Erebus/victoria Entry & Exploration, Would it be worth it? |
Erebus/victoria Entry & Exploration, Would it be worth it? |
Apr 19 2005, 04:57 PM
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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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Apr 28 2005, 09:02 AM
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14433 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
IDD couldnt can only reach the area between the two front wheels - and the rover was driving backwards (and will do most of the time since the steering actuator issue) - and I say again - you try and use it to get out of a situation like this, and it WILL break - no question about it.
They drove into this situation - it's very likely they can drive straight out again. Ratting is no use - you'll just stir a small circle of dirt. Talk of using the IDD to aid mobility in anyway is madness Doug |
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Apr 28 2005, 10:25 AM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 562 Joined: 29-March 05 Member No.: 221 |
QUOTE (djellison @ Apr 28 2005, 10:02 AM) IDD couldnt can only reach the area between the two front wheels - and the rover was driving backwards (and will do most of the time since the steering actuator issue) - and I say again - you try and use it to get out of a situation like this, and it WILL break - no question about it. They drove into this situation - it's very likely they can drive straight out again. Ratting is no use - you'll just stir a small circle of dirt. Talk of using the IDD to aid mobility in anyway is madness Doug I have been trying to find imagery indicating the full range of the work volume obtainable by the arm. I know it exists, i'm just not having much luck. Given the power of the motors and length of the arm it must be possible to do an analysis of the force that can be applied at different parts of the work volume including where the IDD intersects the ground. I must say that i disagree with the notion that talk of using the IDD to aid mobility is madness, certainly the chance of it ever being used for this purpose is for all intents and purposes nil. However, if you are a few newtons short, using the IDD certainly becomes an option. We know that the rovers are far more durable than the engineers let on. I have posted the following movie elswhere in the forum before, it is an animated giff of sojourner deploying its APXS, forgive me if i'm wrong but that dip of the rover in the last frame looks like a form of mobility to me. |
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