Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

Palomar · 2005-02-16 06:21:58

Peace]http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/spirit_rocks_affected_water.html?1522005]"Peace" findings indicate more water

*Contains more sulfate salt than any other rock examined by Spirit.

"This is probably the most interesting and important rock Spirit has examined," said Dr. Steve Squyres...
"This may be what the bones of this mountain are really made of; it gives us even more compelling evidence for water playing a major role for altering the rocks here,” Squyres added.
...Dr. Ralf Gellert, of Max-Planck-Institut fur Chemie, Mainz, Germany, said, "Usually when we have seen high levels of sulfur in rocks at Gusev, it has been at the very surface.
The unusual thing about this rock is that deep inside; the sulfur is still very high. The sulfur enrichment at the surface is correlated with the amount of magnesium, which points to magnesium sulfate."
Observations by Spirit show the rock contains significant amounts of the minerals olivine, pyroxene and magnetite, all of which are common in some types of volcanic rock...

Update on Oppy too.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-02-16 06:52:13

"Opportunity has paused for some trenching, but in a few days we'll put the pedal to the metal again."

Sure would be nice to come back to some of the trenches to see if anything has changed with its last known appearance.

REB · 2005-02-17 08:11:52

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … pportunity out in the middle of no where

Actually, it reminds me of an Earth desert. I think deserts have their own beauty. I love them in the evening when the sun cast long shadows on the ground.

This part of Mars looks more Earth-like than Moon like. Yet, if you look at it from above, where the craters stand out, it would look more Moon-like.

Mars is a strange place.

When I was looking at the picture above, I had a flashback of CP3O telling R2D2, "What a desolate place this is."

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … ]Meanwhile, Spirit spys some interesting looking rocks. Some even looked layered.

Palomar · 2005-02-19 13:03:01

*I checked back through the final two pages of the previous S & O thread, and don't see this info previously posted.

Russet]http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/mars_meteor_050219.html]"Russet" is -not- a meteorite

That's interesting; I would have figured otherwise. Apparently it's a bit of Mars rock which was thrown during an impact.

Dr. Squyres also mentions how fatigued the team is getting, but the continued excitement in trying to squeeze every bit of science out of the MERs as possible.

Update on Spirit, too.

--Cindy

No life on Mars · 2005-02-19 13:42:13

Opportunity travel map
http://mer.rlproject.com/index.php?act= … ...id=5284

Palomar · 2005-02-21 12:03:39

*Update on Spirit. Total odometry (as of Sol 393) for my favorite MER pup is 2.55 miles (4108 meters). Just another realization of how painfully slow they move. Over a year on Mars now, and "only" 2.55 miles? But yeah, I know it's a GOOD thing (no complaint, just a reminder).

On Sol 388 it completed a 43-foot drive toward Cumberland Ridge. It drove -- backwards, uphill -- 43 feet closer to Larry's Lookout on Sol 390.

Spirit's been using more energy from its batteries lately, because of dust accumulation on its solar panels.

On Sol 393, the rover team planned an easy remote-sensing day in order to try to put back some energy into the batteries.

On Sol 392 they'd planned another drive -- aiming for 75 feet -- but a problem occurred:

However, Spirit halted after completing the first segment of the drive, a distance of only about 12 meters (39 feet). The halt may have been due to rocks nearby considered too dangerous by the rover's autonomous navigation system. This left Spirit with more driving to do on the next drive opportunity.

This info from NASA/JPL MER homepage. Keep going, baby; we want to see Tennessee Valley.

--Cindy

C M Edwards · 2005-02-23 15:05:59

If only I had followed up on my crazy ideas...

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/spotligh … .html]NASA Study on Saltation Observed at Opportunity Landing Site

Shaun Barrett · 2005-02-23 16:18:34

Yes, I remember your detailed analyses of granular behaviour some time back, CM. (I can't quite recall in what context now, though. Was it the blueberries?) You obviously put a great deal of thought into it and I believe it was very much in the same vein as this link you've provided.
Maybe you missed your vocation!

Palomar · 2005-02-24 10:23:43

http://www.marsdaily.com/news/mars-mers-05t.html]Update on Oppy

*As of Feb 16 its total odometry is 1.59 miles. Mention of a "very nice rock target" near the front right wheel. They've given it a new software tuneup which should improve its mobility. "Oppy booted into it and began an initial checkout."

Spirit is to receive a new software tuneup too. Solar power still good.

Time to start rolling towards Victoria Crater, Oppy! Or have they decided they're not going to attempt it? I've not seen any definite indications that way, but I'd think if they were still planning on driving Oppy to VC, they'd be starting in good earnest soon (at least).

--Cindy

REB · 2005-02-24 13:13:14

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … html]Spirt at Larry's Lookout?

It looks like Spirit is looking out at Tennessee Valley

Interesting light material across http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/ … TML]across the way.

Palomar · 2005-02-24 13:21:45

It looks like Spirit is looking out at Tennessee Valley

*I doubt it. I just checked the NASA/JPL homepage; there's no further update on Spirit's whereabouts since my February 21 post.

IIRC, Spirit either has to be at Larry's Lookout or beyond it a bit, to see into Tennessee Valley.

