Spirit & Opportunity 2 - Continued from original thread

Josh Cryer · 2004-01-15 16:15:21

Adrian, I always knew they'd get moving on the surface, but it always depended on the surface terrain. Obviously if it was more rockey, like the Pathfinder site, we wouldn't be able to move much at all. There were estimates that we would be getting 40 meters a day. I disagree. We drove 3 meters in about 70 seconds. That means we can go around 600 meters in the 4 hours of day driving time, optimally speaking. And I think this terrain, as you drive away from the crater (as we plan to do) will get smoother, so we're going to be able to probably go that far in a given day once our objectives are met and once we decide to get moving along. We want to see those far hills. Like Steve Squyres said, first we want to see what's under the terrain; ejecta from a meteor impact; and to compliment that, we want to see what's above the terrain. So yeah, I think we're going to make it, hands down.

I was worried about the data uplinks, too, but we're getting far more data than any probe that has ever went to Mars, so I guess we, in our age of broadband (heh, last night my internet went out and I had to use dialup to catch part of the live commentary, talk about making me sweat!), need to not take it so much for granted.

Anyway, woo!

dicktice, the batters will die out long before the solar panels get covered by too much dust. But the batteries should last a good 6 months on full daily recharges, so I'm very very optimistic. This machine is very robust.

Last night, during the very charming commentary, they were talking about scenraios where the wheels would get stuck on the airbag, and what they would do, they called it, was "warp the laws of physics" to make the wheels get stuck on the airbag. That is, they would wrap the airbag around the wheels (a scenario inconcievable on Mars); after they did this they had the rover drive off it, and it ripped the airbag to shreds.

The rovers have no torque limit.

So now I can really see the potential of trenching, because they'll be able to freaking grind at gravel-like substences if they wanted to.

Okay, I'm rambling a bit. My expectations are though that we're going to go very far with these rovers. I think you are going to be very surprised by how far we go with 'em.

Byron · 2004-01-16 06:47:18

Those of you who are calling the play-by-play on Spirit (you know who you are...hehe)...do you know where they're supposed to drive it next and when? I want to go crater-hunting..!

B

RobS · 2004-01-16 07:53:32

There are small isotope powered heaters for the night time; they should prolong battery life. I suspect one reason for the fifty meter per day estimate is power; the panels probably cover a square meter or so. At 22% efficiency times 500 watts/sq meter of insolation divided by pi (because the sun isn't overhead all the time, but rises and sets) that's 1.6 kilowatt-hours of power per day, roughly enough to light a 75-watt bulb continuously. Not much.

-- RobS

Palomar · 2004-01-16 08:54:59

Those of you who are calling the play-by-play on Spirit (you know who you are...hehe)...do you know where they're supposed to drive it next and when? I want to go crater-hunting..!
B

*I've "done the rounds" of space- and Mars-related news sources I check every day; it seems they're all stuck on yesterday's news, i.e. "Spirit ready to roll"; "wheels in the dirt," etc.

I suppose we'll get some new news when it finally gets a few feet along.

--Cindy

Stu · 2004-01-16 11:57:36

Those of you who are calling the play-by-play on Spirit (you know who you are...hehe)...

(shocked look) surely you don't mean me..? :;):

Latest I heard was that the plan is to start Spirit moving late Saturday or early Sunday, after the spectrometers have taken some measurements. I'm not sure if it'll be heading right for the crater tho; I'd expect some limited exploration of the immediate vicinity, to get some baseline readings of rock types and surface material composition etc, before heading for more exotic - and, let'sface it, more dangerous - locations... just my guess tho.

Patience young Jedi, patience...

Josh Cryer · 2004-01-16 11:58:56

Hey, the news briefing is starting now (they moved it up an hour I guess)!

I'll try to give an overview after it's over.

edit: Wow, there's a picture of the deployeed arm, that's beautiful!

They're showing an animation of it too, it's really awesome.

Edited By Josh Cryer on 1074276716

Rxke · 2004-01-16 12:13:39

wow... that hi res pic (in stereo!) of the soil... it's just a 'demonstration' but... you can actually see induvidual grains...

Tomorrow `Mossbauer testing (at last!)

contact with the soil, 4 hours test... then if successful APSX

Rxke · 2004-01-16 12:16:23

Hey, nifty! they can use APSX and Mossbauer during the night, and even change toold when the rover is sleeping...
(wich gives the scientists about 20hrs of measuring time between daytime 'roving')
And then now: driving!

Rxke · 2004-01-16 12:19:58

first they're looking at the tracks they already made to get some idea of the soil...

shows abundant fine particles, finer than table salt Xtals...
probably mix of coarser particles too, and some cohesive component, too(!)
No much sinking, so no problem for Rover.

Josh Cryer · 2004-01-16 12:28:33

Dr. K · 2004-01-16 12:37:32

For news, status, updates, scientific info, images, video, and more, check out:

[http://axonchisel.net/etc/space/mars-ex … ights.html](AXCH) 2004 Mars Exploration Rovers - News, Status, Technical Info, History

Josh Cryer · 2004-01-16 12:51:29

Nothing really new that Rxke didn't mention.

No press briefings over the weekend. So the next briefing will be at 10 AM PST on Monday.

