MSL Route Map Options

[Phil Stooke]

And here's the drill site.

Phil

[dilo]

While Curiosity is leaving Kimberley, I identified another possible route for next weeks, with interesting targets to visit (the yellow one):

Anyway, I think "green" option still the most probable route because is the most direct and shows softer soil...

[0101Morpheus]

Would that mean that green is potentially the fastest route?

[jmknapp]

Here's the topography on Marco's three paths:

[dilo]

Morpheus, the green path is faster for sure because it's shorter, it's on the smoothest terrain and, based on Joe's map above, it's also flatter... (great map, Joe, thanks!).
For the same reasons, "southern" yellow path is the slowest and most "dangerous" one, even though with many interesting objectives.

Edit: lenght measure done with GoogleMars gives 965 m for green path, 1080m for Northern path and 1165m for Southern one.

[jmknapp]

yellow path is the slowest and most "dangerous" one, even though with many interesting objectives.

Although, my topo map above might "overpaint" the relief situation somewhat with a dramatic color change from blue to red but only 20m change overall. Even along the yellow path the absolute slope isn't out of bounds perhaps.

[jmknapp]

Here's an expanded map showing a little over 100m of elevation change. The current rover position is marked by a small red x toward the upper right:



Current elevation is 39m above the landing site.

[dilo]

I would like to see an enlarged version of your last map, Joe... (and yes, all 3 paths do not show big slopes, as showed also in the attached GoogleMars profiles)

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[djellison]

Guys - this is a thread for actual route maps - not hypotheticals. Please take that discussion elsewhere.

[jmknapp]

For those following along at home, there was another drive of 73 meters just a few hours ago:



link: Drive 179

dilo: that's the highest res I have, although here's a PNG that at least avoids JPG noise: sol 631 topo

[Phil Stooke]

Thanks, Joe. OK, resuming my mapping efforts at last: here's the update to sol 634, and I just saw I need another update to 635 - coming soon!

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

And an update to sol 635, looking ahead a bit more as well.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Another drive, to the northwest this time.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Sol 637 update - now will we turn south to look at the big rock?

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Update to sol 640 - with some corrections.

Phil