Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: Sunspot Sep 8 2004, 01:52 PM

From tomorrow there will be a 12 day hiatus on new images........what are we going to do lol ? Lets hope Spirit and Opportunity make it through OK.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040903a.html

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit takes a good look around at its surroundings high above Gusev Crater as mission planners prepare for solar conjunction on sol 244 (Sept. 9, 2004). On this day, and over the next 11 days, the rover will be out of reach as the Sun moves between Earth and Mars, blocking communications. Scientists are currently discussing potential light-duty assignments that may involve taking images of surrounding terrain, recording wind patterns in the dust, or completing scientific analysis of dust collected on the rover's magnets. Otherwise, Spirit will essentially be on vacation until sol 255 (Sept. 20, 2004).

Posted by: Baltic Sep 8 2004, 02:14 PM

When exactly do they want to pause till Mars' spring?

Tom

Posted by: djellison Sep 8 2004, 02:29 PM

Soon for Spirit - power is getting marginal for opperations @ Gusev - much worse than for Oppy at the moment.

They intend to park up a few more m's up the hill where theres a nice slope facing north - and some interesting rock. They can spend 3, 4 months there, investigating the rock, watching the season shift, then hopefully - assuming a helathy rover come spring - off we go again


Not sure of Opportunity plans. Heading out onto the plain wont be too usefull energy wise - it's good where it is, and slopes down toward the heatsheifl are the other way which isnt good.

Doug

Posted by: Rxke Sep 21 2004, 09:11 AM

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/images.cfm?id=847

Will Spirit do stuff like that, while stationary?
Snapping increasingly sharper pics? Could the Rover upload stuff to a 'cache' on the sats?

Or... Will it really take a holiday?

Posted by: djellison Sep 21 2004, 02:06 PM

Well - the pictures can only be as sharp as Pancam can take. Not ever increasingly so.

We're yet to see the full Clovis panorama from Pancam, but I'm fairly sure that if they do make it a little further up the hill before they camp, that we'll see a full panorama from that point of view. Pancam Ops are not particularly power intensive.

And as for that link - meh - thats just a crappy Navam Pan

Not sure if you're talking about winter, or opposition though.

During Opposition - I know that both were programmed to uplink to Odyssey at UHF opportunities - thus reducing clutter on the rover memory. This will be being downlinked in the next few days I'd imagine.

Doug