On The Way To Home Plate, a possible route and calendar |
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On The Way To Home Plate, a possible route and calendar |
 Aug 25 2005, 01:21 PM
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#1
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 Special Cookie  Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228  |
As one year ago the question is launched:
Will Spirit make it? http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b14/ustrax3/hip.jpg If Ultreya reveals to be nothing worthy then it would be faster, but... Any other guesses? -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Aug 25 2005, 01:55 PM
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 21-June 05 Member No.: 417 |
'Home Plate' seems to be the most likely target, but I would propose a safer, more westerly approach of 'Home Plate':
(BTW, I see that my suggestion to name that little hill near 'Home Plate', "Pitcher's Mound" is catching on  )
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Aug 25 2005, 02:08 PM
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#3
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
QUOTE (general @ Aug 25 2005, 01:55 PM) 'Home Plate' seems to be the most likely target, but I would propose a safer, more westerly approach of 'Home Plate': (BTW, I see that my suggestion to name that little hill near 'Home Plate', "Pitcher's Mound" is catching on ) Maybe...But I WANT SO MUCH to go along the foot of Husband Hill!!! Looks much more interesting than heading West... What a better neighbor for Home Plate than the Pitcher's Mound?...
-------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:10 PM
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#4
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14431 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
Totally depends on the strategy they take. If they think "right - that's Husband hill done - lets floor it" - then it could be perhaps as little as 60 sols to get there.
If they do stops at sites en route - you can quadrouple that. Doug |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:23 PM
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#5
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1636 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Lima, Peru Member No.: 385 |
It is a tough decision. Go East to visit Thira, Go South to visit Ultreya and Home Plate or Go North to visit another basin. Now Spirit is somewhat handicapped with little RAT, X Particle Alpha and Moussbauer. The only IDD can serve us are microscopic, pancam and navcam which will be worth as long as the solar power is worn out. Then, I think the base for the decision is the most probably lenght time that Spirit can survive: Solar power. From this, I think, it can last until March 2006. Then, it is 7*30 = 210 Earth days months ahead. Then, as Doug says that the time to take from Summit to HomePlate is between 60 to 240 sols. Now, It is probably, the decision to go anywhere (north, south or east) is the last most important decision. The last decision must be the ones most interesting of all. Go to East to Thira, is out of range. Go to North and South are the last two options. But, the north side, I don't know if there another such interesting stuff as the south with Ultreya or HomePlate.
Rodolfo |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:24 PM
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#6
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 21-June 05 Member No.: 417 |
QUOTE (ustrax @ Aug 25 2005, 04:08 PM) Maybe...But I WANT SO MUCH to go along the foot of Husband Hill!!! Looks much more interesting than heading West... Sure, but it also depends on the position of the sun: the rover needs to be in the sunlight all the time. If the foot of Husband Hill and 'Ultreya' itself are in the shade, Spirit can't operate there. Does anyone know more about the sun's trajectory in the coming weeks/months in the Gusev area? |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:27 PM
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#7
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1636 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Lima, Peru Member No.: 385 |
QUOTE (general @ Aug 25 2005, 09:24 AM) Does anyone know more about the sun's trajectory in the coming weeks/monts in the Gusev area? I think, the south slope is the most favourable for Spirt since now the Mars is heading to Summer. The sun is now most perpendicular in the south slope. Rodolfo |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:42 PM
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#8
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
QUOTE (RNeuhaus @ Aug 25 2005, 02:27 PM) I think, the south slope is the most favourable for Spirt since now the Mars is heading to Summer. The sun is now most perpendicular in the south slope. Rodolfo Sun...South...Let's give a Summer vacation to Spirit and sent it to the nice, warm sandy Ultreya beach!  When I put 300 and something sols on the way to Home Plate I was thinking in Ultreya as a major interest target... -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:49 PM
