Opportunity enters Mars' Victoria Crater

[bpiscean]

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity entered Victoria Crater for the first time, reporting its information via the Mars Odyssey orbiter

 

[JonClarke]

Yay! About time too! <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>

 

[arkady]

Like your new title JonClarke. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />40%+ slippage, ouch. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "<font color="#0000ff"><em>The choice is the Universe, or nothing</em> ... </font>" - H.G Wells </div>

 

[robnissen]

Yeah, 40% slippage is pretty tough, especially in the first ten feet. I think NASA will have to think long and hard about the risk/reward. While I would love to see Oppy in that crater, I would hate to lose Oppy. Glad I don't have to make this decision.

 

[MeteorWayne]

I feel that the recent duststorms, along with advancing age show how lucky and well designed the rovers have been.<br /><br />But eventually, their number is going to come up.<br /><br />If the worst that happens is Oppy gets trapped in the crater for 6 months, so be it.<br /><br />There's no guarantee it will survive long enough to get to anywhere else of interest.<br /><br />That's just my opinion, but I'm sure that risk/reward/lifetime analysis is going on at this moment in the discussions of the decision makers.<br /><br />Wayne <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>

 

[lysol]

All i can say for Oppy is if your gonna do it...do it texan. Full throttle that srappy rover and scream YEEEEHAAAAH then wait in utter horror for the telemetry to come back to see if it survived.

 

[PistolPete]

You know, Energizer batteries would have a good advertising campaign using the two MERs. Yes I know they are solar powered, but they just keep going and going and going ..... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[fatal291]

im waiting for them to reach olympus mons and drive one of them off the cliff like a RC car off a sidewalk.. only higher

 

[dragon04]

Considering how far past the advertised operational lifetime Oppy is, I think it's a greater risk to <b>not</b> take a crack at Victoria Crater.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[arkady]

Yeah, I agree. After all, they we're put there to do exactly this kind of science. Wouldn't quite live up to her name if she opted to pass such an promising and intriguing opportunity. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Same reasoning when entering Endurance Crater btw. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "<font color="#0000ff"><em>The choice is the Universe, or nothing</em> ... </font>" - H.G Wells </div>

 

[mccorvic]

Throwing my hat into the "go for it" ring. To much to possibly learn from inside the crater than not. Really, nothing to lose at this point. And heck, we still have that other MER that seems to never get any attention.