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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Opportunity _ Opportunity Route Map

Posted by: Pando Feb 11 2005, 08:11 AM

Here is an updated map of the road to Vostok.

 

Posted by: alan Feb 11 2005, 02:39 PM

Jason, Alvin, and Argo are names of deep sea submersibles, what are they doing on Mars? unsure.gif Will they be continuing with this theme for the crater names?

Posted by: djellison Feb 11 2005, 03:05 PM

QUOTE (alan @ Feb 11 2005, 02:39 PM)
Jason, Alvin, and Argo are names of deep sea submersibles, what are they doing on Mars? unsure.gif Will they be continuing with this theme for the crater names?

And what were the submersibles named after wink.gif

Doug

Posted by: TheChemist Feb 11 2005, 04:47 PM

Well, Jason was the guy that got the Golden Fleece, and his ship was named Argo.
http://www.pccc.cc.nj.us/asrc/readwrit/jason.html

I have no idea what Alvin has to do with them biggrin.gif , but here comes Google :

The connection is Robert Ballard, the Undersea Explorer, who also served in a submarine called Alvin, before establishing the Jason-Argo project.

Posted by: lyford Feb 11 2005, 06:57 PM

QUOTE (alan @ Feb 11 2005, 06:39 AM)
Jason, Alvin, and Argo are names of deep sea submersibles, what are they doing on Mars? unsure.gif Will they be continuing with this theme for the crater names?

Well, maybe after Alvin they will name the next two Simon and Theodore.
wink.gif

Posted by: ilbasso Feb 11 2005, 07:09 PM

Notwithstanding the Chipmunks...

According to http://www.sciencenetwork.com/turner/rdt-bio.html, Al Vine, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, is the designer and namesake of Alvin.

You learn something new every day!

Posted by: volcanopele Feb 11 2005, 07:58 PM

QUOTE (TheChemist @ Feb 11 2005, 09:47 AM)
Well, Jason was the guy that got the Golden Fleece, and his ship was named Argo.
http://www.pccc.cc.nj.us/asrc/readwrit/jason.html

I have no idea what Alvin has to do with them biggrin.gif , but here comes Google :

The connection is Robert Ballard, the Undersea Explorer, who also served in a submarine called Alvin, before establishing the Jason-Argo project.

well obviously the crater Jason was named after me biggrin.gif

And the crater Jason on Phoebe was also named after me biggrin.gif

Posted by: mhall Feb 13 2005, 10:02 PM

For what it's worth, I've been inside Alvin.

This was in 1985, when I was working as a diver on an expedition to Saipan in the Marianas, to find a Spanish galleon that had sunk in 1638. I was walking along the dock, and there it was. I sweet-talked my way aboard.

They were there to look at the weird colonies of creatures that had just been discovered around the deep-water volcanic vents, the 'smokers'. They had lots and lots of film that they had taken, and gave me an undeveloped roll!

Altogether, a very exciting afternoon.

Posted by: alan Feb 20 2005, 06:12 AM

Alvin
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-19/1N162098088EFF4336P1617R0M1.JPG


Jason
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-19/1N162098243EFF4336P1617R0M1.JPG

Posted by: imran Feb 20 2005, 06:55 AM

Another view of Alvin as it was passed (looks very similar to Eagle):

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-19/1N162015861EFF4319P1772L0M1.JPG

Posted by: imran Feb 20 2005, 07:07 AM

I updated the "Heatshield to Vostok" map. Hopefully we'll see another long drive in the next day or two.

 

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 20 2005, 10:12 PM

Endurance Crater is only just visible in the rear hazcam images now

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-02-20/1R162196174EFF4400P1315L0M1.JPG

Posted by: OWW Feb 20 2005, 10:30 PM

Outcrop material without a crater or crack? First subtle signs of the etched terrain?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-20/1N162196411EFF4403P0711L0M1.JPG

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 20 2005, 11:02 PM

Is that another crater visible in the distance?

Posted by: Gray Feb 21 2005, 06:28 PM

Obsessed - perhaps we're seeing some ancient ejecta that are in the process of being buried or exumed.

Posted by: imran Feb 21 2005, 09:18 PM

It seems Oppy has moved again although it's hard to put any numbers on how far we have travelled. I don't see any features in the latest navcam, forward and rear hazcam images.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-02-21/1F162286228EFF4500P1215R0M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-21/1N162286361EFF4503P0711L0M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-02-21/1R162286175EFF4500P1315R0M1.JPG

Posted by: Pando Feb 21 2005, 09:57 PM

Oppy is currently doing some major driving, possibly exceeding previous records, over a 3-sol period (driving on all sols). Considering that the previous driving record is something like 156 meters or so per sol (someone please correct me), that should put us around 450 meters south of Jason crater by Wednesday.

Posted by: dot.dk Feb 21 2005, 10:20 PM

Now that is some serious driving! I like it cool.gif

But are they planning to drive both forward and backward on these long traverses? To put an even load onto the drive mechanism.

Posted by: Pando Feb 21 2005, 10:26 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Feb 21 2005, 03:20 PM)
But are they planning to drive both forward and backward on these long traverses? To put an even load onto the drive mechanism.

Yes, it's a standard procedure now to do that, for both Spirit and Opportunity. I don't know the distance though at which point they switch, or what other criteria is used to determine the "ok stop, let's do 180 and drive the other way now"... smile.gif

Posted by: alan Feb 21 2005, 10:44 PM

Wow, 450 meters, should have a good view of Vostok from there. I see a broad darker area at that distance, perhaps a slope to the south? If so on Wednesday Oppy may be at the top of a slight hill with a good view of Victoria.
<crosses fingers>

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0749/Heatshield_to_vostok.jpg

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 21 2005, 11:38 PM

Has anyone found any MOLA data for this area of Merdiani? If the plains do slope downwards at the point indicated in Alan's image that might offer an explanantion why Vostok and perhaps even Victoria Crater have been so hard to identify - it is quite strange that there is no obvious sign of Victoria Crater... Endurance Crater is still visible even in the rear hazcam images.

Posted by: Pando Feb 21 2005, 11:56 PM

I seriously doubt there is any slope there, or it would've been visible on the horizon by now. The immediate area of Meridiani plain appears to be quite flat. I think it's just a darker windblown material deposited there...

Posted by: arccos Feb 22 2005, 01:36 PM

I am still wondering what the dark feature NE from Vostok is.

Posted by: Bill Harris Feb 22 2005, 02:27 PM

QUOTE
I am still wondering what the dark feature NE from Vostok is.


I wonder, too. It seems to resemble the heatshield disturbance.

--Bill

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 23 2005, 12:10 AM

Dunes ......... looking back towards Endurance

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-22/1N162376296EFF4603P0617R0M1.JPG

Posted by: akuo Feb 23 2005, 12:16 AM

Oppy moves on during sol 385, after sol 384 during which nothing happened as far as I can see (there might still be a problem with back-to-back drives):
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-22/1N162376296EFF4603P0617R0M1.JPG

No features to see, but the dunes look different further on:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-02-22/1P162377308EFF4603P2380R1M1.JPG

Maybe the larger dunes are causing the slightly darker region in the route map.

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 23 2005, 12:25 AM

Rear Hazcam for the end of each sol


Sol 383:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-02-20/1R162196174EFF4400P1315R0M1.JPG

Sol 384:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-02-21/1R162286175EFF4500P1315R0M1.JPG

Sol 385
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-02-22/1R162375599EFF4600P1315R0M1.JPG

The PanCam images of the dunes on sol 385 were taken late in the day so the shadows make them especially prominent......

Posted by: akuo Feb 23 2005, 12:31 AM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Feb 23 2005, 12:25 AM)
Rear Hazcam for the end of each sol


Oh, you are right, there was a change of scenery between 383 and 384. Both the front and back hazcams looked so similar, that I didn't realise it :-)

Posted by: Bubbinski Feb 23 2005, 08:14 AM

Are the drivers following the zigzag path set out in the "Road to Vostok" map or are they making a beeline due south of Endurance using the receding feature to help them keep their bearings? Just curious.

Posted by: Decepticon Feb 23 2005, 01:09 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Feb 22 2005, 07:10 PM)
Dunes ......... looking back towards Endurance

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-22/1N162376296EFF4603P0617R0M1.JPG

This reminds me so much of Snorkling off the coast of cuba.


I was just looking down from about 30 feet deep. And those ripples look so simular to what I saw.

Posted by: ToSeek Feb 23 2005, 07:53 PM

Any idea where Opportunity is now? The navcam pan looks nearly featureless - you'd think Vostok would be close enough now to be clearly imaged.

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 23 2005, 08:28 PM

It's impossible to say, we'll have to wait for some official information from the people at JPL.... but Opportunity performed drives on sols 383, 384 and 385 - with hopefuly another one today, so they must be making good progress south.

Posted by: Bubbinski Feb 24 2005, 08:06 AM

So far no new images from sol 386 are in at the exploratorium. Did they have a restricted sol? They should be pretty far south after 3 consecutive days of driving. If Vostok isn't visible, is it because it is a flat feature?

Bubbinski/Space Cadet

Posted by: Pando Feb 24 2005, 08:36 AM

Based on some of the latest images, looks like Oppy has been driving directly South which is more toward Vostok than the originally planned route. That route was more South/South-West toward the other small crater after Jason... Interesting... smile.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 24 2005, 09:11 AM

QUOTE (Bubbinski @ Feb 24 2005, 08:06 AM)
So far no new images from sol 386 are in at the exploratorium. Did they have a restricted sol? They should be pretty far south after 3 consecutive days of driving. If Vostok isn't visible, is it because it is a flat feature?

Bubbinski/Space Cadet

Maybe they'll come down in an overnight Oddysey pass?

Posted by: OWW Feb 24 2005, 05:49 PM

According to the latest director update ( February 22nd ), Opportunity drove a whopping 177 meters on sol 383 and on sol 384 added another 104!

Posted by: dot.dk Feb 24 2005, 06:04 PM

I had to listen more than one time to confirm that it was 177 m ohmy.gif
That's brilliant biggrin.gif

Posted by: Marslauncher Feb 24 2005, 07:41 PM

so any idea where we are yet?

Posted by: Marslauncher Feb 24 2005, 07:47 PM

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-02-24/1P161825314EFF4300P2663L5M1.JPG

Could the feature on the right horizon be Vostok?

Posted by: ToSeek Feb 24 2005, 08:06 PM

QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Feb 24 2005, 05:49 PM)
According to the latest director update ( February 22nd ), Opportunity drove a whopping 177 meters on sol 383 and on sol 384 added another 104!

The figures given in the flight director's report were goals, not confirmed values. They'll find out today (from downloaded data) whether the goals were achieved or not.

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 24 2005, 08:12 PM

I think she meant they were waiting for an imminent Odyssey pass with data and results of the Sol 385 drive.

Posted by: Pando Feb 24 2005, 09:08 PM

QUOTE
so any idea where we are yet?


I think we're somewhere in the lower end of the purple (200m) line on this map:

http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=5284

edit: ^^ it's a pretty wild guess though based on the fact that oppy took a turn toward South after Jason, not toward one of the other craters along the route... smile.gif

Posted by: dot.dk Feb 25 2005, 12:42 AM

This must be the cluster of small craters on to the left of the 200 m mark
http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=5284





Posted by: Sunspot Feb 25 2005, 12:49 AM

WHOAHHHH !!!!

They must have done a hell of a lot of driving the past few sols huh.gif

Posted by: dot.dk Feb 25 2005, 01:05 AM

This is a mystery to me...

Very quick and dirty pan...
http://img223.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img223&image=pan8yl.jpg

How did they get here from THERE?? blink.gif
Endurance+Heatshield to the left, but Oppy is coming from a different direction blink.gif

Posted by: dot.dk Feb 25 2005, 01:08 AM

Perhaps they turned right where we can see the rover tracks stops...
Well they must have done it that way...

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 25 2005, 01:14 AM

I'm assuming these pancam images were taken looking in the next drive direction:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-02-24/1P162546966EFF4700P2381R1M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-02-24/1P162547090EFF4700P2381R1M1.JPG

Still nothing immediately obvious on or just below the horizon .....


I still think the annulus of bright material we see in orbital images of vostok is nothing more than dust, all the craters have it, you can see it in orbital images of the craters Opportunity is sitting in front of right now, yet from the ground they appear pretty dark.

