10,000 meters Options

[elakdawalla]

Nprev, Mark Adler isn't Mission Manager for the rovers any more -- he's moved on to bigger (though not necessarily better!) things as the Chief Mission Concept Architect at JPL. Ask him instead when we're going to get a sample back from Mars

Hi and welcome to UMSF, Mark!

--Emily

[nprev]

I stand happily corrected, Emily...and your question is much better!

[mars loon]

Welcome Mark and congratulations to you and the entire team.

You have provided all of us here and millions outside with the Adventures of a Lifetime !

Please keep those girls safe and swift with many more >600 m / 90 Sol segments

ken

[mchan]

Another thanks! And good job!

[Tesheiner]

This is the approximate position of the 10km mark on a sol 1080 navcam image.

[MichaelT]

I would also like to congratulate the whole team for this great achievement! It's hard to believe that it was three years ago when the rovers landed. I returned from holiday just then and had missed out completely on Oppy's landing and Spirit's trouble. That were exciting times and they still are! I simply can't imagine what it will be like without the rovers around and the constant stream of pictures...

Thanks again!

Michael

[Ant103]

It's unbelievable how far the rovers has gone. 10 km on Mars... More than 3 years of roving... That exploded the primary hopes whose consits in 3 months end 200 or 300 m .
I want to congratulate JPL teams, after all, it's thanks to her that we can receive nowadays the wonderfull pictures the rovers send.

[Tesheiner]

I'm pretty sure future missions will surpass this one in terms of longevity, driving distance, downlink data, etc. in *absolute* numbers. However, speaking about the same points but relative to the initial mission requirements, I'm pretty sure too that the MER mission will be remembered as a "once in a lifetime experience".

Thanks to the whole MER team for an unforgetable mission.

[micvoo]

Why did Opportunity move so far away from the edge of Victoria crater? Isn't the rover ssupposed to go round the crater? Now it's moving away,or so it looks...

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/pre...5L000M1_br2.jpg


Michiel

[centsworth_II]

Why did Opportunity move so far away from the edge of Victoria crater?

I think this map from this thread gives a good idea of the probable thinking behind the move.

[DEChengst]

WOOHOO! Keep them

Question for Dr. Adler:

Do those 10,023.19 meters include the "distance" just spinning the wheels at Purgatory Dune, or is it the distance Oppy actually moved ?

(Not that it really matters as I take any reason to celebrate some rover achievement )

[Guest_PhilCo126_*]

I guess 10000 meters really driven distance as measured on maps

[climber]

I guess that Dr Adler never thought he'll post such a message 3 years ago. I feel so close to the rovers and the JPL team that I've got to join for congratulations.

[nprev]

Agreed...sometimes I can't believe what an important part of my own life their exploits have become. Seeing new vistas on an alien world almost every day for three years...this must have been how the great explorers felt, and with the advent of the Internet millions of us are now privileged to share this feeling.

Congratulations aren't enough; heart-felt thank-yous aren't enough, either, but unfortunately they'll have to do. Thanks to Dr. Adler, Steve Squyres & the whole MER team for giving us all an important and valuable experience...our lives would have been poorer without it. THIS is what my tax dollars are for!!!

[climber]

And the total MER mileage is, what, about 16 km at this point? If they stay active and Oppy keeps adding kilometers running circles around Victoria, the total of both MERs may equal or exceed the average single LRV driving distance.
-the other Doug

I checked my notes back (source : http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov) and found that on march17th 2006 Spirit was for the last time ahead of Oppy (6797m/6735m). On March 22nd we had 6822/6908.
The leading started around sol 766, 314 sols ago and 3100m have been covered since... very close to 10m per sol or, put in Mark Adler's way 900m per primary mission. Our dear Oppy is a very consistent little old lady. I'm not sure to be in such a good shape when I'll be 900 years old.