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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Spirit _ Spirit Route Map

Posted by: djellison Feb 17 2004, 01:07 AM




Posted by: Highwayman Feb 17 2004, 07:33 PM

I'm a newbie here, but not enough of a "newbie" to appreciate the good work you do here. Great image. Looks like Spirit has it's work cut out for it. It would be cool if Spirit could get a good pic of it's heat shield inside that crater and perhaps some rock outcrops like Opportunity is looking at. biggrin.gif

Posted by: djellison Feb 17 2004, 10:56 PM

Added 21.6m for Sol 044

Posted by: djellison Feb 19 2004, 12:01 PM

Updated to comply with a nasa release.

Doug

Posted by: remcook Mar 6 2004, 12:11 PM

new picture:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040305a/03-ra-01-map-A061R1.jpg

Posted by: remcook Mar 18 2004, 09:10 PM


Posted by: cassioli Apr 9 2004, 08:14 AM

April 8th update

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040408a/09-RA-01-panondimes-A094R1.jpg

Luca

Posted by: gregp1962 Apr 16 2004, 12:19 AM

Is it possible to update these maps everyday?

Posted by: cassioli Apr 16 2004, 07:47 AM

QUOTE (gregp1962 @ Apr 16 2004, 12:19 AM)
Is it possible to update these maps everyday?

I don't know, I just found the last one at http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040408a.html

But I read somewhere in a forum that NASA does not post maps daily, only once per week or less. dry.gif

Luca

Posted by: slinted Apr 16 2004, 12:37 PM

Besides maybe an image or two a day with the updates, they appear to only be releasing synthesized images in batches at the press conferences, which are now once ever two weeks. So, write 'em a letter requesting a daily route map, hopefully they get enough feedback to implement one.

Posted by: Sunspot Apr 16 2004, 04:53 PM

.....talking of updates, where have the new images from Spirit and Opportunity gone?

Posted by: Baltic Apr 16 2004, 05:10 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Apr 16 2004, 04:53 PM)
.....talking of updates, where have the new images from Spirit and Opportunity gone?

They're here at last:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/

Tom

Posted by: Sunspot Apr 16 2004, 05:20 PM

QUOTE (Baltic @ Apr 16 2004, 05:10 PM)
QUOTE (Sunspot @ Apr 16 2004, 04:53 PM)
.....talking of updates, where have the new images from Spirit and Opportunity gone?

They're here at last:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/

Tom

They updated about 1 minute after i posted lol.

Some of the Spirit images could from Sol 102, Spirit travelled 64 m on sol 100, and was due to drive again on sol 101.

The images from pancam show a very different view, the rover could be approaching the second impact crater:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/pancam/2004-04-16/2P135342693EFF2900P2378R1M1.JPG

Posted by: djellison Apr 28 2004, 09:24 AM

New Route Map for Spirit - it's travelled further in the last 15 sols than it did in the first 90
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040427a/merA_traverse_map_sol107.jpg

Posted by: cassioli Apr 28 2004, 10:37 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Apr 28 2004, 09:24 AM)
New Route Map for Spirit - it's travelled further in the last 15 sols than it did in the first 90
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040427a/merA_traverse_map_sol107.jpg

Why not to show it? biggrin.gif



http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040427a/merA_traverse_map_sol107_br2.jpg

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040427a/merA_traverse_map_sol107.jpg

Luca

Posted by: Sunspot Apr 28 2004, 10:42 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Apr 28 2004, 09:24 AM)
New Route Map for Spirit - it's travelled further in the last 15 sols than it did in the first 90
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040427a/merA_traverse_map_sol107.jpg

I would guess Spirit has travlleed as much as 200m since that map was made, and may be perhaps halfway to "Lahontan Crater" by now.

Posted by: remcook Apr 28 2004, 01:40 PM


Posted by: cassioli Apr 30 2004, 07:13 PM

Opportunity sol 91


Luca

Posted by: cassioli May 22 2004, 12:17 PM

New intersting 3d "path map" released:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

Luca

Posted by: cassioli Jun 3 2004, 08:13 PM

New map for Opportunity:



Luca

Posted by: Baltic Jun 12 2004, 02:06 PM

Sorry, lousy picture quality. It's a snapshot from the flight director's update quicktime-movie.

Tom

 

Posted by: Baltic Jun 15 2004, 06:08 PM


Posted by: djellison Jun 16 2004, 03:08 PM

UBER version of the above

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/pub_info_release/2004-06-15/sol01-sol155_travmap-B140R1.jpg

Doug

Posted by: OWW Sep 29 2004, 10:31 PM

Another fine map from sol 187:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040716a/05-MG-02-travmap1-A190R1.jpg

And another from sol 238:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040921a/Spirit_traverse_sol238-A256R1.jpg

Posted by: azstrummer Sep 30 2004, 02:31 PM

I wish JPL would put out a zoomed in map of the hils with their intended route on it. Last images I saw seemed to indicate Spirit is on the move again but it's hard to know where they're headed.

Posted by: djellison Sep 30 2004, 02:39 PM

They're basically heading up the ridge toward Husband Hill. They've not made a lot of progress though - infact, as I read it -

Doing science
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/f/258/2F149276450EDN8800P1121L0M1-BR.JPG

Backed up a bit
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/f/261/2F149535034EFF8815P1212L0M1-BR.JPG

Turned left a bit
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/f/263/2F149716575EFF8841P1201L0M1.JPG

Drove forward a bit
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/f/263/2F149717390EFF8845P1212L0M1.JPG

Then forward a bit more

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-09-29/2F149717390EFF8845P1212L0M1.JPG




Doug

Posted by: Pando Oct 8 2004, 12:32 AM

Here's the latest:

 

Posted by: djellison Nov 12 2004, 09:45 AM

Where do you find these Pando?

Doug

Posted by: Pando Nov 20 2004, 06:50 AM

They are forwarded to me by a good friend. I can't really say much more than that wink.gif

Posted by: djellison Nov 20 2004, 11:31 AM

QUOTE (Pando @ Nov 20 2004, 06:50 AM)
They are forwarded to me by a good friend. I can't really say much more than that wink.gif

Well - whoever they're from - please send my very very sincere thanks on behalf of the whole forum. It's very much appreciated. The press may have forgotten that they're still hard at work, but we havnt, and we watch in complete awe!

Doug

Posted by: alan Nov 23 2004, 05:25 AM

A look at where spirit has been. View from sol 149
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0714/hills149b.jpg

Posted by: Gray Nov 23 2004, 01:18 PM

Thanks alan,
This gives us a very different perspective. It looks like it's going to be a long climb. ohmy.gif

Posted by: alan Nov 23 2004, 03:27 PM

Spirit's path from Clovis
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0721/Spirit_path_225-306.JPG

Posted by: Sunspot Nov 23 2004, 07:26 PM

From space.com:

November 23

Mars Rover Spirit Takes a Brake

Busily surveying the Columbia Hills at Gusev Crater, NASA’s Spirit Mars Exploration Rover continues to suffer a bit of a “brake down.”

Rover drivers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California continue to deal with Spirit wheel and brake issues. While surpassing its original warranty, Spirit has intermittently sent information in recent weeks that the brakes on two wheels were not releasing properly when the rover received commands to set a new course.

Recent images relayed by Spirit’s navigation camera show in graphic detail what ground operators are dealing with. A westward view from the robot shows the effects of dragging its right front wheel, explained Leo Bister, Spirit mission manager.

The image shown here was taken on November 19, during Spirit’s 313th day of martian operations as the rover drove backwards for about 98 feet (30 meters) on the day the picture was taken, Bister confirmed to SPACE.com .

This type anomaly has not been observed on the Opportunity rover as it wheels around Endurance Crater on the other side of Mars.

-- Leonard David

Posted by: Pando Nov 23 2004, 08:15 PM

I think they are completely wrong in that article. The dynamic braking problem is not the one causing for the wheel to drag through the soil.

The braking problem is related to the relay that locks the wheels during driving so the wheels won't turn or steer (not to be confused with rotating). They identified the issue as a faulty sensor on the relay, and are now ignoring it, so the problem is somewhat solved at this point.

The wheel dragging is a completely different problem. It's the wheel motor that rotates the wheel, and it is causing excessive current draw. The motor or the gears are starting to wear out and so they are dragging the wheel on purpose to spare the motor (or gears) as much as they can.

Posted by: OWW Nov 23 2004, 08:24 PM

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this all a bit of recycled 'news'? ( Except the 30 meters bit, didn't know that ). I hope the title should not be taken seriously... It has been three days since Spirit moved. Long weekend this time, or 'broken down'? ohmy.gif

Posted by: Sunspot Nov 23 2004, 11:31 PM

I think they're still moving:

21 Nov: http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-11-21/2F154241421EFF9300P1110R0M1.JPG

23 Nov:
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-11-23/2F154514653EFF9400P1214R0M1.JPG

Posted by: OWW Nov 24 2004, 12:03 AM

Yes they are! Vrooommm vroomm:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/rear_hazcam/2004-11-23/2R154514704EFF9400P1310L0M1.JPG

Posted by: Sunspot Nov 24 2004, 12:22 AM

Nice NavCam image of where we've been:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/navcam/2004-11-23/2N154515538EFF9400P0745R0M1.JPG

Posted by: alan Nov 24 2004, 03:50 AM

Vroom, vroom is right. New location, view from sol 149
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0731/hills149f.jpg

Posted by: Pando Nov 24 2004, 07:24 AM

How do you determine that Spirit is at the location marked 316? That seems pretty far away from the ridge and I don't think Spirit has got that far off its path.

I believe we are still close to the centerline on the ridge continuing straight towards Husband Hill...

Posted by: alan Nov 24 2004, 04:17 PM

I found spirit's location in a nav cam image fron sol 310
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0741/Spirit_location_316.JPG
then matched rocks in the panarama from 149
http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0192/hills149g.jpg

Posted by: alan Nov 24 2004, 04:34 PM

From a long time ago and a position far, far away
http://s02.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0842/Sol131c_Hills_P2434_L256-A143R1.jpg

Posted by: alan Nov 24 2004, 04:53 PM

Thats odd, it worked in the preview.
Panorama from sol 149 again, fixed broken link.
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0742/hills149g.jpg

Posted by: djellison Nov 24 2004, 05:08 PM

QUOTE (alan @ Nov 24 2004, 04:34 PM)
From a long time ago and a position far, far away
http://s02.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0842/Sol131c_Hills_P2434_L256-A143R1.jpg

NOW it makes sense - if they traversed straight up the ridge - they solar arrays would be orientated WNW. By going to the left edge of that image - then up along near the skyline - they're orientated N / NNW - much better from an energy point of view. Excellent work Alan!

Posted by: alan Nov 24 2004, 05:46 PM

I'm really pushing the resolution on this orbital view
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0743/columbia_hillsB.jpg
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0743/Sol131d_Hills_P2434_L256-A143R1.jpg

Posted by: azstrummer Nov 24 2004, 05:47 PM

Boy, I think you're off here. That light patch that shows up in the SOL 316 picture is very close up. Were it the same one in the distant color pan shot, it would be huge and those rocks you point out wouldn't even be seen they're so small. My guess is that you're right up through around 305 or 306 but then the rover starts climbing to the East. I doubt you can even see the area it's in right now from that distant pan. But who knows? I could be very wrong. It's why we desperately need an overhead route map drawn by the engineers driving the rover.

Posted by: Pando Nov 24 2004, 06:03 PM

QUOTE
I could be very wrong. It's why we desperately need an overhead route map drawn by the engineers driving the rover.


azstrummer, this is as close as you can get. Trust me. I also think alan is a bit off there. The rover is still on the north side of the ridge which is connecting the West Spur with Husband Hill.


Posted by: azstrummer Nov 24 2004, 06:07 PM

That makes much more sense. In this pancam shot from Sol 315, the two "notches" on the hill ahead are clearly visible and if Spirit had gone north, the perspective would've been much different.


Posted by: alan Nov 25 2004, 04:28 AM

JPL included headings in the navcam panorama for sol 313 so I did some triangulation.
This is what I came up with
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0754/spirit_313c.jpg

Posted by: Pando Nov 30 2004, 04:39 AM

Update: Spirit travel map until Sol 313


Posted by: Sunspot Nov 30 2004, 09:51 AM

Hmmmm... no drive again today, perhaps those wheel problems have become a bit more serious.

Posted by: OWW Nov 30 2004, 01:45 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Nov 30 2004, 09:51 AM)
Hmmmm... no drive again today, perhaps those wheel problems have become a bit more serious.

Maybe..., but I think Spirit was still in the '5 day Thanksgiving weekend'. We'll see.

Posted by: Sunspot Dec 1 2004, 10:02 AM

Anyone have any inside info on what Spirit is upto? wink.gif

Posted by: alan Dec 1 2004, 10:47 PM

A week off for Spirit, should have the battery fully charged. How about a 100 meter drive.?

Posted by: Sunspot Dec 1 2004, 10:57 PM

There's very little new data coming down too. Just the usual images of the pancam calibration target and the Sun.

