Phoenix - North Pole Region Lander (PHX)

cIclops · 2008-05-26 10:58:38

Seems to be Congressman John Culberson

Good to see a politician getting involved!

Vincent · 2008-05-26 11:09:29

Not a problem

The dry ice layer appears to have a fluffy texture, like freshly fallen snow, according to the report by Dr. William
Mars Global Surveyor's laser altimeter is precise enough to monitor meter-scale changes in the thickness of the seasonal frost, which can accumulate to depths greater than a meter.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?r … 20003/-091

Ski Mars -- Martian Snow Depth Revealed
Scientists made precise measurements from the orbiting laser over the course of the Martian year to create a portrait of the changing depth of the frozen carbon dioxide (CO2). The MOLA results show that a maximum of 1.5 to 2 meters of frozen material are deposited during the Martian winter. During the summer, the frozen CO2 evaporates and returns to the atmosphere. These two graphs show the maximum amount of 'snow' that accumulated over the northern hemisphere [first image and southern hemisphere [second image]. Click here for animation. [Credit NASA/MOLA Project]

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20011206molaice.html
Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-26 12:00:03

First post landing briefing - 26 May 2008 - video 55 mins

Everyone is pleased, tired and feeling vindicated according to Emily Lakdawalla. Great fun to watch!

BTW next briefing is about to start to NASA TV

cIclops · 2008-05-26 12:05:06

PHX descending on its parachute - imaged by MRO

The chute slot ring is visible!

newsflash from Press briefing

Vincent · 2008-05-26 13:04:30

Possible stemmed features in damp area between polygons.

Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-26 13:58:09

stemmed features?

Apparently rocks are worked up to the top of polygons as they thaw and freeze, maybe this is an indication about the subsurface.

Vincent · 2008-05-26 15:52:26

Could be small rocks atop frost heave, or blue berries.

Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-26 16:18:22

Lander Update Briefing - 26 May 2008 - video 56 mins

Another fun and informative briefing.

Vincent · 2008-05-26 18:44:06

How much water is in this area? A lot

This is an MRO image of landing area with craters that have been refilled. This is proof of an active thaw cycle. Yea baby.

Vincent

Josh Cryer · 2008-05-26 21:41:54

Got some new images down today and we've been playing with colorizing the images: http://i25.tinypic.com/33bi9m0.jpg

The first from the left is CargoCult (IRC channel), the second is volcanopele (IRC / UnmannedSpaceFlight), the third is mine. Thought I'd throw up everyones attempt.

cIclops · 2008-05-27 02:15:53

Fast work josh, which filters? Is that the digging zone?

Vincent · 2008-05-27 02:34:07

too red for me and too fuzzy, I prefer Hortacolor.

Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-27 02:54:17

Excellent image, now the flag has some color!

Is that your work Vincent? what are the filters?

---

More background info on the MRO image of PHX landing from Rob Manning who is the chief engineer at JPL and did the MER EDL systems.

I'm glad you all like that image The MRO/HiRISE team is so amazing. A couple of folks from MRO contacted me a few weeks ago and told me how easy it would be to get and then they asked if I would try to make it happen .. so I did. It almost didn't happen (it was a very late request on my part), but I pushed for it ... although it IS a cool image, I wanted to means to vindicate the parachute in the unlikely event that we lost contact with PHX then had a bad landing day .... this would have proven that the parachute still deployed properly and hence would have not been an additional burden for the MSL EDL team. I am thankful that the image is now only "cool" and not a key data point for fault reconstruction. (oh I am so happy about landing too!!!! it was a blast last ... my knees almost gave out)
Emily, I heard your question (I am in Tuscon now - just flew in from Pasadena) in the press conference on the shape of the chute. The pixel count looks about right for a properly inflated parachute (I did the image estimation a couple of weeks ago) but I promise that we will do the math and check that it is not doing anything odd. We need to correlate the image time with the EDL timeline ... work ahead. The PHX EDL gang is converging at JPL next week to -ahem- "work" (between cheers) on doing the full reconstruction and to write a paper on EDL (I failed to make this happen on MER)! I am so excited for them. I will hang out with them and watch over their shoulders (I am off PHX and working MSL except for this week).
I need to grab lunch before we start up in the SOC ... have fun! I am !!
-Rob Manning

Vincent · 2008-05-27 03:00:07

No, that is the world famous Hortenheardawho. He is the greatest image man of all time.

