the ready position at the end of the drive. This is to ensure that the arm is unstowed if/when the joint 1 motor finally gives out.

The joint 1 motor (with the broken winding) is difficult to operate because its electrical properties fluctuate as the motor goes through a turn, as the broken wire commutates. This only causes trouble when the motor is starting or stopping, as it has to overcome the magnetic detents.

[Cugel]

Actually, the present strategy means the arm is never permanently stowed. It only gets stowed during a long drive, then immediately unstowed to the ready position at the end of the drive. This is to ensure that the arm is unstowed if/when the joint 1 motor finally gives out.

The joint 1 motor (with the broken winding) is difficult to operate because its electrical properties fluctuate as the motor goes through a turn, as the broken wire commutates. This only causes trouble when the motor is starting or stopping, as it has to overcome the magnetic detents.

Question: does this mean that when the joint motor does fail and the arm can not be stowed anymore, there will be no more long drives for Opportunity? And can we conclude from this that the team has decided that a rover without IDD has less scientific value than a relatively static platform with IDD?

[hugh]

can we conclude from this that the team has decided that a rover without IDD has less scientific value than a relatively static platform with IDD?

I'm wondering about this too. I certainly hope not. Even without the IDD arm the rover still has all the cameras except the MI, plus the mini-TES. The RAT is at or near the end of its useful life. The whole point of having a rover is to have mobility, so to be mobile should have priority, and the sooner the better.