Unmanned Spaceflight.com > Going To Mogollon...

Bill Harris

Feb 20 2006, 08:14 PM

QUOTE (sranderson @ Feb 20 2006, 01:28 PM)

<snip
The basic philosophy over the last 10 months has been a grave error -- a waste of 10 vital months on Mars.
<snip>

Scott

For the most part I agree with what you've just said, but I don't think that the past few months have been a grave error. Since leaving the Heatshield Oppy made good progress until getting mired at Purgatory. The mission lost a couple of months getting free again, and Oppy then made good progress to the Erebus Highway and around the north Erebus rim and dunefield to Olympia. I can justify some time spent to study the Burns formation at this site since it is markedly different than what we saw at Eagle and Endurance. Oppy spent a proper amount of time working from site to site here at Olympia. But the problem with the IDD developed and it is unfortunate that we've spent 90 days in one spot. I'm not going to make a call to say if the time spent evaluating the IDD was justifiable, we just don't have the background that went into that decision. When the IDD does get stowed properly, we'll make it to the Mogollon Rim and Payson area, study them and make our way to Victoria.

I wish that we hadn't had the bad luck and lost 5 months, but that is the way it is.

--Bill

neb

Feb 20 2006, 08:22 PM

QUOTE (jvandriel @ Feb 20 2006, 04:50 AM)

A panoramic view of Mogollon.

Taken on Sol 734 with the L2 pancam.

jvandriel

Great panorama: It exhibits the point about visual analysis. Has anyone discussed the semi-circular fractures visible in this image.. We have been seeing them for some time and IMO are geologic anomalies that may have a bearing on the history of what we are viewing.

Sunspot

Feb 20 2006, 08:54 PM

I guess they're going to have to make some tough decisions on what kind of mission they want to run with Opportunity now - in light of all the technical problems with the IDD arm, the days of driving and just deploying the IDD if they see something interesting seem to be gone sadly.

sranderson

Feb 20 2006, 09:13 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Feb 20 2006, 01:00 PM)

Only the people who designed, built, and control these vehicles know their engineering limitations and know how much they can or can not do at any time. Criticism is unjustified.

Doug

I was one of the guys who helped design and build the vehicles. The philosophy is clearly biased way too far on the side of studying every grain of dust to death. I am also concerned that we no longer have the A-team making decisions on a day-to-day basis. The result is many lost sols.

Scott

neb

Feb 20 2006, 09:15 PM

QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Feb 20 2006, 01:14 PM)

For the most part I agree with what you've just said, but I don't think that the past few months have been a grave error. Since leaving the Heatshield Oppy made good progress until getting mired at Purgatory. The mission lost a couple of months getting free again, and Oppy then made good progress to the Erebus Highway and around the north Erebus rim and dunefield to Olympia. I can justify some time spent to study the Burns formation at this site since it is markedly different than what we saw at Eagle and Endurance. Oppy spent a proper amount of time working from site to site here at Olympia. But the problem with the IDD developed and it is unfortunate that we've spent 90 days in one spot. I'm not going to make a call to say if the time spent evaluating the IDD was justifiable, we just don't have the background that went into that decision. When the IDD does get stowed properly, we'll make it to the Mogollon Rim and Payson area, study them and make our way to Victoria.

I wish that we hadn't had the bad luck and lost 5 months, but that is the way it is.

--Bill

I think you can guess who the geologists are. I agree with Scott, the chemistry of a rock doesn't reveal much unless you view it in as large a context as possible. I am not big on correlating wide spread outcrops based on chemistry.

djellison

Feb 20 2006, 09:43 PM

QUOTE (sranderson @ Feb 20 2006, 09:13 PM)

I was one of the guys who helped design and build the vehicles.

Then you'll know and understand perfectly that the scientists would love to make progress, but it makes no engineering sense to do things like get more stuck in a sand dune, or irreperably damage the IDD.

You want them to rush the procedure out of Purgatory and get stuck even more?

You want them to drive in a way that risks damaging the IDD beyond use or crank the current at that shoulder joint till it burns out?

YES - we all want to make good progress, but there are times when one simply can not do so.