Posted by: Pando Feb 25 2005, 01:32 AM

Sol 383: 177m
Sol 384: 104m
Sol 385: 109m
Sol 386: no drive
Sol 387: 80m
Sol 388: no drive

Interesting route there. Looks like they didn't quite want to visit the craters along the route but then all of a sudden changed their minds and made a quick shortcut to the crater triplet. That's where we are now... smile.gif

 

Posted by: MahFL Feb 25 2005, 02:32 AM

I think they did turn right as if you notice the tracks that are at an angle slightly disappear but the tracks that are aligned with the camera are more visible.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-24/1N162546038EFF4700P0680R0M1.JPG

So tracks at 90 degrees to the camera will be invisible at that kind of distance as they will be hidden by the height of the dunes.



pancam.gif

Posted by: alan Feb 25 2005, 03:10 AM

QUOTE (alan @ Feb 21 2005, 10:44 PM)
Wow, 450 meters, should have a good view of Vostok from there. 

Or maybe not huh.gif

Posted by: TheChemist Feb 25 2005, 10:18 AM

Luckily, we have a beacon pointing to North biggrin.gif


Posted by: babakm Feb 25 2005, 05:10 PM

Judging by the tracks, the feature on the horizon about a quarter of the way from the left edge of this image could be Vostok. I missed it the first time I looked at the picture as I was staring at the outcroppings.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-02-24/1N162546567EFF4700P0680L0M1.JPG

Posted by: Pando Feb 25 2005, 05:34 PM

That can't be because it's look at West. Vostok is toward South-East.

Posted by: babakm Feb 25 2005, 08:09 PM

QUOTE (Pando @ Feb 25 2005, 05:34 PM)
That can't be because it's look at West. Vostok is toward South-East.

Hmm. Should've figured that out by the direction of the dunes. The last Pamcams from 2/24 are looking SE-ish.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-02-24/1P162547090EFF4700P2381R1M1.JPG

Posted by: Pando Feb 25 2005, 08:36 PM

Personally I don't think Vostok is visible at all unless you're almost on top of it. The rim is probably totally eroded away so that it's just a flat bedrock peeking through the soil.

Posted by: Fred Feb 26 2005, 03:26 AM

I thought http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/382/1P162091619EFF4336P2663L4M1.JPG was Vostok. It's about a third the way from the right side of the image, just below the horizon. They've been taking lots of L4 L5 L6 pictures of it for a while now.

Posted by: djellison Feb 26 2005, 10:48 AM

QUOTE (Fred @ Feb 26 2005, 03:26 AM)
I thought http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/382/1P162091619EFF4336P2663L4M1.JPG was Vostok. It's about a third the way from the right side of the image, just below the horizon. They've been taking lots of L4 L5 L6 pictures of it for a while now.

No - I've made the same mistake - that's a large crater way out to the east somewhere. (notice the dunes running across the field of view - not in line with it )

Doug

Posted by: TheChemist Feb 26 2005, 06:14 PM

And an updated JPL Opportunity Route Map :

Large version http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20050225a/MERB_Traverse_Map_Sol_383-B388R1.jpg


Posted by: dot.dk Feb 26 2005, 07:07 PM

They will have a hard time keeping this map up to date given Oppys current pace biggrin.gif

Already 300 meter farther south than the map shows smile.gif

Posted by: Decepticon Feb 26 2005, 09:00 PM

^ WOW! How close are they to Vostok?

Posted by: dot.dk Feb 26 2005, 09:10 PM

QUOTE (Decepticon @ Feb 26 2005, 09:00 PM)
^ WOW! How close are they to Vostok?

That close
http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=5855

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 27 2005, 01:04 PM

....damn, I guess the person that updates the pictures is on holiday unsure.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 27 2005, 08:08 PM

Sol 389 Pancam images......

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_p389.html

These images aren't showing up on the exploratorium site

Posted by: argv Feb 28 2005, 03:51 AM

Blueberries everywhere we look. I got a creepy feeling that this seemed familiar
and realized it strongly reminded me of the "black flies" in Stanislaw Lem's The Invincible. I'm not suggesting the blueberries are anything like the remnants
of microrobots in Lem's fiction... but the descriptions in that book have an eerie
similarity to our pictures from Mars.

Posted by: TheChemist Feb 28 2005, 04:20 PM

Sol 390 raw images have arrived!

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity.html

Posted by: Sunspot Feb 28 2005, 06:52 PM

Could this be in the direction of Vostok?

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/390/1P162805678EFF4700P2286L7M1.JPG

I wonder if the dark line with what I assume is a rock above it is the small crater nearly midway between Oppys current position and Vostok. Just above it is another linear feature, possibly Vostok?

Possible meteorite?:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/390/1P162807194EFF4700P2287L7M1.JPG

Posted by: erwan Feb 28 2005, 09:09 PM

Sunspot: to my opinion, Pancam images from Sol 390 heads toward SW to NW; then Vostok cannot be seen.
Here is a little version of Sol 390 stitched images. I believe Opportunity is parked East of the "two big, one little, crater cluster" (see Opportunity route map image Sol 387). These three craters are seen on the Pan below: the Eastern one on the foreground, the Western on left, the little Northern one halfway to the right side of the Pan. Sand dunes orientation (roughly North South) may fit also with a Westward view.


Posted by: Pando Mar 2 2005, 10:22 PM

Updated Opportunity route map.


 

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 3 2005, 12:59 AM

So, are we at Vostok? The map above makes it appear that way.

Posted by: Pando Mar 3 2005, 01:06 AM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 2 2005, 05:59 PM)
So, are we at Vostok? The map above makes it appear that way.

No. There is a Mars Clock for both rovers at:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

You'll see that Oppy's current sol is Sol 393.

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 3 2005, 01:23 AM

I wonder if it would be possible to add a mars clock to this forum? At the top of the page so it's always visible. smile.gif

Posted by: Pando Mar 3 2005, 01:28 AM

Good idea..... Doug? smile.gif

or that one in the office: tongue.gif
http://www.bmumford.com/clocks/martian/

Posted by: Pando Mar 3 2005, 01:40 AM

Going off-topic here but http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/%7Eyugo/storage/monocrafts_ver3/03/index.html on the web (Earth time though).

Posted by: lyford Mar 3 2005, 03:00 AM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 2 2005, 05:23 PM)
I wonder if it would be possible to add a mars clock to this forum? At the top of the page so it's always visible. smile.gif

Get mhoward's http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=682 and keep it running in a window - keeps great Mars time by rover!

Posted by: MiniTES Mar 3 2005, 03:35 AM

QUOTE (lyford @ Mar 3 2005, 03:00 AM)
QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 2 2005, 05:23 PM)
I wonder if it would be possible to add a mars clock to this forum?  At the top of the page so it's always visible. smile.gif

Get mhoward's http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=682 and keep it running in a window - keeps great Mars time by rover!

That's three minutes ahead of the JPL clock - what's with that? cool.gif Who's right?

Posted by: Gsnorgathon Mar 3 2005, 05:33 AM

Don't forget http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/mars24/...

Posted by: djellison Mar 3 2005, 08:54 AM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 3 2005, 01:23 AM)
I wonder if it would be possible to add a mars clock to this forum? At the top of the page so it's always visible. smile.gif

Not easily ohmy.gif Without just stealing the flash one at JPL's site.

Doug

Posted by: TheChemist Mar 3 2005, 09:34 AM

I noticed in the last route update, that Opportunity's goes inside Vostok wink.gif pancam.gif

Posted by: cIclops Mar 3 2005, 10:39 AM

QUOTE (TheChemist @ Mar 3 2005, 09:34 AM)
I noticed in the last route update, that Opportunity's goes inside Vostok  wink.gif  pancam.gif

that assumes that Vostok is a crater, some say it may be a mound ... :>

new panorama of 'Naturaliste' Crater, Sol 387 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mer/2005-03-01/site_A47_cyl-med.jpg

Posted by: djellison Mar 3 2005, 11:18 AM

If it was a mound of any height - we WOULD have seen it by now smile.gif

imho - it's a very very erroded crater, much more so than eagle/fram etc - i.e. pre hydrological activity - it'll just be exactly what it appears on the orbital images - a ring of exposed rock perhaps a few CM above the surrounding area with no inner 'dip' or dunes

Doug

Posted by: TheChemist Mar 3 2005, 11:22 AM

QUOTE (cIclops @ Mar 3 2005, 12:39 PM)
QUOTE (TheChemist @ Mar 3 2005, 09:34 AM)
I noticed in the last route update, that Opportunity's goes inside Vostok  wink.gif  pancam.gif

that assumes that Vostok is a crater, some say it may be a mound ... :>

Well, it must be a really low mound, otherwise it should be visible by now. dry.gif

Edit : it appears Doug types faster biggrin.gif

Posted by: erwan Mar 3 2005, 01:10 PM

According to Pando's last Opportunity routemap http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=6069 and JPL's sol 387 Pan (link: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20050301a/site_A47_navcam_cyl-B392R1.jpg), Vostok should be seen on that sol 387 Navcam picture: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/n/387/1N162546176EFF4700P0680L0M1.JPG
(on the left part of the horizon, and roughly 400m far). Thus in fact "it must been a really low mount", as you wrote Djellison and TheChemist...

Posted by: SFJCody Mar 3 2005, 01:45 PM

Astrobio has a nice javascript Mars clock. Just add this to the page source:

<script src="http://www.astrobio.net/news/javascript/marstime.js"></script>

Posted by: djellison Mar 3 2005, 02:05 PM

To be honest - it'd piss me off smile.gif If I want to know the time on mars, I load up Mars24 biggrin.gif Great though the Invision board is -it's cluttered and noisey enough already. It'd be breaking my own rule about excessive signatures ( I HATE signatures that go on and on about peoples PC specification WHY DO I CARE!! )

tongue.gif

Hell - what next - BA Flight schedules from Heathrow to KSC in the menu bar tongue.gif

Doug

Posted by: mhoward Mar 3 2005, 04:01 PM

QUOTE (MiniTES @ Mar 3 2005, 03:35 AM)
That's three minutes ahead of the JPL clock - what's with that? cool.gif Who's right?

I think MMB's is just a couple seconds off Mars24's. I'm not exactly sure why the difference from Mars24, possible a rounding error. Couple seconds off was close enough for my purposes. wink.gif

Posted by: lyford Mar 3 2005, 05:04 PM

QUOTE (cIclops @ Mar 3 2005, 02:39 AM)
new panorama of 'Naturaliste' Crater, Sol 387 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mer/2005-03-01/site_A47_cyl-med.jpg

QTVR of the 'Naturaliste' Crater, Sol 387, panorama http://homepage.mac.com/lyford/FileSharing2.html

Just a quickie, but I like the "being there" feel...

Looks like the "vessels of discovery" naming meme still applies...though I don't remember any "Voyages of the Naturaliste," Google again http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/rgs/pub_main.htm

Posted by: erwan Mar 3 2005, 06:15 PM

Looking all around Naturalist QTVR Pan; damnation, where is Vostok? Thanks, Lyford.

Posted by: Deimos Mar 3 2005, 06:33 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 3 2005, 01:23 AM)
I wonder if it would be possible to add a mars clock to this forum?  At the top of the page so it's always visible. smile.gif


You can get a non-Flash (but javascript) html Mars clock at:
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~lemmon/mars/MERClocks/mera.html
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~lemmon/mars/MERClocks/merb.html
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~lemmon/mars/MERClocks.zip

It is as accurate as the UTC clock of the computer it is run on, or
to within a couple seconds for a time-synched computer. It can be
put in another web page or set as a desktop feature (at least for
windows, haven't tried elsewhere).

Posted by: Pando Mar 3 2005, 06:55 PM

curious, why choose Deimos as opposed to Phobos as a screen name... tongue.gif biggrin.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 4 2005, 02:02 PM

QUOTE (cIclops @ Mar 3 2005, 10:39 AM)
QUOTE (TheChemist @ Mar 3 2005, 09:34 AM)
I noticed in the last route update, that Opportunity's goes inside Vostok  wink.gif  pancam.gif

that assumes that Vostok is a crater, some say it may be a mound ... :>

new panorama of 'Naturaliste' Crater, Sol 387 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mer/2005-03-01/site_A47_cyl-med.jpg

I think they'll take one look at Vostok and drive right on by lol .... I still don't believe the white annulus visible from MOC images is bedrock... I think it's lighter coloured dust that's accumulated around the object.... all the craters show this when seen from orbit.

Posted by: cIclops Mar 4 2005, 03:11 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 4 2005, 02:02 PM)
I think they'll take one look at Vostok and drive right on by lol .... I still don't believe the white annulus visible from MOC images is bedrock... I think it's lighter coloured dust that's accumulated around the object.... all the craters show this when seen from orbit.

I found this previously released image of Vostok, as you can see they are looking into it and it is surrounded by a lighter coloured dust that's accumulated around the object. Well called Sunspot smile.gif



ps Vostok was Gagarin's spacecraft,

http://www.astronautix.com/flights/vostok1.htm

Posted by: ToSeek Mar 4 2005, 03:38 PM

Vostok was the Russian equivalent of the American Mercury program, so it was the spacecraft for Gagarin, Titov, Tereshkova, and several others.

Posted by: erwan Mar 4 2005, 03:49 PM

cIclops: your post raises the question of Vostok's images true colors, and i am pretty sure the following one is more accurate tongue.gif :

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 4 2005, 07:22 PM

Daily updates are coming in for Spirit..nothing for Opportunity for a few days now

unsure.gif unsure.gif that always makes me nervous lol unsure.gif

EDIT: a new flight directors update is available, they should be driving over the weekend and hope to be at Vostok early next week.

Posted by: Pando Mar 4 2005, 08:51 PM

Yes, driving on Sols 394,396,397, no drive for today, Sol 395 (restricted Sol).

Assuming yesterday's drive was successful (let's say about 140-160 meters), we should be sitting around the Sol 395 marker on the map right now, continuing on toward Vostok over the weekend, and be there by Monday.

http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=6069

Posted by: Pando Mar 5 2005, 01:23 AM

Looks like a nice long drive backwards toward South-East on Sol 394 smile.gif



edit: looking back on sol 394 at a drive made on sol 393...? maybe?

Posted by: erwan Mar 5 2005, 02:02 AM

Hello Pando, mhoward, folks: i wonder why Pando just post Sol 394 Opportunity images: Exploratorium is up! Tralalalarere, just a Froggie folk song...

Posted by: OWW Mar 5 2005, 08:22 AM

Yes, exploratorium is back, but it skipped the PanCam images of the Opportunity triplet crater that were posted on the jpl site the last few days.... sad.gif

Posted by: mhoward Mar 5 2005, 02:31 PM

QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 5 2005, 08:22 AM)
Yes, exploratorium is back, but it skipped the PanCam images of the Opportunity triplet crater that were posted on the jpl site the last few days.... sad.gif

You should let them know that, if that's the case, it might be a bug with their software. (Chuckle... kind of an inside joke for me there.) laugh.gif

On second thought, I suppose it might be a bug with *my* software, if you're using it, so maybe I'll just shut up... smile.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 5 2005, 03:18 PM

According to Pando's routhe map todays drive should take us up to Vostok biggrin.gif

Posted by: OWW Mar 5 2005, 05:04 PM

QUOTE (mhoward @ Mar 5 2005, 02:31 PM)
QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 5 2005, 08:22 AM)
Yes, exploratorium is back, but it skipped the PanCam images of the Opportunity triplet crater that were posted on the jpl site the last few days....  sad.gif

You should let them know that, if that's the case, it might be a bug with their software. (Chuckle... kind of an inside joke for me there.) laugh.gif

On second thought, I suppose it might be a bug with *my* software, if you're using it, so maybe I'll just shut up... smile.gif

No, it's not a bug in your software. The latest batch on exploratorium just doesn't include the Oppy images we've seen last week on the JPL site.
But let's not be hasty and give them some time to update before we spam them to death over this Terrible negligence... It's called patience. wink.gif

Posted by: OWW Mar 5 2005, 05:06 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 5 2005, 03:18 PM)
According to Pando's routhe map todays drive should take us up to Vostok biggrin.gif

The way I read Pando's map, Oppy won't be there until Sol 397... blink.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 5 2005, 09:17 PM

Were all the images below taken after Opportunity completed the latest drive? Still nothing to be seen out there... blink.gif

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-04/1P163168006EFF4786P2382L7M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-04/1P163168068EFF4786P2382L7M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-04/1P163168165EFF4786P2382L7M1.JPG

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 5 2005, 09:31 PM

Can anyone say exactly where we are?

Posted by: djellison Mar 5 2005, 09:39 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 5 2005, 09:31 PM)
Can anyone say exactly where we are?

Mars smile.gif One would assume about 100-150m SE of the Triplets

DOug

Posted by: OWW Mar 6 2005, 09:19 AM

Op drove again on sol 396. But who knows where? rolleyes.gif Still no sign of Vostok in the rearview mirror ( the front in this case smile.gif ). Vostok, The Phantom Crater...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-03-05/1R163341729EFF47D6P1315R0M1.JPG

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 6 2005, 09:45 AM

Me thinks Vostok is a big cirkle of outcrop like the one to the right of Oppy in the picture above smile.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 6 2005, 10:01 AM

Are we sure thy're even heading for Vostok anymore wink.gif They have been known to change their plans. Surely something of that size would be visible by now.

Posted by: Pando Mar 6 2005, 06:20 PM

Looks like they are using some of the no-drive days to free up the flash. A bunch of old images http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-06/. They definately need room in the flash to perform longer autonav drives, especially on long stretches to the Etched Terrain, etc...

Posted by: OWW Mar 6 2005, 07:28 PM

QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 6 2005, 06:20 PM)
They definately need room in the flash to perform longer autonav drives, especially on long stretches to the Etched Terrain, etc...

Why does it need flash to drive long distances? Does is store ALL the HazCam images or something? blink.gif

Posted by: Pando Mar 7 2005, 04:34 AM

QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 6 2005, 12:28 PM)
QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 6 2005, 06:20 PM)
They definately need room in the flash to perform longer autonav drives, especially on long stretches to the Etched Terrain, etc...

Why does it need flash to drive long distances? Does is store ALL the HazCam images or something? blink.gif

Well, the autonav driving (as opposed to blind, directed drive) uses quite a bit of flash memory. The rover takes images of the terrain as it drives and creates terrain maps in memory which is then used to manuever the vehicle. There is also a need to store and transmit most of these images and terrain maps from the autonav sequence to the rover engineers for analysis.

That's one of the reasons they can't just push the "drive" button and let the rover go for the entire Sol. Blind drive can take it only as far as the rover drivers can see from the starting position. Then they have to use autonav, and that portion of the drive is limited to the flash memory allocated to the autonav.

If the flash storage limit is exceeded, it starts deleting older science data which has not yet been sent to Earth, and that is a big no-no (and it has happened in the past)...

Posted by: OWW Mar 7 2005, 08:46 AM

Oppy went nowhere on sol 397. Strange, I hope nothing is broken.

Sol 396:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-03-05/1R163341729EFF47D6P1315L0M1.JPG
Sol 397:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-03-06/1R163427546EFF4800P1311L0M1.JPG

But some NavCam images came down. Vostok crater? :
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-06/1N163428006EFF4800P0683R0M1.JPG

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 7 2005, 09:44 AM

Damn lol.......I was hoping when i got up and looked at the latest images this morning we would be at Vostok lol laugh.gif

Posted by: djellison Mar 7 2005, 10:12 AM

At least we can see the thing now smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: Marslauncher Mar 7 2005, 01:36 PM

doesnt look very exciting, I cant imagine they will spend much time here. move on and progress to Victoria! (or at least to the etched terrain)

Posted by: alan Mar 8 2005, 06:06 AM

closer
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-07/1F163522406EFF4900P1211L0M1.JPG

Posted by: Pando Mar 8 2005, 06:56 AM

QUOTE
Oppy went nowhere on sol 397. Strange, I hope nothing is broken.


Well looks like Oppy actually went somewhere on Sol 398... and will also creep closer to Vostok on Sol 399. The delay may actually be due to a problem with one of the instruments...

Posted by: slinted Mar 8 2005, 07:37 AM

If this is indeed Vostok, at least we know now why it has been so hard to see it from a distance:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-07/1N163523165EFF4900P0685L0M1.JPG

Posted by: OWW Mar 8 2005, 08:21 AM

QUOTE (slinted @ Mar 8 2005, 07:37 AM)
If this is indeed Vostok, at least we know now why it has been so hard to see it from a distance:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-07/1N163523165EFF4900P0685L0M1.JPG

Spectacular! A 'freshly' exhumed crater! Not much to do though. What else can they do here than RAT one or two outcrop-rocks?

Posted by: OWW Mar 8 2005, 08:24 AM

QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 8 2005, 06:56 AM)
QUOTE
Oppy went nowhere on sol 397. Strange, I hope nothing is broken.


Well looks like Oppy actually went somewhere on Sol 398... and will also creep closer to Vostok on Sol 399. The delay may actually be due to a problem with one of the instruments...

Why would a problem with an instrument cause a delay in driving? And when you say 'instrument', you mean one of the cameras? ( Nav, Haz, PanCam, MiniTES )? blink.gif

Posted by: Pando Mar 8 2005, 08:34 AM

Updated travel map:

 

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 8 2005, 09:30 AM

As I expected Vostok would be nothing extraordinary. Just a cirkle of outcrop like the scattered rocks on the plains smile.gif

A quick RAT and analysis of one or two rocks and we are go for the etched terrain biggrin.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 8 2005, 12:49 PM

Well....I was wrong. It's not dust making up the rim after all unsure.gif

Posted by: lyford Mar 8 2005, 06:14 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Mar 8 2005, 01:30 AM)
As I expected Vostok would be nothing extraordinary. Just a cirkle of outcrop like the scattered rocks on the plains smile.gif

A quick RAT and analysis of one or two rocks and we are go for the etched terrain biggrin.gif

Hmmm, I wonder just how different the etched terrain will be - mostly just exposed outcrop as well? Terraced a bit? Should be a nice change of scenery at the very least....

The effect looks similiar to Vostok's edges from the obital pix; is there any info on its slope and steepness? I couldn't find any MOLA data through googling....

Posted by: ToSeek Mar 8 2005, 10:46 PM

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-08/1N163523850EFF4900P1785R0M1.JPG

Posted by: CosmicRocker Mar 9 2005, 03:02 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 3 2005, 05:18 AM)
imho - it's a very very erroded crater, much more so than eagle/fram etc - i.e. pre hydrological activity - it'll just be exactly what it appears on the orbital images - a ring of exposed rock perhaps a few CM above the surrounding area with no inner 'dip' or dunes

Doug

You pretty much called it, Doug. wink.gif

Posted by: OWW Mar 9 2005, 08:07 AM

Vostok. laugh.gif

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-09/1N163604587EFF5000P0685L0M1.JPG

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-09/1F163604383EFF5000P1214L0M1.JPG

Posted by: chris Mar 9 2005, 10:04 AM

Fascinating. Can anyone explain why the rock remains exposed, and isn't covered with sand/blueberries?

Chris

Posted by: djellison Mar 9 2005, 10:14 AM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Mar 9 2005, 03:02 AM)
QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 3 2005, 05:18 AM)
imho - it's a very very erroded crater, much more so than eagle/fram etc - i.e. pre hydrological activity - it'll just be exactly what it appears on the orbital images - a ring of exposed rock perhaps a few CM above the surrounding area with no inner 'dip' or dunes

Doug

You pretty much called it, Doug. wink.gif

I think that deserves a mars bar smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: MahFL Mar 9 2005, 11:34 AM

Looks like another crater in the distance, could it be the larger flatter one before Victoria or Victoria herself, or looking at it more something entirely different lol. ?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-09/1N163605158EFF5000P1785L0M1.JPG

pancam.gif

Posted by: TheChemist Mar 9 2005, 12:08 PM

These Vostok outcrops look pachydermally eroded (JonClarke's termonology tongue.gif ) just like Wopmay inside Endurance. Since we missed a detailed spectrometer analysis of Wopmay due to heavy slippage, let's have one quicky here, and head straight to the Etched Terrain southwest cool.gif

Posted by: djellison Mar 9 2005, 12:19 PM

QUOTE (MahFL @ Mar 9 2005, 11:34 AM)
Looks like another crater in the distance, could it be the larger flatter one before Victoria or Victoria herself, or looking at it more something entirely different lol. ?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-09/1N163605158EFF5000P1785L0M1.JPG

pancam.gif

That's looking WSW I think - and if you look on this image

http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/01/24/MER_B_Ellipse_25m.gif ( Endurance is along the centre line - 3/4s the way to the east end )

You can see a crater twice the size of Victoria just outside the ellipse near the centre - it's probably the rim of that we're seing way out there

Doug

Posted by: djellison Mar 9 2005, 12:50 PM

Vostok Nav

http://mer.rlproject.com/vostok_nav.jpg

If Mars ever has hippies - they'll be dancing round it naked before too long smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: MahFL Mar 9 2005, 12:57 PM

When the rovers landed I don't think we thought for 1 min that they would travel outside of thier landing elipses. Is the well defined crater north of Victoria in the elipse Endurance crater ?

