[X] My Assistant

[Redstone]

According to the NASA TV schedule, there is an MER news conference set for September 1, at 1 pm EDT (5 pm GMT). Take it with a pinch of salt, because these schedules change a lot. Whenever it happens it will be shown on NASA TV.

This is the first press conference since when? I can't remember when we saw the last one...

I'm guessing this is when we'll see the "Mother of all Panoramas". Hopefully some news on the science too, and future route plans.

[Bill Harris]

As I write this, Spirit is now perched on a steep slope on the south side of the summit, and is starting to take what should be a spectacular Pancam panorama of the inner basin.

We need an "applause" smilie. As a geologist, I've been having wet dreams over the Layered Outcrops for a year now. The drive to the summit has been a good ride, but I think that the Inner Basin will answer (and ask) a lot of questions.

the solar array output for Spirit was 956 watt-hours. Insane. We have to shut her down every afternoon these days so she won't overheat.

He is joking about having to shut down, isn't he?

--Bill

[Marcel]

He is joking about having to shut down, isn't he? 

--Bill

The only reason what i can think of why they should do that is, that there's major currents flowing around in the WEB. This only happens if the battery is not full and (thus) draws a high load current, or if there's a lot of parts inside drawing amps at the same time. But then using the rover extensively makes it warm, not the energy input. If there's normal operation and no excesive use of transmitter, instruments, wheels or whatever uses energy: the arrays just put a 36 volts on the bus and this doesn't cause any currents that can heat. Potential (volts) does not cause heat, amps (and thereby watts: squared amps times resistance) does.

So, i don't understand either.

But it makes me so happy, that i don't even care. I knew it when i saw these arrays at the first navcam images at the summit: they almost look as crisp and clean as they looked on jan. 4, 2004. Gusev is a very windy place, especially on top of this hill.

[abalone]

This only happens if the battery is not full and (thus) draws a high load current, or if there's a lot of parts inside drawing amps at the same time. But then using the rover extensively makes it warm, not the energy input. If there's normal operation and no excesive use of transmitter, instruments, wheels or whatever uses energy: the arrays just put a 36 volts on the bus and this doesn't cause any currents that can heat.

Could be that when its up and running the batteries can not be offline. Online batteries could act as a current sink even when fully charged. This would turn power into heat inside the batteries.