10,000 meters Options

[Mark Adler]

Opportunity just clicked over a bunch of zeros on the odometer this afternoon. The current reading is 10,023.19 m.

[fredk]

Congratulations to all the team! And many more kms to come!

[jamescanvin]

Congrats to the team on another amazing milestone. >10km >1000 sols, crazy, I still find it hard to believe.

And many more kms to come!

2 more would be a nice start - 20 times the original requirement!

[ElkGroveDan]

Congratulations and welcome to UMSF, Dr. Adler.

[monitorlizard]

A bit of trivia:
Opportunity has only 517 meters to go to pass Lunokhod 1's total distance traveled of 10,540 meters. (Source: Andrew Wilson's book "Solar System Log")

[Nix]

Bravo, and welcome!
After a lot of tough decisions and sleepless months, you and the rest of the team have come a long way. We're all very gratefull for that.

Nico

[Guest_Bobby_*]

This may be a silly Question but has Oppy or Spirit passed the milage that any of the Lunar Rover's did on the MOON?

Just curious is all

[dvandorn]

No, neither MER is close to any one of the LRVs in terms of total mileage. But the two MERs combined are approaching half to two-thirds of what one LRV drove, on average.

I'm thinking in terms of the LRVs driving an average of about 25 km per mission. The longest distance traveled by an LRV was on Apollo 17, I know, and I think LRV-2 on Apollo 16 traveled the shortest distance (by a small bit). I seem to recall that Apollo 17's LRV-3 traveled about 32 km, so I believe the average per LRV should be in the 25 km range.

And the total MER mileage is, what, about 16 km at this point? If they stay active and Oppy keeps adding kilometers running circles around Victoria, the total of both MERs may equal or exceed the average single LRV driving distance.

Of course, the total time spent driving LRVs on the Moon was probably eight to ten hours over the three J missions, while it has taken three years for the MERs to get as far as they have. But that's just the nature of the beast. I'm still in awe of what the MERs can do.

-the other Doug

[Astro0]

Let me add my personal thanks for this wonderful journey.

What an amazing job both MER teams have done keeping these Rovers going and pushing back the horizon a little further everyday...

...and they've done it even though our combined UMSF-voices in the backseat have been saying, "Are we there yet?!"

Thanks
Astro0

PS: Let me add, that I think everyone in the DSN would also like to thank the MER teams for journey. We'll keep getting the data, for as long as the Rovers keep rolling (and probably even after that!)

[ustrax]

Opportunity just clicked over a bunch of zeros on the odometer this afternoon. The current reading is 10,023.19 m.

Welcome!

I'm already dreaming about the morning when I arrive here and read your post (hope not the 2nd one...)saying:

...The current reading is 20,023.19 m.

[djellison]

10,000 metres - I think that means it neads a new roadworthiness test..a. Martian MOT - I'll have to sort that out, I know a friendly mechanic.

For a vehicle that's spent a LOT of time stationary if you consider Purgatory and Olympia, and with a requirement of 600m...10k is frankly a biblical achievment.

Doug

[Mark Adler]

For a vehicle that's spent a LOT of time stationary if you consider Purgatory and Olympia, and with a requirement of 600m...10k is frankly a biblical achievment.

Yes, in fact I was thinking about all the negotiating we did over the 600 m requirement. But while the 10,000 m is beyond remarkable in total stamina (way beyond the life qualification on the motor drives for example), it's actually pretty close to the original 600 m requirement in speed. That 600 m was over 90 sols. Considering how long it's been there, I get an average of 850 m per primary mission -- not a huge amount more than the original 600 m requirement.

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

PIA09173: Opportunity Passes 10-Kilometer Mark

[djellison]

I get an average of 850 m per primary mission

Imagine landing 4k south of Eagle right into Purgatory....that Primary mission would have SUCKED

Doug

[nprev]

...or a hole-in-one at the very center of Endurance in those dunes instead of Eagle. Actually, that wouldn't be TOO bad, unless Oppy was forced into becoming a fixed lander rather than a rover...

Dr. Adler, if I may ask, just how much circumnavigation of Victoria is currently planned? IIRC, the team doesn't intend to go all the way around. Also, if we do pass 20 km some terrific day, where do you think Oppy will be (i.e., any tentative plans for a target beyond Vicky)? Thanks!