Back to work, Post-hiatus but pre-entry |
Back to work, Post-hiatus but pre-entry |
Aug 25 2007, 04:10 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4252 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
I think the return to driving deserves a new topic for Oppy. According to this new release, Oppy is back up to 300 Whrs, and had a small cleaning event!
The release also gives a surprizing reason for the drive to the rim: QUOTE One reason the rover team chose to drive Opportunity closer to the crater rim was to be prepared, if the pace of dust accumulation on the solar panels increases, to drive onto the inner slope of the crater. This would give the rover a sun-facing tilt to maximize daily energy supplies. The drive was also designed to check performance of the rover's mobility system, so it included a turn in place and a short drive backwards. That explains why they drove to this point on the rim - if they enter they'll face south, as it's still southern summer.
|
|
|
Aug 26 2007, 04:11 PM
Post
#2
|
||
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 4252 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
New nav/pancam imagery peering over the rim into the abyss tosol at exploratorium. It looks to me like we've got dust on the left pancam, along the right edge of the frame. I'm sure it's not vignetting - pancams have only negligible vignetting. A sky view would confirm this. So it seems both left navcam and left pancam have been affected by dust.
You can see it easily comparing L2 and R2: |
|
|
||
Aug 29 2007, 07:12 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 96 Joined: 11-February 04 Member No.: 24 |
It looks to me like we've got dust on the left pancam, along the right edge of the frame. I'm sure it's not vignetting - pancams have only negligible vignetting. A sky view would confirm this. So it seems both left navcam and left pancam have been affected by dust. Is this dust degradation now a permanent "fact of life" or is there any possibility that image quality could be restored, e.g. by a dust devil passing over the rover? |
|
|
Aug 30 2007, 02:46 AM
Post
#4
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3419 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
Is this dust degradation now a permanent "fact of life" or is there any possibility that image quality could be restored, e.g. by a dust devil passing over the rover? One more time -- there have never, ever, even once, even just maybe, *ever* been any dust devils spotted anywhere near Opportunity. All of Oppy's cleaning events have come from straight-line winds. I know I sound like a broken record on this sometimes, but it's like wishing for a nice, refreshing blizzard in the middle of the Sahara, or expecting tornadoes at the South Pole. Some types of weather are just not observed at some locations, and dust devils are just not observed at or near Oppy's landing site. That said, I have high hopes that the inner slopes of Victoria will intensify local winds (that old racetrack pattern) and that by dipping down into her, Oppy will be able to avail herself of cleaning events regularly. -the other Doug -------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
|
|
|
Aug 31 2007, 01:26 AM
Post
#5
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1585 Joined: 14-October 05 From: Vermont Member No.: 530 |
One more time -- there have never, ever, even once, even just maybe, *ever* been any dust devils spotted anywhere near Opportunity. All of Oppy's cleaning events have come from straight-line winds. Actually, thanks for saying it again. I hadn't made the connection yet, if you can believe that! |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 15th June 2024 - 10:33 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |