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After Victoria..., .. what next?
Stu
post May 28 2007, 02:07 PM
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I know we've had rather light-hearted discussions about this before, with most people agreeing that Oppy is likely to end her days inside or on the edge of Victoria Crater, simply because there's nothing else to investigate within reach, but has Steve S got it in his mind that Oppy will head off somewhere else after Victoria? This report could be read in a way that suggests that... huh.gif


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algorimancer
post May 30 2007, 02:20 PM
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Heading due east from Victoria would indeed be a very bad idea, there is a huge dune field over there. On the other hand, a look at the HiRISE image suggests that there is a route which is initially due south, then curves east through a region which appears generally more traversable than what Oppy covered heading to Vicky.

[attachment=10605:attachment]

There are still some touchy areas to cover, but much of this is relatively open stretches of evaporite. Typically, it looks a lot like this up close:

[attachment=10606:attachment]

[attachment=10607:attachment]

The HiRISE coverage is insufficient to map the complete route in detail, but there's enough to show that Oppy can make it to the edge of coverage without too much difficulty, particularly factoring in the new nav software. As ustrax pointed out earlier,

http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/HiRISE/hirise...SP_001414_1780/

The overview suggests that, once the HiRISE gap is filled-in, a navigable route to the west rim of Ithaca is entirely feasible.

Boring? I think not as bad as prior to Vicky, and the destination is already visible. There will be various outcrops and craters along the way, and lot's of entertainment in projecting where Oppy will go next. Plus Oppy ought to be moving quickly enough to guarantee some regular changes in scenery.

As to scientific value, this takes us into an entirely new geological realm, not only the Ithaca rim peaks themselves, but the interior of Ithaca as well - which the MOLA maps indicate is substantially (hundreds of meters, as I recall) lower than than Vicky, and thus having the potential of having once contained standing water. Taking Oppy in any other direction would just see more of the same fractured/layered evaporite - talk about boring.

Assuming Oppy is healthy at the time, I see no reason why this would be as much as a 4 year trip. Given the new nav software, I could envision completing the traverse in a single driving season, as little as a year. To me, the journey to Ithaca seems to sanest option after Victoria.
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FIN Mars
post Jun 3 2007, 07:50 PM
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QUOTE (algorimancer @ May 30 2007, 04:20 PM) *
The HiRISE coverage is insufficient to map the complete route in detail, but there's enough to show that Oppy can make it to the edge of coverage without too much difficulty, particularly factoring in the new nav software. As ustrax pointed out earlier,

http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/HiRISE/hirise...SP_001414_1780/
EXCESS QUOTING REMOVED

great maps, but what about spirit?
I didn't found spirit's landing site HiRISE maps from here > http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/HiRISE/hirise_images/

