Does MPL now have 2 full ovens?

[willpittenger]

If so, can it process two samples at once? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

<p>I&nbsp;think oven one filled up before they filled oven two.&nbsp; As far as I know the ovens can't be emptied, so I assume they are not filled unless they have to be.</p><p>As to running two ovens at one, I am not sure.&nbsp; The ovens can be heated to 1000 degrees which would take a bit of power.&nbsp; maybe they can run them alternately?</p><p>Jon</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I&nbsp;think oven one filled up before they filled oven two.&nbsp; As far as I know the ovens can't be emptied, so I assume they are not filled unless they have to be.As to running two ovens at one, I am not sure.&nbsp; The ovens can be heated to 1000 degrees which would take a bit of power.&nbsp; maybe they can run them alternately?Jon&nbsp;&nbsp; <br />Posted by jonclarke</DIV><br /><br />They have not even selected a sample site for the second oven. The first is filled, and the doors should be closed by now so processing should begin today. They only have 8 ovens, so it;s highly unlikely they would fill 2 at the same time and process them simultaneously over a 90 day nominal mission. <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>

 

[centsworth_II]

<p><font color="#666699"><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>...the doors should be closed by now...<br /> Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV></font><br />I'm confused by talk of closing the oven door(s).&nbsp; It seems the exterior doors, or shutters, can not be closed due to the pile of dirt over the screen.&nbsp; The real oven door would be the piston-like sealer seen below in a picture from an old SDC article on Mars Polar Lander. </p><p><br /> <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/4/4/443eb79d-5331-472f-a47e-b74252e73c3c.Medium.jpg" alt="" /><br /><strong><font color="#333333"><font size="1"><font face="Arial">"</font></font></font><font><font><font><font><font><font face="arial" size="2"><font face="arial"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2" color="#333333"><font face="arial" size="2" color="#333333"><font face="Arial" size="1">The oven is covered by the white insulating material around the tube in the center right. The tube on the left is a plunger that seals the oven closed, providing an airtight seal and a vent to carry the evolved gasses out for laser analysis." http://www.space.com/news/mpl_tega_991129.html<br /></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></strong></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I'm confused by talk of closing the oven door(s).&nbsp; It seems the exterior doors, or shutters, can not be closed due to the pile of dirt over the screen.&nbsp; The real oven door would be the piston-like sealer seen below in a picture from an old SDC article on Mars Polar Lander. "The oven is covered by the white insulating material around the tube in the center right. The tube on the left is a plunger that seals the oven closed, providing an airtight seal and a vent to carry the evolved gasses out for laser analysis." http://www.space.com/news/mpl_tega_991129.html <br />Posted by centsworth_II</DIV><br /><br />What you say makes sense. I have never heard that issue be addressed directly in any briefings. <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>

 

[centsworth_II]

<p><font color="#666699"><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I have never heard that issue be addressed directly in any briefings. <br /> Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV></font></p><p>From the latest update:&nbsp;<font color="#000080"> </font><font size="2"><font color="#000080">"Commands being sent to Phoenix today include instructions to close TEGA oven number 4 and begin analyzing the sample inside, a process that will take several days"</font> http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/06_12_pr.php</font></p><p>No talk of "closing doors", just closing the oven.&nbsp; So it looks like the command to slide the tiny plunger into place so the heating and analysis can begin has been sent.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>They have not even selected a sample site for the second oven. The first is filled, and the doors should be closed by now so processing should begin today. They only have 8 ovens, so it;s highly unlikely they would fill 2 at the same time and process them simultaneously over a 90 day nominal mission.</p><p>Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV><br />That's odd.&nbsp; I read somewhere they got one oven filled with the sprinkling method.&nbsp; The oven that looked wasted last week reported got filled from all shaking attmepts in less than 10 seconds. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<p><font color="#666699"><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>That's odd.&nbsp; I read somewhere they got one oven filled with the sprinkling method. <br /> Posted by willpittenger</DIV><br /></font>You may have read that they successfully <u>tested</u> the sprinkle method (on an unused portion of the deck), but they have not yet used it to fill an oven.</p><p>For example: http://martianchronicles.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/phoenix-has-a-bun-ok-soil-in-the-oven/</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>You may have read that they successfully tested the sprinkle method (on an unused portion of the deck), but they have not yet used it to fill an oven.For example: Link provided by poster</p><p>Posted by centsworth_II</DIV>That explains it.</p><p>BTW: Note the change I made to your link.&nbsp; If you use the Chain button on the toolbar, it will create a link for you that will fit into the space provided. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<p><font color="#666699"><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>BTW: Note the change I made to your link.<br /> Posted by willpittenger</DIV></font><br />Yeah, I definitely do that for longer addresses.&nbsp; For shorter ones, I sometimes show the address to give a heads up on where the link is going.</p><p>As for the ovens, I'm certainly glad they had success with the first try before using another on a surface sample.&nbsp; It's good to still have seven ovens for deeper samples.&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>