Posted by: tedstryk Dec 1 2004, 11:03 PM

I am still hoping for a pan from in between the hills, even if it is a Navcam pan, although I would prefer a Pancam pan. It is too bad that while the rover is parked they don't take advantage of such opportunities for a good color pan. This could be achieved through tri-color imaging and perhaps 2x2 or even 4x4 binning in 2 of the colors, or perhaps all three with a full resolution clear-filter data set. I realize this would be of little scientific use, but it would be great for future coffee table books.

Posted by: alan Dec 1 2004, 11:23 PM

For the last 5 days MER site has posted 58 shots of the sundial and 18 of the sun. Are there images of something interesting to go with these waiting to transmitted?

Posted by: alan Dec 2 2004, 06:23 AM

Spirit is on the move. new position
http://s02.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0901/spirit_311-325.jpg
and the long view
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0873/hills149-325.jpg

Posted by: Sunspot Dec 2 2004, 12:08 PM

yayyyy..... on the move again, looks like another long drive too.

From this image http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/rear_hazcam/2004-12-01/2R155227908EFF9500P1313R0M1.JPG

I get the impression that they may be starting to climb slightly.

Posted by: alan Dec 2 2004, 03:27 PM

Look at the way the ground is torn up on the right and all the short turns on the left. I bet Spirit got a rock stuck in front of one of its wheels and was pushing it along. The extra tracks on the left must be the first few attempts to manuever around it.
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/rear_hazcam/2004-12-01/2R155227908EFF9500P1313R0M1.JPG

Posted by: azstrummer Dec 2 2004, 04:00 PM

Alan, per your twin pictures you posted today - You seem right on with the black and white shot but it's my opinion you're way off the mark with the positioning in the color shot. I'm absolutely certain that Spirit is not taking this long trek to the North as you propose but is in the hollow out of sight to the east of where you show the position on Sol 310. The progression you're showing is taking them completely away from Husband Hill, their stated target. Look back again at the overhead shots. There's this large open expanse between the knob they originally drove to the top of and Husband Hill to the east. Most here seem to believe that's direction they're heading, not off to North as you keep posting. That color shot was taken from a long ways off while Spirit was approaching from the west and the features you seem to be using to pinpoint locations by comparing them with small rocks and dips in recent photos wouldn't even have been visible then.

Then again I could be just as off in my assessment. I Welcome the brainstorming none the less.

Posted by: Pando Dec 3 2004, 01:58 AM

Update:


Spirit completed acquiring a large "Thanksgiving" Pancam panorama on Sol 324 and is continuing the travel towards Husband Hill.  Spirit has just about crossed the flat saddle area between Husband Hill and West Spur and will be blimbing steeper slopes soon.

Sol 325 - Spirit continued driving Eastward across the flat saddle area between the West Spur of the Columbia Hills to where the terrain slopes back upwards towards Husband Hill.  She successfully completed ~35 meters of 5-wheel driving bringing the total mission travel distance to 3.82 km

Future Plans
Next week Spirit will continue to drive further up the hills, and will be looking for outcrops along the way. Two possible routes are still being considered - a route that would head directly towards the top of husband hill, and a route that allows exploring of a steep walled canyon on the North side of Husband hill.

Posted by: tedstryk Dec 3 2004, 02:17 AM

Great! This might be the "pan between the hills" I wanted.

Posted by: alan Dec 3 2004, 02:18 AM

Azstrummer, where do you think that pass in the distance is? Do you think it is the spot on my color image where I have been locating Spirit? The pass in the distance certainly looks like the pass between Clark Hill and Husband Hill to me. Take a look at it in this color panorama
http://www.whatonmars.com/womiod/11-2004/wom_iod041129a_.jpg
and compare it to the one here
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040528a/Sol131A_Hills_P2434_L256-A143R1_br2.jpg

Posted by: azstrummer Dec 3 2004, 02:59 AM

Alan, I understand there are major similarities but you have to remember, that second image you keep showing was taken from at least a half mile away and you're comparing features from a picture where you're right next to rocks and hollows. Also that second picture was taken almost due west of the West Spur which would mean that the hollow between the spur and Husband Hill that Spirit is currently in would not be able to be seen from that perspective. Go back and look at the shots from the orbiters. The hollow between the spur and Husband is clearly visible. There simply are no other reference pictures to this area from the ground prior to Spirit's recent travels.

That pass in the distance that you refer to in the recent shots is merely an opening between some sub-hills blocking the main ones. Remember that Spirit went down into a hollow and the foreground features would surely block out the ones in the rear. My guess is that this is all going to become apparent in the next few days as Spirit climbs over these small ridges and the mass of Husband Hill looms ahead.

You don't do much hiking I take it. lol

Posted by: alan Dec 3 2004, 03:47 AM

No, boy scouts was a long time ago. We obviously have a different interpretation of what point on the overhead shots corrsponds to the end of the ridge Spirit was on and in what Spirit was direction was looking when it took the shot on 149. I got 110 degrees from the route map that was posted earlier. In the panorama from 313 I can see over the end of slope in that direction, so I'm assuming that its current position should be visible from there. It should become clear where Spirit is pretty soon. I expect it to turn to the right and head up the north edge of that ridge to the right of its current position. Of course that is pure speculton on my part.

Posted by: azstrummer Dec 3 2004, 04:57 AM

I've been doing a great deal of looking at the pictures in 3D - been building my own anaglyphs. It's truly amazing when you do that how a seemingly flat terrain becomes this series of very extreme up and down ridges that the rover is climbing over. Just a few weeks ago they went from a view of very rough terrain with Husband Hill looming huge in the background down into this valley between the spur and the base of the hill and suddenly you couldn't see that huge foreboding hill anymore in any of the pans. I think that's where we kinda lost all reference with the rover down low enough that even the small foothills in the foreground were blocking out the massive rises behind them. If my theory's right then the next day's climb should get them back the big picture again. Who knows though. I've been wrong many times in this mission trying to decipher the trickle of stuff coming from JPL at times.

Posted by: alan Dec 3 2004, 07:40 AM

So much for my predicted right turn.
http://s02.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0907/spirit_311-326.jpg

Posted by: Analyst Dec 7 2004, 03:05 PM

Another drive for Spirit, now at site 98. Any idea - map - where we are? I'm lost between West Spur and Husband Hill biggrin.gif

Posted by: djellison Dec 7 2004, 03:16 PM

I'd say between the Sol 326 location - and the large rocks by the '3' of 326 on this
http://s02.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0907/spirit_311-326.jpg

Doug

Posted by: alan Dec 8 2004, 12:07 AM

Here is a better image of spirit's location, pancam instead of navcam.
http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/1010/spirit_311-330.jpg
Its not zig-zagging as much as it looks like in this image.

Posted by: alan Dec 8 2004, 12:39 AM

New route map up on MER home page. It goes to sol 324, same place it was on 317.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20041207a/sol324_travDEM-A332R1.jpg

Posted by: djellison Dec 8 2004, 12:44 PM

The drive from site 98 to site 99 was not very far at all.

One rock I spotted in both end-of-drive L7.R1 mosaics came out of the parallax calulator like this..

Site 98
object distance: 15.2 m, one-pixel error: 0.108 m
object dimension: 43.0 cm

Site 99
object distance: 4.296 m, one-pixel error: 0.009 m
object dimension: 42.5 cm

I used the large rock in this view for

Site 99
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/pancam/2004-12-08/2P155753782EFF9900P2439L7M1.JPG

Site 98
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/pancam/2004-12-07/2P155670445EFF9800P2438L7M1.JPG (it's right of centre)

Thus - drive distance - to quite a high degree of accuracy - 11m smile.gif

Doug



and thi

Posted by: Pando Dec 10 2004, 01:49 AM

Spirit Update:

Spirit is currently in a challenging sandy terrain attempting to brush and RAT a rock named
Wishstone over the weekend. The slippage experienced during a Sol 332 drive was more than
90% (1 meter traveled vs. 9 meters sequenced).

The right front wheel is drawing normal current again--it is no longer experiencing larger than
normal current draw. The theory is that the rest period at West Spur allowed the lubrication
to redistribute. They probably pushed Spirit too hard earlier rolleyes.gif

After working with Wishstone, Spirit will then attempt to reach a ridge called Larry's Lookout
to look for interesting science targets.

Some interesting maps follow. This may be the most accurate map yet (the one posted at JPL site
had several inconsistencies). Also a view of looking back and a view of Wishstone. Sorry about the
width of the image, but I think it's worth panning left to right to see the full path... smile.gif





http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-12-09/2F155843366EFF9946P1214L0M1.JPG

Posted by: Pando Dec 10 2004, 02:07 AM

Overhead view (speculation):


Posted by: dot.dk Dec 10 2004, 02:14 AM

Fantastic news for Spirit!!
These machines keeps amazing me! Instead of aging they are perfoming better and better cool.gif

Now just awoid those sand traps and let's get to the top of the hill before christmas wink.gif

Posted by: alan Dec 10 2004, 06:25 AM

Pando, getting closer but now Spirit is driving across across the minicrater on 326 instead of above it. I looked at the navcams and hazcams of it tracks, Spirit came nowhere near it.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/327/2N155391766EFF9600P1755R0M1.JPG
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/327/2N155391817EFF9600P1755L0M1.JPG

It did drive over a smudge on 325, you can see it in one of the navcams from 326 taken before the drive, check the time stamp.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/326/2N155306254EFF9500P1741R0M1.JPG

If you move its position on 326 halfway between the 9 in 329 and the S in Sol 326 everything in this navcam will fit.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/326/2N155309862EFF9600P0865L0M1.JPG

Backtrack from there to the ridge. I'd link to an image but imagehost is down at the moment.

Posted by: alan Dec 10 2004, 07:03 AM

I found some images from Thanksgiving that were transmitted late while I was checking Pando's path that didn't fit my old position for 317. Adjusted it to fit, thanks Pando.

http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/1064/hills149-328_Cr.jpg

Posted by: alan Dec 11 2004, 12:59 AM

Pando, here's an image of the position for 325 in the rover track you posted yesterday taken on sol 326. I don't see any tracks running across it.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/326/2N155304036EDN9500P1580L0M1.HTML

Posted by: alan Dec 12 2004, 12:51 AM

Pancam from 319 showing JPL's location for that sol, follow a line from bright linear feature past large round rock to cluster of small dark rocks which JPL's picture has them sitting on.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/p/319/2P154686718EFF9400P2293L6M1.HTML

Posted by: alan Dec 12 2004, 01:02 AM

Pancam from 315, I pointed out some dark streaks brought out by the filter they used.

http://s03.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0544/spirit_315_pan.JPG

Navcam from 313 showing sand dune to the SE with dark line running across it.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/313/2N154159862EFF9300P0645R0M1.HTML

Here they are in an image from 131, the streaks show up light instead of dark with the filters used.

http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/1102/hills_313_B.jpg

In this image from 149 the sand dune is behind the slope

http://s03.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0544/spirit_313.jpg

The position in 313 is also behind it.

Posted by: Sunspot Dec 12 2004, 11:25 AM

Did you see this image Alan? not sure if it's been posted already. Gives some idea of the course they intenf to take up Husband Hill.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=1400

Posted by: alan Dec 13 2004, 03:23 AM

Yes I've seen it. I think they have their positions too far up the hill, in the last few posts I've been picking it apart. It's not the best image for showing the planned route. This one shows it better, at least its what I think they are trying to show.

http://s03.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0558/spirit_131-331-top.jpg

Posted by: alan Dec 13 2004, 04:45 AM

This should be the last one of these. Overhead view of West Spur, note the shadow along the east edge of the ridge.

http://s04.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/1132/ridge.jpg

The overhead view with the route JPL has posted notice that they have it leaving along the east side.

http://s02.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0986/end_of_ridge.jpg

Spirit followed the ridge all the way to the end then left on the north side as these images show.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/f/311/2F153982146EFF91C4P1212L0M1.HTML
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/r/311/2R153982196EFF91C4P1312L0M1.HTML
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/326/2N155306254EFF9500P1741R0M1.HTML

I'll post my estimate of its location in Alan is Lost becouse some people will be sure that I am when they see it.

Posted by: dot.dk Dec 28 2004, 09:08 PM

New Spirit route map from JPL


Posted by: cassioli Jan 18 2005, 11:35 AM

The Spirit path... as seen from orbit! ohmy.gif
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07192

Cool! cool.gif

Posted by: TheChemist Feb 26 2005, 06:10 PM

An updated Route Map by JPL was just posted.

A larger version http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20050225a/MERA_Traverse_Map_Sol_404-A408R1.jpg


Posted by: alan Feb 26 2005, 09:19 PM

According to that map Larry's Lookout is 30 meters behind Spirit huh.gif

Posted by: djellison Feb 26 2005, 10:05 PM

I think the specific location of LLO essentially got moved to wherever they could sit for 10 days doing IDD work whilst doing a 360 Pancam mosaic of the surroundings smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 10 2005, 07:34 PM

Can anyone say where spirit is and where we're going? I'm feeling lost.

Posted by: alan Mar 17 2005, 07:20 PM

http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/0902/sol_277-425_L.jpg

Posted by: azstrummer Mar 17 2005, 09:10 PM

Obviously Alan's very lost now.

