[X] My Assistant

[Astro0]

From the Hazcam Front and Rear images it looks more deliberate than slippage.

Maybe a partial turn in place or a trenching activity to characterise the dunes?

[ustrax]

It looks like a turn in place as Doug said...sorry, but from the Weels, Girls and Beer Trilogy I missed the first episode...
Not knowing where Oppy is looking at can the turn have oriented her to get those planned Endeavour pancam images?

[Tesheiner]

Before your last comment I would say the turn was to put the rover in a better attitude for UHF communicacion with Odissey; such manouver was done plenty of times in the past.
BUT now I think it may be to move the LGA out of the FOV while imaging Endeavour.

[djellison]

Nahh - the LGA wouldn't have been in the way of something on the Horizon - I put money on either HGA occlusion, or UHF optimisation

[RoverDriver]

Nahh - the LGA wouldn't have been in the way of something on the Horizon - I put money on either HGA occlusion, or UHF optimisation

This is a result of a meneuver we call "turn for comm". At some time during the initial part of the day, we get told what is the optimal heading for the UHF pass and if it is not too way off the end of drive heading we try to include commands to turn the rover at that heading. Sometimes it might get quite tricky to sequence a safe meneuver (especially when autonav gets involved), most of the times it is very easy. If the turn for comm is large and the pass allows for more downlink, we include "penultimate" hazcams right before the turn to take a look at the tracks and wheel state. For small turns the field of view of the HAZCAMs is wide enough to cover the end of drive tracks, maybe I would have included at least a RHAZ penultimate on a turn like this one.

The look of the tracks in the FHAZ is a result of the point turn (= turn in place) with the RF wheel steering actuator stuck. This soil seems to be quite firm. If the soil is very soft you get quite a bit of digging. You can get lots of qualitative info from just the Hazcams!

Paolo

[ustrax]

Thanks for the explanation Paolo, btw I've answered your question about the comparation between Oppy's progress on my route proposal and the real progress at Meridiani, in the meanwhile there was some progress and Oppy ended, finally, the leg 01 of the journey, so this is the answer that matters...

The first half progress left me quite pleased with the result, only 9 days of difference between the real and the estimated distance covered by Opportunity, the second half was quite different, being Oppy now with 94 days behind the schedule, certainly the Santorini stop has a lot to do with this, how many sols did Oppy spent there? Around 60?...If we exclude those I'm not completely disapointed with my predicted average which was of 100mts/day...
Here's the final map for the first leg:

Doug, it's the definitive!

[RoverDriver]

...If we exclude those I'm not completely disapointed with my predicted average which was of 100mts/day...
...

We are clearly behind in the 100m/drive average, but in a few Km we are back on a parking lot type of soil, so I assume that we will be able to do long drives consistently and for many many sols.

Paolo

[climber]

We are clearly behind in the 100m/drive average, but in a few Km we are back on a parking lot type of soil, so I assume that we will be able to do long drives consistently and for many many sols.
Paolo

All. Just stop 1 minute and try to put Paolo's sentence in the 5 years back 2004's context.
These rovers are amazing! (and so are the drivers )

[fredk]

Looking more and more like a parking lot with every drive!

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P1312R0M1.JPG

[RoverDriver]

Looking more and more like a parking lot with every drive!

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...00P1312R0M1.JPG

Look at the FHAZ and Navcam and any of those ripples you see can still be a sandtrap. Never let your guard down! When I'm talking parking lot I mean So. Florida like terrain, where the speedbumps are the backs of alligators ;-)

Paolo

[climber]

Fredk: this will quite challenge Eduardo's ability to find where we are

[BrianL]

After all this time, you still doubt the Master's abilities?

[Tesheiner]

Fredk: this will quite challenge Eduardo's ability to find where we are

Not yet, climber. Not yet.

Off course, once we get to the flat and featureless terrain it will become more complicated to register the navcam mosaics with the map. At that point, the rover's mobility data will be an invaluable asset.

[Stu]

Seriously, thank you for doing that for us. It's adding a whole new dimension to this wonderful road trip.

[climber]

Not yet, climber. Not yet.

Off course, once we get to the flat and featureless terrain it will become more complicated to register the navcam mosaics with the map. At that point, the rover's mobility data will be an invaluable asset.

So you admit it