Posted by: djellison Mar 9 2005, 01:04 PM

QUOTE (MahFL @ Mar 9 2005, 12:57 PM)
When the rovers landed I don't think we thought for 1 min that they would travel outside of thier landing elipses. Is the well defined crater north of Victoria in the elipse Endurance crater ?

Yup - when that map was made - they didnt have MOC imagery of Endurance - and so you can see it as a low-res bit just to the right of a high res MOC bit smile.gif

That image also shows how the 'etched' got eaten by Victoria smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: tedstryk Mar 9 2005, 01:39 PM

If the etched terrain is that flat, I wonder if Oppy might make it to the giant crater that pokes into the lower right of the image! If it makes it through the next winter, I think that is possible. Of course, a lot depends on just how interesting the etched terrain and Victoria are. If it is the same old same old as the rocks in Endurance, I think Oppy might travel quite a long way.

Posted by: OWW Mar 9 2005, 02:45 PM

QUOTE (tedstryk @ Mar 9 2005, 01:39 PM)
If the etched terrain is that flat, I wonder if Oppy might make it to the giant crater that pokes into the lower right of the image!

I don't think the etched terrain will be flat and easy to travel. Look at this PROTO MOC image:

http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1500822.html

To me it looks like a network of raised ( and very rough ) Vostok-like crater rims, covered with giant versions of the windripples we've seen sofar on the plains.

I can't quite make out if those small dark spots in the etched terrain are craters, the shadows of small mesas or the shadows of very large dunes. Any ideas?

Posted by: tedstryk Mar 9 2005, 03:08 PM

I was so surprised by Vostok being THAT flat after seeing it from orbital imagery that I am curious just how jagged the terrain is. I can't quite tell in that image what is a shadow and what is an albedo feature. A few features definitely look raised, but not all. Looks like some interesting treking ahead. I think this is a good reminder that we need a high resolution SAR map of Mars....there will probably be some great discoveries awaiting us under the dust. Fortunately this terrain just pokes through.

Posted by: erwan Mar 9 2005, 03:12 PM

QUOTE
ObsessedWithWorlds  Posted on Mar 9 2005, 02:45 PM
: probably you are right... One idea for dark spots: throughs, Anatolia similar? Raise one question i hope someone (Bruce?) may respond and post interesting comments: is there any information about eventuality of "karstic like' landforms at Meridiani? Remembering Anatolia through, and other Opportunity pictures at Eagle and Endurance craters evocative for sinking/subsidence/disturbance of the outcrop rocks/soil . ..

Posted by: erwan Mar 9 2005, 03:20 PM

Sorry, i mean "trough", and must perfect my english language.... blink.gif

Posted by: MahFL Mar 9 2005, 03:55 PM

I think the etched terrain will be easy to drive over. I also think the rocks will be the same as at Endurance, confirming the whole plain was once wet. Victoria will just be a larger version of Endurance. The huge crater to the bottem right looks shallow so won't be all that interesting to look at imho. Where to next ?

Posted by: djellison Mar 9 2005, 04:01 PM

QUOTE (MahFL @ Mar 9 2005, 03:55 PM)
I think the etched terrain will be easy to drive over. I also think the rocks will be the same as at Endurance, confirming the whole plain was once wet. Victoria will just be a larger version of Endurance. The huge crater to the bottem right looks shallow so won't be all that interesting to look at imho. Where to next ?

Well - it's going to take about six months to get to Victoria - at which point we'll be on sol 550+

Given that there was 6 months of science in visiting Endurance - I think the same can be said of Victoria

That's sol 700. More than a martian year - back into Autumn and getting on toward winter again

By then - APXS and Mossbauer integrations will take a couple of days at least - so doing science will take a lot longer.

To ask the question 'where next' - is, dare one say it, a little pre-emptive smile.gif

BUT - I'd do new auto-nav code that generates much smaller data volumes and can be used for multiple sols on the trot - I'd get code in there to use MRO as a relay - I'd do a full 14 filter panorama at Victoria with the extra downlink bandwidth, and head WSW - using the new autonav to cover 700m a week smile.gif Get down to a core staf f barely in double digits - get automated data onto the PDS more rapidly - and cover 3km per month minimum. My aim would be to see as many different terrain types as possible to give ground-truths for Orbital Imagery.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040124a/MERB_Sol1_Ellipse_LAD_2A-A0R1_br2.jpg

To that very dark crater + ejecta - looks interesting. Dont ask me where-next after there - I'd probably need therapy if they lasted that long. My answer would probably be "Oh I dont know - send them to bloody Ares Vallis for all I care!"

The tempation at that point would be to comman a drive sequence that writes "EARTHLINGS GO HOME" in the dirt and have it imaged by MRO.


Doug

Posted by: OWW Mar 9 2005, 04:46 PM

Doug, did you empty your wine-cellar? blink.gif

Oppy will die in the etched terrain. Around sol 600, while doing an APXS integration on a piece of outcrop. sad.gif

Posted by: MahFL Mar 9 2005, 04:53 PM

I don't think it will take 6 months to ge to Victoria, with the new s/w they might be able to drive 200m per day. Also to the SE of Victoria are some what look like drainage channels which would be interesting to look at.

Posted by: Pando Mar 9 2005, 04:57 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 9 2005, 03:14 AM)
QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Mar 9 2005, 03:02 AM)
QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 3 2005, 05:18 AM)
imho - it's a very very erroded crater, much more so than eagle/fram etc - i.e. pre hydrological activity - it'll just be exactly what it appears on the orbital images - a ring of exposed rock perhaps a few CM above the surrounding area with no inner 'dip' or dunes

Doug

You pretty much called it, Doug. wink.gif

I think that deserves a mars bar smile.gif

Doug

Well Doug you may have to share that mars bar... tongue.gif

QUOTE (Pando @ Feb 25 2005, 01:36 PM)
Personally I don't think Vostok is visible at all unless you're almost on top of it. The rim is probably totally eroded away so that it's just a flat bedrock peeking through the soil.


http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=681&st=45&#

biggrin.gif

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 9 2005, 05:55 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Mar 6 2005, 09:45 AM)
Me thinks Vostok is a big cirkle of outcrop like the one to the right of Oppy in the picture above smile.gif

Hey, I want some of it too biggrin.gif tongue.gif

http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=681&st=105

Posted by: ToSeek Mar 9 2005, 06:40 PM

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7123

QUOTE
The Mars rover Opportunity reached the rim of a small crater called Vostok, early on Wednesday morning, having completed a series of record-breaking autonomous drives over the last month. Of the 3400-plus metres it has covered since landing in January 2004, it "sprinted" across more than 1000 m in the last month alone.

For the engineering team, the most significant part of this speedy trek was a three sol - Martian day - drive by the rover under its own control, using newly-upgraded mobility software which improves its ability to make autonomous decisions when navigating around obstacles.

The rover drove for 390 metres, of which only the first 105 m were pre-planned. The rest of the journey - averaging almost 100 m per sol - were controlled by the rover's newly upgraded brain, allowing it to pick its own path around the obstacles it encountered.

Posted by: imran Mar 9 2005, 06:58 PM

QUOTE (MahFL @ Mar 9 2005, 04:53 PM)
I don't think it will take 6 months to ge to Victoria, with the new s/w they might be able to drive 200m per day. Also to the SE of Victoria are some what look like drainage channels which would be interesting to look at.

I second that. I'd head south-east as well towards the channel-like feature (roughly 30 km to the south-east of Victoria). I haven't done any calculations but that crater ejecta Doug is referring to seems to be at least a couple of hundred km away. Getting back to reality, I will be more than happy if Oppy gets as far as Victoria.

Posted by: djellison Mar 9 2005, 07:59 PM

I'm all out of mars bars now ohmy.gif

The crater I'm talking about is just outside the landing ellipse about 15-20km away smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: Pando Mar 9 2005, 08:12 PM

The newscientist.com article posted by ToSeek above also describes the flash memory usage by autonav pretty well:

QUOTE
Autonomous navigation is an extremely data-intensive operation, requiring the collection of 15 to 25 megabytes of data per hour as the rover collects and analyses images of the terrain.

This intensive computation virtually filled the onboard "flash" memory, which early in the mission had been the cause of a mysterious malfunction of Spirit that disabled it for almost two weeks. Since then, engineers have reprogrammed both rovers to prevent a recurrence of that problem.

Posted by: imran Mar 9 2005, 09:39 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 9 2005, 07:59 PM)
I'm all out of mars bars now ohmy.gif

The crater I'm talking about is just outside the landing ellipse about 15-20km away smile.gif

Doug

Oh my bad. I thought you were talking about the huge crater on the bottom of the image you posted.

Posted by: lyford Mar 9 2005, 11:45 PM

QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 9 2005, 12:12 PM)
The newscientist.com article posted by ToSeek above also describes the flash memory usage by autonav pretty well:
QUOTE
Autonomous navigation is an extremely data-intensive operation, requiring the collection of 15 to 25 megabytes of data per hour as the rover collects and analyses images of the terrain.

It would be neat if we could see some of those frames to make a movie of driving Meridiani...

Posted by: CosmicRocker Mar 10 2005, 06:22 AM

[quote=Pando,Mar 9 2005, 10:57 AM][quote=djellison,Mar 9 2005, 03:14 AM] [quote=CosmicRocker,Mar 9 2005, 03:02 AM] [quote=djellison,Mar 3 2005, 05:18 AM]imho - it's a very very erroded crater, much more so than eagle/fram etc - i.e. pre hydrological activity - it'll just be exactly what it appears on the orbital images - a ring of exposed rock perhaps a few CM above the surrounding area with no inner 'dip' or dunes

Doug[/quote]
You pretty much called it, Doug. wink.gif [/quote]
I think that deserves a mars bar smile.gif

Doug [/quote]
Well Doug you may have to share that mars bar... tongue.gif

[quote=Pando,Feb 25 2005, 01:36 PM]
Personally I don't think Vostok is visible at all unless you're almost on top of it. The rim is probably totally eroded away so that it's just a flat bedrock peeking through the soil.[/quote]

http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=681&st=45&#

biggrin.gif[/quote]
[quote](dot.dk @ Mar 6 2005, 09:45 AM)  Me thinks Vostok is a big cirkle of outcrop like the one to the right of Oppy in the picture above
Hey, I want some of it too [/quote]

Gee, this set of quotes is getting a bit much to handle.

I'm thinking that the person who was first willing to go out on a limb, predicting the ground truth through Oppy's eyes, deserves the Mars bar. However, if any of you want to email a mailing address to me, I will send a whole bar to Doug and half bars to the second and third runners-up. tongue.gif

Heh, after Doug posted his initial comment, I looked carefully at the orbiter image and thought, "Hey, he's right."

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 10 2005, 04:45 PM

So, where are we now? are we moving?

Posted by: MahFL Mar 10 2005, 05:03 PM

Last time I checked Oppy was using her instruments on the rocks of Vostok crater.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-10/1F163694223EFF5000P1110L0M1.JPG

pancam.gif

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 10 2005, 08:00 PM

But, we haven't even seen any good pictures of Vostok.

Posted by: Pando Mar 10 2005, 11:45 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 10 2005, 01:00 PM)
But, we haven't even seen any good pictures of Vostok.

?

What about the one posted by Doug http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=681&st=120&#entry6287?

Posted by: lyford Mar 11 2005, 12:23 AM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 10 2005, 12:00 PM)
But, we haven't even seen any good pictures of Vostok.

Tman's is http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=758&view=findpost&p=6405 as well...