Posted by: gregp1962 Mar 29 2005, 08:59 PM

We're very close to the summit, aren't we? They are allowing us all to be very confused!

Can anyone match up the picture in post 241 in the "Moving on" thread ( http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=653&st=240 ) with the map in post 88 in the current thread? http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=44&st=75

Posted by: djellison Mar 29 2005, 09:06 PM

No - we're still a long way from the summit - it's a common optical illusion that the summit is closer than you think> There's a good half km to the summit from here

If you look at Alans map two posts up - we're about where the 1 of 410 is written

Doug

Posted by: dilo Mar 31 2005, 05:47 AM

I compared two panoramas taken one week apart with NavCam toward East (should be Tennessee valley and hills behind):
http://img61.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img61&image=2nsol432439comparison4mr.jpg
I found huge differences (see marks), suggesting strong advance in this direction... can someone give updated position Map?
Thanks!
Marco

Posted by: ustrax Apr 6 2005, 01:12 PM

Does this help?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/ustrax/pathspirit6.jpg

Posted by: wyogold Apr 6 2005, 02:57 PM

QUOTE (ustrax @ Apr 6 2005, 01:12 PM)
Does this help?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/ustrax/pathspirit6.jpg
*


YES.. smile.gif

Posted by: ElkGroveDan Apr 6 2005, 03:11 PM

QUOTE (dilo @ Mar 31 2005, 05:47 AM)
I compared two panoramas taken one week apart with NavCam toward East (should be Tennessee valley and hills behind):
http://img61.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img61ℑ=2nsol432439comparison4mr.jpg
I found huge differences (see marks), suggesting strong advance in this direction... can someone give updated position Map?
Thanks!
Marco
*



I get the sense that they are going to go look at the facing slope of that mesa-like formation straight ahead. I mentioned previously that it appears to show cross-bedded layering -- an irresistable target for sedimentary geologists.

Posted by: ustrax Apr 6 2005, 03:14 PM

Perfect... rolleyes.gif

But Spirit is headed in opposite direction of the visible area, it is en route to summit 02 or even pass it and start descending towards the previous Lookout Point:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/ustrax/uapathb.jpg

Posted by: ustrax Apr 7 2005, 01:31 PM

Here is today's navcam assembly:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/ustrax/pano0704.jpg

Posted by: dilo Apr 8 2005, 05:14 PM

It seems we are almost on the summit...
wink.gif
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/447/2N166057456EFFA9B0P0894R0M1.HTML

Posted by: djellison Apr 8 2005, 06:49 PM

QUOTE (dilo @ Apr 8 2005, 05:14 PM)
It seems we are almost on the summit...
wink.gif
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/n/447/2N166057456EFFA9B0P0894R0M1.HTML
*


The summit is still some way away. You'd have been useless on EVA with Apollo 14 smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: centsworth_II Apr 8 2005, 08:09 PM

According to the latest post by ObsessedWithWorlds in the Directors Update forum:

"On Spirit it’s sol 448 and she’s sitting about 300 meters below the summit of Husband Hill."

I wonder if the true summit is seen on the thin strip of distant ridge just visable over the left shoulder of the "summit" in the previous image.

Posted by: dilo Apr 9 2005, 05:35 AM

OK, I admit... I was too optimistic! I was based on the apparent alignment of the "summit" with distant hills, but looking also other images, is claer that real horizon (extreme right of following mosaic) still well below this summit, so a big way ahead!
http://www.imageshack.us
Dough, when you talk about "EVA with Apollo 14" are you referring to a particular episode? I missed it...

Posted by: dvandorn Apr 9 2005, 07:48 AM

QUOTE (dilo @ Apr 9 2005, 12:35 AM)
Dough, when you talk about "EVA with Apollo 14" are you referring to a particular episode? I missed it...
*


I'm not Doug, but, um... I *am* Doug (the other one), and I can answer your question...

On Apollo 14 (as on most of the other moon landings), the lack of atmosphere made distant objects look closer than they really were to the moonwalking astronauts. Shepard and Mitchell mis-estimated their position almost continually while trying to reach the rim of Cone Crater, which lies upon the summit of Cone Ridge.

In the end, they had to walk a good 40 minutes longer than they thought they would have to just to get there, and they were all of 40 meters away from the rim and couldn't see it. So they sampled boulders 40 meters from the rim, and headed back -- all the while having no clue whatsoever where they had actually gone and how close they had actually come to their goal.

I think Doug was just saying that your sense of distance seems about on par with Shepard and Mitchell's... wink.gif

-the other Doug

Posted by: djellison Apr 9 2005, 08:11 AM

Bingo smile.gif

Posted by: dilo Apr 9 2005, 10:27 AM

rolleyes.gif

QUOTE (dvandorn @ Apr 9 2005, 07:48 AM)
QUOTE (dilo @ Apr 9 2005, 12:35 AM)
Dough, when you talk about "EVA with Apollo 14" are you referring to a particular episode? I missed it...
*


I'm not Doug, but, um... I *am* Doug (the other one), and I can answer your question...

On Apollo 14 (as on most of the other moon landings), the lack of atmosphere made distant objects look closer than they really were to the moonwalking astronauts. Shepard and Mitchell mis-estimated their position almost continually while trying to reach the rim of Cone Crater, which lies upon the summit of Cone Ridge.

In the end, they had to walk a good 40 minutes longer than they thought they would have to just to get there, and they were all of 40 meters away from the rim and couldn't see it. So they sampled boulders 40 meters from the rim, and headed back -- all the while having no clue whatsoever where they had actually gone and how close they had actually come to their goal.

I think Doug was just saying that your sense of distance seems about on par with Shepard and Mitchell's... wink.gif

-the other Doug
*



Thanks, I didn't know this interesting episode (I was 7 years old! biggrin.gif ).
Exactly, when they realized that they were only 40m from the rim?

Posted by: djellison Apr 9 2005, 04:31 PM

QUOTE (dilo @ Apr 9 2005, 10:27 AM)
Thanks, I didn't know this interesting episode (I was 7 years old!  biggrin.gif ).
Exactly, when they realized that they were only 40m from the rim?
*


I'm only 26, so I was about -8 smile.gif They kept climbing and climbing thinking they'd get to the crater, but then they just had to give up with their walkback limit closing in on them

It was only after looking at the photos back on earth that they figured it out smile.gif

I believe a case of scotch was forfeited over the whole episode smile.gif
Doug

Posted by: dvandorn Apr 9 2005, 06:28 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Apr 9 2005, 11:31 AM)
QUOTE (dilo @ Apr 9 2005, 10:27 AM)
Thanks, I didn't know this interesting episode (I was 7 years old!  biggrin.gif ).
Exactly, when they realized that they were only 40m from the rim?
*


I'm only 26, so I was about -8 smile.gif They kept climbing and climbing thinking they'd get to the crater, but then they just had to give up with their walkback limit closing in on them

It was only after looking at the photos back on earth that they figured it out smile.gif

I believe a case of scotch was forfeited over the whole episode smile.gif
Doug
*



I'm 49, so I was 15 at the time. I remember it *quite* well... biggrin.gif

Shepard and Mitchell had stopped *way* short of the planned interim sampling stops, thinking they had gone farther than they actually had. As they climbed Cone Ridge, they came up to a ridge crest that was about 20 meters below the very top of the ridge. As the came up to that crest, they thought they were coming right up on the rim, but they weren't -- and boy, did they sound surprised!

At that point, Shepard estimated it would take another half hour to get to the actual ridge crest, showing how far they had overestimated their previous progress.

Shepard thought they were approaching the rim directly from the west, while Mitchell more correctly thought they were approaching the ridge crest to the south of the crater rim. When, about 20 minutes after Shepard estimated another half hour, they reached the actual rim crest, they were about 60m S-SW of the rim. They walked to the very middle of the ridge crest, about 50m directly south of the rim, and then walked back N-NE another 10-15m to reach a boulder field about 40M from the actual rim. After 10 minutes of sampling, they had to head back because of walkback oxygen and water restraints. (All told, they were about 1.1 or 1.2 km away from the LM at that point.)

The reason the crater rim was invisible was that the near rim was higher in elevation, by about 5m, than the far rim, so the near rim simply made up what looked like a ridge crest. It was really impossible to tell that Cone Crater really *did* drop off right beyond that one crest, and that crest didn't look all that much closer or farther away than most of the rest of the horizon.

Oh, and there were two cases of Scotch at stake -- one for reaching the rim of Cone, and another for carrying the MET (the "rickshaw" they used as a tool carrier) all the way up to the top. They won the latter, since they carried the MET all the way (at one point literally carrying it off the ground when the regolith got too bumpy), and the former was ceded to them after postflight analysis showed just how close to the rim they came.

-the other Doug

Posted by: tedstryk Apr 10 2005, 04:23 AM

QUOTE (dvandorn @ Apr 9 2005, 06:28 PM)
QUOTE (djellison @ Apr 9 2005, 11:31 AM)
QUOTE (dilo @ Apr 9 2005, 10:27 AM)
Thanks, I didn't know this interesting episode (I was 7 years old!  biggrin.gif ).
Exactly, when they realized that they were only 40m from the rim?
*


I'm only 26, so I was about -8 smile.gif They kept climbing and climbing thinking they'd get to the crater, but then they just had to give up with their walkback limit closing in on them

It was only after looking at the photos back on earth that they figured it out smile.gif

I believe a case of scotch was forfeited over the whole episode smile.gif
Doug
*



I'm 49, so I was 15 at the time. I remember it *quite* well... biggrin.gif

Shepard and Mitchell had stopped *way* short of the planned interim sampling stops, thinking they had gone farther than they actually had. As they climbed Cone Ridge, they came up to a ridge crest that was about 20 meters below the very top of the ridge. As the came up to that crest, they thought they were coming right up on the rim, but they weren't -- and boy, did they sound surprised!

At that point, Shepard estimated it would take another half hour to get to the actual ridge crest, showing how far they had overestimated their previous progress.

Shepard thought they were approaching the rim directly from the west, while Mitchell more correctly thought they were approaching the ridge crest to the south of the crater rim. When, about 20 minutes after Shepard estimated another half hour, they reached the actual rim crest, they were about 60m S-SW of the rim. They walked to the very middle of the ridge crest, about 50m directly south of the rim, and then walked back N-NE another 10-15m to reach a boulder field about 40M from the actual rim. After 10 minutes of sampling, they had to head back because of walkback oxygen and water restraints. (All told, they were about 1.1 or 1.2 km away from the LM at that point.)

The reason the crater rim was invisible was that the near rim was higher in elevation, by about 5m, than the far rim, so the near rim simply made up what looked like a ridge crest. It was really impossible to tell that Cone Crater really *did* drop off right beyond that one crest, and that crest didn't look all that much closer or farther away than most of the rest of the horizon.

Oh, and there were two cases of Scotch at stake -- one for reaching the rim of Cone, and another for carrying the MET (the "rickshaw" they used as a tool carrier) all the way up to the top. They won the latter, since they carried the MET all the way (at one point literally carrying it off the ground when the regolith got too bumpy), and the former was ceded to them after postflight analysis showed just how close to the rim they came.

-the other Doug
*



I had no idea about that incident...I have the age -8 problem at the time as well biggrin.gif I would add that as someone who enjoys hiking, this is a very real problem traversing terrain. You always think you see the top of the mountain ahead, and when you get to that place, there is still further to go. Also, it is hard to realize how close you are to some things. I was hiking to a cliff that had has a particularly good view of the Clinch River the other day and, thinking myself to have taken the wrong trail, would have turned back twenty feet from the lookout had another hiker not happened to pass me by and think it odd that I was turning around.

Posted by: ustrax Apr 11 2005, 03:47 PM

Corrections on this sketch? huh.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v352/ustrax/sal.jpg
(view from west spur panorama by Tman
view of west spur panorama by horton
view of husband hill summit by ustrax)

Posted by: BruceMoomaw Apr 18 2005, 02:37 AM

Ther's quite a detailed account of the whole affair in lunar geologist Donald Wilhelms' book "To A Rocky Moon". Wilhelms is still tearing his hair out over the whole affair because he regards the samples from near or at the rim of Cone Crater as the most important ones for understanding lunar history as a whole that would have been obtained from any of the Apollo landings -- and they only obtained a few ounces from their site within just a dozen meters or so of the rim, since they didn't know they were there. As he points out, though, that wasn't their fault; the terrain was simply too hummocky and misleading as seen from ground level. A range finder to the LM (which was seriously considered once) would have solved the problem.

Posted by: dvandorn Apr 18 2005, 06:10 AM

QUOTE (BruceMoomaw @ Apr 17 2005, 09:37 PM)
Ther's quite a detailed account of the whole affair in lunar geologist Donald Wilhelms' book "To A Rocky Moon".  Wilhelms is still tearing his hair out over the whole affair because he regards the samples from near or at the rim of Cone Crater as the most important ones for understanding lunar history as a whole that would have been obtained from any of the Apollo landings -- and they only obtained a few ounces from their site within just a dozen meters or so of the rim, since they didn't know they were there.  As he points out, though, that wasn't their fault; the terrain was simply too hummocky and misleading as seen from ground level.  A range finder to the LM (which was seriously considered once) would have solved the problem.
*


Apollo 14's EVA troubles were as much a problem in process as they were a result of the hummocky surface.

