Huge Dust Storm on Mars.

[MeteorWayne]

"The worst IS over"<br /><br />That's not the way I read the article. I hope you are right. <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>

 

[vandivx]

I would suppose those solar pannels have at least some limited motion so they can be kept perpendicular to where the sun is at a given time, after all they drive around in all directions and sun moves over too during each day like here on Earth, so it would mean only increasing the mobility of those pannels<br /><br />still as you say that dust may not fall off or may even stick to underneath turned parts anyway while they are turned down... <br /><br />I think nobody thought of dust storms before this mission being any big factor and that will change with future missons, probably not with the next one though<br /><br />vanDivX <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

I don't think so. Apart from unfolding themselves when the rovers unpacked themselves on landing day, I don't think they can move. This is why Spirit, when parked for the season, was placed at an angle that gave it maximum sunlight on the solar arrays. They can't track the sun. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

AFAIK, Calli that is correct, and supported by the reasons you stated.<br /><br />Joints can cause all sorts of problems, escpecially electrical ones.<br />Remember, these rovers were designed for 90 day missions. Why add more complexity, chance of failure, and weight.<br /><br />Phoenix is also a 90 day design.<br /><br />When WE go there in person for a few months, well then the flexability will be useful, but the again, we can always just use a feather duster if we're there <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>

 

[vandivx]

ok you two beat me, still who out there believes in just ninety days after past experience with numerous space probes, it seems one always finds some good use for probes or these rovers past the warranty times<br /><br />but how would you wipe vomit from inside the space suit visor glass with your feather wand, tell me that <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br />it will always be more problems coming up your way with humans out there than it would solve<br /><br />vanDivX <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

I agree that the rovers, and in fact most spacecraft last much longer than their design lifetime, but you can't design them to last that long reliably, or it will cost too much and the craft will never get built.<br /><br />It's a tradeoff of practicality . <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>

 

[brellis]

Epic planetary.org article with lots of big, scary words <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#ff0000"><em><strong>I'm a recovering optimist - things could be better.</strong></em></font> </p> </div>

 

[3488]

Thanky you both very much MeteorWayne & brellis.<br /><br />Excellent tau diagram for both MERs.<br /><br />Courtesy of Doug J Ellison, The Planetary Society, BAUT & UMSF.<br /><br />I have the good fortune to meet him at the London IMAX, for the UK premier of Roving Mars.<br /><br />A very interesting person.<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>

 

[JonClarke]

<i>how would you wipe vomit from inside the space suit visor glass with your feather wand, tell me that </i> <br /><br />It hasn't happened in more than 2700 EVA hours to date. You just don't do an EVA if it looks like you are at risk from throwing up. <br /><br /><i>it will always be more problems coming up your way with humans out there than it would solve</i><br /><br />With some 29,000 person days in space and counting I think we have shown the humans can cope very well at solving problems. <br /><br />Jon <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>

 

[vandivx]

well, yeah everything is very carefully coordinated and that's why we make no progress in space or hardly any, at least going by expectations of most folks here on forums, even the more reasonable ones, I mean all that talk about settling in collonies on the Moon, Mars, terafroming this and that, it will never get done if everything will be done NASA way, at least not in our lifetimes, if NASA gets people to Mars it will be just to boast about it but they won't do much anything out there, it will be more like a sight seeing and flag waving trip than anything<br /><br />I do find it ridiculous when I read all those theroretical ambitions people here have regarding planetary exploration and then it turns up we can't even dust off fricking solar pannels LOL it proves insurmountable problem as it turns out<br /><br />ps. you're too serious for my taste responding almost like you were NASA employee or management, hope I didn't offend you too seriously, cheers<br /><br />vanDivX <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

<i>well, yeah everything is very carefully coordinated...</i><br /><br />Things have to be carefully coordinated in space or they fail. Do you prefer failure?<br /><br /><i>...that's why we make no progress in space or hardly any...</i><br /><br />So progress is due to funding priorities, not care and coordination.<br /><br /><i>...at least going by expectations of most folks here on forums, even the more reasonable ones...</i><br /><br />We all could like things to go faster, but that is a question of funding. As it is, progress has been impressive in the past 50 years. permanent space stations, probes to every planet in the solar system, multibillion dollar space businesses.<br /><br /><i>I mean all that talk about settling in collonies on the Moon, Mars, terafroming this and that...</i><br /><br />Realistically these are a century away<br /><br /><i>it will never get done if everything will be done NASA way, at least not in our lifetimes..</i><br /><br />colonies on the planets and terraforming are century or more away regardless of who does them.<br /><br /><i>if NASA gets people to Mars it will be just to boast about it but they won't do much anything out there, it will be more like a sight seeing and flag waving trip than anything.</i><br /><br />You haven't read any of the NASA Mars mission studies in the past 15 years if you think this.<br /><br /><i>I do find it ridiculous when I read all those theroretical ambitions people here have regarding planetary exploration</i><br /><br />Even the simplest space probes were rediculous theoretical ambitious for a very long time before they were realised.<br /><br /><i>and then it turns up we can't even dust off fricking solar pannels LOL it proves insurmountable problem as it turns out </i><br /><br />Just because it not worth doing on the MERS does not mean that dust removal from solar panels is fundamentally insurmountable. <br /><br /><i>ps. you're too serious for my taste responding almost like you were NASA employee or management, hope I d</i> <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>

 

[robnissen]

This is certainly good news:<br /><br />http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070809_marsrover_dust.html<br /><br />I especially like this Oppy's increased energy: <font color="yellow">Energy production for the Spirit increased almost 12 percent, from 261 to 295 watt hours per martian day, or "sol," and from 128 to 243 watt hours for Opportunity, a boost of nearly 53 percent.</font><br /><br />BTW, the writer botched the math. 128 is 53% of 243. But the correct math is that 243 is a 90% gain over 128. (The article also botches the math regarding the minimum core temperature.)<br /><br />Hopefully, the worst is over.

 

[3488]

Thank you very much RobNissen.<br /><br />This is spectacularly good news. Lets just hope the worst REALLY IS OVER.<br /><br />I would love to see both MERs still operating well after Pheonix has landed.<br /><br />With Opportunity near enough on the Martian equator, Spirit in the southern tropic & Pheonix<br />in the Martian Arctic, we would have three valuable data sets simultaneously.<br /><br />Yes it does look like an improving picture for both MERs.<br /><br />This is a good week. First the successful launch of Pheonix, then Endeavour, then <br />Endeavour docking to the ISS & now the MERs appear to be in an improving situation. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><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>

 

[3488]

Cannot seem to find any more news on this.<br /><br />Does anyone know what the current situation is?<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>

 

[robnissen]

The dust storms are ending, and the "little rovers that could" keep on chugging along. Methinks science will probably start back up soon. Hopefully, as the dust settles out of the atmosphere, it won't coat the panels too thickly. SDC article here:<br /><br />http://www.space.com/news/070816_rovers_update.html

 

[3488]

Hi RobNissen.<br /><br />Just been following this up.<br /><br />Yes the Tau has improved to 3.3, so there is now more than enough sunlight getting through now.<br /><br />Huge problem is that the dust IS settling on the panels. MER B Opportunity appears to <br />be suffering the worse of this. If the settling carries on for much longer, <br />MER B Opportunity could still fail. So although the sorm appears to be over for the most part,<br />settling dust for Opportunity is posing an extremely serious risk of ending the mission in <br />Meridiani.<br /><br />It is looking much better for Spirit though. Dust settling in Gusev is not so heavy.<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>