Never say never! (well, I guess you didn't actually...) rolleyes.gif

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 11 2005, 05:08 AM

I'm not sure where Endurance and Vicroria are on this view.

http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/01/24/MER_B_Ellipse_25m.gif

Posted by: Pando Mar 11 2005, 05:42 AM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 10 2005, 10:08 PM)
I'm not sure where Endurance and Vicroria are on this view.

http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/01/24/MER_B_Ellipse_25m.gif

You can find the context map of the landing location http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/02/09/. From there it should be easy to determine where Endurance is (a bit to the east of landing site, in the center of the landing ellipse), and where Victoria is (outside of the landing ellipse to the south).

This will show you the landing location, and the adjacent craters:
http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/02/09/merb_ellipsefinal.jpg

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 11 2005, 06:16 PM

Thanks! That totaly makes it clear where everything is. How close are we to the edge of the landing elipse?

On that stitched together mosaic of the ellipse, it looks like the etched terrain is just a different resolution image.

Posted by: Pando Mar 11 2005, 07:00 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 11 2005, 11:16 AM)
Thanks!  That totaly makes it clear where everything is. How close are we to the edge of the landing elipse?

I think the landing ellipse borderline is about halfway from where Oppy is now and Victoria. I don't think the boundary is exactly defined anyway, so it's a rough guestimate based on the MSSS images in the previous posts.

edit: see attachment

 

Posted by: Buck Galaxy Mar 12 2005, 06:28 AM

This site rocks!

Anyone have a really good close up map of the etched terrain?

Posted by: Pando Mar 12 2005, 06:42 AM

QUOTE (Buck Galaxy @ Mar 11 2005, 11:28 PM)
Anyone have a really good close up map of the etched terrain?

yes, http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1500822.html

Posted by: Buck Galaxy Mar 12 2005, 10:14 PM

Thanks! Is that the west rim of Victoria on the lower right edge of the image?

I wonder if the very dark areas are enormous piles of blue berries.

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 12 2005, 10:50 PM

Endurance Crater compared to Victoria Crater:


Posted by: mike Mar 12 2005, 11:32 PM

...but can Opportunity successfully navigate through the etched terrain? Stay tuned.

Posted by: lyford Mar 13 2005, 12:05 AM

Sweet work, Sunspot!
Victoria looks a little too steep to enter in this pic, but let's hope Oppy lasts long enough to find out.

Posted by: djellison Mar 13 2005, 12:45 AM

Tim Parker has identified what could be an 'entrance ramp' in the NW corner of the crater smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: MahFL Mar 13 2005, 01:36 AM

Some parts of the SE don't look too steep either.

Posted by: ToSeek Mar 13 2005, 01:36 AM

QUOTE (Buck Galaxy @ Mar 12 2005, 10:14 PM)
Thanks! Is that the west rim of Victoria on the lower right edge of the image?

Yes, it is.

Posted by: wyogold Mar 14 2005, 11:08 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 12 2005, 10:50 PM)
Endurance Crater compared to Victoria Crater:


Victoria Crater seems to resemble my weary bloodshot eyes now that i've found this sight and all the cool help creating images.....somebody help i need sleep...The sand in the bottoms sure creates neat patterns. ohhhh look at the pretty patterns... biggrin.gif tongue.gif

seriously though it looks very formitable. Should be intresting if oppy gets there

scott

Posted by: wyogold Mar 14 2005, 11:11 PM

oops didn't mean to post the pic in the reply......told ya i've been up too long.

rolleyes.gif

Posted by: lyford Mar 14 2005, 11:48 PM

QUOTE (MahFL @ Mar 12 2005, 05:36 PM)
Some parts of the SE don't look too steep either.

Maybe the scale's throwing me off, but there looks like a nasty "ledge" all around the rim to me. Wouldn't Oppy just be about a few pixels wide at the size? That's a big one!

Posted by: atomoid Mar 15 2005, 05:41 AM

QUOTE (mike @ Mar 12 2005, 11:32 PM)
...but can Opportunity successfully navigate through the etched terrain?  Stay tuned.

From looking at the image of http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/full_jpg_map/R15/R1500822.jpg. I tend to get the impression that this so-called "etched terrain", is no more than thicker sand dunes atop the white bedrock. Here, it looks like the sand dunes are blowing along liek waves leaving the bedrock exposed between the crests, perhaps this is due to wind patterns or maybe the elevation is slightly higher here and most of the sand has already blown to the lowlands leaving this area somewhat rarified compared to the deep sand of the area we are now traversing. and so far this bedrock has proven to be pretty easily erodable and therefore pretty flat where it is exposed, so I dont think well see anything more than larger deeper sand dunes well have to naviagate between perhaps a little more carefully as we cross that area, but the bedrock should be pan-flat, its probably eroded pretty consistently flat below the sand as the waves of sand have sweeped across... stay tuned...

Posted by: Bill Harris Mar 15 2005, 12:15 PM

QUOTE
I tend to get the impression that this so-called "etched terrain", is no more than thicker sand dunes atop the white bedrock.


I agree. Myu thoughts are that the etched terrain is an area with thinner soil so that the bedrock is exposed. We see ghost craters and the NE-trending lineations of the Anatolia structures.

I think that Vostok is the bottom of an old, highly-eroded crater. The upturned strata are eroded away and we see flat-lying strata with shatter cones from the shock of the impact (ie, the polyagonal "mudcracks" we see).

Lyford, don't look at it as a nasty ledge, but a super-sized Burns Cliff. A roadcut, as it were.

--Bill

Posted by: ElkGroveDan Mar 15 2005, 03:24 PM

QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Mar 15 2005, 12:15 PM)
We see ghost craters

I believe the correct term is "palimpsests." It's such a cool word, let's use it more. wink.gif

Posted by: Bill Harris Mar 15 2005, 04:14 PM

Not strictly. Palimpsests are thought of as impact craters in which the topographic relief has been eliminated by relaxation/creep of the icy surface of icy moon. The ghost craters are erosional fratures.

IMO...

--Bill

Posted by: lyford Mar 15 2005, 06:33 PM

QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Mar 15 2005, 04:15 AM)
Lyford, don't look at it as a nasty ledge, but a super-sized Burns Cliff.  A roadcut, as it were. 

Hi Bill -

That's what I mean - they couldn't drive down Burn's Cliff - "Karatepe" served as the ramp. Though perhaps we can infer that these ramps exist in between the cliffs - and the crater is big enough that Oppy may be able to switchback it's way down. Its dune field looks twice as big as all of Endurance! But I haven't seen any 3D data on the depth of Victoria, so I will defer to others on this. wink.gif

Perhaps I am conflating Victoria with the http://www.starwars.com/databank/creature/sarlacc/ in my subconscious..... *shudder*

Posted by: Pando Mar 15 2005, 06:37 PM

Updated route map:

 

Posted by: Pando Mar 15 2005, 07:58 PM

...and new route map after leaving Vostok.

I agree with Doug that there is no real sense in visiting the craters further west per their preliminary plan. They are probably taking a straight shot to those two craters at the beginning of Etched Terrain...


 

Posted by: Bill Harris Mar 15 2005, 08:36 PM

QUOTE
That's what I mean - they couldn't drive down Burn's Cliff...


I look at Burns Cliff, et al, as wonderful geologic sections. Much can be learned by looking at the stratigraphy and structure, even if not closely. It would be great if Oppy could go inside Victoria, but remember, Vicky is steeper and meaner and Oppy will be older and creakier. There are several "windgaps" around Victoria's rim that look to have gentler slopes, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were sandier and looser.

We'll see what we see when we get there, but think of the sights we'll see along the way.

--Bill

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 15 2005, 08:59 PM

I really hope we make it to Victoria, just for the look ohmy.gif

Remember back when Spirit landed we were told the Columbia Hills was a far from certain target to ever reach. But today Spirit has spent more time in the hills than it did on its's first 90 Sols + the long trek to the hills smile.gif

Right now I can't see what's gonna stop these amazing pieces of mahinery. Even if they have driven 4 km I don't think the mobility system is close to being worn out. The Lunokhod 2 rover travelled about 50 km and I don't believe the MER's won't have about the same build quality wink.gif

The big problems is dust and fundings to keep them roving mad.gif

Posted by: alan Mar 15 2005, 09:07 PM

I've been wondering about the dark markings on the horizon first pointed out here
http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?showtopic=644&st=20
as possibly being Victoria Crater. It was imaged again when Opportunity was at Vostok so I decided to measure it to check Oppys progress.

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0893/horizon_crater.jpg

189/281 = .67 so if I measured it from the same points this means that Opportunity has covered roughly 1/3 of the distance to it. Opportunity has covered only 1/4 of the distance to Victoria so I doubt it is Victoria. Instead I believe it is this crater which is at the right distance

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0893/Ghost_Crater.jpg

Notice the near rim is eroded while the far rim is casting shadows.
Any one know if this crater has a name yet?

Posted by: ToSeek Mar 15 2005, 09:13 PM

QUOTE (alan @ Mar 15 2005, 09:07 PM)
Any one know if this crater has a name yet?

On another board, they're calling it Albert. wink.gif

I daresay the good folks at JPL will name it after a ship, however.

Posted by: lyford Mar 15 2005, 09:54 PM

QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Mar 15 2005, 12:36 PM)
I look at Burns Cliff, et al, as wonderful geologic sections.  Much can be learned by looking at the stratigraphy and structure, even if not closely.  It would be great if Oppy could go inside Victoria, but remember,  Vicky is steeper and meaner and Oppy will be older and creakier.  There are several "windgaps" around Victoria's rim that look to have gentler slopes, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were sandier and looser.

Yes, I hope that Victoria reveals larger sections of strata... you are right that it would be worth it even if they can't get down inside. I keep forgetting they have almost 30 degrees of slope they can navigate, but that's on solid gournd and the inbetween spots look like steeper rockfalls to me, with slippery debris tracks leading down into the dunes... We will see when we get there and take stereo imagery... It's all good! biggrin.gif

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 15 2005, 10:16 PM

The lates Opportunity update is about Opportunity getting ready to drive to Vostok. Well we have alreday left it behind biggrin.gif

http://marsrover.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html#sol389

Posted by: Nix Mar 15 2005, 10:19 PM

I have this vision of Victoria; it must one awesome crater up close! Let's hope all goes well, I want to have seen Victoria..

Posted by: Pando Mar 15 2005, 10:26 PM

Yup, the next release will say things like 'Opportunity has finally reached Vostok,' and something about "Laika" and "Gagarin"... biggrin.gif

Man, the PR people are slow... rolleyes.gif

Posted by: ToSeek Mar 15 2005, 11:07 PM

For some reason, they're 11 sols behind on Opportunity but only 5 on Spirit.

Posted by: atomoid Mar 15 2005, 11:52 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Mar 15 2005, 08:59 PM)
...The Lunokhod 2 rover travelled about 50 km and I don't believe the MER's won't have about the same build quality wink.gif

The big problems is dust and fundings to keep them roving mad.gif

Gee willakers, 50 km worth of lunar images.(!).
where can we find those pics...? anyone?

yeah, I am surprised how agonizingly slow Spirit is creeping up those Columbia Hills yet gratified it made it this far considering the 90 day warranty, i just hope it makes it to see the 'Aritreya' cliff (or whatever NASA refers to it as) on the south side of the ridge. Now that the death-by-dust scenario has been postponed for at least another year...

Posted by: Pando Mar 16 2005, 12:37 AM

QUOTE (atomoid @ Mar 15 2005, 04:52 PM)
Gee willakers, 50 km worth of lunar images.(!).
where can we find those pics...? anyone?

Here are some, the quality is horrible though (TV images):

http://pages.preferred.com/~tedstryk/lunokhod2.html

Posted by: tedstryk Mar 16 2005, 01:08 AM

I need to update that page...I have some better stuff...but here is the page with the best Lunokhod stuff, courtesy Don Mitchell.

http://www.mentallandscape.com/C_CatalogMoon.htm


Also, here is my Lunokhod 1 page:

http://pages.preferred.com/%7Etedstryk/lunokhod1.html

Posted by: akuo Mar 16 2005, 01:39 AM

I combined old and current map images to show the possible path into the etched terrain. There is about 2.3km left to the large crater, maybe 700m from there to drive outside the landing ellipse (the thick pale line).