There was ample observation from the first two landings that landmarks appeared much closer on the lunar surface than they actually were. This is due to the lack of any atmospheric haze and the lack of familiar objects with which to compare distant objects.

However, they didn't develop a traverse plan in which this difficulty was taken into account and walking speed estimated fairly precisely such that traverse time would give a decent estimate of distance covered. Instead, they designed the distance traveled estimates against passing of specific landmarks and sighting of other nearby landmarks -- a process which was a lot more prone to interference by hummocky terrain and difficulty in perceiving distance.

Because the landmark process was chosen, the Apollo 14 crew spent more time trying to figure out exactly where they were at all times than they spent actually moving towards their goal.

This is the kind of lesson that is valuable to be learned in *any* planetary exploration program -- you have to constantly re-validate your operational processes against your lessons learned. Failure to do so causes problems.

And, BTW -- yeah, I absolutely loved Wilhelms' book, too. My copy has been read over so much, it's in tatters... I also recommend Paul Spudis' "The Once and Future Moon." It does a very, very good job of explaining the petrology and geochemistry of the Moon.

-the other Doug

Posted by: jamescanvin Apr 20 2005, 03:35 AM

Quite a few route maps (to Sol 450) have been posted by NASA here:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20050419a.html

JC

Posted by: Myran May 5 2005, 02:57 AM

I follwed the link recommended by jamescanvin and noted one patch that have caught my attention before, so I try asking here since you seem to be knowledgable people here, so here goes:

What might that that dark spot in the inner basin be, volcanic ash?

Posted by: jamescanvin May 5 2005, 03:09 AM

QUOTE (Myran @ May 5 2005, 12:57 PM)
I follwed the link recommended by jamescanvin and noted one patch that have caught my attention before, so I try asking here since you seem to be knowledgable people here, so here goes:

What might that that dark spot in the inner basin be, volcanic ash?
*


Now that's a question that has been discussed WAY too much on various sites since Spirit landed! It's commonly known as the "Ultreya Abyss" do a google for lots of discussion about it

James

Posted by: jamescanvin May 5 2005, 03:17 AM

QUOTE (Myran @ May 5 2005, 12:57 PM)
I follwed the link recommended by jamescanvin and noted one patch that have caught my attention before, so I try asking here since you seem to be knowledgable people here, so here goes:

What might that that dark spot in the inner basin be, volcanic ash?
*


Oh, and just to add there is (no suprise!) a thread in this forum:

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=585

That may be of more help than a lot of 'other' sites with there crazy ideas! laugh.gif wink.gif

This would also be the place to continue any discussion about it! smile.gif

James

Posted by: Myran May 5 2005, 03:45 AM

QUOTE (jamescanvin @ May 5 2005, 04:17 AM)
Oh, and just to add there is (no suprise!) a thread in this forum:


Found my way there now and already spotted Pando stating: "It seems to be simply a darker-colored sand collected downwind." which corresponds with my own thinking. Though I keep my idea of volcanic ash material in reserve. tongue.gif

So I move over to that thread, thank you James!

Posted by: Phil Stooke Jun 14 2005, 05:53 PM

Having nothing to do one day, I thought I'd play with a Spirit route map. So first I took the nice set of Pan Camera pics from Sol 498 looking ouit across the plains, and made a mini-panorama of them:



(reduced in size 50% and heavily jpegged).

Then I did a patented Stooke reprojection to put it in a VERY rough maplike geometry and began comparing it with the Spirit route maps plotted on MOC images, which we have all seen. This is the result:



I am very confident of the identity of Lahontan crater and the route from there towards the hills. But I can't identify Bonneville and Missoula with any certainty.

It would also be interesting to try to plot Dust Devil locations and motion on a 'map' like this.

Phil

Posted by: Nix Jun 14 2005, 06:10 PM

Cool! You're probably right on Missoula & Bonneville. Nice work. Nice to see.
Nico

Posted by: dilo Jun 14 2005, 08:18 PM

Nice projection, Phil; your "copirighted" method is really interesting...
http://img300.echo.cx/my.php?image=498pantag7ew.jpg
I tried to re-identify your way-points in the original panorama, indicating possible location of Spirit lander. Am I right?

Posted by: Phil Stooke Jun 14 2005, 08:41 PM

Dilo - Lahontan is the bright spot further to the right from yours - same distance below the horizon, but to the right of your lander spot. Then, if I am roughly correct, Missoula is the fuzzy slightly bright patch just to the right of that and a bit further away. As for Bonneville, I'm really not sure yet. I think I may have shown it too far away.

In fact, a very quick look again suggests to me that my Missoula is really Bonneville. What I said was Bonneville, and a similar dark spot south if it look like two features about twice as far away. The rugged hills on the horizon are also uncertain but might be on or near the rim of Gusev itself. Anyway this is a work in progress, and I welcome anyone else's insights.

Phil

Posted by: alan Jun 14 2005, 09:12 PM

I'll jump in. I found Bonneville and Missoula in the color panorama from 497. Missoula is the easier to identify, it has a light "smile" on one side. Lahontan is the light area between and in front of Bonnevile and Missoula. I think the heatshield and backshell are visible too.
http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/1201/bonneville497.jpg

I'd like to take a look at the original images for Phil's pan. What sol is it from?

Posted by: lauraz Jun 14 2005, 09:36 PM

Hello, For a small three dimensional exhibit on Spirits journey across gusev, we have come to a number of stumbling points. I am hoping that someone on this forum can fill in the blanks.

In the famous Sol 454 mosaic, Spirit is looking in a NorthEast direction. The hill immediately to the left is identified as Clark Hill. Does the hill in the distance have a name?

For accuracy in our model, we have been looking for the dimensions of the landmarks Spirit has been exploring. We found out that Methuselah is 3 ft. long. Has there been measure of how high it is. The same information for Jibsheet and LL are needed. We know that Husband Hill is 60 ft. above the plain. Are there measurements for Clark Hill and the mystery peak in the distance. Thank you for any information. Laura Zelasnic

Posted by: Phil Stooke Jun 15 2005, 01:45 AM

Hi - the hill to the north - the bigger one - is really two hills one behind the other. If you look closely, especially in the beautiful color pan by ( I think) Deeman on this forum, the distinction between them is easy to see in terms of texture. The nearer one is Clark Hill, and it's scattered with dark rocks. Behind it is Chawla hill, further away and smoother in texture (maybe only looking smoother because it's further away).

The hill to the right in that pan, on the more distant horizon, is part of the rim of an old eroded crater called Thira. The crater name is sometimes written Thyra. I have myself made this mistake, but I just checked with the USGS and Thira is correct. I don't have a height for it, but higher than Clark Hill.

I don't have sizes for the foreground features. I think a question directed to Ron Li at li.282@osu.edu (who does mapping for the team) might get that information.

Please post a photo of your exhibit when it's done, if you can!

Phil

Posted by: djellison Jun 15 2005, 08:53 AM

This looks news..

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/traverse_maps.html

Doug

Posted by: Tman Jun 15 2005, 12:17 PM

QUOTE (Phil Stooke @ Jun 14 2005, 07:53 PM)
Having nothing to do one day, I thought I'd play with a Spirit route map.  So first I took the nice set of Pan Camera pics from Sol 498 looking ouit across the plains, and made a mini-panorama of them...

Phil
*


QUOTE (alan @ Jun 14 2005, 11:12 PM)
http://s05.imagehost.org/view.php?image=/1201/bonneville497.jpg

Alan
*

Hi Phil, wherefrom have you got the raw Pancam pics left of White Hill? I dont find they neither in Exploratorium nor on the JPL site. huh.gif

And Alan, is your pan from the same sol and Pancam too?

Posted by: Phil Stooke Jun 15 2005, 12:56 PM

Hi, Tman... I can't find it either! This is the image number for the left-most frame, if that helps... does the time information help you find it? I thought I might have picked up some frames from an adjacent sol but now I can't identify them.

Phil

2P170488730EFFAAFQP2284L2M1.JPG

Posted by: Tman Jun 15 2005, 01:37 PM

Sweet! The code was helpful - it's from sol 497. On Exploratorium there are 159 files, but therefrom still nothing in the JPL raw pics: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/spirit_p497.html I guess JPL won't share any longer the coming Pancam pan from eastern Larry. cool.gif biggrin.gif

Posted by: alan Jun 15 2005, 04:15 PM

QUOTE (Tman @ Jun 15 2005, 12:17 PM)
And Alan, is your pan from the same sol and Pancam too?
Yes, mine is from sol 497 too.

Posted by: Tman Jun 16 2005, 09:42 AM

Here a color pan from the sol 497 shots:

(1,0MB) http://www.greuti.ch/spirit/spirit_pancam_sol497.jpg

The image editing to enhance Bonneville's visibility could be probably better, but my knowledge therefor isn't that great thing.

By the way, Alan's line item specification should be right.

Posted by: lauraz Jun 23 2005, 05:29 PM

I want to thank the members of this list for your assistance in identifying features and Spirit's traverse across Columbia Hills. This has helped our project immeasurably. Probably you will be hearing from me again as we focus our model. Thanks, again. Laura Zelasnic

Posted by: Bob Shaw Jun 23 2005, 10:17 PM

Tman's Sol 497 panorama (I *still* can't see that darn Bonneville) just adds to my conviction that there's a sorting process going on with regard to small impacts. Consider the sort of view we got from Apollos when the guys drove (or walked!) up hills - rounded, yes, but always cratered - and at all scales. I just don't see the smaller chaps at all on Spirit's landscape, and even from Opportunity the craters we've seen on the ground have been few and far between. Certainly, the bigger chaps are there - but the 10 metre and below boys just vanish in the mist...

...makes me wonder what the historical (in geological terms) changes in the Martian atmosphere meant in terms of things actually hitting the ground.

Posted by: Tman Jun 24 2005, 01:45 PM

Maybe these new images including the specification of the direction could help (the pan isn't quite exact):

(1,2MB) http://www.greuti.ch/spirit/spirit_pancam_sol497a.jpg

http://www.greuti.ch/spirit/angles_from_Larry'sLookout.jpg

Posted by: aldo12xu Jul 6 2005, 12:36 PM

Latest Spirit route map takes us to sol 532. Summit 2 "only" 125 metres away!

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/traverse_maps.html


Posted by: RedSky Aug 30 2005, 05:36 PM

New Spirit & Oppy route maps out at JPL (30 Aug):


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/traverse_maps.html


(new day-by-day summaries out for both, too)

(Edited: Look at the last (wide-view) Spirit map at full size... .and look REAL CLOSELY into the Ultreya Abyss! You'll see evidence for artificial intelligence! wink.gif laugh.gif

Posted by: Myran Aug 30 2005, 06:49 PM

Yes ive seen it, I bet its Marvin who have went ahead to place a yardstick there.
Only question now is what Daffy are up to?

(Marvin the Martian and Daffy Duck official mascots for this mission but I bet most know that http://www.space.com/images/h_mer_patches_02.jpg)

Posted by: SigurRosFan Sep 2 2005, 09:45 AM

New Spirit 3d route map:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20050901d/SQUYRES_3_Oblique_Traverse_full_size-A591R1_br2.jpg (87 KB)

Posted by: stewjack Sep 2 2005, 07:21 PM

QUOTE (SigurRosFan @ Sep 2 2005, 05:45 AM)
New Spirit 3d route map:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20050901d/SQUYRES_3_Oblique_Traverse_full_size-A591R1_br2.jpg (87 KB)
*


Now I know why Tennessee valley doesn't look like a vally. It's miissing most of one side!

GREAT OVERVIEW

Jack
.

Posted by: SigurRosFan Sep 9 2005, 02:08 PM

New detailed traverse maps by JPL:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol592.html

Posted by: dilo Sep 10 2005, 07:02 AM

wheel.gif wheel.gif wheel.gif
In order to celebrate Sol600, here a summary of daily/cumulative odometry I made from the mission start of both rovers (average is calculated from differences between total odometry reported values):

 

Posted by: general Sep 19 2005, 07:58 PM

New traverse maps for Spirit:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html

Posted by: dilo Oct 1 2005, 10:36 AM

maybe interesting to see this pseudo-vertical projection from the "true summit" (Sol619), with identificable traces/maneuvers from previous Sols. Thanks again Michael, for MMB!!!!


 

Posted by: Phillip Oct 5 2005, 02:40 PM

Is this Steve's first mention of the Ultreya Abyss? I wonder if it is a direct or in indirect result of his conversation with Doug?

"If we can get down onto the lower part of the ridge, we'll eventually hang a hard right turn and head south, toward Home Plate, crossing some interesting-looking terraces and passing just to the east of a dark patch of sand as we do."

Doug, at one time in another thread you posted a 3-D topographical map of Husband Hill. Alas I cannot find it. I thought it might be a useful instrument to follow the planned path for Spirit downhill, as outline in Squyre's latest update. Do you still have access to it and if so, can you post it again?

