Opportunity Route Map Options

[Burmese]

*sigh* Still a -long- way to travel. Getting to Erebus from Endurance was barely over 1/2 the trip to Victoria...

[Guest_BillyMER_*]

*sigh* Still a -long- way to travel. Getting to Erebus from Endurance was barely over 1/2 the trip to Victoria...

I wonder if someone can supply info on how far the rover has traveled "as the crow flies" from the landing site to endurance crater on to where it is now. Same with Spirit,from the landing site to the top of husband hill to where it is now and also maybe a direct line from the landing site to where Spirit is now ? To me it seems easy to lose perspective as to just how the rovers have traveled until you figure out say a two mile distance from where you live,it then it seems like quite distance or to me at least.

[Pertinax]

Here's an off the wall question: anyone know the lat and lon for (the center of) Erebus?

-- Pertinax

[Adam]

Yet another great achievement for Opportunity!

[ToSeek]

*sigh* Still a -long- way to travel. Getting to Erebus from Endurance was barely over 1/2 the trip to Victoria...

Actually, I think that Erebus is about two-thirds of the way from Endurance to Victoria. However, the terrain is going to be rougher the rest of the way than those lovely smooth sands we had most of the way to Erebus.

[Guest_BillyMER_*]

Actually, I think that Erebus is about two-thirds of the way from Endurance to Victoria. However, the terrain is going to be rougher the rest of the way than those lovely smooth sands we had most of the way to Erebus.

Are we not moving into an area with more bedrock exposed and less complicated driving ? I'm optimist and think this region will be covered quite quickly and see oppy getting to Victoria quicker then many of the projections in the other thread.
One thing I've always noticed about both rovers when looking at the pics of the drive direction and that is the terrain always looks much worse then when we actually get there and it's like I ask myself where did all the obstructions go ? A credit to the people driving these rovers. See Doug, I can give them credit when they deserve it in certain aspects of the drive :-)

[mhoward]

Are we not moving into an area with more bedrock exposed and less complicated driving ? I'm optimist and think this region will be covered quite quickly and see oppy getting to Victoria quicker then many of the projections in the other thread.

FWIW, I agree. Knowing what we know now, comparing the satellite view to the views from the ground, I'm betting it's going to be relatively smooth sailing right up until we get to Victoria - not as easy as the first part of the journey south, but easier than the terrain around Erebus, I would think. I have no idea what's going to happen when we get there, though

[RNeuhaus]

Since Oppy left visiting the Payson, it has been driving an average of around 19 meters / sol (alternating driving and charging/atmosphere observations sols), as always taking the best and safest way in the middle of ripples. The outlook is 100 sols according to the present advance pace (Sol 867 at June 30)

Rodolfo

P.D.I will create a small matrix about the Oppy transverse progress toward Victoria with its distance/sol, remain distance, average distance/sol, arrival Victoria date outlook. I will update it to this topic.

[Phil Stooke]

BillyMER asked about the rover locations. The best estimate I have gives the current positions (you'll have to convert to miles yourself if you want that):

Spirit - 3200 m E of lander, 2080 m S of lander, straight line distance 3817 m from lander.

Opportunity - 350 m E of lander, 4340 m S of lander, straight line distance 4350 m from lander.

These are based on measurements from map-projected MOC images, and are probably accurate to within a few tens of meters.

I will try to answer Pertinax's question tomorrow.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Pertinax:

Measuring on a map-projected version of MOC R22-00640 I find that the centre of Erebus is at:

5.79 degrees west, 2.05 degrees south

Phil

[paxdan]

Doug,

Can i suggest that this thread is pinned at the top of the Oppy forum like the route map is in the Sprit forum. Although this thread is so frequently updated that it hovers there most of the time, it would be nice for it to aways be in the same place given that it is such a oft viewed thread.

[avkillick]

P.D.I will create a small matrix about the Oppy transverse progress toward Victoria with its distance/sol, remain distance, average distance/sol, arrival Victoria date outlook. I will update it to this topic.

Of course, initially the margin of error wuld be huge - but would diminish with time. This would be a really useful metric.

[Pertinax]

Pertinax:

Measuring on a map-projected version of MOC R22-00640 I find that the centre of Erebus is at:

5.79 degrees west, 2.05 degrees south

Phil

A myriad of thanks Phil. When we peak down into Victoria for the first time on Sol 1066, I'll pester you for the lalo of Victoria.

Again, thank you.



-- Pertinax

[Phil Stooke]

JPL's new map is up now:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-.../MERB_766_1.jpg

Phil

[Guest_Oersted_*]

Oh, for some drives as those between Vostok and Voyager! - I actually think the terrain will be propitious for it. Let Oppy loose on autopilot!