Landing Site Imagery Options

[ljk4-1]

Quite right, the science definitely be worth it, all of the previous surface level weather measurement has been done at the lower latitudes (47 deg N for Viking 1/2, 19 deg N for Pathfinder), thus a look at the high altitude weather patterns should hopefully provide a contrast to them.

I just find it a pity that NASA can't get funding to send a second lander to the South Polar region in the same year (even of the Pathfinder variety).

This is why NASA should be working on smaller probes that can be sent in bunches to numerous places all over a target world. With this kind of probe,
losing a few would not be the end of the entire mission.

[gndonald]

This is why NASA should be working on smaller probes that can be sent in bunches to numerous places all over a target world.  With this kind of probe,
losing a few would not be the end of the entire mission.

The sad thing, is that this is what NASA had with the basic 'Pathfinder' lander, something that could carry out a fair amount of science, which would have been easier to 'mass produce' than the rovers or the upcoming Phoenix lander.

A good strategy would have been to do a 'High/Low' launch with each launch window, say one MRO/Phoenix style 'high complexity' mission and one or more Pathfinder 'low complexity' mission(s).

The actual Pathfinder mission lasted for 83 sols, which would nicely complement the 'main missions' reading during the initial phases.

The best instrument set would probably be a basic camera, Weather sensor and either a seismonitor or radiation detector.

Apologies for going a little off topic, but this is something I feel strongly about.

[ustrax]

I've just received an answer from Doug Lombardi, the Education and Public Outreach Manager for the PML mission regarding the discussion about the landing site choice and he told me that the team is working very hard on the selection. By now the proposed region for is between 65 and 72 deg N and 120 and 140 deg E, making a quick search that would put us on the vicinity of Panchaia Rupes...
By looking into the maps it looks like a quite plain area with some large craters here and there with some possible ice on it...
What might be their intention? Landing on one of this or go for a safer touchdown?

[climber]

[quote name='ustrax' date='Jun 8 2006, 12:08 PM' post='57527']
What might be their intention? Landing on one of this or go for a safer touchdown?

I have little doubts on this. "If you don't land safely, you've got nothing," said Matt Golombek
on a Space.com article I posted yesterday on MSL's topic.

[ustrax]

Maybe it's better to start looking at this place...Maybe it will become familiar in the days to come...:

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b14/ustr...chaiaRupes1.jpg

[climber]

[quote name='ustrax' date='Jun 8 2006, 12:33 PM' post='57533']
Maybe it's better to start looking at this place...Maybe it will become familiar in the days to come...:

Can we already put an elipse ? By the way, I guess that we'll have the same elipse size as Mer's ?
MSL's will be a lot smaller refering to the same source as above

[ustrax]

'Can we already put an elipse ?'

I don't think so... It is the current proposed landing site, not the definitive one...

[RNeuhaus]

The MSL landing ellipse would be much smaller than MER's one. I think that the longest (major axis) would be around 10 20 km versus 50 km of MERs.

Rodolfo

[climber]

[quote name='RNeuhaus' date='Jun 9 2006, 04:09 AM' post='57679']
The MSL landing ellipse would be much smaller than MER's one. I think that the longest (major axis) would be around 10 km versus 50 km of MERs.
Rodolfo

Yep, but as Phoenix will use basicaly the same EDL system as MER, it'll about 50 km, right ?

[RNeuhaus]

Climber, good question. I have still not found about the Phoenix EDL details but a brief ones. The best I know is from http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/the_mission/entry.php which does not mention about the elliptical landing. Maybe Bruce or Ustrax can jump into that!

Rodolfo

[ustrax]

Climber, good question. I have still not found about the Phoenix EDL details but a brief ones. The best I know is from http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/the_mission/entry.php which does not mention about the elliptical landing. Maybe Bruce or Ustrax can jump into that!

Rodolfo

I'm working on it...

[Phil Stooke]

As I understand it, the following three locations (two of them appear to overlap, but they are diagonally oriented) are now being considered for Phoenix.

Area B, box 1 66º to 68º N 225º to 234º.
Area B, box 2 66º to 68º N 224º to 227º
Area B, box 3 70º to 71º N 220º to 227º

MOC images are being collected within each box.

Phil

[RNeuhaus]

Using the tool: Jmars, I have snapshot the area of 229.90E to 239.30E (approx. 215 km) and 66.83N to 68.88 N (approx. 120 km).



That zone is not so flat like Meridiani Planum and Gusev Crater...then there is some risk during the EDL.

Rodolfo

[aldo12xu]

Has anybody mentioned this MOC April 2006 imaging update?

http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/guest/...17_phoenix.html

[ustrax]

Has anybody mentioned this MOC April 2006 imaging update?

http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/guest/...17_phoenix.html

Thank you aldo!
Where can we see the coordinates for those captions?