Thanks

Posted by: djellison Oct 5 2005, 03:49 PM

QUOTE (Phillip @ Oct 5 2005, 02:40 PM)
Do you still have access to it and if so, can you post it again?
*


Unfortunately, it doesn include anything beyond the Summit basically.

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/doug_images/elev_2.jpg

If there's more contour data around, I'll be more than happy to do the work

Doug

Posted by: odave Oct 5 2005, 05:15 PM

Here's my guess from http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040506a/09-AK-02-Columbia-Hills-Flyover-B101R1.jpg which I rotated so north is up:



Or does the ENE portion of the ridge continue further east?

Posted by: Tesheiner Oct 11 2005, 09:43 AM

Hi all,

Now that Spirit will start moving again down to the Inner Basin, I was thinking on how to plot a fairly precise route map, without the need to depend on the traverse maps from the MER webpage.

I'm afraid that Dilo's superb work on Oppy's route map wouldn't be applicable here; it needs a quite good terrain modeling to produce precise results.

Another option would be with the use of polar projections and trying to match the headings to medium/far range features on the route map and on the projection. But this method has an error quite high if compared to the expected drives in the 5-30m range.

A third one would be to estimate the rover movement (heading/distance) by pinpointing similar features on before-drive and after-drive navcam/pancam images. But again, this method has a drawback: it accumulates the errors drive after drive.

At the end, I don't know which is the best method -- or let's say the "less worst" -- to plot the route map.

Comments are welcome.

Posted by: Phil Stooke Oct 11 2005, 01:50 PM

I would suggest that the most likely method to produce reasonable results would be a combination.

Dilo's method could produce reasonable results with a simple correction for the mean slope of each area. Areas of more complex morphology would be troublesome but Spirit will tend to avoid them anyway. The second option - polar projections and headings to medium-long range features is good but accumulates errors, as Tesheiner says. The third option is more like 'dead reckoning', estimating travel distance and direction, and accumulates errors as well.

All three methods will give a rough path. But at intervals of - let's say - 200 m the position could be checked more carefully with azimuths to major features in the surrounding landscape. That can help get the route back on course. If it has drifted off by 25 m, a corrected map can be made with the correction distributed over the whole journey since the last check.

In effect this is what the MER team will be doing, with Ron Li's bundle adjustment work used to correct Larry Crumpler's day by day mapping. We saw evidence of this in a Spirit map release earlier where the two positions were both plotted.

I eagerly await any effort to do this! Incidentally, even when this glorious mission ends there will be lots of good work to do retrospectively with this kind of approach. Imagine a Dilo-style map of the interior of Endurance, using a rough shape model to correct for tilt!

Phil

Posted by: dilo Oct 12 2005, 12:06 AM

I think combination of the three methods + distant features azimuth localization could give good results...
There is a fourth "absolute" method based on the massive use of parallax calculation in order to obtain a true 3D terrain model; however, if done manually, it would be extremely time-consuming sad.gif
About first method, note that there is a useful shortcut in using the locally-planar projection (or even its approximate version produced with MMB - see my last post in this thread): you can use rover tracks as a gauge for the best local terrain approximation... if done through a rendering software like PovRay, this could give local terrain slope/orientation!
If I will have enough time, I will make a try... meanwhile, someone else can do the same using MMB panoramas. rolleyes.gif

PS: Phil, it seems you deeply knows the Mer team members/jobs...

Posted by: alan Oct 17 2005, 03:19 AM

41 meter drive according to the latest update
http://athena.cornell.edu/news/mubss/

Posted by: Tesheiner Oct 24 2005, 04:28 PM

While the MER team doesn't post their own one, here is a route map based on the driving info provided by the last status report.



I assumed all drives (except the last one) were due east, which is more or less confirmed by the navcam imagery. Note that "east" on this map is about 6ş clockwise because the background image is not map-projected.

PD: If the map proves to be accurate enough, the "easiest" path to cross the step seems to be to the left (NE).

Posted by: TheChemist Oct 25 2005, 08:52 AM

Firefox does not display the attached image's link for me. Is the link ok ? Thanks !

Posted by: djellison Oct 25 2005, 08:54 AM

Ahh - I think what happened was that he uploaded an image with one post, but didnt put any content in it - and I accidentally deleted that post as it said something along the lines of duplicate or delete or something on it.

T - you might want to re-attach the attachment to another post.

Doug

Posted by: Tesheiner Oct 25 2005, 10:14 AM

Ok, I simply edited my previous post and included the attachment again.

Posted by: Tesheiner Oct 26 2005, 12:10 PM

New route map posted on the MER webpage, updated up to sol 639.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html

<embarrassed mode on>
... and here below is a raw comparision of the official route map and my own version... sad.gif




<embarrassed mode off>

Posted by: jamescanvin Oct 27 2005, 05:11 AM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Oct 26 2005, 10:10 PM)
New route map posted on the MER webpage, updated up to sol 639.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html

<embarrassed mode on>
... and here below is a raw comparision of the official route map and my own version...  sad.gif




<embarrassed mode off>
*


Very interesting update! Thanks for noticing it Tesheiner.

The top of the steep step was always very hard to see on the MOC images, nice to have it added. If the bottom of the steep step is where it appears to be then it is much longer, and hence shallower than I thought. We can't be far off being able to see the bottom of the slope meaning it's not much steeper than the the current minimum (17 degrees).

Of course there could still be dangerous outcrops but I would be a lot happier trying to manouver around them on a 20 degree slope than something close to 30.

James,

P.S. Don't be embarrassed, I think your map was the best that could be done with the information we had. I spent ages staring at pans trying to work out where the top of the drop-off was on the MOC images and couldn't come up with anything!

Posted by: general Nov 3 2005, 07:53 AM

Great new traverse map, with colors and contour lines:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/images/MERA_A651_2.jpg
smile.gif

Posted by: Tman Nov 3 2005, 10:13 PM

Doug, may/can you make such a cool three-dimensional image of it again?!

Posted by: alan Nov 10 2005, 02:40 AM

Spirit is on the move again, and I have a seat with a view. smile.gif


I'll switch to the color view (Sol 594-597) when Spirit is more visible in it.

Posted by: dilo Nov 10 2005, 03:18 AM

QUOTE (Tman @ Nov 3 2005, 10:13 PM)
Doug, may/can you make such a cool three-dimensional image of it again?!
*

I already tried to do, but I stopped the work when I noticed the very bad agreement in slope between B/W image (with purple level curves) and right portion of colored map. Consider the critical actual rover position, halfway between the two maps!
Maybe Doug will solve the dilemma...

Posted by: djellison Nov 10 2005, 09:46 AM

QUOTE (Tman @ Nov 3 2005, 10:13 PM)
Doug, may/can you make such a cool three-dimensional image of it again?!
*


If I had the time, I would, but busy busy busy unfortuantely sad.gif

Posted by: dilo Nov 10 2005, 09:03 PM

OK, I completed the work by making a compromise between the two maps (I suspect that colored one is more recent/accurate, but cannot ignore the surrounding topography!).
Herebelow I report the elevation map (a gif with gray levels stretched in order to cover all elevation range of the map, which is about 80m) and an anglyph on the most interesting side...

 

Posted by: Tman Nov 13 2005, 07:59 AM

Thanks Dilo, the anglyph shows a nice valley-like route down to the basin.

Posted by: general Nov 14 2005, 05:06 PM

New traverse maps smile.gif
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html

Posted by: djellison Nov 14 2005, 05:16 PM

I was ASTONISHED by the Sol 659 drive - you can not see two sets of tracks, they must have backed up straight over the orig ones...astonishing driving smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: jaredGalen Nov 14 2005, 05:21 PM

Seems like they have taken a leaf out of dilo's book in "Route mapping for MERs" with their polar projection type bit. smile.gif

Posted by: alan Nov 16 2005, 02:30 AM

On the south side of the ridge now


Posted by: jamescanvin Nov 16 2005, 02:57 AM

QUOTE (alan @ Nov 16 2005, 01:30 PM)
On the south side of the ridge now


*


Good to see your location images back Alan. cool.gif

Posted by: alan Nov 18 2005, 03:59 AM

Now in color cool.gif


updated to sol 667

Posted by: alan Nov 19 2005, 06:58 PM

Orbital view


Posted by: algorimancer Nov 19 2005, 11:42 PM

Looks like we ought to be making a sharp turn to the west sometime soon. That was a quick descent.

Posted by: alan Nov 21 2005, 06:47 PM

Update to 670


Actual position is probably a bit lower, behind ridge.

Posted by: Tesheiner Nov 23 2005, 05:23 PM

There was no update on Spirit traverse maps at the official MER webpage since sol 659 drive, and I wouldn't expect any until after Thanksgiving holidays.

So here is what I've been tracking until sol 671. Data until sol 651 have been adjusted to the official map while further positions up to sol 659 fits quite well with the traverse map.


Posted by: Phil Stooke Nov 23 2005, 05:28 PM

Tesheiner's map looks good to me, though I have not yet had a chance to compare it with my day to day notes.

Phil

Posted by: alan Nov 23 2005, 07:29 PM

The nearest tracks from the sol 666 drive are 20 meters from Spirit's current position, so the sol 671 position should be about 20 meters to the SSW, near the edge of the dark patch.

Posted by: dot.dk Nov 23 2005, 08:16 PM

New SOL 668 traverse maps are up:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol668.html

Posted by: Tesheiner Nov 23 2005, 09:17 PM

QUOTE (alan @ Nov 23 2005, 08:29 PM)
The nearest tracks from the sol 666 drive are 20 meters from Spirit's current position, so the sol 671 position should be about 20 meters to the SSW, near the edge of the dark patch.
*


I knew that when plotted 671 position; it was a bit inconsistent with that 666 drive. But that's the problem with this incremental method; errors are cumulative and from time to time you must correct the whole thing using another technic.

Posted by: DFinfrock Nov 24 2005, 01:19 AM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Nov 23 2005, 08:16 PM)
New SOL 668 traverse maps are up:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol668.html
*


Sorry ustrax. Ultreya is not in the "Corridor of Interest". huh.gif

Why wouldn't Spirit as least give the area a brief up-close look? It sure seems interesting to me.

Posted by: Phil Stooke Nov 24 2005, 02:33 AM

Dunes (drifts, ripples etc.) might be interesting if there were no other good targets around, but this is a geological wonderland rick in outcrops of rock of different types. The stuff of dunes could have come from anywhere, but bedrock is in place where it formed, full of clues about its depositional environment. It's going to be bedrock all, or most of, the time...

Phil

Posted by: alan Nov 24 2005, 02:46 AM

Some landmarks views from the 594-7 pan and MOC



Posted by: general Nov 24 2005, 08:49 AM

New traverse maps:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html


blink.gif Ooops... Too late rolleyes.gif laugh.gif

Posted by: Tesheiner Nov 24 2005, 12:01 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Nov 23 2005, 10:17 PM)
QUOTE (alan @ Nov 23 2005, 08:29 PM)
The nearest tracks from the sol 666 drive are 20 meters from Spirit's current position, so the sol 671 position should be about 20 meters to the SSW, near the edge of the dark patch.
*


I knew that when plotted 671 position; it was a bit inconsistent with that 666 drive. But that's the problem with this incremental method; errors are cumulative and from time to time you must correct the whole thing using another technic.
*



... errors are cumulative ... and worst when they come from wrong calculations. sad.gif

An updated map correcting sol 670 drive (now estimated to be 14m @ 125ş to the right of Home Plate). Sol 671 drive is still estimated to be 7m @ 130ş to the right of H.P.

(195k)

PS: As already said I wasn't expecting new official maps too soon, and never just few hours after my posted route map. blink.gif
Here is an animated GIF comparing both maps. There are clearly differences among both but there are also differences on the vertical scales(see the different positions for the "waypoint"), so at the end both maps represent similar routes.

(620k)

Posted by: Tesheiner Nov 24 2005, 04:10 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Nov 23 2005, 09:16 PM)
New SOL 668 traverse maps are up:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol668.html
*


Ok.
I took the second map (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/images/MERA_A668_2.jpg) on that release and overlayed the first map (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/images/MERA_A668_3.jpg) on top of it, after adjusting the scales.
And the result is this:



blink.gif

Posted by: TheChemist Nov 24 2005, 04:36 PM

Well we know where we’re goin’
But we don’t know where we’ve been
And we know what we’re knowin’
But we can’t say what we’ve seen
And we’re not little children
And we know what we want
And the future is certain
Give us time to work it out

We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride


Tesheiner, after seeing your comparison, that seemed appropriate biggrin.gif (taken from http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/talking-heads/135072.html).

Posted by: Tesheiner Nov 24 2005, 04:45 PM

No need to be worried... while Home Plate is on sight. wink.gif

Posted by: alan Dec 3 2005, 03:07 AM

Latest two positions


Posted by: mars loon Dec 6 2005, 07:44 AM

New Traverse map from JPL

PIA03624: Spirit Traverse Map, Sol 680

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03624

Annotated Spirit Traverse Map

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/figures/PIA03624_fig1.jpg

This image shows the route that NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit has driven inside Gusev Crater from its first Martian day (sol 1) to its 680th sol (Dec. 1, 2005), more than a complete Martian year. The underlying image (previously released as PIA07849) is a mosaic of images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. The scale bar at lower left is 500 meters (0.31 mile). As of sol 680, Spirit had driven a total of 5,495 meters (3.41 miles).

