Sliding into 'Home Plate North', Heading for Spirit's 2008 Winter Retreat Options

[tanjent]

It will be nice to know the wintering target location if someone can figure that out. Looking at CosmicRocker's anaglyph on the map thread it does indeed seem that the best slopes might be found near the site of Spirit's first HP encounter circa sol 750. Of course I am not sure if the map orientation is precisely north-top. If not, Tesh might want to add a little pointer to the next edition of his map.

Pessimism may be unjustified, but the abrupt change of direction is difficult to understand unless they are really worried that the remaining fallout may curtail mobility unexpectedly and much sooner than originally planned. That little crack referred to by o'Doug seemed like a very tempting target, and anyway why turn back when you're already more than 180 degrees around unless the drivers have quite suddenly come to fear tackling unfamiliar terrain? Or perhaps the target location might be over by Fuzzy Smith, site of the second ascent on sol 768. To one who is not well equipped to savor the full significance of the science results (as opposed to the scenic attractions...) it seems to wind up a rather disappointing Mars Year for Spirit since the first arrival in the HP area.

I do hope she will see another spring, but in my blithe ignorance of the inside information behind the latest urgency to hunker down I sense a bit too much risk aversion on behalf of a girl who literally represents the human spirit. As Stu might cite it:

Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!

(OK now before nostalgia sets in let's repeat the Blue Mars mantra - Gotta keep that much perspective on the situation.)

We're on Mars! We're on Mars! We're on Mars!

tanjent

[djellison]

When poetry provides Whr's - let me know.

Until that point, the conservative option of heading for local, known, accessible, power positive slopes opens the opportunity for another full summer of exploration next year. The braver option might bring us those two new geological features more quickly - but it could very well eliminate the chance for any exploration beyond. i.e. an over zealous exploratory nature now, would eradicate further exploration in the future.

If you ignore the romance and the speculation and the 'desire' for exploration and simply put on a hat marked 'sensible' - they're doing the right thing. The right decision is rarely the most popular or exciting one.

Doug

[BrianL]

Never been an "armchair quarterback", Doug? (or whatever the equivalent over there is).

Anyway, I am still hopeful that they might play it by ear over the next few weeks, and perhaps extend the exploration a bit based on power levels and mobility at the time, before finally hunkering down on a sunny slope. I think the situation is much more forgiving this year. The terrain is known to be rover friendly, not like last time when Spirit was faced with a long trip over unknown territory that ultimately proved to be impassable.

Brian

[fredk]

I would add the following observation. From what we've heard, it sounds like von Braun/Goddard are the next science targets the team is most interested in. Power levels on Spirit are currently sufficient for driving and science, and (depending on how favourable the surface is en route) they could probably make a good shot at reaching vB/G before winter. So I would argue that if the planners thought the odds were poor that we would survive another winter at Home Plate North, then for the sake of maximizing science return an attempt would be made to reach vB/G immediately. This would be done with the understanding that she would probably not survive this coming winter, so it would be her final target. Drive to vB/G as quickly as possible and study it as much as possible before her final Big Sleep.

But this hasn't happened, and so the fact that she's been sent to HP North with its more favourable and easily accessible slopes suggests to me that they think the odds are reasonable that she will survive another winter and continue to vB/G next year. That's good news. As frustrating as it is to have to wait until another Martian spring, I'd certainly prefer long term life to a brief final hurrah.

[djellison]

Never been an "armchair quarterback", Doug? (or whatever the equivalent over there is).

You've not seen me watch an F1 race

Doug

[climber]

As frustrating as it is to have to wait until another Martian spring, I'd certainly prefer long term life to a brief final hurrah.

I have to agree to this but, come on, once we'll stop in the right spot that'll be another 7 months waiting for spring to bloom with no move at all.
OK, that wayyyyy shorter than waiting for NH to get to Jupiter. Anyway I'm having hard time to figure out how our F1 fan can be facinated by such a slow vehicule.

[Holder of the Tw...]

I've read that they're going to put Spirit on a 25 degree slope. I wonder if it can get back up that slope on five wheels, or whether they will have to drive on down in the spring?

[TheChemist]

Anyway I'm having hard time to figure out how our F1 fan can be facinated by such a slow vehicule.

Maybe he's a Jenson Button fan

[djellison]

I'm having hard time to figure out how our F1 fan can be facinated by such a slow vehicule.

My two favorite vehicles of all time - Thrust SSC, and MER - just about the fastest and slowest vehicles made my man.
My two favorite noises - a BRM H16, and a Delta II

Technology, engineering - I love it - in any form.

Doug

[Tesheiner]

... Of course I am not sure if the map orientation is precisely north-top...

Yes it is.

[Astro0]

Is it just me, or has it gone a bit quiet on both threads at the moment

The '08 winter haven 'North Homeplate' intrigues me. Where will it be and what sort of science can we do at this location?
Here's a little SFX image - no idea if the scale is right nor the location, but perhaps we can get some discussion going on the question above.

Enjoy
Astro0

[climber]

Here's a little SFX image - no idea if the scale is right nor the location, but perhaps we can get some discussion going on the question above.
Enjoy
Astro0

I love when Spirit is pointing her camera toward us

[mhoward]

Here's a little SFX image - no idea if the scale is right nor the location, but perhaps we can get some discussion going on the question above.

Actually that's approximately where "Gibson" was (if I'm remembering the name correctly) - where we first arived at Home Plate, more or less on the west side (or maybe northwest). The north side would be to the left in your mosaic. Spirit's winter home might be off the left-hand side, even, IMHO. As for scale, I would say pretty good guess, maybe a little too big. Still, I reckon your rendition gives a pretty good idea what Spirit's winter home will look like.

The tracking data isn't entirely accurate, but here's what it shows for Spirit at Gibson:

[fredk]

Astro0, thanks for the image. I'd say that the NHP site would be quite a bit farther to the left in your image, maybe roughly centred left-right. You've got her pointing more east west than north.

Even a very good northwards tilt only gives you a good solar illumination angle near noon. It would be very cool to see Spirit parked on an inclined cyllinder-shaped slope, so she could roll to several positions during the day to follow the sun, basking lizard-style as I've written before. I could see this working to some extent if she parked near the extreme NW corner of HP. Of course in reality even a very short drive may cost more energy than you gain. And in her current state she likely would slide irreversibly downslope with each short drive. Fun to imagine though.

"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).

[Shaka]

Astro0,
Unless I'm badly disoriented, it appears that you have put Spirit around the NW corner facing more to the West than the North. That would not help us from the standpoint of solar energy over winter. I would look for a place further to the left (east) on the north rim of HP - somewhere where we can ease down over the lip and have enough traction on bedrock to stay put on the upper half of the face. The idea there would be to study with the IDD the upper layers of HP in detail for a month or two; then to go a little farther down, where we would repeat the studies on the middle layers, and ultimately to reach the bottom of the slope. We want a location where we won't lose traction and slide straight to the bottom. Getting back up could be a problem. 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.

One question needing consideration is whether to descend the north slope with the IDD (and the stuck wheel) ahead of us (and below) or trailing above and behind us. Opinions?

Edit: Blast, Freddo beat me to the punch!