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- Stu   After Victoria...   May 28 2007, 02:07 PM
- - Sunspot   But isn't the nearest feature of any significa...   May 28 2007, 02:30 PM
|- - Oren Iishi   [quote name='Sunspot' date='May 28 200...   May 28 2007, 03:47 PM
- - ustrax   "We're going to do a lot of good science,...   May 28 2007, 02:35 PM
- - fredk   It's hard to conclude much at all from those p...   May 28 2007, 03:28 PM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (fredk @ May 28 2007, 04:28 PM) Mor...   May 28 2007, 03:58 PM
- - PhilHorzempa   As prep work, it would be nice to see HiRISE image...   May 28 2007, 03:35 PM
- - djellison   Scientifically it could be. Two, three or more ye...   May 28 2007, 05:03 PM
- - MarsIsImportant   Ustrax, I believe the bottom image is a stretched ...   May 28 2007, 05:07 PM
- - tuvas   During the last HiRISE team meeting, I think it wa...   May 28 2007, 05:18 PM
|- - fredk   Thanks, tuvas, for tossing some very tasty nuggets...   May 28 2007, 06:31 PM
- - tuvas   Oh, I have no doubt that before a target is chosen...   May 28 2007, 06:47 PM
- - David   It wasn't even possible to have a serious disc...   May 28 2007, 09:37 PM
- - nprev   Yes... ... amazing that there's now concern o...   May 28 2007, 10:56 PM
- - CosmicRocker   I was ready to say that Erebus is a valid future t...   May 29 2007, 12:39 AM
- - Bill Harris   Any future target will have to be down-section, aw...   May 29 2007, 02:54 AM
- - dvandorn   I think we should look at the entirety of Steve...   May 29 2007, 07:30 AM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (dvandorn @ May 29 2007, 08:30 AM) ...   May 29 2007, 08:05 AM
|- - ustrax   I've been bothering SS with the Ithaca issue, ...   May 29 2007, 03:47 PM
|- - ustrax   And the whole context:   May 29 2007, 03:56 PM
- - djellison   The WHOLE context would show the distance between ...   May 29 2007, 04:16 PM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (djellison @ May 29 2007, 05:16 PM)...   May 29 2007, 04:51 PM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (ustrax @ May 29 2007, 05:51 PM) Yo...   May 29 2007, 05:50 PM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (djellison @ May 29 2007, 06:50 PM)...   May 30 2007, 10:01 AM
|- - climber   QUOTE (ustrax @ May 30 2007, 12:01 PM) Do...   May 30 2007, 10:11 AM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (ustrax @ May 30 2007, 11:01 AM) bu...   May 30 2007, 10:30 AM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 11:30 AM)...   May 30 2007, 11:04 AM
|- - Edward Schmitz   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 03:30 AM)...   May 30 2007, 04:08 PM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (Edward Schmitz @ May 30 2007, 05:0...   May 30 2007, 04:13 PM
- - Stu   As much as I love the romance of that idea, it doe...   May 29 2007, 05:36 PM
- - babakm   Here's a perspective view from the HRSCView ap...   May 29 2007, 05:46 PM
- - alan   Maybe someday the romantics will get their wish an...   May 29 2007, 10:15 PM
- - fredk   You guys want completely uncalled for, brazen spec...   May 29 2007, 11:59 PM
|- - ElkGroveDan   QUOTE (fredk @ May 29 2007, 03:59 PM) ......   May 30 2007, 12:28 AM
|- - nprev   QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ May 29 2007, 05:28 P...   May 30 2007, 12:48 AM
|- - gallen_53   QUOTE (nprev @ May 30 2007, 12:48 AM) I...   May 30 2007, 04:19 AM
- - Stu   Don't underestimate the value of "pretty ...   May 30 2007, 07:36 AM
- - djellison   BUT - there is a point at which there would be cri...   May 30 2007, 07:42 AM
|- - Stu   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 08:42 AM)...   May 30 2007, 08:03 AM
- - climber   I understand the wish of engeneers to see how the ...   May 30 2007, 07:44 AM
|- - zoost   QUOTE (climber @ May 30 2007, 07:44 AM) C...   May 30 2007, 08:07 AM
|- - Edward Schmitz   QUOTE (climber @ May 30 2007, 12:44 AM) ....   May 30 2007, 03:59 PM
- - Toma B   That is why we love MERs so much...there are both ...   May 30 2007, 07:45 AM
- - djellison   In the context of Opportunity - a trip to Ithaca w...   May 30 2007, 08:06 AM
|- - Stephen   QUOTE (djellison @ May 29 2007, 03:03 AM)...   May 30 2007, 11:08 AM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (Stephen @ May 30 2007, 12:08 PM) B...   May 30 2007, 11:32 AM
|- - djellison   Stephen - have you looked at the HiRISE image to t...   May 30 2007, 12:03 PM
|- - Stephen   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 10:03 PM)...   Jun 1 2007, 11:35 AM
|- - Stephen   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 10:03 PM)...   Jun 1 2007, 11:43 AM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (Stephen @ Jun 1 2007, 12:43 PM) Ca...   Jun 1 2007, 12:58 PM
