Opportunity Mission Update Thread

[mah_fl]

A new Flight Directors update is available.<br /><br />http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mer/flightdir/05-01-18-Dewell-cable.mov

 

[bobw]

Thanks, Jon. It looks like I jumped the gun, they can't do it with what they have. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bobvanx]

>>it isn't going to rust away<br /><br />This constrains historic water and oxygen levels. If it is rusty, then the environment oxidized it. If it is still shiny, then Mars has been dry here for as long as the meteorite has been there.

 

[Leovinus]

Maybe it is a part of the dinosaur-killer that got flung back out into space. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[retro555]

Dr. Squyres kept a journal about the development of the rovers during 2000-2003. In light of all the success, I found it interesting reading. I can understand better why they hooped and hollered so much when they landed successfully! If interested, you can read these "Martian Chronicles" from the link below.<br />http://www.astrobio.net/news/article647.html

 

[thechemist]

An extensive update for both rovers is up at the Planetary Society site :<br /><br />http://planetary.org/news/2005/mer-update_0121.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[rogers_buck]

I recall reading somewhere, that rust is sometimes the result of bacterial process. I believe this was in the context of the mythical microbacteria. What is the current state of that topic? Are their such little beasties? Do they indeed cause rust? Is the shinny meteor indicative that such critters do not exist on mars? That would be ironic because the "Martian Meteorite" was the proto-type for the search for a terrestrial analog.

 

[rogers_buck]

Reminds me of a film they showed in a statistics class I took covering crater counting. It was a NASA experiment where they had a bucket of simulated lunar samples they were dropping iron balls into. The film was from a camera in close focus to the surface of the bucket. The first run was at 1 atmosphere and the ejecta blanket was filmed spreading out accross the surface suspended by the air. They then pumped out the air to near vacuum and repeated the experiment expecting a smaller ejecta blanket. Before the camera their arose an enormous plume that filled the chamber. Once the dust cleared there was a half empty bucket with a ball sitting in it.<br /><br />What had happened is that the dust had soaked up the air and the fine granes formed a crust that held back some of the outgassing from the surface. The ball punched through this material and allowed the jeanie to escape. (-;

 

[pathfinder_01]

Yeap bacteria that turn iron to rust exist (as well a sulfur, magnesium, and many other elements), but the metal needs to be dissolved in water before it can be used as a source of energy. Ironically it all comes back to water or lack there of.

 

[bobvanx]

>>bacterial process<br /><br />Look up "desert varnish." Google, image search.<br /><br />The early pics from Spirit show what appears to be desert varnish on the rocks. Desert varnish is caused by bacteria. Dr. Wayne Armstrong has a bit about it on the web. There is even a comment from a MER scientist, right around the time they ratted Mazatzal, about finding desert varnish on the rocks. They didn't mention it again, though.<br /><br />"In the Anza-Borrego Desert of southern California, the sun-baked boulders are devoid of lichens. Instead, the rocks are coated with "desert varnish," a reddish layer of clay and iron oxide precipitated by remarkable bacteria."

 

[JonClarke]

While terrestrial bacteria do play a role in desert varnish, there is no neccessary reason why such surface coatings cannot form abiogenically. Indeed some "desert varnish" may do so.<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>

 

[teije]

Question:<br /><br />I read in today's SDC article about oppy's anniversary that the MER missions currently cost around 3M$ a month. Now, I've been doing a bit of fuzzy math...<br /><br />A couple of handfulls of scientists<br />Some offices<br />Time on the DSN and mars orbiting spacecraft<br />that's about it...<br /><br />I don't get to 3M$ a month unless the 3rd item is WAY more expensive then I know about. (Which, granted, is possible.)<br />All I can think of is that it would include the writeoff on developement/launch/materials/etc. of the MER's itself. But in that case 3M$ is not nearly enough.<br /><br />What am I missing?<br /><br />Thanks adv.<br />Teije

 

[centsworth_II]

My guess is that you're off on the "couple of handfulls of scientists". At It's peak, the MER team was about 800 people (most not scientists, but still paid). Reduce that by 90% and you've still got 80. A lot of non science support personel is required. Also, your "offices" are probably more like highly equiped, state of the art computer labs. Just the same, let's keep our eyes out for any of those MER scientists driving around in Ferraris.<br /><br />I also bet the processing of those hundreds of images coming down each month costs a little more than the 24 cents a copy the corner drug store charges. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[teije]

800?<br />Wow, I never knew that, that's impressive. If you have to pay all those 3M is a bargain. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br />And at 80 + the labs. Well, you just might get there I admit.<br />Do you know if they pay for time on the DSN and MGS/odyssee/MarsExpress? or is that considered to be 'among friends' <br /><br />thanks<br />Teije

 

[fangsheath]

And here we go again to new adventures. I must say, it seems like only yesterday that I was reading about visionary dreams of roving robots on the surface of Mars. Seeing these marvelous machines come to life and perform beyond expectations is a real treat for me.<br /><br />Today is 15 Sept on Ames' Mars calendar.

 

[yurkin]

Any idea when Oppy will rach the etched terrain?

 

[fangsheath]

I think it will be about 2 months before the rover reaches Vostok Crater, which is still a good ways from the etched terrain. I would say probably 3-4 months, but this assumes that the dust situation will not deteriorate much further. Significant jumps in atmospheric opacity will slow us down tremendously.

 

[xflare]

We might be there sooner than you think, have a listen to the latest flight directors update. They are planning a 160 METRE drive, thats on top of 80m just completed.

 

[Leovinus]

From the look of the horizon, I'd say there's not much stopping them from pedal-to-the-metal for as long as they can go. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

Remember, they're keeping an eye out for more meteors, trying to determine it the one by the heat shield was a fluke or if they are common in the area. So, they may tend to go off course whenever the see a suspicious looking rock in the distance. This is at odds with the "pedal-to -the-metal" strategy. It remains to be seen how serious they are about a meteor hunt. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[chmee]

So what is "pedal to the medal" for Oppy? 1MPH? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> Maybe we can have a drag race between the Lunar Rover from Apollo and Oppy and see who wins!<br /><br />I can see it now, "Lunar Rover wins with a quarter-mile time of 23 minutes and 18 seconds" <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[najab]

Oh, that wouldn't be fair. The Lunar Rover would win hands down. It could do over 10 mph.

 

[radarredux]

I feel like saying "So long, and thanks for the good times" as Oppy leaves the crater and heatshield area. Below are two good parting shots as Oppy goes on her way. The first has both the heat shield and the crater rim; the second has a nice shot of the wheel tracks heading back into the distance.<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-01-26/1N160055781EFF40FWP1612L0M1.JPG<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportunity/navcam/2005-01-26/1N160055674EFF40FWP1612R0M1.JPG

 

[odysseus145]

I really like that second one. It's kind of serene. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[mah_fl]

The new images show the plains, but how are we going to know where Oppy is during the journey to Vostock ?