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#1 Re: Unmanned probes » Opportunity & Spirit **8** - ...More... » 2005-01-19 02:23:13
*Hi Cassioli -- nice to have you with us again.
Thanks. All those dry sand & rocks eventually bored me... :;):
But, time by time I come back to some Mars forum or sites, and I found that cool image!
It's really incredible how long rovers were able to live. As they successfully passed the winter, it looks like they are virtually able to... live forever! (at least, if their wheels are no more used to dig in martian sand).
It's very cool.
4 km driven.
thousands of MB of data.
journey up to an extraterrestrial hill! Only a mission with a moving rover could accomplish such a task! :band:
But, it's a pity Spirit was not sent to explore the so called "Utreya abyss": somebody tells it could be a cave. Do anybody know what NASA thinks about it?
#2 Re: Unmanned probes » Opportunity & Spirit **8** - ...More... » 2005-01-18 05:42:35
Spirit's path from orbit!
http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalo … g/PIA07192
Cool!
#3 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *7* - ...continuing... » 2004-07-19 12:40:53
Here's a pic of a rather http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ous-shaped rock half-buried in the dust of a fissure (a little above centre-left) at the Meridani site. From pic's angle looks almost like a half-tipped-over fried egg. (Or a toy flying saucer. :-)
I hope you are not talking about the "footprint" of the rover's instrument... AGAIN! ???
#4 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-07-03 06:12:01
My friend is also legally blind in his right eye and it amazes me how well he can drive. He's one of the best drivers I know, actually, and this is all without depth perception in the way most non-cycloptic people are used to! :laugh:
Problems arrives when he stops and he has to park! Movement can "replace" one eye to give 3d effect, but when you stop, all is flat!
#5 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-07-03 05:49:54
I wonder if they took any color photos during orbital insertion. . . these I would love to see!
I read they were not able to do it: the damned camera on Cassini is just like MER's one: a b/n camera with multiple filters, and it passed too fast (60,000 mph!) to take more than one shot from the same angle... 
(I know, multiple filters are better for scientific results... but I just HATE this method, ok? ??? )
#6 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *7* - ...continuing... » 2004-06-28 06:40:37
incredible anaglyph images of deeply undercut rock chunks at Endurance (both http://www.lyle.org/mars/bysol/1-136.html]from sol 136) photos taken of the http://www.lyle.org/mars/imagery/1P1402 … tml]Yellow Brick Road:
![http://www.lyle.org/mars/imagery/1P1402 … tml]Yellow](http://www.lyle.org/mars/imagery/1P140257226EFF3174P2375L7M1.JPG.html]Yellow){kind=link}
DANGER! DANGER!
Opportunity can't see UNDER the rocks: it just sees a flat rock it can pass over... but then its weight could break that thin rock and wheels could fall down and get stucked!!!! :realllymad:
#7 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-06-24 14:12:39
http://anon.nasa-global.speedera.net/an … i.mpg]This movie about Huygens landing is not so much encouraging about mission success...
No landing-rockets, no "legs", no parachute detaching before landing.... and if it falls down over the lander?!?*I can't get that movie to play.
It's better... I posted a wrong link! 
The right one is http://anon.nasa-global.speedera.net/an … i.mpg]this
Anyway here it is a VERY reduced-catted-DEproved(?)-dirty version (just 300 KB in place of original 1.1 MB )
(Sometimes the link work, sometimes not... try it into a new window and refresh the window...
http://i.1asphost.com/jumpjack/landing. … anding.gif
)
#8 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-06-22 10:27:13
http://anon.nasa-global.speedera.net/an … i.mpg]This movie about Huygens landing is not so much encouraging about mission success...
No landing-rockets, no "legs", no parachute detaching before landing.... and if it falls down over the lander?!?
#9 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-06-22 10:03:17
Quite http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.htm … 107]curios crater: looks quite young, or perhaps originated by soil sinking rather than meteor impact. ???
#10 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-06-22 10:01:33
"The region of passage through the ring plane was searched for hazards with the best Earth- and space-based telescopes and by Cassini itself. To protect the spacecraft from particles too small to be detected from Earth, Cassini will be turned to use its high-gain antenna as a shield.
Wasn't there any better way to approach the planet, than passing through an... asteroid field?!? :rant: 
#11 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *7* - ...continuing... » 2004-06-22 03:05:05
I hate it, though, when the pic downsizes automatically after download is complete...wish it would stay full screen.
Use http://www.opera.com]Opera browser in place of Internet Explorer, and you'll be able to change zoom level from 20% to 1000% (yes, one thousand) just by pressing "+" and "-"... (without taking in account that Opera is A LOT less vulnerable to viruses...)
#12 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *7* - ...continuing... » 2004-06-22 02:58:28
Does anyone know of a web site which might host information (such as a clock) as to what time it is at S's site and O's site relative to Greenwich Time?
What about http://www.geocities.com/lucassioli/marstime.html]mine?
