Decision made to send Opportunity into Victoria

[heyscottie]

(AP)<br /><br />LOS ANGELES - NASA's aging but durable Mars rover Opportunity will make what could be a trip of no return into a deep impact crater as it tries to peer further back than ever into the Red Planet's geologic history. <br /> <br />The descent into Victoria Crater received the go-ahead because the potential scientific returns are worth the risk that the solar-powered, six-wheel rover might not be able to climb out, NASA officials and scientists said Thursday.<br /><br />The vehicle has been roaming Mars for nearly 3 1/2 Earth years. Scientists and engineers want to send it in while it still appears healthy.<br /><br />"This crater, Victoria, is a window back into the ancient environment of Mars," said Alan Stern, the NASA associate administrator who authorized the move.<br /><br />"Entering this crater does come with some unknowns," Stern added. "We have analyzed the entry point but we can't be certain about the terrains and the footing down in the crater until we go there. We can't guarantee, although we think we are likely to come back out of the crater."<br /><br />Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, have been exploring opposite sides of Mars since landing in January 2004, discovering geologic evidence of rocks altered by water from a long-ago wetter period of the now-dusty planet.<br /><br />Blasted open by a meteor impact, Victoria Crater is a half-mile across and about 200 to 230 feet deep — far deeper than anything else the rovers have explored.<br /><br />"Because it's deeper it provides us access to just a much longer span of time," said Steve Squyres, the principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover mission from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. He said it's not known just how much time is represented in the crater's layered walls.<br /><br />Opportunity's first target will be a band of bright material like a bathtub ring about 10 feet below the crater's rim.<br /><br />"That was the original, pre-impact surface so this bright stuff is the stuff that was

 

[3488]

Thank you very much.<br /><br />Talk about hot off the press.<br /><br />They are going for it.<br /><br />I hoped they might have gone for Ithaca Crater instead.<br /><br />But Victoria is a treasure trove of new data though.<br /><br />Bold move, but then this is what NASA & JPL are experts at.<br /><br />Ground breaking science & results for so little money too.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[bobblebob]

"Since inception, the twin-rover mission has cost more than $900 million, and now costs $20 million to $24 million annually. Planned to last 90 days, the mission is in its fourth extension and another proposal would continue operations to the end of October 2008. "<br /><br />Why stop there? Why not run them until they break. Would be cheaper than sending up another rover in the future surely?<br /><br />I find it remarkable they have lasted so long. Was Nasa's 90 day lifespan just a very conservative estimate? How did Nasa manage - for the good - to get their esdtimated lifespan so wrong <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[1cooldaddyo]

I think they weren't expecting the martian winds to clear off the solar panels. Both rovers have gotten a good dusting off a couple of times just when they were running out of juice.

 

[3488]

Thats true, but it is also down to the quaility of the engineering involved in their <br />constuction, as well as the MER teams who are operating them.<br /><br />Difficult to know how long they will last or how long we will have only one of them<br />(chances are they won't fail at the same time).<br /><br />There are concerns about dust storms brewing up.<br />that will cause problems, if they escalate.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I have felt this was the right move all along.<br /><br />The rovers have lived far longer than even the most optimistic pre mission predictions could have imagined.<br /><br />Here in front of Oppy is an opportunity {please save boos for the pun until after the post is complete, thank you <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> } to use whatever time is left to get a look back further in Mars' history than is accessable within any guaranteed future lifetime. If we drive to the Big Crater, it is quite likely she would never make it. Possible, but no guarantee.<br /><br />When we bring her home in a hundred years or so, she will be given a place of honor in the exploration of our solar system, well earned.<br /><br />The decision's been made, let's see what we can learn!!!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bobblebob]

It will be a sad day when they both die <img src="/images/icons/frown.gif" /><br /><br />Almost feel like they're living things roaming Mars

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Was Nasa's 90 day lifespan just a very conservative estimate?"</font><br /><br />The 90 days was not an estimate. It was a minimum requirement.<br />The engineers just did an extraordinarily great job of designing <br />the rovers to meet that requirement.<img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[heyscottie]

As far as mission extensions go, NASA is not planning on stopping at any given time, and will likely continue running them as long as they can still be useful. But government entities can't just appropriate out to arbitrary distances in the future. So the current mission extention goes until then. There will probably be yet another extention after that.