Rxke · 2004-01-16 13:01:55

One other thingy: Opportunity is closing in, and things look good on the ground, the dust from the past storm has settled, and they're going to do a trajectory correction (this is normal) soon. there will be an opportunity (sorry) to do 2 more later on, but they think it won't be nessecary...

BTW: Very nice comprehensive link from Dr. K, be sure and check the cartoons for some comic relief...

Stu · 2004-01-17 04:00:30

For news, status, updates, scientific info, images, video, and more, check out:
[http://axonchisel.net/etc/space/mars-ex … ights.html](AXCH) 2004 Mars Exploration Rovers - News, Status, Technical Info, History

That is an absolutely *superb* site, thanks for sharing it with us.

I'm never going to get ANY work done now..

Palomar · 2004-01-17 06:52:47

[=http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040117/ap_on_sc/mars_rover&cid=624&ncid=716]Spirit takes "microscopic images" of Mars

*Latest "update" of sorts I've yet found today (but the day is young!).

"The images showed features nearly as small as the diameter of a human hair.

The new black-and-white images taken by the microscope-camera lens show a tiny area, 1.44 inches square, with clumps of fine particles that may be stuck together by the martian equivalent of Epsom salts.

'This is the highest resolution by far we have ever seen Mars at,' said Ken Herkenhoff..."

--Cindy

Rxke · 2004-01-17 07:28:11

They showed one of those at the conference... 't was just a patch of 'sand' but boy it was impressive (i'm not sure it even was the microscope they used for that)

you could distingish individual particles, and i'm really curious for a close-up of the wheel marks and of course the magic carpet... will it show an upper crust of salts or not? How fine is the stuff really (after the compression by the wheels that'd be something easily copied on Earth)
and so on...
What a beautiful machine.

Again: this mission will be a milestone in our knowledge about Mars...
But imagine what a human could've done in the same timeframe... Beautiful machine or not, it's still a primitive device, compared with us, weak-bodied carbon-based agile and intuitive-impulsive 'machines'...

Palomar · 2004-01-17 09:50:29

What a beautiful machine.
Again: this mission will be a milestone in our knowledge about Mars...
But imagine what a human could've done in the same timeframe... Beautiful machine or not, it's still a primitive device, compared with us,

*I agree. I've been thinking of what humans could have accomplished by now...we move a heckuva lot faster.

I found the following at Astropix:

[http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040116.html]Very nice image!

--Cindy

Rxke · 2004-01-18 06:36:39

Duh. 'Rover may struggle to find water...' according to [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s … er_water_1]Yahoo!

Rxke · 2004-01-18 18:48:03

i'm still impressed with Spirit's ability to shoot 'bird's eye views of itself...'

Here's one of Spirit, freshly off the lander...[http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/040116overheadimage.html]Spaceflightnow

Nirgal82 · 2004-01-19 00:00:47

Man, I forgot it was a holiday weekend. No offense to my african brothers and sisters. Dr. King did more for the civil rights movement than any other single man, and it is shameful of me to forget his memorial.
In my blind forgetfulness I faithfully check in at the MER homepage only to find the same images from 16 Jan. And in my mind I was beginning to dread that something happened to the rover and they were trying to figure it out before releasing any info to the press...heh heh major brain fart,

-Matt

Josh Cryer · 2004-01-19 03:33:19

Ahah, those guys ain't getting no holiday, you can bet on it. I figure they'll do what they did with Pathfinder and not have weekend news briefings or public releases, gives them time to get a breath. After both Spirit and Opportunity has settled, we'll probably start having perodic releases rather than daily ones (pretty sure that's how Pathfinder went, but yeah). But it should get very exciting around the time Opportunity lands.

Rxke · 2004-01-19 05:19:52

I'm a bit worried about their 'Mars time' shifts... Isn't that causing an unnecc strain on them? They're bound to get sleeping disorders etc, and now they're relatively fresh, but what after let's say two, three months?

Rxke · 2004-01-19 05:41:24

BTW, Spirit is *not* going to examine the 'magic carpet'

They're too afraid it'd get into trouble with the bags (entanglement etc...)

Now how lame is that?

Josh Cryer · 2004-01-19 14:32:47

Not sure if you guys caught the press conference today, so I'll give a brief overview.

After doing the ground soil tests talked about on Friday, they drove off towards a little pyramid-shaped rock they have named "Adirondack." They named two other rocks, Sushi" and "Sashimi" but they weren't of major interest.

Right now we're parked in front of this little rock, chosen because of its dustless nature, and will be running the RAT, etc on it later today (Sol time).

Since Opportunity will be landing soon, Spirit will go into basically a wait mode for the next four days (well, after they extend the arm/RAT to have a look at Adirondack, I mean), and she'll abatedly wait for her twin sister to land.

So, it seems like nothing fun will happen until after Opportunity lands! Dagnabit.

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#51 2004-01-15 16:15:21

Re: Spirit & Opportunity 2 - Continued from original thread

#52 2004-01-16 06:47:18

Re: Spirit & Opportunity 2 - Continued from original thread

#53 2004-01-16 07:53:32

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Re: Spirit & Opportunity 2 - Continued from original thread

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