Another 100 engineers on the case, and perhaps the purgatory and IDD situations could have been worked faster, but they're not around to do that, the money isnt there. Say "we'll need X engineers to keep running" - then the financial 'ask' for further extensions is too big and it's not going to happen.

Lest we forget, it's only by hanging around at Erebus that we discovered the potential festooning. Another part of the jigsaw. We'd never had a panorama taken in all filters, we do now. These are not 'lost sols' - they're simply sols not doing what you want them to be doing. That's not lost, it's just different.

I still maintain you dramatically underestimate what has been discovered at Erebus, and given the time it takes, there will be many a scientific paper which makes reference to the work here.

Again - yes - driving is great and we'd all love to see much much more of it, but it's a case of what is possible with the resources ( on both planets ) available, not what we 'want'.

Doug

Nirgal

Feb 20 2006, 10:45 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Feb 20 2006, 10:43 PM)

Then you'll know and understand perfectly that the scientists would love to make progress, but it makes no engineering sense to do things like get more stuck in a sand dune, or irreperably damage the IDD.

You want them to rush the procedure out of Purgatory and get stuck even more?

Doug

Very good points Doug !

also thanks for pointing out the case for Spirits long distance driving which demonstrates that
they have indeed prioritized driving over "studying" with much of Spirit's recently ...

I too believe that every single day spent at Purgatory was a clever and valuable investment because
it lead to the development of a safe inter-dune driving technique that would have allowed us to safely cover 20 to 40 meters per sol in the middle of the dunes without the risk of being stuck again ...
so any rushing or premature driving in this stage would have been suicide ...
The criticsism, if at all, is not against the disaster management, which has been outstanding
(great kudos to the JPL team for getting us out of purgatory, can't be said often enough

However, what I don't understand is that they did not make use of this great new driving strategy
WHEN IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE to cover more terrain in the mean time (since purgatory, at 30 meter per day in 90 days we could have been already visiting places 3 kilometers apart (including Victoria) !
... and still would have had the time for occasional stops, just with more selective and parsimonious
use of the IDD...
After all we knew that the time was limited ... now, of course, it is too late to "rush" ... the critical
situations have to be fixed first with absolute priority (as Steve S. use to say: first rule: don't make things worse)
I really hope if we do re-gain nornal driving operations, that we use the "healthy periods" for as much driving as possible

djellison

Feb 20 2006, 11:08 PM

two posts deleted, one that was a personal attack and contributed nothing but flame to the thread, and one that replied to it.

Healthy debate is welcome here. Unsubstantiated ranting and attacts at members have not, nor ever will be.

Doug

jamescanvin

Feb 20 2006, 11:30 PM

QUOTE (jabe @ Feb 21 2006, 01:09 AM)

I'm curious if the arm is snapped off and wires get "crossed" can they isolate the system so it isn't a constant power drain..
oh the worries we have for the rovers even though they should have died a LONG time ago..oops..hope I didn't jinx them..

jb

QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ Feb 21 2006, 03:28 AM)

Eagle Crater was the HP of Meridiani.
If they have the ability to adjust the current to just one motor in the complex arm, then my guess is yes, they have the ability to isolate any circuit.

I don't think that's the case. Remember the stuck joint heater cannot be isolated independently, the only way to turn it off is to effectively turn the whole rover off! (deep sleep)

I suspect that if the arm did snap off or start dragging along the ground (heaven forbid!) there would be a serious risk of shorting the battery out, which would kill Oppy pretty much instantly I would imagine.

hugh

Feb 20 2006, 11:37 PM

QUOTE (Nirgal @ Feb 20 2006, 10:45 PM)

Very good points Doug !

I agree, and I don’t think BillyMERs rather cringe-inducing post added anything to the discussion.

Looking at the orbital photos of the area around Victoria, there may be some non-engineering reasons for the slow pace. Maybe the thinking is that, since there are few reachable science targets after Victoria, areas of interest en route to it should be studied as much as possible. Although there appears to be a ramp into the crater there is no guarantee that the rover can use it to get in. If they couldn’t enter Victoria once they got there, they would be in very bland terrain -from orbit it resembles the “parking lot” between Eagle and Endurance. There would be few attractive targets within reasonable driving distance once they documented the rim, did remote sensing and so on, so from that point of view it may make sense to take their time..