Victoria crater is outside the image, over 2km from the large crater that seems to be the target at the moment.

http://smurffi.dna.fi/~akuo/Oppy_map_sol405.jpg

Posted by: alan Mar 16 2005, 03:15 AM

If my identification of "albert" is correct Victoria should be about here

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0894/Albert-Victoria2.jpg
Raw images Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

Anybody see it?

Posted by: arccos Mar 16 2005, 07:42 AM

Lunochods as well as other soviet space science stuff are victims of absurd soviet secrecy. Both lunar rovers took thousands TV shots and tens pans. But few of them have been released.

Tedstryk's links (thanks!!!) contain the biggest collection of Lunas pictures I've ever seen.

Posted by: OWW Mar 16 2005, 08:03 AM

QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 15 2005, 10:26 PM)
Yup, the next release will say things like 'Opportunity has finally reached Vostok,' and something about "Laika" and "Gagarin"...  biggrin.gif

Man, the PR people are slow...  rolleyes.gif

Not even that! biggrin.gif It's now on sol 395 and says:

"After confirmation that these important images have been acquired, Opportunity will turn and drive toward Vostok"

laugh.gif

Posted by: djellison Mar 16 2005, 08:42 AM

QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 16 2005, 08:03 AM)
QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 15 2005, 10:26 PM)
Yup, the next release will say things like 'Opportunity has finally reached Vostok,' and something about "Laika" and "Gagarin"...  biggrin.gif

Man, the PR people are slow...  rolleyes.gif

Not even that! biggrin.gif It's now on sol 395 and says:

"After confirmation that these important images have been acquired, Opportunity will turn and drive toward Vostok"

laugh.gif

Would the fact that I've already made mosaics from them count as 'confirmation'

wink.gif

Doug

Posted by: wyogold Mar 16 2005, 08:52 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 16 2005, 08:42 AM)
QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 16 2005, 08:03 AM)
QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 15 2005, 10:26 PM)
Yup, the next release will say things like 'Opportunity has finally reached Vostok,' and something about "Laika" and "Gagarin"...  biggrin.gif

Man, the PR people are slow...   rolleyes.gif

Not even that! biggrin.gif It's now on sol 395 and says:

"After confirmation that these important images have been acquired, Opportunity will turn and drive toward Vostok"

laugh.gif

Would the fact that I've already made mosaics from them count as 'confirmation'

wink.gif

Doug

It must be comfirmed then. laugh.gif

What do you think "albert" will look like? just an over grown Vostok. A few of the edges look like we might get an ok look at the strata.

Posted by: djellison Mar 16 2005, 09:11 AM

Western edge (which they appear to be planning to avoid, although I think they'll drive around that way to be honest ) - appears like it may have a baby-cliff, but it may just be a build up of dark dust against a small line of outcropping

Doug

Posted by: edstrick Mar 16 2005, 10:48 AM

Regarding the conversation on Lunokhod and other Soviet imagery: Don Mitchell's pages have the best coverage of this stuff I've ever seen. I had never seen images from the lunar sample return vehicles before.

It's undoubtably hard to find, but there is a considerably detailed <for the soviets> source on the first Lunokhod. I have a "Joint Publications Research Service" JPRS 54525, 22 November 1971 translated reprint of: "'Lunokhod -1' -- Mobie Lunar Laboratory - USSR -" (punctuation is exact), put out by the Department of Commerce for (to me) unimaginable reasons, instead of a NASA Technical Translation series report. 189 pages with references and really grayish images (bleh.).

The science return from the Lunokhod missions was pretty thin, compared with the American Surveyor Lunar Landers. A large part of that was due to the skill and capability of the science teams on the Surveyor missions, despite the fact that the Surveyors were purely engineering missions. (Surveyors 8 - 14, the science missions, were cancelled because of cost, program delays, and because Apollo was about to fly.) Big university engineering or aerospace libraries may still <should?> still have the JPL Technical Report series publications in the Surveyors, which included 3 volumes: Mission Report, Science Report, and Television Images, for each of the successful missions. I still mentally stick voodoo pins in the jerk who probably borrowed JPL-TR-32-1023 Surveyor 1 Science Results and later claimed to have never borrowed it.

Posted by: OWW Mar 16 2005, 12:45 PM

QUOTE (edstrick @ Mar 16 2005, 10:48 AM)
Big university engineering or aerospace libraries may still have the JPL Technical Report series publications in the Surveyors, which included 3 volumes: Mission Report, Science Report, and Television Images, for each of the successful missions.

You can download the Mission Report here:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690027073_1969027073.pdf
( dial-up warning: 30 mb! )

Horrible image quality though. Can't find the other two. Might be on that site too, but since there's no index it's kinda hard (tedious) to find it.

Posted by: OWW Mar 16 2005, 01:07 PM

Opportunity drove again today:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-16/1F164239495EFF50KJP1211L0M1.JPG

Believe it or not, this was another historic drive, because........
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040209a/MERB_DIMES_LOCALIZE_A-B016R1.jpg
Oppy is now for the first time outside the DIMES mosaic!!! biggrin.gif
wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif

Posted by: Decepticon Mar 16 2005, 02:40 PM

QUOTE
Mars rover Opportunity hit by instrument problem


http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/050315minites.html

Nothing to worry about.

Posted by: tedstryk Mar 16 2005, 02:49 PM

http://pages.preferred.com/%7Etedstryk/lunokhod2.html

I put up a few more Lunokhod 2 images from my archive.

Posted by: ToSeek Mar 16 2005, 03:26 PM

QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 16 2005, 01:07 PM)
Opportunity drove again today:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-16/1F164239495EFF50KJP1211L0M1.JPG


wheel.gif  wheel.gif  wheel.gif

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-03-16/1R164239561EFF50KJP1305R0M1.JPG

Posted by: aldo12xu Mar 16 2005, 05:44 PM

Wow, Ted, a lot of cool images on your site! I didn't even know we received that many images from the old Soviet Mars missions. Please keep up the great work and post to the forum whenever you do an update.

Cheers,
Aldo.

Posted by: tedstryk Mar 16 2005, 05:55 PM

Thanks. I have a lot more material. It is just a matter of finding time to process it. The Mars 4/5 page is in biggest need of an overhaul.

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 16 2005, 06:15 PM

Have we, indeed, left Vostok? How far past it are we?

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 16 2005, 06:33 PM

Alan, seems to me that Victoria maybe is beginning to show herself just where there is the 'bumpy' horizon. I guess its rim is at least twice the height of the rim of Endurance. Victoria is now roughly at a distance of twice/thrice that of Endurance, and E. is still visible. Looking at Victoria in orbital pictures gives the impression of the rim being quite jagged (I mean also vertically pancam.gif ), so perhaps we really can see some jags of the nearside.
Regarding the black markings of 'Albert', it seems to me that they are quite near already. Could they be a group of craters or dark coating at some hundreds of meters distance?

Posted by: djellison Mar 16 2005, 07:44 PM

QUOTE (marswiggle @ Mar 16 2005, 06:33 PM)
Victoria is now roughly at a distance of twice/thrice that of Endurance

Nuh uh,

We're about 1km south of Endurance. Victoria is a further 5km away

smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: OTH Mar 16 2005, 10:08 PM

Any thoughts on how far is the maximum that Opportunity could travel in one day. I know it is breaking its own records lately since the software update, but I guess what I am getting at, is just how quick she could travel say....1km?

Also, first post here.....looks like a great site, plan to come by often.

OTH

Posted by: djellison Mar 16 2005, 11:08 PM

Well - Opportunity has done 390 metres in one 3 day period. Given that allowing for stop-offs and days of downlinking autonav data - I think it's fair to say that - flat out with no interuptions - it could do that once every week - so 1km is a 1 month program

Doug

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 16 2005, 11:14 PM

Why downlink autonav data? Just delete it right away huh.gif

Posted by: mike Mar 16 2005, 11:26 PM

I believe the navigation images are downloaded so that the staff can figure out if anything went wrong, ways to improve the process.. also, I would imagine that these are the only pictures they have of what they passed along the way.

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 16 2005, 11:38 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 16 2005, 07:44 PM)
QUOTE (marswiggle @ Mar 16 2005, 06:33 PM)
Victoria is now roughly at a distance of twice/thrice that of Endurance

Nuh uh,

We're about 1km south of Endurance. Victoria is a further 5km away

smile.gif

Doug

I used the long term route plan to estimate the distance (could not found the link any more). Seemingly I put Opp slightly too much south of Vostok. But I stick to my 'thrice' the distance to Endurance estimate. Victoria can not be much farther than that currently. smile.gif

Posted by: djellison Mar 17 2005, 12:07 AM

Actualy - you're right - I had Vostok a little further north in my head.

If I swivle my chair around, on my wall on a piece of epson panorama paper mounted in a portrait orientation - I have my http://moc.rlproject.com image printed - and I'm drawing the route on in silver pen as we go along.

From the exit of End to Vost is 10.5cm

From Vost to the gap in the Gate Post craters is 12

Gate Post to easter edge of Albert is 8

Then 16 more to Vic

So thats 10.5 down - 36 to go

Actually - I should take a photo of it and the other mars STUFF in my office smile.gif Pics of Beagle 2 being built, MOC images on panorama paper - and two 54 x 18 inch panoramas ( The central part of the Lion King Pan, and the part of the Clovis pan looking back toward Bonne )

Add that to the lego MER rover, the hot wheels Sojourner and modified Pathfinder ( I put foil on the heatshield to make it more realistic biggrin.gif ) and it's a mars fest in here. Heck - The walls are sort of mars coloured and theres a fine layer of dust around the place - but that's probably down to the sanding I've been doing of resin parts for a model of Bluebird CN7 I'm building. Land Speed Records are my other passion tongue.gif Other pictures include a pic of Thrust SSC signed by Andy Green, a photo of my other half who is about to get on a plane and fly home after a 3 day girley holiday in NYC, a lot of mess, and two tickets from the '03 Goodwood Festival of Speed - one signed by Derek Bell, the other by John Surtees. Oh - and a frame with a steering wheel and pedals for racing sims on the PC tongue.gif

Dragging it all back on topic a smidge


That tiny MOC image would suggest that actually - we're going to be climbing ever so slightly all the way to Victoria - only for Victoria to show all the strata we've seen back at End/Eagle and little if any more than that. If you consider Endurance - it's only the top half to two thirds of the depth of the crater that shows exposed material - the rest is noisey infill thereafter. I wonder if Vic will be the same.

Things get very interesting another 6-10k SE of there though. wink.gif

Doug

Posted by: tedstryk Mar 17 2005, 02:13 AM

Of course, we might find stuff from farther down lying around as ejecta as Oppy gets close to Victoria, even if the layers are burried in the crater.

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 17 2005, 04:28 AM

Something yet: I noticed that the large orb pic of the 'etched terrain' and the composite picture someone made comparing End and Vic probably form a stereo pair where they overlap around the western rim of Victoria. (The large map is for left eye.) Sorry I don't have any decent software for making that to show in one picture. It's quite difficult to see, because the etch-terr map is a bit distorted (i.e. not made to any projection?). The 3-D effect is a bit vague and may also be due to the distortions, shadowing etc. But I imagine having been able to notice variations of altitudes there, thus e.g. my idea of the prominency of Vic's rim. Also it seems to me that the broad, dark flank of Victoria (the ejecta?) has quite clear radial undulation on its surface and in parts ends rather abruptly towards the surrounding lower white patches of the etched terrain. Does anyone see the same?

Posted by: Buck Galaxy Mar 17 2005, 07:17 AM

"Things get very interesting another 6-10k SE of there though."


Care to expound on that bro? Images and comments?

Posted by: djellison Mar 17 2005, 08:32 AM

QUOTE (Buck Galaxy @ Mar 17 2005, 07:17 AM)
"Things get very interesting another 6-10k SE of there though."


Care to expound on that bro? Images and comments?

Well - just look at that tiny MOLA imagery - the altitude starts to drop off much more quickly and continues to do so until a 10's of KM sized crater

Doug

Posted by: OWW Mar 17 2005, 09:05 AM

This page seems to be further along with the updates than the rover site. It mentions Laika and Gagarin: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/daily.cfm

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 17 2005, 01:50 PM

Are we in for another pit stop at this rock outcrop?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-17/1F164325229EFF50T7P1215R0M1.JPG

Posted by: OWW Mar 17 2005, 02:01 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Mar 17 2005, 01:50 PM)
Are we in for another pit stop at this rock outcrop?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-17/1F164325229EFF50T7P1215R0M1.JPG

It does show very interesting 'wavy' layers. Or are those just wind ripples?
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-17/1N164325734EFF50TAP0703L0M1.JPG

Posted by: tedstryk Mar 17 2005, 02:26 PM

There are some jagged areas that remind me of some of the features seen in Endurance. This might be interesting.

