Getting to 'Big Crater', A little premature speculation |
Getting to 'Big Crater', A little premature speculation |
Sep 21 2006, 11:57 AM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 8-February 04 From: Arabia Terra Member No.: 12 |
Opportunity is not quite at Victoria yet, but on the horizon is a tantalising goal for the future- the big eroded crater to the south-east, the rim of which is already visible. This is the first 'large scale' topography of the mission so far. Wouldn't it be great if Opportunity could get to these hills and uncover their secrets?
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sfjcody2/route_to_big.jpg |
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Sep 21 2006, 04:34 PM
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#2
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Member Group: Senior Member Posts: 136 Joined: 8-August 06 Member No.: 1022 |
Opportunity is not quite at Victoria yet, but on the horizon is a tantalising goal for the future- the big eroded crater to the south-east, the rim of which is already visible. This is the first 'large scale' topography of the mission so far. Wouldn't it be great if Opportunity could get to these hills and uncover their secrets? http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sfjcody2/route_to_big.jpg It would indeed be nice to be able to explore that crater, but we need to remember the condition of the rover at present, the fact that it's way "out of waranty" at this time, and that it will likely take the better part of a year to explore Victoria in sufficient detail. It is the project's policy to name craters only as we visit them, and the names used are project-specific - not IAU approved. That crater is 22 kilometers in diameter, and based on the IAU convention for naming craters on Mars would be named after a city on Earth with a population under 100,000. Craters greater than 100 kilometers in diameter are named after famous scientists, at least 3 years after their passing. The view, though, is quite glorious from here! Wait until we get to the rim! planetarily, -Tim. |
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Sep 22 2006, 12:35 PM
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 510 Joined: 17-March 05 From: Southeast Michigan Member No.: 209 |
...the IAU convention for naming craters on Mars would be named after a city on Earth with a population under 100,000. Hey, Troy, MI, USA works! Hmm...Google, Google Darn. Already in use (look under "T") -------------------- --O'Dave
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Sep 22 2006, 02:39 PM
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#4
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Darn. Already in use (look under "T") Indeed... That lead us to another hypothesis that even pleases me more... Ithaca Crater! At a same time the home of Ulysses/Odysseus, and an hommage to all the brains coming out from Cornell University in Ithaca (population: 29287)... We have to remind that Ulysses returned to Ithaca...Will Opportunity make it?... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Sep 22 2006, 03:24 PM
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#5
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Ithaca Crater! Dream! Dream! Dream! I'm already answering to myself... But, as in other occasions provided by this two little wanderers, something magical happens from time to time... We are reaching Victoria and Oppy will be there for a long time, but somehow some of us feel that she won't end up there. I do. And this poem...Oh man this poem... Text version EDITED: Pavel, it would be a great place to end this Odyssey wouldn't it?... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Sep 22 2006, 04:08 PM
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#6
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Member Group: Members Posts: 311 Joined: 31-August 05 From: Florida & Texas, USA Member No.: 482 |
Dream! Dream! Dream! Wow, this thread is zuper nuts! We're talking about 8-10km drive? This may not be totally unreasonable, especially if the science return is low because the arm craps out during the Victoria campaign. Sadly, if this were the case, there would be fewer reasons to stop n' sniff, and perhaps a more aggressive drive campaign. If the terrain is favorable, we might get up to 80m drives again... placing the West Rim in reach before the onset of next winter, depending on how much time is spent at Victoria. Then again, I had dreamed of Spirit exploring the Chaos terrain... which is gonna be quite a stretch for her to pull that off. This really makes me wonder what the MSL mission will be like. That could cover some serious ground! |
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Sep 22 2006, 05:15 PM
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#7
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Member Group: Senior Member Posts: 136 Joined: 8-August 06 Member No.: 1022 |
Wow, this thread is zuper nuts! We're talking about 8-10km drive? Um... ...12 kilometers, PAST Victoria, so from the southeast side of Victoria. And that's to the degraded rim (rimless). The north rim peaks are 22 kilometers away, and stick up about 80-100 meters above the local plains. The southeast rim peaks are 35 kilmeters away, and taller (though I don't have my topomap open at the moment). QUOTE This may not be totally unreasonable, especially if the science return is low because the arm craps out during the Victoria campaign. Sadly, if this were the case, there would be fewer reasons to stop n' sniff, and perhaps a more aggressive drive campaign. If the terrain is favorable, we might get up to 80m drives again... placing the West Rim in reach before the onset of next winter, depending on how much time is spent at Victoria. If the shoulder joint fails while the arm is deployed, it will be impossible to completely stow the arm, so it will be in the field of view of the navcams and bouncing around a bit while driving, so the distances we'll be able to cover will be MUCH less than with the arm stowed. QUOTE Then again, I had dreamed of Spirit exploring the Chaos terrain... which is gonna be quite a stretch for her to pull that off. There is a difference between planning on GETTING all that way versus driving in that direction to cover new ground. I don't think many of us expected we'd make it all the way to Victoria with Oppy, and yet here we are. Spirit may not be able to move far in a sol, but it may be able to move. And who knows how far it may go before something else breaks? Worth a try. -Tim. |
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Sep 22 2006, 05:52 PM
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#8
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Um... ...12 kilometers, PAST Victoria, so from the southeast side of Victoria. And that's to the degraded rim (rimless). The north rim peaks are 22 kilometers away, and stick up about 80-100 meters above the local plains. The southeast rim peaks are 35 kilmeters away, and taller (though I don't have my topomap open at the moment). One thing at a time... 12kms?...Do you guys have anything planned for 2009' Autumn?... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Sep 22 2006, 06:23 PM
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#9
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Member Group: Senior Member Posts: 136 Joined: 8-August 06 Member No.: 1022 |
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Sep 25 2006, 12:43 PM
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#10
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
Yeah! Launching MSL! -Tim. Huumm...So what you are saying is that we now have two alternatives for Oppy... Roving towards the Big Crater or be headed for the MSL landing site and cover it live for us folks back here on good old mother Earth?... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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