In the marstime-v2-1.zip file you can find marstime-handheld95.xls file: just load it into your favourite spreadsheet program, and you'll see the corresponding Mars time of current Earth time!
It's called "handheld" as its formatting should allow using it also on any handheld supporting excel format (I use it on my SonyEricsson p800 smartphone).
#13 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5" » 2004-06-11 11:10:00
Maybe this link to http://i.1asphost.com/jumpjack/hills-an … f]Columbia hills animation works... it's on another site... ??? 
![http://i.1asphost.com/jumpjack/hills-an … f]Columbia](http://i.1asphost.com/jumpjack/hills-anim-tre-bn-part.gif]Columbia){kind=link}
Luca
#14 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5" » 2004-06-09 12:38:41
awww, another busted link!
why not use your Geocities page instead
Becuase they gives only 10 MB!
I'll check that damned link, anyway.
#15 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-06-09 11:57:13
I can't wait for new, hi-res Mimas images! :laugh:
...maybe we'll se Darth Vader, down there?... :;):
#16 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5" » 2004-06-07 02:39:14
I'm quite happy that Opportunity's being sent down into the crater. In fact, I'd like them to RAT the 'dunes' at the bottom and dig into the dirt with the wheels.
I still haven't quite finished with the idea that those 'dunes' might be dust-covered ice
We'll soon see Opportunity playing with LittleGreenMen launching snowballs... 
Luca
#17 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5" » 2004-06-03 14:34:08
New version of http://jumpjack.altervista.org/animazio … pproaching hills animation (2.3 MB)
It covers sols 88-147.
Luca
#18 Re: Unmanned probes » Free&easy stereoviewer - Suitable even for color stereo pairs! » 2004-06-03 14:29:07
I just invented a simple device which allows anybody to see 3d images, both printed and on-screen, even in color, of any size!!!
And it can be self-built in 20 minutes, almost for free!
Take a look at http://www.geocities.com/lcassioli/stereoviewer/]my page!
I find it very useful in conjunction with http://www3.zero.ad.jp/esuto/stphmkr/in … PhotoMaker, a freeware program.
#19 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5" » 2004-06-01 12:53:34
Wow what?!? :rant:
#20 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-05-31 00:51:17
Wonders, Wonders, it's a whole 'solar' system all by its own, that place...
Yes, both Jupiter and Sun "are" indipendent solar systems... they evn have water ice on some of their satellites! Maybe ancient Martian went there, after leaving their dried planet?
I think I remember something written by A.C.Clarke about those satellites, maybe Iapeto itself, but I can't remember well; something about an "eye" or a "big ellipse" on one satellite... does anyone remeber?
Luca
![http://images.google.com/imgres?imgdark … ]Deathstar](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgdarkstar-sifi.co.uk/images/stawars_kits/8193.jpg&imgrefhttp://darkstar-sifi.co.uk/starwars_vehicle_kits.htm&h=231&w=250&sz=3&tbnid=0uv4A_z_MZIJ:&tbnh=97&tbnw=104&start=5&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddeath%2Bstar%26hl%3Dit%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN]Deathstar){kind=link}
#22 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-05-30 13:02:27
I have a little problem with http://search.esa.int/queryIG.html?col= … &rf=3]this image
(I hope the link works, it's a dozen lines long!!!)
Look at the Mimas satellite... Is it a joke?!?!? ??? Maybe you can see it better in the http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/Sci … jpg]hi-res version
![http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/Sci … jpg]hi-res](http://esamultimedia.esa.int/images/Science/saturn31177.jpg]hi-res){kind=link}
Luca
#23 Re: Unmanned probes » Cassini-Huygens - Cassini-Huygens Discussion » 2004-05-30 03:21:14
Guys... I thought Sojourner and Spirit/Opportunity missions had little succes probability (fotunately I was wrong!), but look at Huygens mission details:
The probe's entry into Titan's atmosphere -- which is mostly nitrogen, with some methane and argon will cause a shock wave to form in front of the 2.7-m (8.9-ft)-diameter front heat shield. The plasma in the shock, just forward of the shield, will reach a temperature of around 12,000 deg C (21,632 deg F), which is approximately twice the surface temperature of the Sun. Simultaneously, the deceleration force on the probe will reach its maximum of around 16 g. The high temperature and deceleration pressure are design drivers for most of the probe structure. The outer shell of the probe must also be able to withstand the extreme cold (-200 deg C or -392 deg F) of Titan's atmosphere without buckling
(From http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/s … .cfm]here)
12,000 degrees!
16 g!!!!
Surface mission duration: AT LEAST 3 MINUTES!!!
Luca
#24 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5" » 2004-05-29 13:32:19
AT LAST!!! A half-decent JPL panorama of the Columbia Hills...!
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ...3R1.jpg
And look, there's even a monolith on the side of one of the hills...! :;):
Nice sky!
#25 Re: Unmanned probes » Spirit & Opportunity *6* - continue on from thread "5" » 2004-05-21 07:01:55
Which is the estimated height of the Columbia hills? I wonder how big are those rocks (trees? ) up there.
Luca