Posted by: alan Mar 17 2005, 03:18 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 16 2005, 06:15 PM)
Have we, indeed, left Vostok? How far past it are we?

Guestimated positions (based on size of "albert" in pancam images)

 

Posted by: Chmee Mar 17 2005, 04:35 PM

Long time lurker, First Time poster. This is truly a great board!

Hey, does this terrain that Oppy is in remind anyone else the "Time of Legends" scene in the movie "Time Bandits", i.e. completely flat as far as the eye can see? laugh.gif

 

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 17 2005, 05:57 PM

Endurance is just a small bump on the horizon now:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-03-17/1N164326562EFF50TAP1607R0M1.JPG

Posted by: Stephen Mar 18 2005, 12:36 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 16 2005, 11:08 PM)
Well - Opportunity has done 390 metres in one 3 day period. Given that allowing for stop-offs and days of downlinking autonav data - I think it's fair to say that - flat out with no interuptions - it could do that once every week - so 1km is a 1 month program

Doug

390 metres. I guess that explains a page in the latest month-in-review (February) on JPL's MER site, which is boasting that "Opportunity shattered driving records in February, moving nearly a quarter mile (390 feet) in three sols!."

I guess they meant "yards". smile.gif

390 feet is, of course, a long way short of a quarter of a mile.

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 18 2005, 02:58 PM

This is really quite an apology for a stereo pair, since for my lack of decent software I used indecent instead. It's a cross-technique stereo of the western rim of Victoria. Sources: Sunspots's composition of Victoria & Endurance (for the right eye) and this http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1500822.html
(left eye).
It's of modest quality, but I think it's really 3-D. Undoubtly anyone here can make better versions with your sophisticated programs.
(I'm having some difficulty getting the image attached - if it doesn't appear please tell me how to do it)

 

Posted by: erwan Mar 18 2005, 03:07 PM

Marswiggle: thanks, i think it's really 3D!

Posted by: Pando Mar 18 2005, 06:58 PM

Updated Opportunity route map:


 

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 18 2005, 07:06 PM

183 m!!!
New record... Again biggrin.gif

When will Oppy leapfrog Spirits total drive distance? Can't be far from now huh.gif

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 19 2005, 12:49 AM

QUOTE (erwan @ Mar 18 2005, 03:07 PM)
Marswiggle: thanks, i think  it's really 3D!

smile.gif
I would be very grateful if someone friendly made a 3D-image of the whole overlapping swath of those originals. (I won't, too tedious with my elementary methods.) It would include the whole west flank of Victoria and portions of the etched terrain to the north as well. A preliminary study of the area suggests to me that the landscape may be rather curious. Very unofficial results:

1) the radial light-dark pattern of the west flank of Vic consists of gently rolling bulges and troughs where the light coincides roughly with the bulges and the dark with troughs - this is revealed also by gullies on the slopes of the bulges, esp. in the NW (See: http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/im...5/R1500822.html
)
2) the flank is markedly elevated from the etched terrain at least in NW corner
3) the etched terrain is quite flat and full of N-S dunes in the vicinity
4) the bright edgelines of the rim of Vic are mainly precipices sloping to the inside of the crater below the smoother greyish rim, being mostly steep, partly gentler
5) the westernmost, somewhat angular-shaped reach of the rim is relatively low elevated and gentle-sloping and in my opinion makes a potential ingress/egress point for Oppy, also leading to potential exposures of lower stratigraphic units along the western portion of Vic.

Warning: this is NOT an official science news release but only some dilettantish guessing about something there. I would only be obliged if I became disproven (perhaps not so in the case of total turn-down). mars.gif

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 20 2005, 11:45 PM

Well, I made the Victoria west flank 3D after all, so you can see what I mean. But I must admit I'm quite baffled with this image now. Are those landforms true or could there be something wrong with the original images? The 'waves' of the surface are almost too systematically west to east orientated. But still the crater floor is clearly below the surface of the flank. ohmy.gif

It's a cross-technique stereo, as I call it - the left image for the right eye and so on.

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 22 2005, 09:46 PM

It's getting exciting. Time for a route map update. Does anyone have one? And, how do you guys know how afr we've gone at a given time. It isn't on the JPL site.

For example, when we got so close to burns cliff, you'd think that NASA would be showing everyone. But, I just learned today we got so close.

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 23 2005, 04:28 PM

Driving again today. Anyone dare to say how far we have gone in the past few days?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/rear_hazcam/2005-03-23/1R164859739EFF51%23%23P1315L0M1.JPG

Posted by: djellison Mar 23 2005, 04:33 PM

Looks like we're getting quite close to the V-twins now..

They are almost line asturn in the first image

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-23/1P164860061EFF51%23%23P2392L2M1.JPG

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-23/1P164860027EFF51%23%23P2392L2M1.JPG

Odd filter choice for end-of-drive imaging, usually it's L7+R1 3 x 1 in the drive direction.

things look particularly exciting in the first image looking toward Albert ohmy.gif

Doug

Posted by: alan Mar 23 2005, 10:57 PM

My latest position guestimate


Posted by: dot.dk Mar 23 2005, 11:56 PM

So arrival at Viking & Voyager tommorov by the looks of it?
That thing is really moving ohmy.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif

Posted by: mike Mar 24 2005, 01:39 AM

Uh. Are you serious about the Viking and Voyager thing?

Posted by: djellison Mar 24 2005, 03:37 PM

Change maps smile.gif
Up until now - we have been plotitng our position on this image


http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1502302.html

but the big drives of the last week mean its time to turn over and use THIS sheet

http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1500822.html

smile.gif

Sadly - still nothing cproto of Victoria itself - I hope we'll see that in the next MSSS image release which I think is imminant

Doug

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 24 2005, 06:23 PM

Are we there yet?

Posted by: babakm Mar 24 2005, 07:26 PM

V&V are also significant in that they are roughly at the half-way mark between Endevour and Victoria. I'm amazed that we're not getting a nicer view of the much larger crater by now. There must be a dip into the etched terrain before the land rises on the flanks of Victoria.

Posted by: atomoid Mar 24 2005, 09:38 PM

So where is this esteemed Opportunity Route Map anyway, im lost in meridianni again, i found an old map but if Doug or someone has a static url with the map containing ongoing updates, or if it could be pinned to the start of this thread with the continually updated image, that would be terrific!

Posted by: djellison Mar 24 2005, 09:48 PM

QUOTE (atomoid @ Mar 24 2005, 09:38 PM)
So where is this esteemed Opportunity Route Map anyway, im lost in meridianni again, i found an old map but if Doug or someone has a static url with the map containing ongoing updates, or if it could be pinned to the start of this thread with the continually updated image, that would be terrific!
*

There's no such thing - JPL doesnt see fit to publish anything like that - Alan linked to his latest guestimate a few posts ago

Essentially - just north of the twin small craters at the edge of the etched terrain

Doug

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 24 2005, 10:00 PM

OK< Here's the scoop. As of the end of sol 413, (today) Opportunity is 220m from Viking. Opp. went a record 220 m on sol 410

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 24 2005, 10:28 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 24 2005, 10:00 PM)
OK< Here's the scoop. As of the end of sol 413, (today) Opportunity is 220m from Viking. Opp. went a record 220 m on sol 410
*


If that's true it is INSANE laugh.gif tongue.gif

Posted by: djellison Mar 24 2005, 10:36 PM

Scooparama

wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif

biggrin.gif

Doug

Posted by: wyogold Mar 25 2005, 06:01 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 24 2005, 10:36 PM)
Scooparama

wheel.gif  wheel.gif  wheel.gif

biggrin.gif

Doug
*



I concur. Welcome to the blueberry interstate.

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 25 2005, 09:59 AM

WOW.......thats a quarter of a KM.........I wonder if they ever anticiapted making drives of that distance when planning the mission? If they were 220m from Viking and Voyager at the end of sol 413 they could be even closer as of now, the end of the sol 414 drive.

There are no pancam images from the latest drive so I presume today will be a no drive day. Also.....I wonder why they didnt name tose two craters Viking 1 and Viking 2? tongue.gif

Posted by: Redstone Mar 25 2005, 02:25 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 25 2005, 09:59 AM)
WOW.......thats a quarter of a KM.........I wonder if they ever anticiapted making drives of that distance when planning the mission?

I remember rover drivers saying early in the mission that they had an ambition to break 100m at some point. biggrin.gif

QUOTE
There are no pancam images from the latest drive so I presume today will be a no drive day. 
*
Perhaps they have enough information with Navcam?

Posted by: alan Mar 25 2005, 02:39 PM

When spirit was driving to West Spur it took pancam image forward and backward after each drive. After Spirit left West Spur it only took navcam images aftrer each drive. I think the pancam images are only needed if long drives (100+ meters) are planned. Opportunity may be less than 100 meters from Viking so they wouldn't be necessary.

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 25 2005, 03:15 PM

Perhaps you're right.......the latest flight directors update mentions reaching Viking by the weekend.

Posted by: Jeff7 Mar 25 2005, 05:35 PM

QUOTE
I remember rover drivers saying early in the mission that they had an ambition to break 100m at some point. biggrin.gif


I guess they weren't planning on the plains being quite this flat and free of debris. Or that the dust situation would be so good for so long.

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 25 2005, 06:15 PM

This must a be a debris field associated with one of the craters?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-25/1P164952464EFF5200P2393R2M1.JPG

Posted by: Pando Mar 25 2005, 07:12 PM

Updated Opportunity Route Map:

 

Posted by: alan Mar 25 2005, 07:37 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 24 2005, 03:37 PM)
Change maps  smile.gif
Up until now - we have been plotitng our position on this image
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1502302.html

but the big drives of the last week mean its time to turn over and use THIS sheet
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1500822.html

smile.gif

Sadly - still nothing cproto of Victoria itself - I hope we'll see that in the next MSSS image release which I think is imminant

Doug
*


You mean like this?

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0940/viking_to_albert_414.jpg

smile.gif

Posted by: Marslauncher Mar 25 2005, 07:43 PM

QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 25 2005, 07:12 PM)
Updated Opportunity Route Map:
*



WOW! over 1km in the past week on Mars!

Freaking Awesome that has to deserve a Mars Bar for Oppy!

Posted by: imran Mar 25 2005, 09:27 PM

Anyone keeping track of the odometer? It has to be really close to Spirit by now.

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 25 2005, 09:29 PM

Opportunity must have surpassed Spirits total odometry by now, or what? huh.gif

Posted by: djellison Mar 25 2005, 09:39 PM

QUOTE
You mean like this?

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0940/viking_to_albert_414.jpg

smile.gif
*


Bingo biggrin.gif


Amazed to see the name 'James Caird' up there - one of Shackletons whalers was called that - the man himself helped fund his famous expedition which started off in a large boat called.... Endurance smile.gif

OI - PANDO - CHANGE THE URL ON YER MAPS smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: imran Mar 25 2005, 09:54 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Mar 25 2005, 09:29 PM)
Opportunity must have surpassed Spirits total odometry by now, or what?  huh.gif
*


According to latest Spirit update on the MER site:
"As of sol 435 (March 24, 2005), Spirit has driven a total of 4,197.5 meters (2.61 miles)."

The last odometry total update on Oppy was on Sol 388 when the total was 3014.77 meters (1.87 miles). I believe this was when Oppy was still at the three little craters (or crater triplets) on the way to Vostok. And based on Pando's updated map, we have traversed 1,394 meters from Vostok. That sums up to 4,408.77 meters plus the distance from the crater triplets to Vostok (which I believe was a couple of hundred meters). That brings the total to more than 4,600 meters (2.86 miles). So to sum it up, OPPY IS THE NEW DISTANCE CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doug, do you still have any Mars bars left? tongue.gif

Posted by: Pando Mar 25 2005, 10:10 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 25 2005, 02:39 PM)
OI - PANDO - CHANGE THE URL ON YER MAPS smile.gif
Doug


Uh, sorry, my bad. Done, and updated.

