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Post Conjunction: Santa Maria to Cape York, The Journey to 'Spirit Point'
ElkGroveDan
post Feb 8 2011, 03:35 PM
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Starting a new topic to include Eduardo's Google overlay for the rest of the journey to Cape York:

http://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/gmars_ma...41_1775_RED.kml

Follow the link above and it should load right in to your Google Mars features.

I took a low crow's flight along the final 6km this morning. Below in green is what I think the final route will look like. Also an interesting feature along the way that appears to be a cluster of rocks, possibly Santa Maria ejecta, or large meteorite fragments. Note how the dune has evolved around the three (or more) objects. Object is at -2.199395°, -5.396676° -- roughly 3km down range from Santa Maria.

EDIT: bad link replaced, wider context image added for three rocks.
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vikingmars
post Feb 8 2011, 11:53 PM
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QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ Feb 8 2011, 04:35 PM) *
...Below in green is what I think the final route will look like.

The Green path is interesting indeed.
On my side, I bet for a "directissime" (as we say in French) route to Cape York (RED path on ElkGroveDan's good map), because Oppy is now on a very flat terrain with just small dust ripples. I think the Navigators will just race (straight route) on the smoothier terrain available in front of them (maybe with short stops at small craters), not only to gain time, but speed also, while saving some energy by avoiding wheel friction on "pavements"... We'll see smile.gif
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SFJCody
post Feb 9 2011, 01:35 AM
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I can see them making a beeline. I think the path from here to Cape York will be one of straightest they've ever made.
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Stu
post Feb 9 2011, 06:53 AM
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Members who can't access HiRISE images via the IAS Viewer, or who haven't got Google Mars, might find this zoomed-in view of the "final approach" to Cape York interesting... I think Oppy will be driving over/through/round some *fascinating* ground features as she rolls up towards CY...

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I'll add a "scale Oppy" later, have to head out to work now... sad.gif


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ElkGroveDan
post Feb 9 2011, 05:08 PM
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There is an open topic on the Geomorphology of Cape York.

Several posts moved there.


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Guest_Oersted_*
post Feb 9 2011, 11:55 PM
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No big scientific musings here, I just have to say that I'm non-plussed by the thought that Opportunity - after all these years - is actually heading for large-scale morphology. It might be just another crater, but it feels like Landfall.
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centsworth_II
post Feb 10 2011, 01:02 AM
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QUOTE (Oersted @ Feb 9 2011, 06:55 PM) *
...It might be just another crater...
Endeavour is not just another crater. It is the one and only crater that Opportunity will visit that presents material from another - more ancient - age of Mars. The rim of Endeavour was there before the layers of sulfates, before the hematite 'blueberries', before anything else that opportunity has seen.
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Guest_Oersted_*
post Feb 10 2011, 09:12 AM
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We agree. It is totally different from what we have seen so far, that was more or less the gist of my posting.
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marsophile
post Feb 10 2011, 05:20 PM
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I would guess the MER team would want to get to Endeavour well before the next winter. Who knows what the next Martian season will bring?
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djellison
post Feb 11 2011, 02:31 AM
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Opportunity, being more equatorial than Spirit, has never needed a tilt during winter.
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marsophile
post Feb 11 2011, 03:55 AM
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A late summer or fall dust storm could always make the winter hazardous, even for Opportunity.
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djellison
post Feb 11 2011, 06:51 AM
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Indeed - such an event occurred just before ingress to Victoria...with Whr's down to <100. And then once the skies cleared it just carried on.
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eoincampbell
post Feb 19 2011, 06:42 PM
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Might the rover drivers forego the climb of "Ledge York" and instead study the surrounding hydrated bedrock before heading straight for the clays at Tribulation ?
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13708
Saving precious time and beating MSL smile.gif
Or will Oppy now be headed for a specific location targeted by CRISM ?
Best of luck and W/Hrs to the team!


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Drkskywxlt
post Mar 9 2011, 08:31 PM
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Per Ray Arvidson at LPSC, Opportunity will start driving toward Cape York between Monday and Wednesday next week.
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Stu
post Mar 16 2011, 02:02 PM
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Some musings on the road ahead for Oppy...

http://roadtoendeavour.wordpress.com/2011/...aring-to-depart


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