--Cindy

djellison · 2005-02-25 05:03:37

BIG drives for Oppy in the past few days

Doug

Palomar · 2005-03-01 13:08:50

*Excellent! Just read updated info regarding Spirit at the NASA/JPL homepage. Spirit has completed the trek up Larry's Lookout and is positioning itself to begin taking panoramic photos of Tennessee Valley. :up: It took Spirit 70 Sols to reach its current vantage point. Way to go.

On sol 407, Spirit reached Larry's Lookout, driving another 3.5 meters (11 feet). Spirit performed an hour of post-drive imaging and was ready to begin observations of Tennessee Valley.

Am anticipating these photos.

--Cindy

P.S.: Spirit "also performed another Phobos observation."

Palomar · 2005-03-03 09:05:50

BIG drives for Oppy in the past few days
Doug

*Nice image, Doug. Oppy made a complete circuit around the heatshield, huh? <g>

Opportunity set a one-day distance record for martian driving, 177.5 meters (582 feet), on Feb. 19.

Yay. Another distance record broken. That's from the most recent updated info at the NASA/JPL homepage.

I'm looking for more details as to Oppy's planned drive (still in the plans?) to Victoria Crater. No such luck and updated news items are currently coming in at trickle rate it seems.

?

--Cindy

imran · 2005-03-03 16:54:39

I'm looking for more details as to Oppy's planned drive (still in the plans?) to Victoria Crater. No such luck and updated news items are currently coming in at trickle rate it seems.

Check out the last page on the following link (was posted at another forum) - gives you a possible route to Victoria Crater.

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/apio/pdf/ … 5.pdf]Mars Express OMEGA and Opportunity Coordination

Rxke · 2005-03-04 01:24:23

For people on modem: that's an 18.8Mb .pdf document.

Nice document, if a bit sparse on text, heehee.
not really new cq the roadmap, but really nice summary :up:

Rxke · 2005-03-05 02:02:20

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7078]Mars Rovers in instrument slip-up

sounds minor, but imagine that one of the rovers had crashed during landing, no-one would've noticed the readings were wrong... Because there would be no discrepancy.

Stephen · 2005-03-06 05:37:29

I notice the http://anserver1.eprsl.wustl.edu]MER Analysts Notebook site has now posted the third data release (for sols 91-180).

EDIT: Since posting the above, I've noticed one possible screwup in the data posted: the Mission Manager reports for Spirit on Sols 136 & 138 appears to be identical to the one for Sol 139. This was presumably not what they intended to post.

djellison · 2005-03-06 08:22:53

Larger: http://mer.rlproject.com/s410_husband_m … band_m.jpg

7 x 4 frames - just in L2 and L5. this is one days worth of the full Larrys Lookout Panorama

Doug

Rxke · 2005-03-06 09:13:28

Thank you!

djellison · 2005-03-06 10:13:28

full thing is 7000 x 4000 pixels I'm not putting that online though

Doug

Palomar · 2005-03-08 07:39:18

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-mer … tml]Spirit examines "Watchtower"

*Nice, brief update on what both MERs are doing. Hurry up, I want photos of Tennessee Valley! Will check NASA/JPL homepage in a jiffy...

...checked it, same info.

--Cindy

Shaun Barrett · 2005-03-08 20:09:34

Notice the sky colour?

Is it my imagination or is the sky a pale blue-gray? I know the text states there's less dust in the air, which might explain this, but could there be more to it?

(Conspiracy-theorists, adjust your metal helmets and take note! :;): )

Could NASA be trying to give us a more natural colour-rendering than the 'lurid red rock / salmon pink sky' we've been treated to over the years?
Is it possible NASA's paradigm shift is beginning to show?! ???

[< Edit > The blueish tinge is more apparent against the white background in Cindy's 'Spacedaily" link - so check it out. It loses something against the blue background here at New Mars.]

Palomar · 2005-03-08 20:32:18

Notice the sky colour?

Is it my imagination or is the sky a pale blue-gray?

*Not your imagination. Looks like a very soft pastel Robin's egg blue mixed with an equally soft gray. That sky looks quite a bit like misty early-spring mornings in my childhood locale.

Nice to have you back with us, Shaun. I hope you're feeling better.

--Cindy

hubricide · 2005-03-09 00:23:26

I'm not sure we'll know what color the sky on Mars really is until we land humans on the surface.. that said, the sky definitely looks blue in some color images. Does it really matter what color the sky is, though, in the end? Purple might be nice.

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#1 2005-02-16 06:21:58

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#2 2005-02-16 06:52:13

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#3 2005-02-17 08:11:52

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#4 2005-02-19 13:03:01

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#5 2005-02-19 13:42:13

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#6 2005-02-21 12:03:39

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#7 2005-02-23 15:05:59

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#8 2005-02-23 16:18:34

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#9 2005-02-24 10:23:43

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#10 2005-02-24 13:13:14

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#11 2005-02-24 13:21:45

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#12 2005-02-25 05:03:37

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#13 2005-03-01 13:08:50

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#14 2005-03-03 09:05:50

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#15 2005-03-03 16:54:39

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#16 2005-03-04 01:24:23

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#17 2005-03-05 02:02:20

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#18 2005-03-06 05:37:29

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#19 2005-03-06 08:22:53

Re: Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)

#20 2005-03-06 09:13:28

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#21 2005-03-06 10:13:28

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#22 2005-03-08 07:39:18

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#23 2005-03-08 20:09:34

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#24 2005-03-08 20:32:18

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#25 2005-03-09 00:23:26

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