 

[jimfromnsf]

"Why stop there? Why not run them until they break. Would be cheaper than sending up another rover in the future surely?"<br /><br />Keep them running forever is not going to "reduce" the need for other rovers. MER A & B are covering just a small area wrt to the data need to characterize Mars. In fact, Spirit? has deminishing returns since it is a scientifically "barren" spot (even though it was thought to be a good one prelaunch)

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"...Spirit? has diminishing returns since it is a <br />scientifically 'barren' spot..."</font><br /><br />You have GOT to be kidding! Lately Spirit hasn't <br />been able to move twenty yards without making <br />an astonishing new discovery. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[spacefire]

could this decision have anything to do with the Martian superstorm? Maybe they want to get some data before the thing goes to sleep from lack of solar power? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

It sounds like the decision was made beforehand, but that would certainly add weight to the general reasoning; i.e. anything can go wrong in the future, and we have a chance to do some deep time mining.<br /><br />Be Here Now <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

If the rover gets stuck in the crater, and they have found out all they think there is to know about it, they might just shut it down at that point unless they want to monitor it as a weather station. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[j05h]

I didn't get that comment either. Opportunity has been the star of the show in some ways, but Spirit's exploration of Gusev is equally important. They are both fascinating locations. Remember "Pot Of Gold"? There is more to Husband Hills and Home Plate than meets the eye, as well.<br /><br />Sending Oppy into Victoria Crater makes sense, it's a huge target that they travelled 2+ years to reach. If it gets out after another year or two, hurrah. If it only ever explores Victoria, hurrah, it's a huge crater. <br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[anthmartian]

I am very pleased about this. I am also confident Opportunity could get out when it is done. I would think we'll know the answer to that by what we experience when Oppy is on its way down.<br /><br />One thing does occur to me, surely it will be more sheltered inside the crater? Does this mean less dust will gather on Oppy's panels? Or does it mean dust will still find a way and there will be less likely hood of a cleaning event due to a more sheltered environment?<br /><br />I believe both rovers have experianced a cleaning event in the last week due to the storms on Mars. Power is up, so i believe now is a good time to send Oppy in.<br /><br />I do have mixed feelings yes. because i have got very attached to the rovers. But, lets face it. If we were showed Victoria as a destination way back before the rovers left for Mars we would have taken it and been so excited. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em>"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"</em></font></p><p><font color="#33cccc"><strong>Han Solo - 1977 - A long time ago in a galaxy far far away....</strong></font></p><p><br /><br />Click Here And jump over to my site.<br /></p> </div>

 

[3488]

Very true J05H & Anthmartian.<br /><br />Both locations are vital in our understanding of the Red Planet. There is still far more yet<br />to discover in the Columbia Hills within Gusev Crater.<br /><br />Regarding Opportunity. True both MERs have had dust cleaning events, only in the last week,<br />so luck is still playing a big hand here.<br /><br />My concern with Oppy, is whether or not dust will pool in Victoria Crater?<br /><br />There is a large extensive dune field on the floor of this crater!!!!<br /><br />I also have mixed feelings. Looking again at Oppy's situation, yes the correct decision has <br />been made.<br /><br />If Oppy does come back out, when she is done there, then I would suggest she heads<br />for Ithaca Crater straight away.<br /><br />The heightened dust storm activity though does worry me, immensely.<br /><br />Having said that, we have MRO, Mars Odyssey & Mars Express in orbit, all three returning<br />valuable data & with the MERs on the <br />surface, we will have unprecedented coverage of the development of dust storm activity.<br /><br />Andrew Brown. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[bobblebob]

Would be a shame to shutdown a working Rover, but if it gets stuck in the crator and isnt financially viable to keep running, then you can understand why

 

[MeteorWayne]

Who knows, it could expire any day from any of a hundred causes. I think this is a good investment of an unknown future. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[lampblack]

Yeah... it's a pretty-doggoned cool calculated risk. Kudos to the Opportunity team for being so gutsy. Even if the rover ends up bogging down, sending it into the crater was a good decision based on the information that was available. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><strong>Just tell the truth and let the chips fall...</strong></font> </div>

 

[bdewoody]

Has anybody else been unable to open the NASA Mars website today (7/02/07) ? All the other Nasa pages seem to be OK. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I could get into the MER page here <br /><br />HIRISE here <br /><br />No joy at MGS, though. Is there someting particular you're having trouble getting to? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bdewoody]

Thank's Wayne, they worked. I still can't get the main Nasa Mars page to open. Very strange. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

What's the url for that?<br />There are so many ways to navigate around the NASA site, not sure which route you're using. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bdewoody]

This is what had been working till today. http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>