IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

22 Pages V   1 2 3 > »   
Reply to this topicStart new topic
Southward from San Antonio to the Next Waypoint
Zeke4ther
post Apr 2 2010, 03:38 AM
Post #1


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 139
Joined: 14-October 05
From: Toronto, Canada
Member No.: 529



It seems about the right time to start a new thread as we have now turned East to Endeavour.
Hope no one minds...


--------------------
-- Robin
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Astro0
post Apr 2 2010, 09:09 AM
Post #2


Senior Member
****

Group: Admin
Posts: 3108
Joined: 21-December 05
From: Canberra, Australia
Member No.: 615



OT - but hooray! smile.gif
Oppy reaches the Sol 2200 milestone.
Attached Image
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Tesheiner
post Apr 2 2010, 05:03 PM
Post #3


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 4279
Joined: 19-April 05
From: .br at .es
Member No.: 253



It's ok to move to a new thread but it should not be constrained by that artificial waypoint I created here. There's no ground feature at that point.
I would propose to keep this thead until the next science stop.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
ElkGroveDan
post Apr 2 2010, 06:09 PM
Post #4


Senior Member
****

Group: Admin
Posts: 4763
Joined: 15-March 05
From: Glendale, AZ
Member No.: 197



Based on James' latest ripple hazard map, we need to throw a party of some kind between here and that dogleg in the route to celebrate the end of the hazardous dunes. Let's hope we see a whole lot more 200 meter drives from here on out.



--------------------
If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
BrianL
post Apr 2 2010, 06:36 PM
Post #5


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 530
Joined: 21-March 06
From: Canada
Member No.: 721



I could be wrong, but I don't see them going back to 200 m drives ever again, even when Oppy hits nice flat tarmac. I thought they went to shorter drives for the sake of wheel longevity. I would be happy with 100 m drives, and a complete absence of attention-diverting cobbles between here and Endeavour.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
jamescanvin
post Apr 2 2010, 07:07 PM
Post #6


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 2262
Joined: 9-February 04
From: Melbourne - Oz
Member No.: 16



Yeah, I don't think we'll see anything much over 100m

QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ Apr 2 2010, 07:09 PM) *
pple hazard map[/url], we need to throw a party of some kind between here and that dogleg in the route to celebrate the end of the hazardous dunes.


Not only that, but if IIRC at about that dogleg, Oppy will be as far from Duck Bay as she was at Eagle Crater!


--------------------
Twitter
Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
marsophile
post Apr 2 2010, 08:34 PM
Post #7


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 507
Joined: 10-September 08
Member No.: 4338



Does the lack of ripples in the green region imply a wind-sheltered area? If so, Oppy might be deprived of those beneficent Spring gusts to clean the accumulated dust off the Solar panels. In that case, it might be advisable to make haste in the traversal to Endeavour (balancing the power risk against the mobility risk).
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
ElkGroveDan
post Apr 2 2010, 08:55 PM
Post #8


Senior Member
****

Group: Admin
Posts: 4763
Joined: 15-March 05
From: Glendale, AZ
Member No.: 197



Not necessarily. As I recall Oppy's first cleaning events occurred back near Endurance. As I recall it was shortly after emerging from the crater but still on the nice clean tarmac up there.


--------------------
If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Guest_Bobby_*
post Apr 2 2010, 08:57 PM
Post #9





Guests






I think this new start to the drive from Twin Craters is going to be a long one without a stop to investigate
anything. I see nothing interesting for a while unless they spot something. I do hope we go 1 or 2 KM this time
before we do another science stop???

I do have one question: Is Stu a Comedian laugh.gif
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
nprev
post Apr 2 2010, 09:10 PM
Post #10


Merciless Robot
****

Group: Admin
Posts: 8783
Joined: 8-December 05
From: Los Angeles
Member No.: 602



It is indeed kind of tempting to think that we're in "nothing to see here, move along" mode by now. Looks like transit time-wise we're probably still at least an Earth year away from the outskirts of Endeavour, though, and there's got to be a balance between science return during that period vs. the admittedly very exciting possibility of examining phyllosilicates at the end of this road.

Not an easy set of calls to make (it'll be an ongoing process). It's incumbent upon the MER team to make every day of Oppy's mission as scientifically productive as possible, and it's by no means guaranteed that she'll survive to reach Endeavour. Wonder if they're using any sort of systems optimization models to aid their decision making.


--------------------
A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Stu
post Apr 2 2010, 09:20 PM
Post #11


The Poet Dude
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 5551
Joined: 15-March 04
From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK
Member No.: 60



QUOTE (Bobby @ Apr 2 2010, 09:57 PM) *
I do have one question: Is Stu a Comedian laugh.gif


Er...? blink.gif


--------------------
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
fredk
post Apr 2 2010, 09:28 PM
Post #12


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 4246
Joined: 17-January 05
Member No.: 152



I think what's happened at San Antonio/Twins is a sign that it'll take a lot now for the team to decide on a long science stop. The Black Cat rock wasn't deemed worth a closer look. Perhaps they decided it was probably another iron meteorite and since we've studied several now, it wouldn't add much to study another.

On the other hand, I'm not sure about the exact timing of the 2199 drive away from San Antonio. Was that drive sequenced before or after the first navcams showing Black Cat came down? Could we be in another Block Island situation here?

Once and if the surroundings change significantly from what we've been seeing at Meridiani (perhaps roughly halfway to Endeavour??), then I could see more science stops to study the new stuff.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
marsophile
post Apr 2 2010, 09:40 PM
Post #13


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 507
Joined: 10-September 08
Member No.: 4338



Concepción was interesting enough that we could have "eaten the lotus" there and stayed a long time. However we had our Odysseus (Squyres?) to force us back on to the path to Ithaca (as Rui used to call Endeavour). It will be difficult for any other potential stop to match Concepción in interest.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
climber
post Apr 2 2010, 09:46 PM
Post #14


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 2917
Joined: 14-February 06
From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France)
Member No.: 682



QUOTE (marsophile @ Apr 2 2010, 11:40 PM) *
...It will be difficult for any other potential stop to match Concepción in interest.

Don't bet on that marsophile, we're on Mars...


--------------------
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Tesheiner
post Apr 2 2010, 11:16 PM
Post #15


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 4279
Joined: 19-April 05
From: .br at .es
Member No.: 253



QUOTE (marsophile @ Apr 2 2010, 10:34 PM) *
Does the lack of ripples in the green region imply a wind-sheltered area?

Or the opposite maybe? I would like to see that topographic picture provided by tim53 overlayed on James' terrain analysis map; I have the impression that the "green" area fits more or less with the downslope part of the route and we may have a direct-hit from the wind there.

On the other topic, and speaking of science stops, I think there have been two reasons for those: the first one has been already addressed here but the second is the periodic need to put the wheels to rest due to high currents. Given that the rover is currently power limited due to the winter so the drives are shorter and with recharging sols planned from time to time, we may have the luck to avoid those "technical stops" until the winter is over.

My 2c.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

22 Pages V   1 2 3 > » 
Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 29th March 2024 - 08:19 AM
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting.

IMAGE COPYRIGHT
Images posted on UnmannedSpaceflight.com may be copyrighted. Do not reproduce without permission. Read here for further information on space images and copyright.

OPINIONS AND MODERATION
Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators.
SUPPORT THE FORUM
Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member.