Bill Harris

Feb 21 2006, 01:36 AM

Ben, those circular fractures or plates have been driving us nuts for months. Theywere first noticed on the Erebus north rim and the speculation was that they might be related to eroded small impact features; I don't know what current thought is.

Hopefully they will get the IDD problem resolved and get on the way to the next area. I'm still curious about the dark basal unit in the Mogollon area.

--Bill

ElkGroveDan

Feb 21 2006, 03:53 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Feb 20 2006, 11:08 PM)

two posts deleted, one that was a personal attack and contributed nothing but flame to the thread, and one that replied to it.

Darn! I hate it when I miss those.

neb

Feb 21 2006, 04:16 AM

QUOTE (Bill Harris @ Feb 20 2006, 06:36 PM)

Ben, those circular fractures or plates have been driving us nuts for months. Theywere first noticed on the Erebus north rim and the speculation was that they might be related to eroded small impact features; I don't know what current thought is.

Hopefully they will get the IDD problem resolved and get on the way to the next area. I'm still curious about the dark basal unit in the Mogollon area.

--Bill

Thanks for the response; Something like those circular cracks we created in plate glass windows with errant pellets from our air rifles. I agree about that basal unit also and wonder if the pile of dark rocks which we may never see could be related. maybe the crater penetrated into basalt??

Bill Harris

Feb 21 2006, 04:37 AM

I misleadingly call the dark unit "basal" when it clearly isn't. Erebus was not deep enough to punch though the entire Burns Formation and we are approaching the topographic highpoint of this area. The dark cobbles we've been seeing have been described as basaltic so there is the possibility that this dark unit is also. We honestly won't know what it is until Oppy places her boots upon it.

--Bill

Buck Galaxy

Feb 21 2006, 08:02 AM

QUOTE (hugh @ Feb 20 2006, 11:37 PM)

There would be few attractive targets within reasonable driving distance once they documented the rim, did remote sensing and so on, so from that point of view it may make sense to take their time..

Or they could go balls to the wall south after Victoria. There's a massive crater about 10 km to the south east of Victoria:

Hey one can dream :-)

climber

Feb 21 2006, 01:29 PM

QUOTE (Nirgal @ Feb 19 2006, 11:27 PM)

when one thinks about it: one single Rover that is capable of doing medium to long distance drives is kind of equivalent to *multiple* static space probes landed on different places of the planet

so in essence 1 Rover = several "Viking-type" static platforms

Did somebody realized that today is SOL 1500 if you add both rovers ? That give us 8.73 meter per sol as a mean. Not bad, eh ?

djellison

Feb 21 2006, 01:33 PM

QUOTE (climber @ Feb 21 2006, 01:29 PM)

Did somebody realized that today is SOL 1500 if you add both rovers ?

Another 9 hours away till the sols add up - but yup, I was thinking about that a few days ago, and Steve's comments last year about reaching 1000 sols.

Also -we're coming up to 150,000 images - 67,237 + 78,008 = 145,000. About an average of 96 images per sol.

Doug

Tesheiner

Feb 21 2006, 01:37 PM

QUOTE (Buck Galaxy @ Feb 21 2006, 09:02 AM)

Or they could go balls to the wall south after Victoria. There's a massive crater about 10 km to the south east of Victoria:

<snipped link to a >500k image>

Hey one can dream :-)

May I suggest direct links to BIG images should be avoided?

djellison

Feb 21 2006, 02:08 PM

Links to them - not a problem. Having them inline of the thread, not so great for those without BBand

Doug

imran

Feb 21 2006, 04:28 PM

QUOTE (Buck Galaxy @ Feb 21 2006, 08:02 AM)

Or they could go balls to the wall south after Victoria. There's a massive crater about 10 km to the south east of Victoria:

Hey one can dream :-)

Yeah that's the one I mentioned when Oppy was putting together these record drives. Right now with the way things are going, they will consider themselves lucky just to get to Victoria.

Tesheiner

Feb 21 2006, 05:26 PM

The sun is setting at Meridiani for Opportunity on its sol 739.
And the plan for tomorrow, according to the tracking web is:

CODE

<empty>

No single sequence, "tau", "sky radiance", nothing.
Except for when they had DB issues, it's the first time I have seen this.

Oersted

Feb 22 2006, 12:20 AM

QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ Feb 20 2006, 05:28 PM)

That said, a lot of things may happen, but short of a direct hit from a meteorite, I can't imagine anything in Opportunity's present environment that would cause the arm to "snap off". The present arm joint concerns center around functionality. This is a craft that was designed to mechanically withstand the g-forces of an interplanetary launch as well as the subtantial g's of the air bag bounce and roll. I am told there are MER's made of LEGO, but this isn't one of them.

Just want to repeat that the arm was safely stowed during launch and EDL, so that won't say much about whether it can take these bumps in an unstowed position.

RNeuhaus

Feb 22 2006, 02:28 AM

QUOTE (djellison @ Feb 20 2006, 04:43 PM)

You want them to rush the procedure out of Purgatory and get stuck even more?

Forget about the Purgatory trauma. It was due a big mistake due to a blind driving. Now, it will be even most difficult to be happened. The rovers has already learned of it. Never drive with Hazardous Avoidance System. It is not perfect to detect the danger of surface specially of the sand dunes or ripples. The purgatory cases will not occur all the way along to Victoria but in some special situations.

Rodolfo

djellison

Feb 22 2006, 08:36 AM

QUOTE (Oersted @ Feb 22 2006, 12:20 AM)

Just want to repeat that the arm was safely stowed during launch and EDL, so that won't say much about whether it can take these bumps in an unstowed position.

Indeed - physically bolted to the WEB as well.

Doug

Tesheiner

Feb 22 2006, 09:09 AM

Just checked again the tracking web.
Another driving attempt is planned for tosol.

CODE

740 p0715.03 10  0   0   10  0   20   navcam_5x1_az_198_3_bpp
740 p1201.04 2   0   0   2   0   4    front_haz_penultimate_1_bpp_crit19
740 p1214.05 2   0   0   2   0   4    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
740 p1214.05 2   0   0   2   0   4    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
740 p1301.03 2   0   0   2   0   4    rear_haz_penultimate_1bpp_pri16
740 p1312.06 2   0   0   2   0   4    rear_haz_ultimate_2_bpp_pri15
740 p1615.03 10  0   0   10  0   20   navcam_5x1_az_18_3_bpp
740 p2448.06 10  0   0   10  2   22   pancam_drv_dir_5x1_L2R2
740 p2600.07 2   2   0   0   2   6    pancam_tau
740 p2600.07 2   2   0   0   2   6    pancam_tau

PS: Doug, would you mind to include a new smilie? Something like someone praying with a candle on the hands...

Tesheiner

Feb 22 2006, 04:27 PM

A quick look at the tracking web shows some post-drive haz and navcams have been downlinked (no access to the actual pics). The new site/drive id stamped on the filenames is 64NV; the previous was 64NT.

Unless I'm missing something (let's hope so) it represents a very short movement, if any.

imran

Feb 22 2006, 07:42 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Feb 22 2006, 04:27 PM)

Unless I'm missing something (let's hope so) it represents a very short movement, if any.

One small step for Oppy, one giant leap for mankind.

climber

Feb 22 2006, 07:47 PM

QUOTE (imran @ Feb 22 2006, 08:42 PM)

One small step for Oppy, one giant leap for mankind.

...and the other way around !!!

jamescanvin

Feb 23 2006, 04:59 AM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Feb 22 2006, 08:09 PM)

CODE

740 p0715.03 10  0   0   10  0   20   navcam_5x1_az_198_3_bpp
740 p1201.04 2   0   0   2   0   4    front_haz_penultimate_1_bpp_crit19
740 p1214.05 2   0   0   2   0   4    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
740 p1214.05 2   0   0   2   0   4    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
740 p1301.03 2   0   0   2   0   4    rear_haz_penultimate_1bpp_pri16
740 p1312.06 2   0   0   2   0   4    rear_haz_ultimate_2_bpp_pri15
740 p1615.03 10  0   0   10  0   20   navcam_5x1_az_18_3_bpp
740 p2448.06 10  0   0   10  2   22   pancam_drv_dir_5x1_L2R2
740 p2600.07 2   2   0   0   2   6    pancam_tau
740 p2600.07 2   2   0   0   2   6    pancam_tau

CODE

741 p1201.04 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_penultimate_1_bpp_crit19
741 p1214.05 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
741 p1214.05 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
741 p1301.03 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_penultimate_1bpp_pri16
741 p1312.06 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_ultimate_2_bpp_pri15

Driving two sols in a row! When was the last time THAT happened on this side of the planet!

