Erebus/victoria Entry & Exploration, Would it be worth it? |
Erebus/victoria Entry & Exploration, Would it be worth it? |
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![]() Member ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 510 Joined: 17-March 05 From: Southeast Michigan Member No.: 209 ![]() |
Last year, MER team decided to let Oppy go into Endurance because the value of the potential science gain outweighed the risks to the rover at that time. I remember Steve Squyres saying something like...if Oppy can't get back out, it would be like getting locked in a candy store.
I wonder if the same would be true when we get to Erebus and Victoria. If these craters show something significantly different than we've already seen, and there's a feasible entry/exit route, would they still risk sending Oppy in? If it were me, given the 18 month extended mission and the rover showing its age more and more, any target in Erebus or Victora would need to be very juicy. Then again, there's no guarantee that Oppy will live for the entire extension. Hmmm...depending on what we find when we get there, it could be a hard decision for the team to make! -------------------- --O'Dave
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![]() Senior Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 ![]() |
Oh, wow. This doesn't bode well for Opportunity. If I am reading those CAD drawings of the rover construction properly, it could very well be high-centered over the crest of that dune it was climbing. If part or all of the weight of the rover is being supported by the underbelly of the vehicle, it will be very tricky to get get out of this location.
Luckily we have one heck of a smart team operating the rovers, and they have previous experiences that are somewhat similar. I don't know what they should try next, but it appears the dune is only getting higher toward the south, so my best guess is to try to back out. One observation from the hazcams has me perplexed, though. The front hazcam, which was looking toward the rear in this reverse drive, shows that Oppy was struggling for a meter or more to get into it's current position. http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...DGP1223L0M1.JPG Shouldn't the software have detected a problem, and stopped before pushing itself into this position? -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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