- - Stu   I think most people here know just how much I live...   May 30 2007, 11:23 AM
- - Stu   Admit it ustrax, you just made that 'old sayin...   May 30 2007, 11:53 AM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (Stu @ May 30 2007, 12:53 PM) Admit...   May 30 2007, 01:28 PM
- - dvandorn   OK -- if we're seriously going to discuss wher...   May 30 2007, 01:22 PM
|- - fredk   QUOTE (dvandorn @ May 30 2007, 01:22 PM) ...   May 30 2007, 05:54 PM
- - djellison   I gotta say - those second two craters look damn i...   May 30 2007, 01:54 PM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 02:54 PM)...   May 30 2007, 02:04 PM
||- - Stu   QUOTE (ustrax @ May 30 2007, 03:04 PM) Wh...   May 30 2007, 02:06 PM
||- - djellison   QUOTE (ustrax @ May 30 2007, 03:04 PM) Wh...   May 30 2007, 02:10 PM
||- - ustrax   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 03:10 PM)...   May 30 2007, 02:25 PM
|- - dvandorn   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 08:54 AM)...   May 30 2007, 03:12 PM
- - Stu   I know the romantic explorer in you can hear Ithac...   May 30 2007, 01:57 PM
- - algorimancer   Heading due east from Victoria would indeed be a v...   May 30 2007, 02:20 PM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (algorimancer @ May 30 2007, 03:20 ...   May 30 2007, 03:04 PM
||- - algorimancer   QUOTE (djellison @ May 30 2007, 10:04 AM)...   May 30 2007, 03:36 PM
|- - FIN Mars   QUOTE (algorimancer @ May 30 2007, 04:20 ...   Jun 3 2007, 07:50 PM
- - babakm   The area directly South of Victoria looks pretty b...   May 30 2007, 03:25 PM
|- - ustrax   Leaving aside the possible interest of the crater ...   May 30 2007, 03:47 PM
- - gallen_53   I think MER-B should aggressively explore Victoria...   May 30 2007, 03:37 PM
|- - helvick   QUOTE (gallen_53 @ May 30 2007, 04:37 PM)...   May 30 2007, 06:58 PM
- - dvandorn   Exactly -- as Doug says, we need more HiRISE image...   May 30 2007, 03:51 PM
- - djellison   We just built three new PC's here at work - Ar...   May 30 2007, 03:55 PM
- - Edward Schmitz   Dvandorn had an alternative idea above that doesn...   May 30 2007, 04:40 PM
- - algorimancer   I sure wish the HiRISE and other orbiter teams wou...   May 30 2007, 04:48 PM
|- - babakm   QUOTE (algorimancer @ May 30 2007, 04:48 ...   May 30 2007, 05:17 PM
- - dvandorn   QUOTE (fredk @ May 30 2007, 12:54 PM) You...   May 30 2007, 07:10 PM
- - MarsIsImportant   I like the Craters A, B, and C idea better than st...   May 31 2007, 04:10 AM
|- - centsworth_II   QUOTE (MarsIsImportant @ May 31 2007, 12...   May 31 2007, 04:24 AM
- - Pando   Hey Ustrax, my good friend, remember the good ...   May 31 2007, 05:25 AM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (Pando @ May 31 2007, 06:25 AM) ......   May 31 2007, 08:29 AM
- - gpurcell   The rover spent a heck of a lot of time getting to...   Jun 1 2007, 01:40 PM
|- - Edward Schmitz   QUOTE (gpurcell @ Jun 1 2007, 06:40 AM) T...   Jun 1 2007, 04:50 PM
- - djellison   I agree on that one - there's years of stuff h...   Jun 1 2007, 02:10 PM
- - djellison   But thinking about afterwards means you have to co...   Jun 1 2007, 04:55 PM
|- - ustrax   QUOTE (djellison @ Jun 1 2007, 05:55 PM) ...   Jun 1 2007, 07:37 PM
- - djellison   Actually - on another forum someone suggested that...   Jun 1 2007, 08:00 PM
- - algorimancer   Getting back to the question of whether the region...   Jun 1 2007, 08:33 PM
- - fredk   That's good to hear, algorimancer! We rea...   Jun 2 2007, 05:07 PM
- - stevesliva   What is to the north of Endurance? If we retrace ...   Jun 4 2007, 03:15 AM
- - edstrick   What's north of Endurance is one or two of tho...   Jun 4 2007, 06:29 AM
- - PaulM   Oppy seems to be surviving the storm and assuming ...   Aug 16 2007, 12:01 PM
|- - djellison   QUOTE (PaulM @ Aug 16 2007, 01:01 PM) if ...   Aug 16 2007, 12:07 PM
- - Floyd   Welcome to UMSF PaulM. I'm not sure exac...   Aug 16 2007, 12:35 PM
|- - algorimancer   QUOTE (Floyd @ Aug 16 2007, 07:35 AM) ......   Aug 16 2007, 01:03 PM
|- - antoniseb   QUOTE (algorimancer @ Aug 16 2007, 07:03 ...   Aug 16 2007, 01:16 PM
- - Tom Tamlyn   And don't forget Argos, the aged, faithful dog...   Aug 16 2007, 02:44 PM
- - PaulM   I find it interesting to speculate where the ...   Aug 16 2007, 06:47 PM
- - mhoward   Speaking of the "Oddysey," or the ...   Aug 16 2007, 08:55 PM
- - algorimancer   QUOTE (mhoward @ Aug 16 2007, 03:55 PM) ....   Aug 16 2007, 10:52 PM
- - BrianL   So, with the news that it is time to move on, and ...   Feb 5 2008, 06:23 AM
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