Sending the Rovers to the Skylights on Mars?

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fatal291

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are they going to send the rovers to check out the cave on Mars? How far are they from the cave? i realize they may have other plans for them right now but do you think they will eventually go to that spot? with 3 different landers on there it would be cool to see atleast one of them go investigate
 
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MeteorWayne

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They are nowhere near close enough.<br />It is well beyond any conceivable range for the rovers, whose warranty's have already expired <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>
 
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dragon04

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Even if they were within realistic range, there's no apparent way to get a rover down there, and seeing that they're solar powered, they wouldn't be able to do much.<br /><br />It's intriguing though, because lower means more atmospheric pressure.<br /><br />That's the frustrating part about Mars. At a billion bucks a throw, we can't just toss a mission out there to see if it's just a hole, or an opening to an extensive cave system.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>
 
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JonClarke

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Even non solar powered missions would not get down there without specialised designs for descending vertical faces and then exploring laterally, all in total darkness. What would be relativelyt easy continency for a human mission (if it were within a few 100 km that is) to respond to is impossible for a robotic mission.<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>
 
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fatal291

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well obviously not go into the hole but some photos of the area closer would be nice, and from a humans point of view. ah well i hope to explore mars myself if NASA feels the need to continue exploring mars by then
 
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MeteorWayne

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That would be great, but the rovers can't get there. <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>
 
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brellis

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They need to fly one of these over the area and/or drop some micro-landers into those holes. <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>
 
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willpittenger

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Forget power. Even with a RTG-powered rover like MSL, you would be unable to communicate. I assume that like the MERs, MSL will need to phone home once a day. You would also have to add lights. <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>
 
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brellis

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*jumps from chair enthousiastically*<br /><br />That's excellent! <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> <br /><br /><i>Edit:</i> they're like a bunch of mexican jumping beans, i love it! <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>
 
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3488

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Its far too far. <br /><br />Simple engineering fact. I am sure that if NASA / JPL, could figure a way of driving one or both <br />MERs to the area, they would.<br /><br />If MER A Spirit had the range I am sure the one place they would go, is were <br />Ma'adim Vallis enters Gusev Crater, but even that, is far too far away.<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>
 
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thereiwas

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To put some numbers on it, the distance from the "skylights" to Gusev crater is over 3700 km. On its best day Spirit moved 21 m. At that rate it would take 145 years to get there, traveling in a straight line.
 
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josh_simonson

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A lander could use acoustic means to investigate a cave system from the surface. That's just the kind of thing that's NASA's best at. I think the gov't is already using something like that along the Mexican border...
 
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