I got so use to looking at his images I cant look at anyone else’s. I will post them here.

He sure can clear up that jpeg haze.

Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-27 03:17:34

Overhead polar map showing SSI right cam mosaic frames that are available

higher rez images

The digging zone is North, so the previous image was taken South. The arm looks clear of the bio barrier.

Looks like the reachable corner of a polygon at 330° & 40° Lat !

Vincent · 2008-05-27 03:32:58

In honor of Zydar, one petrified Martian Duck.

Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-27 03:41:19

Ha ha, quite a menagerie - first a polar bear and now a duck, he surely never dreamed this.

Vincent · 2008-05-27 04:11:17

Got the filters from Hort,

( R8, avg(R8,R2) R2 ) - as is this reply -- I am guessing ( RA,RB,RC )

Hope that helps

Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-27 04:51:53

Thanks Vincent. Seems to be a lot of dust covering everything on the ground or is that a image processing artifact? The landing thrusters should have blown it way.

Quite a wide range of rock sizes, mostly well rounded. Seems to be at least two types, a pumice darker type and the solid lighter one. The smaller solid ones are well rounded, the larger ones are more angular.

Felix32 · 2008-05-27 05:06:54

This image (from May 25), as someone mentioned on this forum before, maybe shows heatshield as shiny object in the distance:

http://fawkes4.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=440&cID=8

But here is another picture (from May 26), it shows another part of the horizon, and another shiny object:

http://fawkes4.lpl.arizona.edu/images.php?gID=509&cID=8

:?:

Vincent · 2008-05-27 05:22:27

Lets see we had a heat shield, a Lander cover and a parachute. We are missing the third shinny object.

Who can find it first. Hot dog carts do not count, I see a lot of those.

Viencent

cIclops · 2008-05-27 05:25:10

3 filter combined to RGB - from Daniel Crotty

Josh Cryer · 2008-05-27 05:32:20

Just used photoshop levels, created an adjustment hue/saturation layer (with "layer affects sublayers" enabled), made hue blue 240, green 120 and red 0. Saturation 100, brightness -50, and enabled "colorize."

I think this results in a pretty close approximation, perhaps slightly too red, because the NASA "true color" images are *a lot* darker than what we're producing.

Emily's attempt at the Planetary.org Blog is probably most accurate.

Vincent · 2008-05-27 05:40:13

Crotty seems to be getting a little better. Still a little too red. You can make out a little detail. Looks like he is not trying to stuff 20 lbs of data in a 10 lb bag anymore.

cIclops

Mars dust is everywhere and the thrusters would have cleared it but only into the air. Raveling winds would have settled it back to the surface so the scène is probably not natural.

Lot of deferent rock types for sure. The only way I knew about the cupped smooth rock was from watching NASA TV. I am not a geologist and have only basic knowledge.

Maybe we will have a good rock man lurking.

Wanted one good rock man.

Vincent

cIclops · 2008-05-27 05:47:50

Vincent, if it all went into the "air" and settled back out again, why is it not on the lander deck?

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Re: Phoenix - North Pole Region Lander (PHX)

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#253 2008-05-26 12:00:03

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#254 2008-05-26 12:05:06

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#255 2008-05-26 13:04:30

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#256 2008-05-26 13:58:09

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#257 2008-05-26 15:52:26

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#258 2008-05-26 16:18:22

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#259 2008-05-26 18:44:06

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#260 2008-05-26 21:41:54

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#261 2008-05-27 02:15:53

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#262 2008-05-27 02:34:07

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#263 2008-05-27 02:54:17

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#264 2008-05-27 03:00:07

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#265 2008-05-27 03:17:34

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#266 2008-05-27 03:32:58

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#267 2008-05-27 03:41:19

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#268 2008-05-27 04:11:17

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#269 2008-05-27 04:51:53

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#270 2008-05-27 05:06:54

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#271 2008-05-27 05:22:27

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#272 2008-05-27 05:25:10

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