The Return to Home Plate |
The Return to Home Plate |
Aug 31 2007, 12:24 PM
Post
#331
|
|
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Another drive on sol 1300 on this slow return to HP.
On a related topic, there is a new status update on the MER webpage with this interesting comment related to the mini-TES dust contamination, if any. QUOTE After two sols of remote sensing with emphasis on characterizing whatever dust had accumulated on the panoramic camera, Spirit's handlers decided to have the rover retrace its tracks to assess what dust contamination might be present on the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. To do this, they needed to measure a known target.
With a blanket of dust everywhere, scientists needed a way to distinguish dust on targets of scientific interest from dust on the optics. The best target for that was "Gertrude Weise," a patch of nearly pure-silica soil uncovered by Spirit's wheels. Rover planners decided to have the rover drag its wheels through it again to scrape off newly acquired dust and expose the same pure silica as before. Differences between old and new measurements would be due to dust on the instrument itself; once that signature was known, it could be subtracted from future measurements. The first drive to Gertrude Weise was a little short and didn't uncover the silica as hoped. Spirit's handlers planned a second drive on Sol 1300 (Aug. 30, 2007), during which the rover was to scuff the soil with a half-turn of the left front wheel, then scuff it more by locking both left and right front wheels and driving them backward across Gertrude Weise. They then planned to have the rover back up some more to take images and move toward the Home Plate on-ramp. Spirit was expected to resume the long-awaited trek to Home Plate on sol 1303 |
|
|
Sep 2 2007, 08:07 PM
Post
#332
|
|
The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
-------------------- |
|
|
Sep 3 2007, 04:17 PM
Post
#333
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2492 Joined: 15-January 05 From: center Italy Member No.: 150 |
brillant enough, Stu!
-------------------- I always think before posting! - Marco -
|
|
|
Sep 4 2007, 07:47 AM
Post
#334
|
|
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Yet another move, on sol 1304, and Spirit is right at the edge of HP.
Latest navcams here: http://nasa.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/navcam/2007-09-03/ |
|
|
Sep 4 2007, 03:24 PM
Post
#335
|
||||
The Poet Dude Group: Moderator Posts: 5551 Joined: 15-March 04 From: Kendal, Cumbria, UK Member No.: 60 |
Today's offerings...
A view out across the "Big Country" rolling plains of Gusev... (cue theme music) da-da-da-da-da-dada-da-da ... and some disturbed dirt... And finally, I know we could NEVER see such dramatic lighting effects, but I reckon this is how we all feel now the storm has passed... -------------------- |
|||
|
||||
Sep 6 2007, 09:23 AM
Post
#336
|
||
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
Nice pictures Stu, specially the last one.
Finally, on sol 1306, Spirit is back on top of solid rock! And looking to the latest pancam images, the so called "drive-direction" mosaic, my guess is that the plan is to traverse Home Plate up to the SW corner. |
|
|
||
Sep 6 2007, 01:00 PM
Post
#337
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 530 Joined: 21-March 06 From: Canada Member No.: 721 |
Wow, 534 sols, almost a year and a half, since Spirit last roamed the plate. Where does the time go...
Perhaps Stu feels a poem coming on. Brian |
|
|
Sep 6 2007, 01:18 PM
Post
#338
|
|
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 4279 Joined: 19-April 05 From: .br at .es Member No.: 253 |
A lot of dust/sand was accumulating on the stuck right forward wheel while Spirit was moving by the Silica Valley area. On the latest fhazcam images we can see a trail of sand being left behind as the rover moves onto hard rock terrain.
On another aspect I would really like to know if driving will be easier (or not) on this terrain. Edited: I think it would be time to move to this new thread: Home Plate (second round) |
|
|
Guest_Oersted_* |
Sep 6 2007, 10:40 PM
Post
#339
|
Guests |
That's a beautiful shot of dirt being carried onto the nice and prim Plate!
|
|
|
Sep 9 2007, 10:03 AM
Post
#340
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2820 Joined: 22-April 05 From: Ridderkerk, Netherlands Member No.: 353 |
|
|
|
Sep 9 2007, 10:42 AM
Post
#341
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2820 Joined: 22-April 05 From: Ridderkerk, Netherlands Member No.: 353 |
|
|
|
Sep 9 2007, 12:29 PM
Post
#342
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 267 Joined: 5-February 06 Member No.: 675 |
A lot of dust/sand was accumulating on the stuck right forward wheel while Spirit was moving by the Silica Valley area. On the latest fhazcam images we can see a trail of sand being left behind as the rover moves onto hard rock terrain. To go off on a tangent that really belongs in another topic, the lack of dust on a moderate elevation like Home Plate is a good sign of dust being blown off the rovers (in the long term). Steve |
|
|
Sep 9 2007, 01:31 PM
Post
#343
|
||
Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10151 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
Here is jvandriel's panorama from 1308 in a polar projection, cropped because the horizon was distorted a bit too bizzarely even for me.
Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PD: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
|
|
||
Sep 13 2007, 05:24 PM
Post
#344
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2820 Joined: 22-April 05 From: Ridderkerk, Netherlands Member No.: 353 |
Sorry Phil.
jvandriel |
|
|
Sep 14 2007, 12:33 AM
Post
#345
|
|
Solar System Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 10151 Joined: 5-April 05 From: Canada Member No.: 227 |
Not in your pan, jv - only in my grotesque distortion of it.
Phil -------------------- ... because the Solar System ain't gonna map itself.
Also to be found posting similar content on https://mastodon.social/@PhilStooke Maps for download (free PD: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Cartography.pdf NOTE: everything created by me which I post on UMSF is considered to be in the public domain (NOT CC, public domain) |
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 26th April 2024 - 04:22 AM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |