http://www.msss.com/mars_images/moc/2004/02/09/index.html

Again - awesome stuff - that possible backshell in the Navcam imagery WAS the backshell, pancam has nailed it since.

Doug

All the images from these two rovers have been extremely good. Both from the rovers themselves and orbiter pictures of them.

They never got pictures that good of the other lander sites from orbit. This is probably because of dust buildup. Also, the clarity of the backshell/parachute in the pancam image is extremely good. Much better then what they could see from Pathfinder.

My distance estimate for the backshell was fairly close. I estimated 1300 feet in a previous post. They say it is 1444 feet.

One reason we didn't get such good pics of Pathfinder and Viking is that they are smaller. Also, the image people at Malin have got smarter and program aquisition to try to get sun reflection back off the bright parts of the lander, and they have their new method of rolling while acquiring to get better definition in the flight dierection.

Multiple reasons...

Everything helps

I'm just impressed that the backshell can be seen from that far away. The MOC image showed that the backshell was 450m away

Something that bothered me about that far off picture of MER-B's backshell was its color. The color of the backshell on the martian surface was tan/orange with bits of white. The photo of the backshell while MER was being constructed shows it as uniformly white:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/spa..._aeroshell.html

The EDL Critical Design Review document shows the peak heat flux on the backshell to be under 2 watts/cm^2. I initially asked myself: Why did it discolor so much? Then I reread the JPL URL above and it said:

"Also, instead of being painted, the backshell will be covered with a very thin aluminized mylar blanket to protect it from the cold of deep space. The blanket will vaporize during Mars atmospheric entry."

This actually solves two mysteries at once. I know that the backshell TPS material is SLA-561S which is an orange colored spray on ablator. The mylar blanket must be the reason why the backshell was white instead of orange for the above URL. Mylar would have vaporaized at under 2 watts/cm^2. The bits of white are probably pieces of mylar that didn't vaporize away during entry. I hope they get a close look at the backshell.

Gary