Post-Conjunction at Home Plate North, Getting ready to leave |
Post-Conjunction at Home Plate North, Getting ready to leave |
Jan 1 2009, 11:56 AM
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#46
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
There must be a minimum seismic level the MER can directly sense if it tries to. It has IMU's and Accelerometers, not Seismometers. This is an issue we've covered before here. Even if it detected shuddering from a DD (and indeed, there is about a pixels worth of shift at the summit of Husband Hill during strong winds) then by the time the rover had stopped doing whatever it was doing ( if indeed it has the power to be doing anything at that time anyway ) - it wouldn't even know which direction to point the Navcams to take an image of the DD that would be long gone anyway. The new software to do DD/Cloud watching is a far more sensible and productive means to achieve that sort of thing. Doug |
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Jan 1 2009, 02:51 PM
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#47
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Member Group: Admin Posts: 976 Joined: 29-September 06 From: Pasadena, CA - USA Member No.: 1200 |
Indeed. We tried to see what happens to the testbed when we drop a 30lb rock from a height of about 3' near the rover. No indications whatsoever from the IMU and the drop could be felt throughout the Sandbox. This was done in preparation for one seismic observation (MERB) during Conjunction which unfortunately was never sequenced. Paolo PS: Happy New Year! -------------------- Disclaimer: all opinions, ideas and information included here are my own,and should not be intended to represent opinion or policy of my employer.
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Jan 1 2009, 05:27 PM
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#48
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
Happy New Year Paolo.
Say....before you put down your sunglasses and took off your leather gloves left for the weekend did you happen to glance over at the dashboard? Was there a gauge labeled Wh? Can you give us a hint what it was at? -------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
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Jan 1 2009, 05:56 PM
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#49
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Member Group: Members Posts: 568 Joined: 20-April 05 From: Silesia Member No.: 299 |
While still waiting for new Whr figures . . . December 29, 2008 http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressr.../20081229a.html "Occasional cleaning of dust from the rovers' solar panels by Martian wind has provided unanticipated aid to the vehicles' longevity. However, it is unreliable aid. Spirit has not had a good cleaning for more than 18 months." -------------------- Free software for planetary science (including Cassini Image Viewer).
http://members.tripod.com/petermasek/marinerall.html |
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Jan 1 2009, 06:30 PM
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#50
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
That article was probably penned before this suspected event anyway
Doug |
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Jan 1 2009, 07:12 PM
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#51
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1281 Joined: 18-December 04 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 124 |
A cleaning event would be a good way to celebrate 5 years on Mars.... maybe the cosmos is just waiting for dramatic timing.
-------------------- Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test |
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Jan 1 2009, 07:24 PM
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#52
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Yep, a cleaning event would be a fantastic New Year pressie!
On the subject of celebrating, some personal "5 year reflections" here... hope others will share their thoughts and memories too; it would be fascinating reading, I'm sure, especially for our newer and younger members who weren't actually there at the time. -------------------- |
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Jan 1 2009, 09:55 PM
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#53
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2173 Joined: 28-December 04 From: Florida, USA Member No.: 132 |
... for our newer and younger members who weren't actually there at the time. My granddaughter was born as Spirit was working its way down Haskin Ridge from the summit of Husband Hill. Both continue to fill me with wonder. My Granddaughter must undergo daily dust clearing events! (Happy new year to all!) |
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Jan 2 2009, 05:34 AM
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#54
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Member Group: Admin Posts: 976 Joined: 29-September 06 From: Pasadena, CA - USA Member No.: 1200 |
Happy New Year Paolo. Say....before you put down your sunglasses and took off your leather gloves left for the weekend did you happen to glance over at the dashboard? Was there a gauge labeled Wh? Can you give us a hint what it was at? I don't have exact numbers but I heard around 150Wh. It was decided t drive down the slope and abandon the path uphill. The drive was supposed to happen middle of the week. Unfortunately the DNS station had hydraulics issues with the antenna and the sequence was not radiated. The drive was sent on New Years Eve. Hopefully the bubbles in our virtual champagne will help in bringing new Whs for the new year. Paolo -------------------- Disclaimer: all opinions, ideas and information included here are my own,and should not be intended to represent opinion or policy of my employer.
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Jan 2 2009, 06:10 AM
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#55
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
I've been eagerly watching for the much anticipated TPS December Mars Rover Update, assuming it would mention a recent cleaning event if there actually had been one. It just popped up at the Planetary Society's web site a little while ago. I see no mention of a recent cleaning event; only a comment that they are hopefully waiting for one.
Although we didn't hear the good news we were hoping for, as usual, there is a lot of other interesting news contained in the report. -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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Jan 2 2009, 07:53 AM
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#56
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
I know this is OT for this thread (move it, if necessary), but Salley's report mentioned the Garrels pan.
I'm a big fan of that geochemist. I can see parts of the pan in MMB. Has anyone assembled it in full Technicolor? His textbook is a classic. -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
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Jan 2 2009, 08:10 AM
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#57
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
It's BnW pan, similar to the Lyell pan - but a bit closer to the cape, not as close as the final nice postcard of the cape however.
Doug |
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Jan 2 2009, 12:37 PM
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#58
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2262 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Melbourne - Oz Member No.: 16 |
Garrels was taken in colour but in the end the L2 & L5 were discarded before being downlinked to free memory so it is only in L7.
-------------------- |
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Jan 4 2009, 01:36 PM
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#59
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 44 Joined: 25-February 08 From: Greece, Komotini Member No.: 4055 |
I didn`t hear anywhere if there really was or not a recent cleaning event that has vanished some of the Spirit`s solar panel dust coat. I think that the photo that we all saw a few days ago in this site shows clearly that such an event really happend, but why then MER team says nothing if that`s the case?! how many watts/hours has now Spirit?
-------------------- "It`s one small step for a man. A giant leap for all mankind!" Armstrong, Apollo 11, 1969.
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Jan 4 2009, 01:39 PM
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#60
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
Please read through this thread for all the information. It's been covered already.
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