Lost landers from HiRISE, The next step Options

[tuvas]

Okay, we now have definitive pictures of VL1, 2, Spirit, Opportunity, and a Pathfinder coming up soon. So, now, what would the lost landers look like, starting with Beagle, MPL, and Mars 6, which will be the easiest to find of the landers. Just curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

[nprev]

Man, those were ambitious missions...I sure wish that they had succeeded despite the limitations of their technology & the odds! Thanks for the link, ljk4-1.

Given the (apparently still current) thinking that Mars 3 was overturned by winds, I sincerely doubt that the rover could have deployed. Neat thought, though...

[ljk4-1]

Man, those were ambitious missions...I sure wish that they had succeeded despite the limitations of their technology & the odds! Thanks for the link, ljk4-1.

Given the (apparently still current) thinking that Mars 3 was overturned by winds, I sincerely doubt that the rover could have deployed. Neat thought, though...

The more likely answer is that the Mars 3 relay orbiter went out of range for the
lander or there was a communications problem with the orbiter. The whole bit
about the dust storm disrupting things has been overblown, pardon the pun. I
believe that Martian winds are not quite as fierce as on Earth, even the ones that
whipped dust all over Mars in 1971.

Note that the Soviets were quite big on blaming natural causes for the failure of
their space probes, rather than any problems with their Glorious People's Technology.

When Mars 1 stopped transmitting before it reached Mars in 1963 (even though it set a
distance record at the time), the Soviets blamed a meteor hit rather than any problems
with the communications equipment. It was purely a guess on their part, as they had
no way to detect such a strike, especially one that would knock out the probe as a result.

At least we know that Mars 3 is intact on the surface and its parachute and heatshield
are not too far off. As for Mars 2 and 6, I wonder how easily MRO can tell a relatively
recent artificial crater from an older natural one?

[As old as Voyage...]

The more likely answer is that the Mars 3 relay orbiter went out of range for the
lander or there was a communications problem with the orbiter. The whole bit
about the dust storm disrupting things has been overblown, pardon the pun. I
believe that Martian winds are not quite as fierce as on Earth, even the ones that
whipped dust all over Mars in 1971.

Note that the Soviets were quite big on blaming natural causes for the failure of
their space probes, rather than any problems with their Glorious People's Technology.

When Mars 1 stopped transmitting before it reached Mars in 1963 (even though it set a
distance record at the time), the Soviets blamed a meteor hit rather than any problems
with the communications equipment. It was purely a guess on their part, as they had
no way to detect such a strike, especially one that would knock out the probe as a result.

At least we know that Mars 3 is intact on the surface and its parachute and heatshield
are not too far off. As for Mars 2 and 6, I wonder how easily MRO can tell a relatively
recent artificial crater from an older natural one?

So far we've only got a good up close look at one Martian crater definately known to be artificial.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050209.html

Notice how this mini crater displays the dark ejecta seen around far larger and natural recent craters.

I think natural and artificial craters will be indistinguishable unless some debris is still present.

[tuvas]

So far we've only got a good up close look at one Martian crater definately known to be artificial.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050209.html

Notice how this mini crater displays the dark ejecta seen around far larger and natural recent craters.

I think natural and artificial craters will be indistinguishable unless some debris is still present.

It's also possible that the dark ejecta could be due to it's recent nature. You can't really rule out anything, at this point in time. Few recent craters have been observed anywhere, and we still have alot to learn about those that we have.