Sliding into 'Home Plate North', Heading for Spirit's 2008 Winter Retreat Options

[Astro0]

So, perhaps a new topic is warranted now that the MER team has decided on the location for Spirit's 2008 winter retreat - 'Home Plate North'. (See: Planetary Society MER Update)

So, first question to our UMSF team - 'Could someone pinpoint the winter location on a Hi-Rise photo of Home Plate?'

Tesheiner's route map (above).

I note with interest, that the last time I started a topic on Spirit (Spirit's New Adventures - The Mission Beyond 1,000 Sols) it was on November 7th, 2006. As I write this, it's November 2nd 2007 and we are seeing the Rovers move into their THIRD Martian year (coming up to four Earth years).

An incredible achievement, an incredible journey, and it's not over yet!

Astro0

[fredk]

Astro0, thanks for the image. I'd say that the NHP site would be quite a bit farther to the left in your image, maybe roughly centred left-right. You've got her pointing more east west than north.

Even a very good northwards tilt only gives you a good solar illumination angle near noon. It would be very cool to see Spirit parked on an inclined cyllinder-shaped slope, so she could roll to several positions during the day to follow the sun, basking lizard-style as I've written before. I could see this working to some extent if she parked near the extreme NW corner of HP. Of course in reality even a very short drive may cost more energy than you gain. And in her current state she likely would slide irreversibly downslope with each short drive. Fun to imagine though.

"Is it just me, or has it gone a bit quiet on both threads at the moment?"

It's not just you! Lack of movement from Oppy helps. Spirit moved on sol 1371, but no navcams are in yet. I estimate from the hazcams that she's now roughly halfway from the 1363 to the 759 positions (and a bit east).

[Tesheiner]

"Is it just me, or has it gone a bit quiet on both threads at the moment?"

It's not just you! Lack of movement from Oppy helps. Spirit moved on sol 1371, but no navcams are in yet. I estimate from the hazcams that she's now roughly halfway from the 1363 to the 759 positions (and a bit east).

Yeah, this thread needed a little bump!
And Fredk, based on the rover data from the tracking web I think you are right on the money regarding sol 1371 position. Sol 1373 was a driving sol too and I'm right now trying to update the route map.