[X] My Assistant

[mars loon]

Roving Again 3 September 2007

Today we have published a new panorama from the Opportunity Rover from Sol 1278, stationed at the rim of Victoria Crater and soon to embark on her greatest journey. Prepared exclusively for the 3 September 2007 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine with the headline "Roving Again" (see story below) as a truly last second contribution.

The unique panoramic mosiac was stitched together from images from the front hazard camera and the navigation camera, which accounts for the noticable horizon curvature and other wordly appearence. This type combo image appears to be a first publication of this type and permitted inclusion of the crater, rover IDD, wheels, tracks, etc.

Roving Again: Opportunity Returns To Victoria After Near-death In Dust Siege
Aviation Week & Space Technology (caption) :
09/03/2007, page 42



"The NASA/JPL Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity are driving again on Mars after surviving electrical power shortages, caused by global dust storms that have swept the planet since July. Opportunity drove dozens of feet back to the rim of Victoria crater last week. The rover took this false color mosaic that preserves details, but sharply distorts elevation to make it falsely appear that the rover is on a hill. The mosaic, prepared exclusively for Aviation Week & Space Technology, was taken by a front black-and-white hazard camera and colorized using earlier Pancam data. Managers hope “Oppy” will finally begin a descent into the crater by late September. This week, Mars is 100 million mi. from Earth. Note smooth rock surfaces under arm. Rover tracks, antenna and solar array are visible (left) and a front wheel (foreground). Cornell University Athena instruments on arm include Alpha Particle Spectrometer (facing camera), German Mossbauer spectrometer (right), microscopic imager (left) and rock abrasion tool (pointing forward)."

Credit: MOSAIC BY MARCO DI LORENZO, KEN KREMER AND UNMANNEDSPACEFLIGHT.COM WITH NASA/JPL DATA

NASA/JPL/Cornell. Reprinted courtesy of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine and Aviationnow.com

Aviation Week link to a small online version:
http://www.aviationnow.com/media/images/aw..._2007_962_L.jpg

Another win for the Mars Rover team and the UMSF forum !

for your enjoyment,

Marco (dilo) and Ken (mars loon)

PS: more at my rover talks in central Florida the week of Sep 9
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...ost&p=97591

[djellison]

APOD : "Victoria Crater is the largest crater that either Martian rover has come across during their explorations."

Err....Gusev?

Doug