Sliding into 'Home Plate North', Heading for Spirit's 2008 Winter Retreat |
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Sliding into 'Home Plate North', Heading for Spirit's 2008 Winter Retreat |
 Nov 17 2007, 11:44 AM
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#61
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 Administrator  Group: Chairman Posts: 13231 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1  |
Given that we are treating Home Plate as a roundabout - can I just say that I think they went about it the right way - clockwise - and took a wrong turning without asking for directions
 Look on the bright side - it could be : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Roundabout_(Swindon) Doug |
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Nov 17 2007, 01:09 PM
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#62
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 The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5546 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Nice mini-trench you cut out for us there, Spirit...
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Nov 17 2007, 06:44 PM
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#63
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2736 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
I don't know, Doug, where I come from we go counterclockwise around roundabouts. I think it was perhaps a bit reckless on the drivers' part choosing to go clockwise without checking the local traffic regulations. Very fortunately, they didn't run into any opposing traffic!
 Climber - I think what we really need is for someone to knit a sweater and scarf for Spirit for the winter. |
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Nov 17 2007, 07:12 PM
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#64
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2561 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
QUOTE (fredk @ Nov 17 2007, 07:44 PM)  Climber - I think what we really need is for someone to knit a sweater and scarf for Spirit for the winter. Arfffggg! Have I knew this a bit earlier, I would have asked TPS to propose to board this on Phoenix instead of the CD . 
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Nov 18 2007, 04:27 AM
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#65
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2736 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
Latest official maps show a possible winter haven location, marked WH3, together with upcoming stops at sites 7 and 8.
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Nov 18 2007, 07:02 AM
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#66
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1620 Joined: 20-November 04 From: Iowa Member No.: 110 |
My interpretation of WH3 viewed from sol 742, nice outcrop to examine during the winter, and a convenient ramp below to roll down in the spring:
and a closeup from sol 767
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Nov 18 2007, 11:08 AM
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#67
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The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5546 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Loving the layers here...
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Nov 18 2007, 02:23 PM
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#68
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Member Group: Members Posts: 567 Joined: 4-September 06 From: Boston Member No.: 1102 |
Was the plan to be in the winter haven spot by early January? After exploring site 7 and site 8, do you think there will be time to visit Fuzzy Smith? FS is only about 2 driving days from site 8, and less from WH3. Seems to me that Spirit could do lots of exploring of northern Home Plate as long as we stay within 1-2 day's drive of WH3. Might spirit be moving around examining rocks and taking pictures within 20 feet of WH3 into March and move into final position only when the power stars to drop?
-------------------- Floyd
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Nov 18 2007, 06:13 PM
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#69
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3114 Joined: 9-February 04 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Member No.: 15 |
There is one factor that I don't think even the MER drivers are taking into account, here. Winds. Or lack thereof.
Oppy has had several cleaning events since the Storm, and Spirit has had really none. Oppy is in and around a big crater, which intensifies winds. Spirit seems to be in a mostly wind-dead area, a depositional trap more than anything. If we want Spirit to survive the winter, I think we need to find a wind-positive location somewhere near Home Plate. I'm hoping the north edge will have more winds than LRH did and than we've yet seen, but with all the dust I see deposited at the foot of WH3, I have my doubts... -the other Doug -------------------- “The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right.” -Mark Twain
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Nov 18 2007, 06:27 PM
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#70
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1967 Joined: 28-December 04 Member No.: 132 |
Spirit's wintering may turn out to be more of a nail-biter than the Dust Storm of 2007.
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Nov 21 2007, 09:13 AM
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#71
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4162 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Here's the latest navcam mosaic taken on sol 1380.
Spirit drove "back" a few meters, perhaps looking for a different path to "site 7". Note that the sites explored around sols 750-760 are on the leftmost two frames of the mosaic. |
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Nov 21 2007, 10:23 AM
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#72
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Administrator Group: Chairman Posts: 13231 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
That's a nice bit of rover donut that'll be visible from HiRISE
Doug |
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Nov 21 2007, 04:29 PM
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#73
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2736 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
I certainly don't want to raise alarm bells unnecessarily, but I'm starting to wonder about Spirit. Are her movements the past week or so intentional or is she struggling to leave this area? It's hard to tell from the current imagery, including Tesheiner's nice pan, but she's actually in a bit of a hollow right now. You can see it in this sol 759 navcam image. We're currently in the depression that slopes down to the right behind the rocky outcrops in the foreground.
Anyone gather any clues from pancam database? |
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Nov 21 2007, 04:57 PM
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#74
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 Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2126 Joined: 9-February 04 From: UK Member No.: 16 |
I don't see any indications of anything unusual in the tracking database.
I don't know what Spirit is up to, but I'm not worried at the moment. James -------------------- My MER & MSL Imagery site - Martian Vistas ---- Twitter Feed (including sol by sol updates on Opportunity's activity)
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Nov 22 2007, 09:13 AM
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#75
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4162 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
This is my guess (no info to support it, for the time being): They attempted to continue moving north on sols 1375 and 1378 but the drives were aborted due to excessive slippage. The move "backwards" on sol 1380 was with the intention to try another path northeastwards.
By the way, the next drive is currently planned to sol 1384, and this is not a guess. 
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