Now What ?, What/where to go ? |
Now What ?, What/where to go ? |
May 20 2005, 07:51 AM
Post
#1
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 290 Joined: 26-March 04 From: Edam, The Netherlands Member No.: 65 |
After seeing how much effort (driving meters) needs to be put to get out of here (but she'll get out, which is great !!!), I really would like to know what's the best to do from now on. Appearance of the surface doesn't tell us much about the carrying capacity of the soil, so the only thing left would be commanding drives of inches at the time and check the status visualy. Now THAT's going to dissappoint all of us that wanted to go to Victoria !! I'm not sure, but seems to me Victoria is at least a mile away ! That would mean it is out of reach
Is there another way to prevent oppy from ploughing on in a commanded drive for 2 meters in the deep ? Can she be programmed in such a way that slippage means STOP ? |
|
|
May 20 2005, 08:00 AM
Post
#2
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 578 Joined: 5-November 04 From: Denmark Member No.: 107 |
It can detect slip when using Autonav.
So we will probably see more of that in the future, and not much blind driving. -------------------- "I want to make as many people as possible feel like they are part of this adventure. We are going to give everybody a sense of what exploring the surface of another world is really like"
- Steven Squyres |
|
|
May 20 2005, 09:01 AM
Post
#3
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 24-November 04 From: Heraklion, GR. Member No.: 112 |
I just logged after yesterday's problems, and by seeing the "Now What ?, What/where to go ?" thread, I seriously thought Oppy had already got away from the sand trap !
Back to reality .... When Oppy began its treck, I had thought that it better head west to meet the etched terrain as soon as possible. Now, various people here have suggested that the etched terrain might not have so much outcrop to provide easier roving terrain. I don't know, maybe we should consider a westernly route now ? Or is it too late ? |
|
|
May 20 2005, 09:35 AM
Post
#4
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 290 Joined: 26-March 04 From: Edam, The Netherlands Member No.: 65 |
QUOTE (TheChemist @ May 20 2005, 09:01 AM) I just logged after yesterday's problems, and by seeing the "Now What ?, What/where to go ?" thread, I seriously thought Oppy had already got away from the sand trap ! Back to reality .... When Oppy began its treck, I had thought that it better head west to meet the etched terrain as soon as possible. Now, various people here have suggested that the etched terrain might not have so much outcrop to provide easier roving terrain. I don't know, maybe we should consider a westernly route now ? Or is it too late ? Um, i'm sorry about thinking about the next step so early, but since Oppy's slowly crawling out of the dirt, I am confident she'll get out of it. |
|
|
May 20 2005, 12:57 PM
Post
#5
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 593 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 279 |
QUOTE (TheChemist @ May 20 2005, 09:01 AM) ...Now, various people here have suggested that the etched terrain might not have so much outcrop to provide easier roving terrain. I don't know, maybe we should consider a westernly route now ? Or is it too late ? Looking at Opportunity's current position on the MSSS photo of the area, she's only 200m due north of an etched outcrop which lies to the north-northeast of Erebus. Looking to the land to the south and west of the rover, the ground increasingly /visually/ recalls the colour and texture last seen north of Viking crater. (The MSSS pixel resolution of 1.77m per pixel isn't quite enough to show the dunes she's currently in, but the pattern of this current area is virtually all behind her.) So, either way, after a couple of hundred metres I sense that the going will get easier. Once out of this dune, it might only be a week or so of short drives (compared to the long sprints we've previously seen) before it's back to "business as usual". And - even allowing for a stopover on obvious etched terrain - "the rim of Erebus in under three weeks" is therefore my guess. Andy G |
|
|
May 21 2005, 03:00 PM
Post
#6
|
|
Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 19-April 05 Member No.: 256 |
QUOTE (Marcel @ May 20 2005, 02:51 AM) Is there another way to prevent oppy from ploughing on in a commanded drive for 2 meters in the deep ? Can she be programmed in such a way that slippage means STOP ? Surely mini-TES can tell the difference between the light fluffy material that Oppy is in now as compared against the harder and denser areas. It would be painfully slow to use mini-TES to evaluate the conditions ahead before making each drive but it still better than getting stuck again. 1) How far out can mini-tes see when sitting at a high point on a dune? 2) What's the status of mini-tes now, wasn't it acting a little flaky about a month ago? Gary |
|
|
May 21 2005, 09:36 PM
Post
#7
|
|
The Insider Group: Members Posts: 669 Joined: 3-May 04 Member No.: 73 |
QUOTE (garybeau @ May 21 2005, 08:00 AM) I think the MTes is fully functional at this point... the self-healing properties of both rovers are simply astonishing. Let's hope the rototilling gets that stuck steering actuator loose as well, since that seems to be the only thing wrong with Oppy at this point... (other than being stuck of course) |
|
|
May 21 2005, 10:08 PM
Post
#8
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2488 Joined: 17-April 05 From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK Member No.: 239 |
There were initially fears that particularly low temperatures would damage some of the components of the Mini-TES instruments, but these seem to have receded lately. Still, we're *probably* on borrowed time, inasmuch as there was a clear physical parameter 'no-go' for Mini-TES which has been long passed (unlike the notional warranty on the MER vehicles overall, which always struck me as a guesstimate at best!). I hope they get as much data as possible while they can!
-------------------- Remember: Time Flies like the wind - but Fruit Flies like bananas!
|
|
|
May 22 2005, 05:56 AM
Post
#9
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2228 Joined: 1-December 04 From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA Member No.: 116 |
QUOTE (Pando @ May 21 2005, 03:36 PM) I think the MTes is fully functional at this point... the self-healing properties of both rovers are simply astonishing. Let's hope the rototilling gets that stuck steering actuator loose as well, since that seems to be the only thing wrong with Oppy at this point... (other than being stuck of course) Hehe..."rototilling"... LMAO!! You know, that just might fix the actuator. I know I could fix it if I could go out there and give it a sharp whack with the side of a wrench. Those rovers are a pair of fine machines. They never cease to amaze me. -------------------- ...Tom
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast. |
|
|
May 22 2005, 02:53 PM
Post
#10
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 477 Joined: 2-March 05 Member No.: 180 |
QUOTE (Pando @ May 21 2005, 05:36 PM) QUOTE (garybeau @ May 21 2005, 08:00 AM) I think the MTes is fully functional at this point... the self-healing properties of both rovers are simply astonishing. Let's hope the rototilling gets that stuck steering actuator loose as well, since that seems to be the only thing wrong with Oppy at this point... (other than being stuck of course) I remember some talk that they weren't sure if it was a hardware or software issue? Anything more on that aspect of it? QUOTE You know, that just might fix the actuator. I know I could fix it if I could go out there and give it a sharp whack with the side of a wrench. Hopefully; really be bad if it seriously botches up a bearing or something. |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 26th April 2024 - 03:17 AM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |