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Sliding into 'Home Plate North', Heading for Spirit's 2008 Winter Retreat
Shaka
post Nov 13 2007, 11:09 PM
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QUOTE (fredk @ Nov 13 2007, 12:43 PM) *
I estimate from the hazcams that she's now roughly halfway from the 1363 to the 759 positions (and a bit east).

I don't understand why we are racing north so fast, unless the intent is to scout out our overwintering location first and then go back to study the shiny rocks - they are worthy of scrutiny. It only takes a few sols to cross HP, and I understood that the power crisis was still some weeks away? huh.gif
Or am I mistaken?


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djellison
post Nov 13 2007, 11:12 PM
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Currently 320 Whrs - and falling rather fast. Given the fact that mobility with one stuck wheel is always a slight unknown - better to be ahead of the curve toward winter than be near..or behind it.

Doug
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Shaka
post Nov 13 2007, 11:24 PM
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OK, that is a reasonable precaution. A pity though. Assuming the drop in energy continues at this rate, how long before we must assume the northerly position? (Allowing some safety margin) unsure.gif


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fredk
post Nov 14 2007, 01:03 AM
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QUOTE (Shaka @ Nov 13 2007, 10:56 PM) *
We don't want to come off the slope until spring insolation allows us to go level and track south along the base of the west side looking for the deepest exposures.

That's a very real possibility. From the latest update:
QUOTE
Spirit continued to collect images of the west side of Home Plate (known as "West Valley" to science team members) while advancing northward. The images are important for understanding the geology as well as for planning the hoped-for, post-winter drive to a hill known as "von Braun" south of Home Plate.

QUOTE (Shaka @ Nov 13 2007, 10:56 PM) *
Edit: Blast, Freddo beat me to the punch! cool.gif

And mhoward beat me!
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fredk
post Nov 14 2007, 01:15 AM
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QUOTE (Shaka @ Nov 13 2007, 11:24 PM) *
Assuming the drop in energy continues at this rate, how long before we must assume the northerly position? (Allowing some safety margin) unsure.gif

From the latest Planetary Society update:
QUOTE
Although the actual start of the coming Martian winter is a kind of fluid date and not anticipated until March or April 2008, when the team members analyzed the dust on the solar arrays and looked at the power situation, they concluded that January 1, 2008 is when they want Spirit to be in its winter position.
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Astro0
post Nov 14 2007, 01:23 AM
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Yippee! It worked.
We are talking again smile.gif
Just because we aren't moving and pictures are a bit thin on the ground, shouldn't mean that we stop the discussion.
While the position wasn't correct (I sort of guessed that) it did get people talking about just where Spirit's drivers will target the rover for its Winter lodgings - and that was my first question when I started this thread.
I think that Shaka raises a very important question, which way will Spirit be oriented on its 25 degree slope - IDD facing upslope or downslope - will the right front wheel be a brake or an anchor?

Watch for a revised SFX image with various people's suggestions incorporated.
Doug - perhaps a 'winter haven guessing pool' is in order to figure out where Spirit will end up.
Attached Image

I'll go crazy and say it's here!
What does anyone else think?

Astro0
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Shaka
post Nov 14 2007, 01:42 AM
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I would prefer to find a place considerably closer to the NW corner, where there is a thicker exposure profile (and perhaps greater slope). But before I plunk down my X, I would like to drive along the north rim looking for places where the descent and 'footing' may be more secure. I am worried about the risk of sliding beyond our desired lodging. Getting back up may be impossible. unsure.gif

Gasp...I can TALK! ... Astro0 has cured me! Ta' muchly, Cobber. cool.gif


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mhoward
post Nov 14 2007, 01:51 AM
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QUOTE (Astro0 @ Nov 13 2007, 07:23 PM) *
I'll go crazy and say it's here!
What does anyone else think?


I think that's the spot I'd guess, as well. wink.gif

Here's a view looking straight west:





I'm guessing home will be on the slope just to the left of the rover model. Not a very exciting spot, perhaps, but a nice, clean, safe slope.

I don't post anaglyphs, but there's a crude anaglyph on the flickr page which helps gain some perspective.
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djellison
post Nov 14 2007, 07:54 AM
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QUOTE (Astro0 @ Nov 14 2007, 01:23 AM) *
Doug - perhaps a 'winter haven guessing pool' is in order to figure out where Spirit will end up.


No. 100,000,000 times no.

A disucssion, a debate, great. But not a 'pool' again. Please. The debate on exactly which point is the actual winter haven and which person is most close to that is just utterly pointless and I don't want to wade through it.

Doug
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Guest_Sunspot_*
post Nov 14 2007, 08:07 AM
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Guests






If they have just 320Whr now, how low do they expect power levels to drop in the depth of winter?
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Tesheiner
post Nov 14 2007, 08:31 AM
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QUOTE (fredk @ Nov 13 2007, 11:43 PM) *
"Is it just me, or has it gone a bit quiet on both threads at the moment?"

It's not just you! Lack of movement from Oppy helps. Spirit moved on sol 1371, but no navcams are in yet. I estimate from the hazcams that she's now roughly halfway from the 1363 to the 759 positions (and a bit east).

Yeah, this thread needed a little bump! smile.gif
And Fredk, based on the rover data from the tracking web I think you are right on the money regarding sol 1371 position. Sol 1373 was a driving sol too and I'm right now trying to update the route map.
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fredk
post Nov 14 2007, 06:17 PM
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With tosol's drive we've almost completed the circumnavigation of HP. Compare this sol 1373 navcam with this view from sol 760. The old tracks are just barely visible in the new image as light markings - obviously the dust storm has cleaned up after us nicely here. The circular tracks from the 90 degree turn should be easy to make out once we get closer or use pancam.
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alan
post Nov 14 2007, 08:34 PM
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QUOTE (Sunspot @ Nov 14 2007, 02:07 AM) *
If they have just 320Whr now, how low do they expect power levels to drop in the depth of winter?

Looking at Helvick's power chart from last year
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...ost&p=68095
it appears that Spirit's power levels dropped by half between sol 704 (sol 1373-669) and the minimum 200 sols later, from 540 W hrs to 270 W hrs.

Spirit's going to need every degree of north tilt it can get.
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djellison
post Nov 14 2007, 08:54 PM
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We have a filthy rover, and a rapidly coming winter - BUT - we have two things in our favour.

1 : We know we'll have a good slope to drive down onto without worrying about climbing up to a slope
2 : We're VERY good at VERY low power survival following the worst of the dust storm ( i.e. the traditional 240 Whrs minimum was cut almost in half for a while)

Doug
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Astro0
post Nov 14 2007, 09:39 PM
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QUOTE (djellison @ Nov 14 2007, 06:54 PM) *
No. 100,000,000 times no.


OK Doug. I was just joking about the 'pool'. I know how much people dislike them.
At least we're not talking about whether Spirit will be parking on the 'nearside' or the 'farside' of HP rolleyes.gif
Just glad to see that we are debating the issue again after 4-5 quite days.
Astro0
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