Opportunity Route Map Options

[djellison]

Victoria is now roughly at a distance of twice/thrice that of Endurance

Nuh uh,

We're about 1km south of Endurance. Victoria is a further 5km away



Doug

[OTH]

Any thoughts on how far is the maximum that Opportunity could travel in one day. I know it is breaking its own records lately since the software update, but I guess what I am getting at, is just how quick she could travel say....1km?

Also, first post here.....looks like a great site, plan to come by often.

OTH

[djellison]

Well - Opportunity has done 390 metres in one 3 day period. Given that allowing for stop-offs and days of downlinking autonav data - I think it's fair to say that - flat out with no interuptions - it could do that once every week - so 1km is a 1 month program

Doug

[dot.dk]

Why downlink autonav data? Just delete it right away

[mike]

I believe the navigation images are downloaded so that the staff can figure out if anything went wrong, ways to improve the process.. also, I would imagine that these are the only pictures they have of what they passed along the way.

[marswiggle]

Victoria is now roughly at a distance of twice/thrice that of Endurance

Nuh uh,

We're about 1km south of Endurance. Victoria is a further 5km away



Doug

I used the long term route plan to estimate the distance (could not found the link any more). Seemingly I put Opp slightly too much south of Vostok. But I stick to my 'thrice' the distance to Endurance estimate. Victoria can not be much farther than that currently.

[djellison]

Actualy - you're right - I had Vostok a little further north in my head.

If I swivle my chair around, on my wall on a piece of epson panorama paper mounted in a portrait orientation - I have my http://moc.rlproject.com image printed - and I'm drawing the route on in silver pen as we go along.

From the exit of End to Vost is 10.5cm

From Vost to the gap in the Gate Post craters is 12

Gate Post to easter edge of Albert is 8

Then 16 more to Vic

So thats 10.5 down - 36 to go

Actually - I should take a photo of it and the other mars STUFF in my office Pics of Beagle 2 being built, MOC images on panorama paper - and two 54 x 18 inch panoramas ( The central part of the Lion King Pan, and the part of the Clovis pan looking back toward Bonne )

Add that to the lego MER rover, the hot wheels Sojourner and modified Pathfinder ( I put foil on the heatshield to make it more realistic ) and it's a mars fest in here. Heck - The walls are sort of mars coloured and theres a fine layer of dust around the place - but that's probably down to the sanding I've been doing of resin parts for a model of Bluebird CN7 I'm building. Land Speed Records are my other passion Other pictures include a pic of Thrust SSC signed by Andy Green, a photo of my other half who is about to get on a plane and fly home after a 3 day girley holiday in NYC, a lot of mess, and two tickets from the '03 Goodwood Festival of Speed - one signed by Derek Bell, the other by John Surtees. Oh - and a frame with a steering wheel and pedals for racing sims on the PC

Dragging it all back on topic a smidge


That tiny MOC image would suggest that actually - we're going to be climbing ever so slightly all the way to Victoria - only for Victoria to show all the strata we've seen back at End/Eagle and little if any more than that. If you consider Endurance - it's only the top half to two thirds of the depth of the crater that shows exposed material - the rest is noisey infill thereafter. I wonder if Vic will be the same.

Things get very interesting another 6-10k SE of there though.

Doug

[tedstryk]

Of course, we might find stuff from farther down lying around as ejecta as Oppy gets close to Victoria, even if the layers are burried in the crater.

[marswiggle]

Something yet: I noticed that the large orb pic of the 'etched terrain' and the composite picture someone made comparing End and Vic probably form a stereo pair where they overlap around the western rim of Victoria. (The large map is for left eye.) Sorry I don't have any decent software for making that to show in one picture. It's quite difficult to see, because the etch-terr map is a bit distorted (i.e. not made to any projection?). The 3-D effect is a bit vague and may also be due to the distortions, shadowing etc. But I imagine having been able to notice variations of altitudes there, thus e.g. my idea of the prominency of Vic's rim. Also it seems to me that the broad, dark flank of Victoria (the ejecta?) has quite clear radial undulation on its surface and in parts ends rather abruptly towards the surrounding lower white patches of the etched terrain. Does anyone see the same?

[Buck Galaxy]

"Things get very interesting another 6-10k SE of there though."


Care to expound on that bro? Images and comments?

[djellison]

"Things get very interesting another 6-10k SE of there though."


Care to expound on that bro? Images and comments?

Well - just look at that tiny MOLA imagery - the altitude starts to drop off much more quickly and continues to do so until a 10's of KM sized crater

Doug

[OWW]

This page seems to be further along with the updates than the rover site. It mentions Laika and Gagarin: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/daily.cfm

[dot.dk]

Are we in for another pit stop at this rock outcrop?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opp...T7P1215R0M1.JPG

[OWW]

Are we in for another pit stop at this rock outcrop?

http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opp...T7P1215R0M1.JPG

It does show very interesting 'wavy' layers. Or are those just wind ripples?
http://qt.exploratorium.edu:16080/mars/opp...TAP0703L0M1.JPG

[tedstryk]

There are some jagged areas that remind me of some of the features seen in Endurance. This might be interesting.