Posted by: Tesheiner Dec 7 2005, 10:48 AM

My route map, updated up to sol 685.

(641k)

Posted by: ToSeek Dec 7 2005, 06:05 PM

One more ridge and we finally get a good view of Ultreya?

Posted by: alan Dec 14 2005, 03:33 PM

updated to sol 692


Posted by: Tesheiner Dec 19 2005, 11:11 AM

My route map, updated up to sol 694.

(559k)

Posted by: RNeuhaus Dec 19 2005, 04:41 PM

Tesheiner, thanks for the post.

Shall anyone shall point where is "Miami" as the next Spirit's visit spot.

Rodolfo

Posted by: Tesheiner Dec 19 2005, 04:54 PM

Miami was left behind on sol 690.

Posted by: RNeuhaus Dec 19 2005, 04:57 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Dec 19 2005, 11:54 AM)
Miami was left behind on sol 690.
*

Plop! Your previous post figured the Miami Site.

Thanks

Rodolfo

Posted by: general Dec 20 2005, 08:45 AM

New traverse maps:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html

Posted by: slinted Dec 24 2005, 01:15 PM

Sol 700 traverse map for Spirit, from the Ohio State Mapping and GIS Laboratory http://shoreline.eng.ohio-state.edu/

http://shoreline.eng.ohio-state.edu/album/photos/mer2003/spirit_700.jpg

Posted by: Tesheiner Dec 27 2005, 10:31 PM

Route map, including sols 704 and 705.

(563k)

Posted by: Tesheiner Dec 30 2005, 01:40 PM

Route map up to sol 706.

(198k)

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 3 2006, 10:08 PM

Another update (sol 711)


(199k)

Posted by: Shaka Jan 3 2006, 10:50 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jan 3 2006, 12:08 PM)
Another update (sol 711)


(199k)
*

Hmmm. Extending that line takes us to "Allegheny Ridge". I thought we had to choose between that and Eldorado. From Allegheny, McCool Hill and Home Plate are in opposite directions. Does this mean we have more time than we thought before 'winter' or that there is no time for Home Plate? unsure.gif

Posted by: general Jan 4 2006, 09:45 AM

To reach McCool Hill, Spirit has to take the route between Home Plate and Alleghenny Ridge.

 

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 4 2006, 09:51 AM

Could be, IF the intention was to go direct to McCool Hill.
But afaik the near-term objective (sol 750?) is to reach and study Home Plate.

Imho, this last drive SE was just a way to avoid going directly over the dunes. A left turn to reach harder ground.

Posted by: Shaka Jan 4 2006, 07:16 PM

QUOTE (general @ Jan 3 2006, 11:45 PM)
To reach McCool Hill, Spirit has to take the route between Home Plate and Alleghenny Ridge.
*

Whoa, who put McCool Hill way down there? No doubt about it. I gotta get me a new map! blink.gif
Can somebody refer me to a thoroughly labelled orbiter view of Columbia Hills?
Thanx

Posted by: general Jan 4 2006, 07:31 PM

QUOTE (Shaka @ Jan 4 2006, 08:16 PM)
Whoa, who put McCool Hill way down there?  No doubt about it. I gotta get me a new map!  blink.gif
Can somebody  refer me to a thoroughly labelled orbiter view of Columbia Hills?
Thanx
*



 

Posted by: Shaka Jan 4 2006, 08:31 PM

QUOTE (general @ Jan 4 2006, 09:31 AM)
*

Thankee, General, Sir! Boy, I am confused! All this time I thought the hill to the East of Husband Hill (across the inner basin) was McCool. So what [B]is[B] the name for that big mother? ( Indicated by the ? below.)


Posted by: general Jan 4 2006, 09:18 PM

QUOTE (Shaka @ Jan 4 2006, 09:31 PM)
Thankee, General, Sir!  Boy, I am confused!  All this time I thought the hill to the East of Husband Hill (across the inner basin) was McCool.  So what [B]is[B] the name for that big mother? ( Indicated by the ? below.)


*


No name for that ridge/hill, because it was not visible from the Spirit landing site.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/spotlight/spirit/20050713/20050713_Columbia_Hills.jpg

Posted by: alan Jan 4 2006, 10:42 PM

spirit locations 680-713


Posted by: Shaka Jan 4 2006, 11:20 PM

QUOTE (alan @ Jan 4 2006, 12:42 PM)
spirit locations 680-713


*

Ah, at last! Splendid! Now I know where we are.
huh.gif And I'm to believe that whole massive bulk filling most of the background is without even an informal name? Shame! If JPL can't be bothered, we should at least come up with something. Let's make a list of suggestions.
e.g. "YOGI" , because it looks like a big sleeping bear, and because, like Berra, it's behind Home Plate. O.K.? smile.gif no? sad.gif
or maybe...Squyres Castle?...East Redoubt?...C'mon, help me out here.

Posted by: akuo Jan 4 2006, 11:23 PM

QUOTE (Shaka @ Jan 4 2006, 11:20 PM)
Ah, at last! Splendid! Now I know where we are.
huh.gif  And I'm to believe that whole massive bulk filling most of the background is without even an informal name? Shame!  If JPL can't be bothered, we should at least come up with something. Let's make a list of suggestions.


No! It's McCool hill! See general's post 5 articles back :-)

Posted by: nprev Jan 4 2006, 11:28 PM

How about Rectangle Ridge, for the formation's overhead appearance?

Posted by: Shaka Jan 4 2006, 11:30 PM

QUOTE (akuo @ Jan 4 2006, 01:23 PM)
No! It's McCool hill! See general's post 5 articles back :-)
*

blink.gif JEEEEZZ! Never mind, guys. Just leave a trail of breadcrumbs, and I'll follow.

Posted by: akuo Jan 4 2006, 11:32 PM

QUOTE (Shaka @ Jan 4 2006, 11:30 PM)
blink.gif  JEEEEZZ!  Never mind, guys. Just leave a trail of breadcrumbs, and I'll follow.
*


Just to make it clearer, the direction towards McCool hill is south in http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=3177.

Posted by: jamescanvin Jan 5 2006, 01:53 AM

QUOTE (akuo @ Jan 5 2006, 10:32 AM)
Just to make it clearer, the direction towards McCool hill is south in http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=3177.
*


And to hopefully clear things up even more. The edge of the feature the Shaka put a ? on is the rise going off the left edge of Alans picture.

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 5 2006, 10:26 AM

Route map updated up to sol 713.

(351k)

I've changed the background image to the new cProto picture of the Hills released on Jan 03. It is more detailed but I personally see some drawbacks on its use here.
First, bigger resolution means bigger file size or heavier compression.
Second, it seems this pic was taken almost at noon because it has much smaller shadows then the previous image. The result is that the "3D effect" which was previously visible has been lost. Anybody can try to identify Miami and Comanche on the new picture; it's HARD, if even possible...

Comments are welcome. smile.gif

Posted by: djellison Jan 5 2006, 10:38 AM

I've tried to compare Alan-is-Lost with Tesh-Map smile.gif

It doesnt look like much, but it really helped me put the local geography into some sort of context.

Doug

 

Posted by: general Jan 5 2006, 05:09 PM

Beautiful new traverse maps:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html

Posted by: djellison Jan 5 2006, 05:12 PM

ohmy.gif

Posted by: ustrax Jan 5 2006, 05:21 PM

Double quoting Doug...

ohmy.gif ohmy.gif

Posted by: john_s Jan 5 2006, 05:23 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Jan 5 2006, 10:38 AM)
I've tried to compare Alan-is-Lost with Tesh-Map smile.gif

It doesnt look like much, but it really helped me put the local geography into some sort of context.

Doug
*


Outstanding- that's the clearest tie-in between the orbital and rover views that I've seen. Everything is clear now...

Posted by: djellison Jan 5 2006, 05:40 PM

I've sent a polite email to Dr Li ( he of MER Mapping fame, and the head of the dept. that produced those most recent, amazing maps ) and asked if he might be able to release an elevation map or DEM so that I could do some perspective views and animations of the area. If we're lucky, I might be able to do something like the old perspective views I did - http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/doug_images/elev_1.jpg - but much much MUCH better smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: Toma B Jan 5 2006, 06:02 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Jan 5 2006, 08:40 PM)
...If we're lucky, I might be able to do something like the old perspective views I did - http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/doug_images/elev_1.jpg - but much much MUCH better smile.gif

Doug
*

Yeah I remember those maps...they were wonderful...
But this map does not show where Spirit is in relation to the Columbia Hills sad.gif ...just the height of the area....
Maybe they should add another map....old ways are sometimes better...

Posted by: RNeuhaus Jan 5 2006, 08:03 PM

Somewhat close, it is a bi-dimensional map. I am copying it the updated Jan 5 Spirit route map with altitude reference.


Southwest is of the lowest altitude and the Southeast is of the highest altitude.
I think that Home Plate is still out of range in that map, still further south.

Rodolfo

Posted by: alan Jan 5 2006, 10:05 PM

another drive day


Posted by: SigurRosFan Jan 5 2006, 10:20 PM

Alan, is this image exaggerated version?

Posted by: alan Jan 5 2006, 10:35 PM

Yes, it's a 2x vertical exaggeration. It makes it easier to see the hills in front of homeplate.

Posted by: Shaka Jan 6 2006, 01:42 AM

QUOTE (alan @ Jan 5 2006, 12:05 PM)
another drive day
*

Bitchin'! Now we've gotta plan how to climb this sucker. I would propose something like below. Sneak up on the back side to the greatest exposed section, then zip up to the west corner in a head-first slide. "Safe at Home! "
We can decide whether it's worth mapping and whether there's a safe descent to the south after we get there. If it's just the same as the light exposed stuff we've been driving over, I'll be disappointed, but there should be a nice view anyway.

Posted by: SigurRosFan Jan 6 2006, 11:55 AM

Alan, could you post the non-processed image (without route marks)?

Posted by: alan Jan 6 2006, 12:45 PM

With or without the verticle exaggeration?

Posted by: SigurRosFan Jan 6 2006, 01:32 PM

Just without exaggeration.

Posted by: alan Jan 6 2006, 01:52 PM


Posted by: SigurRosFan Jan 6 2006, 01:53 PM

Thanks!

Posted by: MaxSt Jan 7 2006, 06:12 AM

here's what I've got:

 

Posted by: CosmicRocker Jan 7 2006, 06:39 AM

The contours on that OSU route map seem to be suggesting block faulting on some of the hills! That's the first time we have seen anything like that on one of the maps, iirc.

Posted by: Bill Harris Jan 7 2006, 10:08 AM

QUOTE
here's what I've got:

Very good!

QUOTE
seems to be suggesting block faulting

I noticed that, too, and I'm thinking that it may be an anomaly in the gridding software they use to generate the topo maps.

--Bill

Posted by: abalone Jan 7 2006, 12:06 PM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 7 2006, 05:39 PM)
The contours on that OSU route map seem to be suggesting block faulting on some of the hills!  That's the first time we have seen anything like that on one of the maps, iirc.
*

I think some of the orbital shots indicate the same

Posted by: djellison Jan 7 2006, 12:18 PM

No - there's a 'ripping' to the stereo interpolation there - that's not real features. - some go straight thru El Dorado, and we KNOW what that's like.

Doug

Posted by: alan Jan 8 2006, 12:16 AM

Spirit drove to the next dune


More drives coming up on sol 717 and 718

Posted by: dot.dk Jan 8 2006, 01:16 AM

alan - love your maps. But I think the black numbers on the dark ground could be made better..

I tried making yellow numbers and I think it shows up much better smile.gif

Only a suggestion to improve your wonderfull maps wink.gif


Posted by: dilo Jan 8 2006, 08:29 AM

dot/alan, I love too these maps smile.gif , we should continue to update them!
[/quote]

Posted by: Phil Stooke Jan 8 2006, 09:19 PM

Here's a preview of something I'm working on for a book proposal after my current one goes in next year.

I am making a set of maps of the whole Spirit route at a standard scale, showing placenames as well as sols. This map is a 500 m square - the whole route up to Home Plate requires 9 maps like this with a slight overlap. For areas which need more detail, such as West Spur, additional high resolution maps will be created, probably by reprojecting surface panoramas as I did with Eagle and Anatolia recently. (They were also experiments for the same purpose, basically to estimate how many pages will be needed for each rover).

The background is poor, but it will be replaced with an MRO image (or a better version of this MOC jpeg) later

Phil


Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 9 2006, 11:17 AM

Spirit route map, updated up to sol 717 (714 by Dilo).

