Opportunity Route Map Options

[nprev]

Now, now...let's not write off either of the MERs yet. These machines are amazingly durable and adaptive (gotta give a shout out to Lockheed-Martin, for once, and of course the MER JPL team who have really shown us all how it's supposed to be done!!!)

While I know that they have to stop someday, it just seems like now is not the time. Personally, I would give an even chance of both of them lasting until mid-2008, and one of them surviving until 2010.

[djellison]

gotta give a shout out to Lockheed-Martin

Yup - Mars Odyssey is doing good relay.

But they didn't have much involvement with the rovers as I understand it.

Doug

[Tman]

Almost 20 meters to landing ellipse.

It's a bit more (70 meters). I vote for the center of Tes's drawn in landing elipse that fixs the limit.

[Bob Shaw]

Now, now...let's not write off either of the MERs yet. These machines are amazingly durable and adaptive (gotta give a shout out to Lockheed-Martin, for once, and of course the MER JPL team who have really shown us all how it's supposed to be done!!!)

While I know that they have to stop someday, it just seems like now is not the time. Personally, I would give an even chance of both of them lasting until mid-2008, and one of them surviving until 2010.

Should we start a pool, then? I'd prefer not to look on it as a 'how long until Spirit/Opportunity dies' but instead 'how much longer than the nominal mission lifetime will the rovers last?'.

Bob Shaw

[centsworth_II]

Should we start a pool, then?
Bob Shaw

A rover dead pool? Yuck! There would be the grisly detail of deciding what constitutes death. Last transmission? Last useful data relay? Official termination of communication attempts?

How about: "Place your bets on which rover lasts longer."? or which goes farther?

[ilbasso]

Or, "Which one first goes on display at the National Air and Space Museum?" I'd like to be alive to see that...

[djellison]

I wouldnt want to see them brought 'home' - leave them where they belong, in their home, up there.

Doug

[odave]

We'll probably end up seeing the testbed rover at the NASM, I imagine. Does it have a name?

[Bubbinski]

I don't know if it has a name, but that would be a great place for it. I saw the 1/1 full scale model of the Mars Rover at the NASM a couple of years back, looked good, but I don't know if it looked completely realistic. Right by the rover they had a video monitor with pics of Endurance Crater, which Oppy had just reached.

If they put in the NASA test article I would love to see it up close.

[djellison]

We'll probably end up seeing the testbed rover at the NASM, I imagine. Does it have a name?

I think they have two - one built for mobility and one a full up model - and they're serial numbers 3 and 4.

Doug

[Roger Delaney]

Yup - Mars Odyssey is doing good relay.

But they didn't have much involvement with the rovers as I understand it.

Doug

As I recall, Ball Aerospace did the pancam, pancam mast, high-gain antenna and gimbal, and all the power and pyro electronics. Somebody else did the arm; I don't recall who.

R.

[Guest_BillyMER_*]

I wouldnt want to see them brought 'home' - leave them where they belong, in their home, up there.

Doug

lets compromise and have the rovers come back for a tour,sort of like King Tut's treasure coming to he US and then return them back to mars :-)
The most memorable rover mission my be yet to come and this decision of what to do with these might not be as important.

[RNeuhaus]

Premptive Route Map



[attachment=4548:attachment]

Assuming the rover drivers are paranoid about crossing dunes

I don't think it so. They have already learned and they MUST know which sand is transverable or not. Now, the transverse is of 100% checked before advanced and also there is an improved software which checks for the wheel sleepage.

Driving over the outcrop, the time would lead three times longer. No such long time for a so acked and troubled Oppy's wheel drivers.

Rodolfo

Definitely going to South on Sol760.
It seems Oppy avoided to go into this dangerous dune at the last moment, or it was intentional?
[attachment=4550:attachment][attachment=4551:attachment]

This kind drive is most probably as intentional since the previous looks alike drive style is for scratching the land in order to check the type of subsurface of land.

Rodolfo

Now, now...let's not write off either of the MERs yet. These machines are amazingly durable and adaptive (gotta give a shout out to Lockheed-Martin, for once, and of course the MER JPL team who have really shown us all how it's supposed to be done!!!)

While I know that they have to stop someday, it just seems like now is not the time. Personally, I would give an even chance of both of them lasting until mid-2008, and one of them surviving until 2010.

Yes really an amazing wheels since they looks pretty thin and fragil and how these thin, small and elegant design are able barely withstand as much as a 1000 km of a truck 4x4 off road (comparing the circunference distance between them) on desert without washing and grease the truck's chasis.

Rodolfo

[mars_armer]

Somebody else did the arm; I don't recall who.

The arm came from a small business in Pasadena:
Small California Aerospace Company Contributes to Mars Rover Mission
Alliance Spacesystems, Inc. Honored with NASA's Prestigious George M. Low Award

[Bill Harris]

Alliance Spacesystems has tech info on the IDD at their website.

And Honeybee Robotics did the RAT.

--Bill