Also added the current odometer readout... and yes, a champion she is smile.gif wheel.gif

Updated Opportunity Route Map:

 

Posted by: wyogold Mar 26 2005, 05:51 PM

Really its kinna funny it took oppy this long to over take spirit in drive distance given the blueberry innerstate. and 220 is an amazing drive.

mars bar for oppy

http://www.imageshack.us

scott

Posted by: djellison Mar 26 2005, 06:08 PM

QUOTE (Pando @ Mar 25 2005, 10:10 PM)
QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 25 2005, 02:39 PM)
OI - PANDO - CHANGE THE URL ON YER MAPS smile.gif
Doug


Uh, sorry, my bad. Done, and updated.

Also added the current odometer readout... and yes, a champion she is smile.gif wheel.gif

Updated Opportunity Route Map:
*



Just a thought - did you do your style maps for eagle->end ?

Would be cool to put together a full travel plan for at 1.5m/pixel for the whole - ignoring the stuff inside endurance as that's just too messy tongue.gif

Doug

Posted by: Pando Mar 26 2005, 10:27 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Mar 26 2005, 11:08 AM)
Just a thought - did you do your style maps for eagle->end ?

Would be cool to put together a full travel plan for at 1.5m/pixel for the whole  - ignoring the stuff inside endurance as that's just too messy tongue.gif

Doug
*


I started doing that after the heatshield, but yes, it would be cool to do the whole path. When I get some free time... tongue.gif smile.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 27 2005, 12:08 AM

Are mission planners intending to do any science at Viking crater or drive past? Seems strange they would stop so short of the crater to do a few sols of science. They could have reached the crater with a farily short drive that would probably have left the afternoon free to deploy the IDD - I wouldnt have thought the soil/dunes would be much different where they are now and at Viking. Perhaps they'll make a stop at Voyager Crater instead?

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 27 2005, 09:38 PM

Where are we?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-27/1P165201207EFF5200P2395L2M1.JPG

Posted by: djellison Mar 27 2005, 09:39 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 27 2005, 09:38 PM)
Where are we?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-27/1P165201207EFF5200P2395L2M1.JPG
*


We're all in the thread marked 'Welcome to Viking'.

Where are you wink.gif

Doug

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 27 2005, 09:41 PM

The satellite pics of Viking indicate a darker carater. Not a ghost looking thing like Vostok. I'm not convinced that we're there yet.

Posted by: alan Mar 27 2005, 10:58 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 27 2005, 09:38 PM)
Where are we?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-27/1P165201207EFF5200P2395L2M1.JPG
*



Debris from Viking (lower) and Voyager crater (upper)
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-27/1P165201207EFF5200P2395L2M1.JPG

Part of tiny crater north of Viking (look closely just west of last location I posted)
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-27/1P165198902EFF5200P2663L5M1.JPG

Posted by: deglr6328 Mar 28 2005, 07:43 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe we're about to cross something of another milestone. To my extremely amateur eye, it looks like we are very very close to leaving the landing ellipse...... http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/01/24/MER_B_Ellipse_25m.gif cool.gif amazing.

Posted by: OWW Mar 28 2005, 08:22 AM

The planetary society has an update on the rovers:

http://planetary.org/news/2005/mer-update_0325.html

And if I read it correctly, from now on we should use the name 'Erebus' for the 'Albert' crater. smile.gif

"Once Opportunity reaches Viking and Voyager, the rover has another 800 meters to go to get to the next target on the list -- Erebus, a feature 300 meters in diameter that looks like a filled-in, largely eroded crater. "It's interesting enough that we want to take a closer look," Crisp said."

Posted by: Tman Mar 28 2005, 05:12 PM

Hui, I've looked among the greek gods and "Erebus" or "Erebos" was the greek god of darkness. By Homer it was the dark residence from the shadows of the dead. unsure.gif

There, "Albert" cannot to keep up! BTW, who was "Albert" actually? tongue.gif

I would mean that ancient name matches to this crater, dosen't it?

Posted by: djellison Mar 28 2005, 06:13 PM

I just picked Albert - because Albert was Queen Victorias Husband. I also started refering to the dark area to the NW of 'Erebus' as 'The Albert Dock'. For those who have visited Liverpool - that'll make sense smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: aldo12xu Mar 28 2005, 08:31 PM

Hey Alan,

What's the source for this image? Is there a stereo pair for it? The resolution must be on the sub 10m scale.

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0940/viking_to_albert_414.jpg

Posted by: alan Mar 28 2005, 09:26 PM

QUOTE (aldo12xu @ Mar 28 2005, 08:31 PM)
Hey Alan,

What's the source for this image?  Is there a stereo pair for it?  The resolution must be on the sub 10m scale.

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0940/viking_to_albert_414.jpg
*


http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1500822.html

It may form a stereo pair with this one

http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/images/R15/R1502302.html

Posted by: OWW Mar 28 2005, 10:38 PM

The left wheel doesn't like that dune!!! smile.gif Oh well...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-28/1F165295633EFF5208P1214L0M1.JPG

Posted by: Redstone Mar 28 2005, 11:07 PM

QUOTE
Hui, I've looked among the greek gods and "Erebus" or "Erebos" was the greek god of darkness. By Homer it was the dark residence from the shadows of the dead.


That is right. However, I think that the MER team are continuing the current practice of naming craters after exploration vessels. HMS Erebus was commanded by the explorer James Clark Ross on two voyages to Antarctica in 1841 and 1843. On the first voyage, the explorers discovered and named the volcano Mt Erebus (later climbed by Shackelton's crew). The ship was lost seeking the Northwest passage around 1845-6.

The MOC pictures show a fair amount of relief on the west and southwest edges. (Could be an illusion I know.) So it will be interesting to see if there are any deep layers exposed, as well as what is making the floor of the crater so dark.

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 28 2005, 11:19 PM

What's then the source(s) for the composite image of Victoria & Endurance (this thread p. 12, by Sunspot) - which I suspect forms at least kind of stereo pair with the southeastern corner of the mentioned http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/r10_r15/im...5/R1500822.html ? (my attachments p. 16)
Was the picture of Vic taken from some larger context image? If it was, it could mean there already exists some suitable imagery for hammering together 3-D pics about some of the etched terrain near Oppy's present location.

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 28 2005, 11:20 PM

QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 28 2005, 10:38 PM)
The left wheel doesn't like that dune!!!  smile.gif  Oh well...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-28/1F165295633EFF5208P1214L0M1.JPG
*


They've changed driving direction and are now driving across the dunes and appear to be heading for one of the craters...

Posted by: akuo Mar 28 2005, 11:49 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Mar 28 2005, 11:20 PM)
They've changed driving direction and are now driving across the dunes and appear to be heading for one of the craters...
*


Considering the field of view of the hazcam's, if you see something in them, they aren't just heading for it - the rover's basicly there. Counting the dune crests to the crater, it is about 5 dune-widths away, so real close.

Too bad there isn't navcam imagery yet.

Posted by: David S. Mar 28 2005, 11:59 PM

Hi all,

i was looking at the pancam from the last sol and wondered if that could be another meteorite, like the one they found near the heat shield ?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-28/1P164495276EFF5100P2291L1M1.JPG

Posted by: akuo Mar 29 2005, 12:06 AM

QUOTE (David S. @ Mar 28 2005, 11:59 PM)
i was looking at the pancam from the last sol and wondered if that could be another meteorite, like the one they found near the heat shield ?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-28/1P164495276EFF5100P2291L1M1.JPG
*


I noticed the resemblance in the rock too. Unfortuately the image is not from the last sol but from sol 409 at 12:16, which is 9 days ago! That place is over 700 metres behind now.

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 29 2005, 01:11 AM

How are you all seeing all this. The exploratorium has been down all day.

Posted by: alan Mar 29 2005, 02:33 AM

QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 28 2005, 10:38 PM)
The left wheel doesn't like that dune!!!  smile.gif  Oh well...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-28/1F165295633EFF5208P1214L0M1.JPG
*


I wonder if they are planning to trench that dune.

Posted by: dot.dk Mar 29 2005, 06:26 AM

QUOTE (alan @ Mar 29 2005, 02:33 AM)
QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 28 2005, 10:38 PM)
The left wheel doesn't like that dune!!!  smile.gif  Oh well...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-28/1F165295633EFF5208P1214L0M1.JPG
*


I wonder if they are planning to trench that dune.
*



Not intentionally I think smile.gif

Could look like a rover stop due to slippage

Posted by: lyford Mar 29 2005, 05:04 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Mar 28 2005, 10:26 PM)
QUOTE (alan @ Mar 29 2005, 02:33 AM)
QUOTE (ObsessedWithWorlds @ Mar 28 2005, 10:38 PM)
The left wheel doesn't like that dune!!!  smile.gif  Oh well...
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-28/1F165295633EFF5208P1214L0M1.JPG
*

I wonder if they are planning to trench that dune.
*


Not intentionally I think smile.gif
Could look like a rover stop due to slippage
*


Well, it's not that deep, so maybe Oppy just stopped there and the dune is at an angle to the wheels, so the left one didn't make it over the crest. Both of the wheel tracks seem to be about equal in depth - the left one doesn't appear to be buried in the same way that we saw when Spirit "dug in." Not enough churning to be stuck, is my vote. Besides, we still have 4 more wheels in back to power us over, even if that wheel got lodged. biggrin.gif

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 29 2005, 06:26 PM

The exploratorium site has been down for more than a day now. How are you seeing these pictures? your links are not working due to that site being down.

Posted by: Sunspot Mar 29 2005, 06:36 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 29 2005, 06:26 PM)
The exploratorium site has been down for more than a day now. How are you seeing these pictures? your links are not working due to that site being down.
*


It seems to be working OK for me.....

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 29 2005, 06:41 PM

I don't know what was up. They seems to have different paths to their site. Sometimes, one web address doesn't work. The one I had was not working. I got it now.

The confusing thing is. In looking at the latest pics, I feel we still haven't seen Viking or Voyager. Are we moving now? Have we been moving for the past few days?

Posted by: Tman Mar 29 2005, 07:13 PM

Greg, we stand or stood directly in front of Viking, but its near rim is higher than its far rim therefore we cannot see it.

Have a look: http://xs22.xs.to/pics/05131/Drei_Krater_an_Sol_414.gif

If you look closely then you can find that the dunes behind Viking are somewhat lower than the dunes in the foreground.

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 29 2005, 08:14 PM

OK, I suppose, I'll take your word for it that those are V & V. But, that was sol 414. Where are now? Are we moving?

Posted by: djellison Mar 29 2005, 08:15 PM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Mar 29 2005, 08:14 PM)
OK, I suppose, I'll take your word for it that those are V & V. But, that was sol 414. Where are now? Are we moving?
*


In about the same place - a little closer

http://207.7.139.5/mars/opportunity/forward_hazcam/2005-03-29/1F165379910EFF5208P1110L0M1.JPG

Doug

Posted by: Pando Mar 31 2005, 12:19 AM

This is interesting. Posted today at JPL. It's quite out of date by now, but what peaked my interest is an apparently nice resolution strip of the area EAST of Victoria crater. Is anyone able to find that at MSSS -- is such a thing already published there??

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=1609

Posted by: alan Mar 31 2005, 01:01 AM

This one
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/e19_r02/images/E23/E2301344.html
I came across it before but had no idea it the next one to the east

Posted by: Pando Mar 31 2005, 01:52 AM

QUOTE (alan @ Mar 30 2005, 06:01 PM)
This one
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/e19_r02/images/E23/E2301344.html
I came across it before but had no idea it the next one to the east
*


Thanks alan, that seems to be it. The MSSS strip is quite a bit larger too than is visible in the map page.

Posted by: marswiggle Mar 31 2005, 03:17 AM

Is it possible that Oppy has detected its backshell and parachute in the distance? These are from the latest posting of pancam images. The direction is about right, NNW. A dark dot beside a whitish one near the horizon, and they are similar both in L and R images. They sit neatly into the scenery when looked in 3d.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-30/1P164495495EFF5100P2291L1M1.JPG
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pancam/2005-03-30/1P164495495EFF5100P2291R2M1.JPG

Posted by: CosmicRocker Mar 31 2005, 05:41 AM

Taking a clue from Pando's sol 413 traverse map URL, I found a zoomed-in version for sol 414 which would seem to clearly verify that Alan pegged Oppy's location in his sol 414 location in the "Welcome to Viking" thread.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=1611

Someone give him a Mars Bar...

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