Going To Homeplate... Options

[djellison]

Ahhaaa...
Sometimes it just pops out at me - "ahh - THAT rock = THAT rock...." and bang - I know what's going on, but sometimes it just doesnt quite work

It all makes sense now ( as does the last few posts of this thread after a bit of culling )

Doug

[RNeuhaus]

Wow, interesting panaromic around HP. One observation is that around the HP, most stones aren't rounded but planned. I seems that these planar stones are the fallen ones from around HP or they were on the surface before that the land was deflated.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/pa...00P2363L7M1.JPG
Picture on the NorthWest side of HP (I think ).
http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/pa...00P2363L7M1.JPG
Picture close to the above.

It is hard time for us since Spirit has a ticket only for "5 days in HP" before leaving...for reasones of survival plus new discoveries on the other sides.

Rodolfo

[Zeke4ther]

Man, you read my mind. I dared not say anything - because it just seems too far fetched, and too good to be true! If this were anywhere else, and I would half expect to see a jawbone half buried in the looser rubble between the layers.

Hey Phil, looks a lot like Rock Glen up by Arkona, and Kettle Point, no? (superficially at least)

Hey! I know that place! I use to picnic there all the time when I was growing up!

[odave]

Oh, to be a fly on the wall for the HP planning meetings. This will probably be one of the most challenging periods of the mission - lots of juicy targets to inspect and very little time to do it. But as SS said in his latest update "rover planners have gotten very good at dealing with this kind of stuff." It will be fun to see what kind of super-optimized sequences come out.

[Tesheiner]

...
It is hard time for us since Spirit has a ticket only for "5 days in HP" before leaving...for reasones of survival plus new discoveries on the other sides. 

IIRC the plans were to be at HP by around sol 750 and at McCool slopes by sol 800, but no intention to leave HP on tol 750.
I'm pretty sure they will make a plan like on previous situations e.g. Summit, Endurance (Oppy). To set a time limit -- let's say sol 775 -- and prioritize the work to be done during this period.

This post has been edited by Tesheiner: Feb 6 2006, 04:11 PM

[babakm]

I suspect a certain Ms. Nathalie Cabrol popped a nice bottle of champagne after she saw these pictures.

[Marz]

IIRC the plans were to be at HP by around sol 750 and at McCool slopes by sol 800, but no intention to leave HP on tol 750.
I'm pretty sure they will make a plan like on previous situations e.g. Summit, Endurance (Oppy). To set a time limit -- let's say sol 775 -- and prioritize the work to be done during this period.

Yikes! I didn't realize there was such a tight time-limit here. I was thinking Spirit could lurk around here for a month or more, since there are some north facing slopes. I suppose once the first MIs are down, they'll decide how much more work is needed.

How far is the drive from Pitcher's Mound to the first of the Chaos hills? ~200m? Seems like Spirit could make that at a slow pace, if the driving looks clear.

[CosmicRocker]

Sorry; I should've noted that my post isn't even worthy enough to be called "speculation"...

I'm not sure why you would say that. I thought your observation was very credible, and spot-on, in my opinion.

You mean on 742 pancams?.
If the answer is "yes", here you have some reference pics.  ...

Wow. Is THAT where Spirit is? Thanks, I couldn't figure out where we were.

[djellison]

I suspect a certain Ms. Nathalie Cabrol popped a nice bottle of champagne after she saw these pictures.

Let's wait to find out what it's actually made of first

Doug

[RNeuhaus]

IIRC the plans were to be at HP by around sol 750 and at McCool slopes by sol 800, but no intention to leave HP on tol 750.
I'm pretty sure they will make a plan like on previous situations e.g. Summit, Endurance (Oppy). To set a time limit -- let's say sol 775 -- and prioritize the work to be done during this period.

I hope that the ticket around HP would be 30 days from now (Sol 745) up to Sol 775. By there is a like another Endurance's scientific study.

Driving in 25 sols from HP is enough to reach at the bottom of McCool Hill? If Spirit goes about 5 meter per day in average (rough estimation) and the closest slope from HP would be no greater than 125 meters. Is that within that range?

Rodolfo

[SteveM]

IIRC the plans were to be at HP by around sol 750 and at McCool slopes by sol 800, but no intention to leave HP on tol 750.
I'm pretty sure they will make a plan like on previous situations e.g. Summit, Endurance (Oppy). To set a time limit -- let's say sol 775 -- and prioritize the work to be done during this period.

I imagine the planners will take full advantage of all the goodies that weathering and gravity delivered from the sides of the mesa (HP is a mesa, isn't it) onto the talus slopes.

They may not be in situ, but they will still tell a lot about fragments of the geological history.

Steve (No, not that Steve)

[RNeuhaus]

I hope that the ticket around HP would be 30 days from now (Sol 745) up to Sol 775.  By there is a like another Endurance's scientific study.

Driving in 25 sols from HP is enough to reach at the bottom of McCool Hill? If Spirit goes about 5 meter per day in average (rough estimation) and the closest slope from HP would be no greater than 125 meters. Is that within that range?

Rodolfo

The north slope of McCool Hill is around 500 meters from HP. See the following Spirit transverse map: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-..._A742_2_br2.jpg

I am afraid that Spirit won't be around Home Plate until Sol 775 but sometime before.

Rodolfo

[Shaka]

The north slope of McCool Hill is around 500 meters from HP. See the following Spirit transverse map: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/tm-..._A742_2_br2.jpg

I am afraid that Spirit won't be around Home Plate until Sol 775 but sometime before. 

Rodolfo

Rod,
Can you put a mark on that map where you make the "north slope of McCool" to be?
And similarly mark Alan's latest color pan of inner basin? Thanx. Without topo lines, I can't see the hill to save my life.

[Shaka]

You mean on 742 pancams?.
If the answer is "yes", here you have some reference pics.

[attachment=3930:attachment] (222k)
Sol 744 navcam

[attachment=3931:attachment] (152k)
Sol 742 pancam

You have eyes like a Brazilian eagle, Tesch! Now can you mark on those photos where the northwest corner of HP is and also does anyone know which section of the edge is Gibson ? I assume we are somewhat to the east of the NW corner and have no view yet of the west side. ?

[RNeuhaus]

Rod,
Can you put a mark on that map where you make the "north slope of McCool" to be?
And similarly mark Alan's latest color pan of inner basin? Thanx.  Without topo lines, I can't see the hill to save my life.

Shaka:

The north face is located on the north face of the McCool Hill. I have draw the delimited blue line of that:


About the route, there are many and the future PANCAM pictures will show the best way to advance toward. Maybe, Spirit will stay on HP because by that there would be tons of worth science that there is no time to leave on time. If it so, Spirit will start to visit all round the circle and finally stay somewhat tilt north face on any hill by close of HP.

Rodolfo