(352k)

Posted by: general Jan 9 2006, 05:48 PM

New traverse maps:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html

Posted by: RNeuhaus Jan 9 2006, 06:38 PM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 7 2006, 01:39 AM)
The contours on that OSU route map seem to be suggesting block faulting on some of the hills!  That's the first time we have seen anything like that on one of the maps, iirc.
*

I cannot see a fault. I would like that someone point it out in a picture.

Rodolfo

P.S.
I have enclosed the Spirit traverse map Sol 715 from Marsrovers JPL Web. I traced two white curviline in where it is supposed to be faults.


Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 9 2006, 09:11 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jan 9 2006, 12:17 PM)
Spirit route map, updated up to sol 717 (714 by Dilo).
*

QUOTE (general @ Jan 9 2006, 06:48 PM)
New traverse maps:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/index.html
*


Man, I should post my route map version more often!

biggrin.gif

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 11 2006, 10:14 AM

Route map, up to sol 719.

(572k)

Posted by: sattrackpro Jan 11 2006, 02:07 PM

[quote=Tesheiner,Jan 11 2006, 03:14 AM]
Route map, up to sol 719.
- -
Tesh, I'm beginning to worry that we'll not spend much time at Home Plate...

I'm speculating that it will take at least (and that's moving fast) another 7 to 10 days to get to Home Plate - and with little time for doing much probing, another 8 to 10 days to get to a North facing slope. Do you (or anyone) see a route fast enough to get us to Home Plate and to safe wintering ground, in time?

In the link below, I've used a piece of your Route Map to illustrate daily drives - for perhaps 14 days+... and you can see where we may run rather short of time.

http://anyold.com/mars/Route_Map_Sol719_speculation.jpg

I'm beginning to wonder if Home Plate will be left for the springtime... unsure.gif

 

Posted by: sattrackpro Jan 11 2006, 02:15 PM

Well - I ~tried~ to remove the attachment, Tesh - it got there without showing up in the preview - and after the system said that it was too big to add. (That's why I posted the link to an altered smaller image.)

It is ~definitely~ time for bed... wink.gif

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 11 2006, 02:41 PM

Your proposed path seems reasonable; there are other ones on the "Going to Homeplate" thread and we may be really speaking of some additional 10 driving days until reaching Home Plate.

Little time for science? Dunno.
I can only refer to what was already said by S.S (see http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=1850&view=findpost&p=31866): Home Plate by sol 750 and McCool Hill by sol 800. They are the experts, and for the time being Spirit seems to be on schedule.

Posted by: akuo Jan 11 2006, 02:55 PM

Can't see us being in that much of a hurry. You have to remember that this is Mars and with the year being twice as long so are the seasons (though the eccrenticity of the orbit complicates it a bit, southern summers being a bit shorter). We're still in the beginning of autumn.

Looking at helvick's power chart the maximum solar input now is about the same as it was at the end of the primary mission -- and that was when Spirit started her long treck to the hills.

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=1204&st=0#

Steve also said that the schedule was to be at HP around sol 750 and getting to the slopes on sol 800. So we are well ahead of that. I'm betting Spirit will spend a good month on the Home plate.

Posted by: sattrackpro Jan 12 2006, 02:26 AM

QUOTE (akuo @ Jan 11 2006, 07:55 AM)
Can't see us being in that much of a hurry.

Thanks! And, thanks too, Tesh...

It was that power graph that collided with the Sol dates of 750 - 800 that had me worried in the first place. But, since then I saw that these power numbers are NOT actual - so the decending lines that go below 'death' are... not real after all. (Frankly, I'm not sure what to make of that graph now.)

Spirit and Oppy both have beaten the odds - enormously. I hope that the guys who have done such a marvelous job in keeping them both healthy so far, continue to do so for many more months. This has been, in my estimation, the most spectacular success ever in planetary exploration, so much so that future attempts will have a hard time meeting expectations based on the marvels these two MER vehicles have continued to provide us with.

Posted by: Mongo Jan 12 2006, 04:28 AM

QUOTE (sattrackpro @ Jan 12 2006, 02:26 AM)
This has been, in my estimation, the most spectacular success ever in planetary exploration, so much so that future attempts will have a hard time meeting expectations based on the marvels these two MER vehicles have continued to provide us with.
*

They certainly have been fantastic successes. They have provided a wealth of stunning images in addition to new scientific results. I think, though, that it is difficult to directly compare them with other projects that provided outstanding results in other areas.

Voyagers 1 and 2, for instance, provided our first good looks at the Jupiter and Saturn systems, and our only look so far at the Uranus and Neptune systems. Many of the images they sent back are still iconic. Vikings 1 and 2 (including the Orbiters) were another tremendously scientifically productive project. And of course, Cassini/Huygens continues to provide amazing imagery.

The MER project certainly makes the "robotic space exploration Hall of Fame". That's good enough for me.

Bill

P.S. After writing that, I thought "Why not have our own Hall of Fame?" Take the eligible candidates to be all missions that either launched or reached their destination before some cut-off date, and conduct a vote to determine the most successful spacecraft in history -- my vote would probably go to Voyager 2, unless somebody changes my mind. Whichever mission gets the most points is awarded spot #1 on the Unmanned Spaceflight.com Hall of Fame. After additional debate, we have a vote for the #2 spacecraft of all time, and so on.

If there is interest, it should be fairly easy to generate a list of "eligible" candidates, and decide on a ballot -- five entries per ballot on a 5-4-3-2-1 point system could work. The big question would be how long to allow for debate before voting. A week or two seems to be popular in other Internet Halls of Fame.

Another approach would be to conduct a faux chronological vote. For example, have the first election consider only missions that launched before 1970. The second vote would include missions launched in 1971 in addition to the pre-1970 missions, the third would also include 1972 missions, and so on.

Posted by: CosmicRocker Jan 12 2006, 05:37 AM

I missed some earlier responses to one of my comments, and am now catching up. In the preview this reply looks terribly large. Would people prefer me to break up such a reply into separate pieces?

QUOTE (abalone @ Jan 7 2006, 06:06 AM)
I think some of the orbital shots indicate the same
*

I was thinking the same, but now I am not so sure. The orbital images suggest all kinds of faulting in this region. I tried to find some panoramas of the hillside in question, but I couldn't find any useful views of where I thought these "faults" were.

QUOTE (djellison @ Jan 7 2006, 06:18 AM)
No - there's a 'ripping' to the stereo interpolation there - that's not real features. - some go straight thru El Dorado, and we KNOW what that's like.

Doug
*

Good point, Doug. I hadn't noticed that earlier. I am beginning to suspect that Bill may be correct, in that the gridding software they are using is having some issues. Perhaps that is why they did not use the topos in the latest map. It would be nice to see the control points that were used to grid this topographic map. I don't know if that topo map was made from MOLA data, stereoscopy, or both.
QUOTE (RNeuhaus @ Jan 9 2006, 12:38 PM)
I cannot see a fault. I would like that someone point it out in a picture.

Rodolfo

P.S.
I have enclosed the Spirit traverse map Sol 715 from Marsrovers JPL Web. I traced two white curviline in where it is supposed to be faults.


*

Rodolfo: I was referring to the linear jogs or offsets in the topographic lines on the south side of Husband Hill, in the map located http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol711.html From where do you get the two faults proposed in your image?

QUOTE (sattrackpro @ Jan 11 2006, 08:26 PM)
...
This has been, in my estimation, the most spectacular success ever in planetary exploration, so much so that future attempts will have a hard time meeting expectations based on the marvels these two MER vehicles have continued to provide us with.
*

...and on a completely different subject, I have to echo sattrackpro's comment. They truly set the bar very high with this mission. I would have to imagine that the spectacular successes of the MERs would pretty much ensure that many of the engineers, scientists, and technicians responsible for it will become a part of future missions. I am considering quitting my job and making a pilgrimage to Mount Ithaca to sacrifice a lamb (My first-born son refuses to cooperate.) in order to get a job on one of the next missions.

wink.gif

Posted by: Bill Harris Jan 12 2006, 11:43 AM

Tom, big replys are OK with me; it takes as much time to read three small messages as one large message.

I've had training in gridding software, and the offsets look like common glitches, which should have been corrected by the operator before going to a final map. What happens is that there are anomalous values in the location and elevation data input values, the software doesn't know how to handle them and it makes certain pre-programmed assumptions on how to handle this and sometimes comes up with these odd jumps.

"Gridding software" is a computer program that takes a dataset of x, y and z values (length, width and elevation) and by sophisticated mathmatical interpolation, creates a grid or mesh. The viewing part of the software can take this grid dataset, view it from any angle, rotate it, give it vertical exaggeration, create topographic contour lines and overlay it onto a photographic image.

Pathfinder/Sojourner was the "proof of concept" mission for the mobile lander idea, but our Rovers are the first time we have had long-term mobile robots on Mars and, given that this was the initial foray, the mission has been a resounding (and astounding) success.

I'm close to retirement. I may sell my dogs, move and live in a packing crate, and do volunteer work... wink.gif

--Bill

Posted by: Phil Stooke Jan 12 2006, 01:54 PM

MOLA is far too low in resolution to help make a topo map like the one discussed here - two orders of magnitude too low, probably. It can only just resolve the hills, but not show significant detail. The contour map is based on stereo analysis of MOC images - if you try to overlay one MOC on another in a program like Photoshop you can easily see differences caused by the relief and slightly different viewing directions. But in areas where there are few obvious control points - Eldorado being a good example - the stereo matching and bundle adjustment software will give poor results. Also, there have been serious issues in trying to create DEMs from MOC images because it's a scanning camera with an ever-changing viewpoint, not a framing camera which takes an image in a moment.

Phil

Posted by: RNeuhaus Jan 12 2006, 03:43 PM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 12 2006, 12:37 AM)
Rodolfo:  I was referring to the linear jogs or offsets in the topographic lines on the south side of Husband Hill, in the map located http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol711.html  From where do you get the two faults proposed in your image?
*

Good Tom for your reply. Faults are not the same as topographic lines and it is a matter of different interpretation. smile.gif BTW, I sure suspect that around there: Hills Husband and McCool might look many faults...if we uncover the sands.

Rodolfo

Posted by: MaxSt Jan 16 2006, 12:54 AM

Spirit is here, right?


 

Posted by: RNeuhaus Jan 16 2006, 02:54 AM

QUOTE (MaxSt @ Jan 15 2006, 07:54 PM)
Spirit is here, right?
*

I think Spirit is on 2 cms right of your arrow, between to small hills.

Rodolfo

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 16 2006, 09:47 AM

I think MaxSt is right, Rodolfo.
The arrow is pointing behind the hill, exactly to the dune where Spirit is working now.

Posted by: vikingmars Jan 18 2006, 02:15 PM

smile.gif Nice speculation !

wink.gif If I were a MER geologist, I would go :
- first taking a panoramic view a little above Home Plate on its border ridge on its east side (right hand side of your picture) ;
- then fully explore Home Plate by crossing it towards its west end (left hand side of your picture) where are some other "white" deposits and verify its stratigraphy ;
- then go to Pitcher'Mound to verify if it is (or not) a cinder cone and/or a source of pyroclastic flows ;
- and finally head south/southwest towards Promised Land ! biggrin.gif

[quote=sattrackpro,Jan 11 2006, 03:07 PM]
[quote=Tesheiner,Jan 11 2006, 03:14 AM]
Route map, up to sol 719.
- -
I'm speculating that it will take at least (and that's moving fast) another 7 to 10 days to get to Home Plate - and with little time for doing much probing, another 8 to 10 days to get to a North facing slope. Do you (or anyone) see a route fast enough to get us to Home Plate and to safe wintering ground, in time?

Posted by: vikingmars Jan 18 2006, 04:57 PM

OOOPS : here is the modified picture with alternate route proposed (in yellow), based on sattrackpro's superb work !

 

Posted by: RNeuhaus Jan 18 2006, 05:00 PM

Never know what the JPL want to tranverse. We have failed the prediction many times....By playing the guess is a fun time and it like to bet game. smile.gif

Rodolfo

Posted by: Shaka Jan 18 2006, 10:06 PM

QUOTE (RNeuhaus @ Jan 18 2006, 07:00 AM)
Never know what the JPL want to tranverse. We have failed the prediction many times....By playing the guess is a fun time and it like to bet game.  smile.gif

Rodolfo
*

FerrrShuuurrr! Let's Play!
Question 1: What is Homeplate, and what will it teach us?
Boring Answer 1A: Just more of the light-colored stratum we were driving across above Comanche. In this case we should do a 'quickie tour', examining the vertical exposure from the NW to NE corners and cross the plate toward a southerly exit.
Exciting Answer 1B: Something NEW like evaporite, salt, tuff, marshmellow! In this case we do a more meticulous study, perhaps following a similar track, but with frequent, lengthy stops, winter permitting.
Question 2: What is Pitcher's Mound, what MORE can it teach us, and do we have time to go there?
Boring Answer 2A: Same caprock as HP. In this case we may skip it outright. Is it possible to climb the slope anyway?
Exciting Answer 2B: It's a CINDERCONE! I doubt it, but then it would rate a visit even if we can't climb it.
Question 3: If we have to spend the winter on the north face of McCool Hill, what route should we plan, visiting what exposures?
Question 4: Do we want to reach the summit so we can look down the east side, or is the Promised Land a higher priority?