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#9
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1636 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Lima, Peru Member No.: 385 |
QUOTE (ustrax @ Aug 25 2005, 09:42 AM) Sun...South...Let's give a Summer vacation to Spirit and sent it to the nice, warm sandy Ultreya beach! When I put 300 and something sols on the way to Home Plate I was thinking in Ultreya as a major interest target... Maybe, a little lower of Ultreya beach, there will be many nice girl taking a bath of sun...  Rodolfo |
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Aug 25 2005, 02:50 PM
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#10
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Member Group: Members Posts: 290 Joined: 26-March 04 From: Edam, The Netherlands Member No.: 65 |
QUOTE (ustrax @ Aug 25 2005, 02:42 PM) Sun...South...Let's give a Summer vacation to Spirit and sent it to the nice, warm sandy Ultreya beach! So where is her beer then (or a can of oil for her wheels) ? The only input the poor thing gets is radiation and dust. And commands to do things. Not a single refreshment, let alone....company during the frosty, lonely and silent nights. They're almost alive to me...... |
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Aug 25 2005, 03:13 PM
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#11
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Special Cookie Group: Members Posts: 2168 Joined: 6-April 05 From: Sintra | Portugal Member No.: 228 |
QUOTE (Marcel @ Aug 25 2005, 02:50 PM) So where is her beer then (or a can of oil for her wheels) ? The only input the poor thing gets is radiation and dust. And commands to do things. Not a single refreshment, let alone....company during the frosty, lonely and silent nights. They're almost alive to me...... Don't worry about the beer...Looks like someone has already take care of that... Look at that top-of-hill super cooled can on the upper left quadrant  :http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/pa...03P2260L6M1.JPG -------------------- "Ride, boldly ride," The shade replied, "If you seek for Eldorado!"
Edgar Alan Poe |
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Aug 25 2005, 08:53 PM
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#12
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2998 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
I favor the south-and-westward route shown by general. The topography looks looks too rugged to the west.
Whichever route is taken, Spirit is in for lean times. Heading into the Martian Autumn and Winter, the Sun will be tracking more to the North. But heading down the south slope to the Inner Basin, the solar panels will assume a southward tilt, which is the anti-optimum of what is needed. Going downhill, the power requirements for the drive motors might be reduced somewhat, but I think we'll still be operating at a loss. And we may end up in a wind shadow being on the south side of Husband Hill so Spirit may end up with more dust deposition if cleaning events end. --Bill -------------------- |
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Aug 25 2005, 09:25 PM
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 Chief Assistant Group: Admin Posts: 1409 Joined: 5-January 05 From: Ierapetra, Greece Member No.: 136 |
Home Plate in stereo cuz...Life should be STEREO!
 Home Plate regular anaglyph  Home Plate 2x vertical exaggeration anaglyph Nico -------------------- photographer, space imagery enthusiast, proud father and partner, and geek.
http://500px.com/sacred-photons & |
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Aug 25 2005, 09:25 PM
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#14
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1636 Joined: 9-May 05 From: Lima, Peru Member No.: 385 |
QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Aug 25 2005, 03:53 PM) I favor the south-and-westward route shown by general. The topography looks looks too rugged to the west. You mean east instead of west. QUOTE Whichever route is taken, Spirit is in for lean times. Heading into the Martian Autumn and Winter Now, Mars is beyond to LS 275 degree and it means that the summer time is starting in southern Hemisphere of Mars. The downhill position toward south is the most favourable position for solar power. Rodolfo |
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Aug 26 2005, 01:48 AM
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#15
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2998 Joined: 30-October 04 Member No.: 105 |
That right, I meant "too rugged to the _east_"; I've been looking at an upside-down map to much since Homeplate became visible.
I was thinking that the Sun passed the Southern Hemisphere Summer solstice at LS 270 (Aug 16) and the Autumnal Equinox occurs in January 2006. The power level may not become critical for many, many months, but it is on the decline and may become an issue eventually. You are correct, the downhill route to the south is quite favorable! --Bill -------------------- |
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