Hoping...

Tesheiner

Feb 23 2006, 08:32 AM

QUOTE (jamescanvin @ Feb 23 2006, 05:59 AM)

CODE

741 p1201.04 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_penultimate_1_bpp_crit19
741 p1214.05 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
741 p1214.05 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
741 p1301.03 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_penultimate_1bpp_pri16
741 p1312.06 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_ultimate_2_bpp_pri15

"Oppy leaves Olympia (aka Purgatory II)" scene, take #4.
Cross your fingers...

WRT yestersol move, the pancam "stamps" on the tracking web confirm the rover is (almost) at the same point.

djellison

Feb 23 2006, 01:01 PM

I'm seing new images via MMB

Doug

Sunspot

Feb 23 2006, 01:17 PM

It is in the same spot isnt it? They've deployed the IDD again.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...VP1214R0M1.HTML

Analyst

Feb 23 2006, 01:25 PM

It's a picture from Sol 740, (NV), before the drive (if it happened).

Sunspot

Feb 23 2006, 01:29 PM

QUOTE (Analyst @ Feb 23 2006, 01:25 PM)

It's a picture from Sol 740, (NV), before the drive (if it happened).

ahhhhhh ok...we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what happened with the drive lol

Bob Shaw

Feb 23 2006, 01:58 PM

QUOTE (imran @ Feb 22 2006, 07:42 PM)

One small step for Oppy, one giant leap for mankind.

'One long stop for Oppy, one giant sleep for Marskind...'

ZzzZZZzzzZZzzzz...

Bob Shaw

mhoward

Feb 23 2006, 02:13 PM

QUOTE (Analyst @ Feb 23 2006, 01:25 PM)

It's a picture from Sol 740, (NV), before the drive (if it happened).

I hope you're right, but as far as I can see from the images that have come down, NV was the drive on Sol 740, it was just a slight bump, and they did redeploy the IDD after that. Maybe something will come down tosol (741) to clarify what's going on.

Edit: Can I change my bet on when "the drive" will happen? 743.

Tesheiner

Feb 23 2006, 02:29 PM

QUOTE (Analyst @ Feb 23 2006, 02:25 PM)

It's a picture from Sol 740, (NV), before the drive (if it happened).

It's a post-drive image.

Edited: Ooops, I didn't see your last post, Michael.

QUOTE (mhoward @ Feb 23 2006, 03:13 PM)

Maybe something will come down tosol (741) to clarify what's going on.

Edit: Can I change my bet on when "the drive" will happen? 743.

Tosol is planned as driving sol again. Downlink should start in about 1h.

Analyst

Feb 23 2006, 02:37 PM

QUOTE

It's a post-drive image

Post drive concerning the sol 740 drive. But before the Sol 741 drive.

Analyst

Tesheiner

Feb 23 2006, 03:39 PM

Some sol 741 data was downlinked but nothing related to driving. Besides, the drive imaging sequences seems to not have been executed:

CODE

12. How does what we requested compare with what the rover executed? (be sure PUL's
know, and if important, the PEL.  update the SSF list
/home/mersci/pan/B/ops/Sol_all_seq_list.txt as appropriate)