I've edited a couple of our colleagues' brilliant images to portray some options. Everybody add on!

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 19 2006, 10:39 AM

An updated route map, up to sol 727.

(574k)

Posted by: sattrackpro Jan 19 2006, 12:18 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jan 19 2006, 03:39 AM)
An updated route map, up to sol 727.

Thanks Tesh! Seems we be effectively stuck in the sand... huh.gif blink.gif

Posted by: djellison Jan 19 2006, 12:30 PM

The most recent drive was a very good one imho - complex, but good progress made. Perhaps they intend to head for the dip between the local summits in this line of humps leading toward HP

Doug

Posted by: akuo Jan 19 2006, 12:41 PM

We're out of the sand now (nobody has made a navcam panorama yet, hello?). Seems like Spirit traced her http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/navcam/2006-01-18/2N190911409EFFAMJ5P0695R0M1.JPG, and then made a short move up the slope. http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html confirms that Spirit was stopped twice by automatics because of 80%+ slippage around this dune. Sounds like they were using the same visual odometry as for Oppy?

Spirit could move up to the ridge, as Doug suggests (I initially thought they would just drive straight over it from El dorado, instead of going southeast). Other option would be continue roughly southwards by skirting on this slope.

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 19 2006, 01:55 PM

I think that's a good example of "one step backwards and two steps forward".
About the next steps, I'm still of the opinion that Spirit will follow this slope southwards. It seems too early to climb to the top of the ridge.

Posted by: RNeuhaus Jan 19 2006, 04:07 PM

I am thinking that the solution for Spirit to overcome the bump, is by taking the same strategy as Oppy did when it got out of Eagle Crater, by transversing on diagonal line (very soft slope, perhaps less than 5 degree) on the nearby hill.

It is impossible to jump the bump in front unless MER has upgraded 6 Maxon electrical motors in order to race up to 15 km/h.

Let see it what is the bet of rovers. smile.gif

Rodolfo

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 20 2006, 10:10 AM

Spirit route map, after sol 728.

(574k)

Posted by: alan Jan 22 2006, 04:05 PM

Updated to sol 730


Posted by: Phil Stooke Jan 22 2006, 04:32 PM

This image is the foreground of Dilo's excellent pan, very simply reprojected (using nothing more than Photoshop's perspective tool) to show the route in something a little bit more like map geometry.

Phil



Posted by: Shaka Jan 22 2006, 07:13 PM

QUOTE (Phil Stooke @ Jan 22 2006, 06:32 AM)
This image is the foreground of Dilo's excellent pan, very simply reprojected (using nothing more than Photoshop's perspective tool) to show the route in something a little bit more like map geometry.

Phil



*

blink.gif unsure.gif blink.gif huh.gif WOW....Phil...Mate... ph34r.gif
Why do I think of the bottom of the image as The Event Horizon ?
Too scary!

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 23 2006, 10:44 AM

Route map, including sol 730's driving.

(574k)

Posted by: CosmicRocker Jan 24 2006, 06:11 AM

I have been wanting to do a Spirit route map on an MOC anaglyph of the hills for a long time, but I never seem to get around to it. Alan's easy to follow images encouraged me to do this oblique view instead.

I took the amazing JPL long baseline anaglyph of the basin and copied Alan's Sol markers to it. Size was reduced by 50% and then cropped, and compressed a little to get below the 1 MB limit. It was a lot nicer at full size, but the sol numbers are a bit too small at this size. Maybe I should increase the size and the compression. ?

I know all here are not big fans of anaglyphs, but I really find this to be a useful way to visualize the route. +/- comments are welcomed.

 

Posted by: general Jan 24 2006, 08:36 AM

Updated traverse maps:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol731.html

Posted by: djellison Jan 24 2006, 04:04 PM

Just for fun, prepared for my talk tomorrow, this is overlayed to scale...

Almost exactly from the Apple Store to the new BAA venue smile.gif It'll take about 15 minutes on the Tube, but I may have to change!

Doug

 

Posted by: Burmese Jan 24 2006, 04:13 PM

RE: Spirit Route map

Googled Mitcheltree Ridge, came up with this:

http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2006/01/bob_mitcheltree.html


sad.gif

Posted by: Oersted Jan 24 2006, 07:17 PM

That is very sad, but what a wonderful lasting tribute to have that ridge on Mars named after him. I never heard his name connected to the EDL, but I can understand he was a major figure in the work. He certainly lived to experience what must have been a tremendous satisfation when the rovers landed so perfectly.

RIP

Posted by: Shaka Jan 24 2006, 07:52 PM

QUOTE (Burmese @ Jan 24 2006, 06:13 AM)
RE: Spirit Route map

Googled Mitcheltree Ridge, came up with this:

http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2006/01/bob_mitcheltree.html
sad.gif
*

Thank you so much, Bob Mitcheltree. Your labors have brightened my life, and that of thousands of others around the world.
Mitcheltree Ridge is one MER location that future generations of 'Martians' should mark.

Posted by: Shaka Jan 24 2006, 07:58 PM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 23 2006, 08:11 PM)
I have been wanting to do a Spirit route map on an MOC anaglyph of the hills for a long time, but I never seem to get around to it.  Alan's easy to follow images encouraged me to do this oblique view instead. 

I took the amazing JPL long baseline anaglyph of the basin and copied Alan's Sol markers to it.  Size was reduced by 50% and then cropped, and compressed a little to get below the 1 MB limit.  It was a lot nicer at full size, but the sol numbers are a bit too small at this size.  Maybe I should increase the size and the compression.  ?

I know all here are not big fans of anaglyphs, but I really find this to be a useful way to visualize the route.  +/- comments are welcomed.
*

This is really marvellous, Tom. It makes my 'pro' anaglyph glasses a great investment. Please maintain it as we go. smile.gif Wish I could jump into the full-sized version.

Posted by: Zeke4ther Jan 25 2006, 12:08 AM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 24 2006, 02:11 AM)
I know all here are not big fans of anaglyphs, but I really find this to be a useful way to visualize the route.  +/- comments are welcomed.
*


I like it. smile.gif A little hard to see the numbers though. unsure.gif

Definitely need to get better anaglyph glasses cool.gif

Posted by: mars loon Jan 25 2006, 01:40 AM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 24 2006, 06:11 AM)
I have been wanting to do a Spirit route map on an MOC anaglyph of the hills for a long time, ...

I know all here are not big fans of anaglyphs, but I really find this to be a useful way to visualize the route.  +/- comments are welcomed.
*

Very, very nice CR. I think you've created something extra special for your presentation and with your permisison its just in time for my next 3D Mars show on Jan 27. This is sort of the "where spirit is right now image" we discussed in your other thread !! the enlarged right half is best, most dramatic, and the sol markers are clearly visible.

ken

Posted by: dvandorn Jan 25 2006, 02:41 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Jan 24 2006, 10:04 AM)
Just for fun, prepared for my talk tomorrow, this is overlayed to scale...

Almost exactly from the Apple Store to the new BAA venue smile.gif  It'll take about 15 minutes on the Tube, but I may have to change!

Doug
*

And so, we see here the thrilling new theory by Dr.... er, I mean, Mr. Ellison, that the feature called Home Plate is, in fact, the quadrangle at King's College London!

-the other Doug

Posted by: djellison Jan 25 2006, 02:44 AM

Actually - this is 100% true and accurate - if you put the landing site onto the place where I last gave a talk to the BAA ( English Heritage Lecture Theatre near the Apple store ) - the other end, if you rotate the route - lands EXACTLY on the new venue the BAA are using at Kings College London.

Freaky ohmy.gif

Doug

Posted by: Shaka Jan 25 2006, 02:52 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Jan 24 2006, 04:44 PM)
Actually - this is 100% true and accurate - if you put the landing site onto the place where I last gave a talk to the BAA ( English Heritage Lecture Theatre near the Apple store ) - the other end, if you rotate the route - lands EXACTLY on the new venue the BAA are using at Kings College London.

Freaky ohmy.gif

Doug
*

Coincidence?? I don't THINK so!
Obviously the MER missions are being staged at Pinewood Studios! ohmy.gif ohmy.gif ohmy.gif

Posted by: alan Jan 25 2006, 03:51 AM

short drive tosol (732)


Posted by: CosmicRocker Jan 25 2006, 06:04 AM

Thanks for the kind and helpful comments regarding my first tentative step into the scary world of route mapping. As I attempted to guess a position for sol 732 tonight, I discovered just how tricky it can be. For the time being, I'll just follow in the footsteps of the masters, transcribing their work, as I hopefully learn some of the tricks of the trade. I see alan has already positioned sol 732, and I'll try to add that soon. If I had used my best guess tonight I would have been way off the mark.

mars loon: Even if you hadn't made so many helpful comments regarding my presentation, you (and anyone else) are welcome to use anything I may post here. It's public domain. There is one thing missing in my images, which I hope to correct in the future. That is the label in the bottom right corner, ascribing credit to NASA/JPL/etc. I'm posting a new version of the previous one tonight. The first suffered greatly from the 50% size reduction. This one is at full size, but with some jpeg compression to get it below 1 MB. The sol numbers should be easier to read now. This should look better, even with cardboard and film glasses.

I almost added some place names, especially after noticing that they really did name a feature in memory of Robert Mitcheltree and his many contributions to space exploration, as was mentioned a while back. I had to Google a bit deeper to find an "official" mention. It's here: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/memoriam_micheltree.html

I can't add much to what others have already said regarding his tragic loss to humanity, but I surely would have liked to have known this guy. Now, we know the person we should salute, as we vicariously rove past this intriguing ridge, with the help of a device he helped to deliver to this location.


 

Posted by: Shaka Jan 25 2006, 07:07 AM

QUOTE (alan @ Jan 24 2006, 05:51 PM)
short drive tosol (732)


*

Ah, at last! Wondered where you'd gone, Alan. I do love this aspect of Mars. The only thing that compares with it in thrilling my imagination is the map of Middle Earth from the Rings trilogy. If it were only in full 3D, I would feel that I didn't need to travel to Mars - I've already been there.
Thanx. biggrin.gif .

Posted by: Shaka Jan 25 2006, 07:19 AM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 24 2006, 08:04 PM)
"
I can't add much to what others have already said regarding his tragic loss to humanity, but I surely would have liked to have known this guy.  Now, we know the person we should salute, as we vicariously rove past this intriguing ridge, with the help of a device he helped to deliver to this location.
*

This image is just so fine! Maybe Mr. Mitcheltree now has a better view of the Inner Basin than this, but the rest of us should be content.

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 25 2006, 09:23 AM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 25 2006, 07:04 AM)
As I attempted to guess a position for sol 732 tonight, I discovered just how tricky it can be.
*


Yep.
I was trying to do the same as Alan but on a B&W (L7 filter) pano from sol 591 (one of those taken near the summit) and found that a good approach is to use not only one panorama but two or three.
The near-summit panoramas, specially on the L7 filter, have a very good definition (LOCO compression?) but the features you are looking for may be confused. My suggestion is to start from a closer panorama then go back to longer distances.
Try first to locate the rover on the images taken at Comanche, then on the "Seminole" panorama and finally on one of the near-summit mosaics.

Posted by: MaxSt Jan 25 2006, 09:53 AM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jan 25 2006, 02:04 AM)
The sol numbers should be easier to read now.


Why yellow? I think white be the correct color.

Even better would be to have two separate numbers - one for each eye. Look at the number "697" - wouldn't it be better to have it at the same "depth" as Comanche?

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 25 2006, 11:36 AM

Route map, updated after sol 733's driving.

(502k)

Posted by: alan Jan 25 2006, 01:36 PM


Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 26 2006, 10:37 AM

New update including sol 734.

(502k)

Posted by: Tesheiner Jan 26 2006, 11:45 AM

... and new traverse maps (for yestersol) at the JPL website!
Man, what a change in response time since older times.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol733.html

I'm wondering if I should (or not) continue posting my version.

Posted by: sattrackpro Jan 26 2006, 12:35 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jan 26 2006, 04:45 AM)
... and new traverse maps (for yestersol) at the JPL website!
Man, what a change in response time since older times.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-spirit/spirit-sol733.html

I'm wondering if I should (or not) continue posting my version.
*

By all means - continue your posting, Tesh... They are fast, then slow, then virtually non-existent on the rover site - so yours are a welcome treat.

Posted by: Toma B Jan 26 2006, 01:33 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jan 26 2006, 02:45 PM)
I'm wondering if I should (or not) continue posting my version.
*

By all means CONTINUE!!!
Your maps are the best!!!
Thank you! smile.gif

Posted by: Bill Harris Jan 26 2006, 02:17 PM

>I'm wondering if I should (or not) continue posting my version.

Their traverse maps have improved to the point where the maps resemble the ones done here. Theirs were terrible at first, and I'm convinced that they peeked in here and now clone your map idea.

Continue, I like the real thing...

--Bill

Posted by: akuo Jan 26 2006, 02:35 PM

Tesh,

They are probably just copying your and alan's maps. If you stop, I bet we'll go back to waiting updates for weeks tongue.gif

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