To the Cape!, Quackmire and arm troubles Options

[djellison]

"Hey folks! I’m on-duty with Opportunity this week and it’s going to be pretty exciting. We are in the process of driving the rover over to the wall of Cape Verde to study the layers of rocks there in much greater detail. I will be posting updates all week with the spectacular new pictures that we should be receiving. Stay tuned, it’s going to be a pretty cool week!"

Thanks for the update Ryan : http://martianchronicles.wordpress.com/200...ng-to-the-cape/

I wonder how close they'll get. I think no closer than the height projected from it's base ( i.e. 45 degrees )

[nprev]

Rock on!!!

[Stu]

Woohoo!! Go get 'em Oppy! About time our gal lifted her eyes off the ground and looked up again.

[jvandriel]

The view in the drive direction on Sol 1484.

Taken with the R2 Pancam.

jvandriel

[SpaceListener]

I wonder how close they'll get. I think no closer than the height projected from it's base ( i.e. 45 degrees )

• Because of the Sun's rays : Mmm... The wall is on the North side. Now Mars is heading close to the solicite, hence Mars' tilt is close to 23.5 and the Sun will rise on the South-East toward to South-West side and I seems that there will not have any shade close to the wall of Cape Verde in all day. (I am not very sure on this, I invite someone to correct me on that part).
• Risk of any some loose material from wall? In spite of the fact there has winds, the rock and terrain are already firm except if there will be some Marsquake.
• Sandy surface due to the deposits from the wall of Cape Verde. Yes, I see some deposits close to the wall but I am not able to precise about its measurements.

Why do you think that Opportunity won't be closer than the distance of the height of wall?

[djellison]

Why do you think that Opportunity won't be closer than the distance of the height of wall?

Restricted visibility for Mars Odyssey communications. You would probably be taking a 1/3rd off total downlink if you brought the local horizon to 45 deg elevation (given that the spacecraft will appear to move slower nearer the horizon, thus more of the session, and thus the data, is sent at the lower elevations. )

Doug

[ngunn]

I'm probably missing something very simple here, but how long does it take to take a photo? Why can't they do short in-out maneuvers for the close-up snaps, backing out each time to a better location for sunbathing and data transmission?

[ilbasso]

I'm probably missing something very simple here, but how long does it take to take a photo? Why can't they do short in-out maneuvers for the close-up snaps, backing out each time to a better location for sunbathing and data transmission?

The problem would be if something unexpected happened that aborted the drive-away, anything from wheel slippage to a 'safe mode' event. That could potentially strand Oppy in a very bad place and the situation could deteriorate rapidly if there wasn't enough sunlight or ability to 'see' the orbiters.

[climber]

When I sew the title of this new topic (I din't notice it was in Oppy section) I thought : I do not remember of any launch scheduled at Cape ...Canaveral !
After last week news of nearly shutting the rovers down...it's even a much better new !

[ngunn]

The problem would be if something unexpected happened that aborted the drive-away

A finite risk, certainly, but maybe manageable. I guess you'd have to do repeated stabs to and fro along the same track going a little further in each time, with the back-outs at the far end being slightly downhill (which they probably would be anyway). I doubt if the total daily insolation anywhere (in fine weather) would be as bad as it was out on the plain during the dust storm, and if you're just edging cautiously out of trouble as opposed to sending lots of data you don't need that much relay time.

If it's the only way to address a major science objective some risk is maybe worthwhile?

[CosmicRocker]

Thanks, Ryan, for the heads-up on this week's plans.

With regard to how closely Opportunity might approach the cliffs of Cape Verde, I think the local geomorphology also limits the places where Oppy is likely to tread. I would guess that the toe of the talus slope surrounding Cape Verde is a boundary beyond which this rover is unlikely to stray.

[djellison]

"We're hoping to get close enough to reach out and touch the face of this cliff,"

Squyres, in the TPS Rover update for March.



Mr conservative here got it wrong.

[Tesheiner]

Great news IMO!
(I was planning to post the exact same piece of info. Doug, you beat me.)

"Opportunity roved the first 5.5 meters (18 feet) of the journey to Cape Verde on Sol 1484 (last Thursday, March 27, 2008) and followed that with another 5 meter (16.4-foot) drive on Sol 1486 Saturday (March 29, 2008)"

Next drive is planned for sol 1489. Images should be down in less then 24h.

[climber]

So, this is the "surprise" SS talked about a few weeks ago! I like it

[fredk]

I like it too! And can't believe the "reach out and touch" line. At first I thought: "April fools?"

Based on the blog report, here's my estimate of the target location (enhanced and cropped from a pan posted by CosmicRocker):

I can understand the drooling going on contemplating that layering!