Data products:
                                   Number     Number
               Number     Number   Still      not (yet)
Sol  Seq.Ver   Requested  Created  on Rover   Created      Description
--- ---------  ---------  -------  ---------  -----------  -----------
741 p0715.03   20         0        0          20           navcam_5x1_az_198_3_bpp
741 p1201.04   4          0        0          4            front_haz_penultimate_1_bpp_crit19
741 p1214.05   4          0        0          4            front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
741 p1214.05   4          0        0          4            front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
741 p1301.03   4          0        0          4            rear_haz_penultimate_1bpp_pri16
741 p1312.06   4          0        0          4            rear_haz_ultimate_2_bpp_pri15
741 p1615.03   20         0        0          20           navcam_5x1_az_18_3_bpp
741 p2090.02   12         0        0          12           pancam_cal_targ_L247R27
741 p2102.13   7          7        7          0            pancam_isc_voc_cal_L267
741 p2104.10   7          7        7          0            pancam_mtes_cal_target_L267
741 p2111.05   28         28       28         0            pancam_cal_targ_L234567Rall
741 p2449.06   18         0        0          18           pancam_drv_dir_4x1_L2R2
741 p2460.06   28         28       28         0            pancam_frontforegrnd_sub_L234567Rall
741 p2600.07   6          0        0          6            pancam_tau
741 p2600.07   6          0        0          6            pancam_tau
741 p2631.01   13         13       13         0            pancam_sky_spot_L234567R34567

So, I would say ... "scrubbed".

Tesheiner

Feb 23 2006, 09:33 PM

*** EXTRA *** EXTRA ***

Just checked again the tracking web... and there seems to be GOOD NEWS.
The data confirms Oppy moved on sol 741 and the current drive id changed from NV to TI. This looks like a significant drive but, for the time being, there are no images available.

Cross your fingers and stay tuned.

Toma B

Feb 24 2006, 06:35 AM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Feb 24 2006, 12:33 AM)

*** EXTRA *** EXTRA ***
Cross your fingers and stay tuned.

I will...

Thanks for these regular updates Tesheiner...

jvandriel

Feb 27 2006, 06:23 PM

A panoramic view of Mogollon.

Taken with the L7 pancam on Sol 744.

jvandriel

Ant103

Mar 1 2006, 08:47 AM

Hi!

Here is a color view of Mogollon Rim. The second is a classic view from Pancam, and the first is composed of two images : the view of Mogollon, and a view of the sky taken last year, with the L234567 filter wheels. What do you think about it?

Bob Shaw

Mar 1 2006, 01:48 PM

QUOTE (Ant103 @ Mar 1 2006, 08:47 AM)

Hi!

Here is a color view of Mogollon Rim. The second is a classic view from Pancam, and the first is composed of two images : the view of Mogollon, and a view of the sky taken last year, with the L234567 filter wheels. What do you think about it?

Ant:

An interesting sky - but the textural change is a bit sharp!

Here's a slightly stretched sky from earlier in the mission, in an autostitched (and slightly cloned) Endurance.

Bob Shaw

dilo

Mar 1 2006, 09:31 PM

QUOTE (Bob Shaw @ Mar 1 2006, 02:48 PM)

Ant:

An interesting sky - but the textural change is a bit sharp!

Here's a slightly stretched sky from earlier in the mission, in an autostitched (and slightly cloned) Endurance.

Bob Shaw

Wow, Bob, these aren't clouds, this is the Great Mars Storm!

jamescanvin

Mar 2 2006, 01:50 AM

Payson - Sol 744 - L257

Two versions - one colour stretched to bring out the variations.

James

P.S. A redder sky for dilo. Better?

jvandriel

Mar 2 2006, 08:20 PM

A 360 degree panoramic view at Mogollon.

Taken with the L0 navcam on Sol 745.

jvandriel

jvandriel

Mar 3 2006, 01:04 PM

Here is the 360 degree panoramic view from Sol 747.

Taken with the R0 navcam.

jvandriel

jvandriel

Mar 3 2006, 01:22 PM

The road ahead for Opportunity.

An L2 pancam view on Sol 747.

jvandriel

AndyG

Mar 3 2006, 02:01 PM

QUOTE (jvandriel @ Mar 3 2006, 01:22 PM)

The road ahead for Opportunity.

An L2 pancam view on Sol 747.

...Victoria is about 17 degrees across at this range, above a Pancam's width, and lies just over 2km away. I strongly suspect we'll be seeing it in a few drives' time, possibly from the gap between the two rises at the end of the exposed rock to the right of centre of this image?

Andy