Unmanned Spaceflight.com > Moving south to Victoria

Nix

Jul 4 2006, 07:19 PM

Oh I went to the pub.. THAT's where the gut feeling came from I recall now

In the end, what's going on now (the debating of equal sightings of yet multiple beacons, use of filters regarding of what we identified, etc..) is exactly what Doug predicted all along...

1 point for the fencesitters - unless the beacon really is on the far rim, you know, the real beacon

Nico

jamescanvin

Jul 5 2006, 06:59 AM

New images down - Nicely onto that big outcrop that was just south of Oppy

Roughly 35 meters I think.

Tesheiner

Jul 5 2006, 07:21 AM

Yup. I got similar numbers.

Here is the new position as seen from previous site's navcam mosaic.
Click to view attachment

BTW, given the timing of this downlink session could we say Oppy is no longer in restricted sols?

Aberdeenastro

Jul 5 2006, 07:31 AM

The bedrock in our new location (Sol 869) looks really shattered:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...U6P1948L0M1.JPG

Probably due to proximity to Beagle Crater. Not much chance of figuring out bedding orientations here....

Castor

Aberdeenastro

Jul 5 2006, 07:43 AM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jul 5 2006, 08:21 AM)

BTW, given the timing of this downlink session could we say Oppy is no longer in restricted sols?

The MER pancam tracking website says that sol 870 is not a driving day. This might suggest we are still in restricted sols.

Castor

Tesheiner

Jul 5 2006, 08:06 AM

It's too early to have sol 870 planned.
The images were downlinked around 18:00 (rover's time) and that same time is about 23:30 PDT (JPL's time).

The question is if by the time they finish the driving plan (noon, evening?) it's not too late to uplink it to the rover.

Sunspot

Jul 5 2006, 11:28 AM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jul 5 2006, 09:06 AM)

It's too early to have sol 870 planned.
The images were downlinked around 18:00 (rover's time) and that same time is about 23:30 PDT (JPL's time).

The question is if by the time they finish the driving plan (noon, evening?) it's not too late to uplink it to the rover.

Surely they cant still be in restricted sols? Thats nearly 3 weeks.

Ant103

Jul 5 2006, 01:54 PM

Hello

I've made an other crossed-eye animation from Navcam, on Sol 864. It's longer than the first but the transition between some of the frame are a little hard.
Later, I will try to make this with an anaglyph to have larger images, particulary with the hazard cams

mhoward

Jul 5 2006, 03:28 PM

Sol 869:

dot.dk

Jul 5 2006, 09:01 PM

QUOTE (Sunspot @ Jul 5 2006, 11:28 AM)

Surely they cant still be in restricted sols? Thats nearly 3 weeks.

Nope

CODE

870 p1151.04 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_idd_unstow_doc
870 p1154.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_idd_unstow_doc
870 p1205.08 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_penultimate_0.5_bpp_pri17
870 p1211.03 0   0   0   0   0   0    ultimate_front_haz_1_bpp_pri_15
870 p1275.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_0.5bpp_pri_41
870 p1305.07 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_penultimate_0.5bpp_pri17
870 p1311.07 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_ultimate_1_bpp_crit15
870 p1375.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_hazcam_0.5bpp_pri_41
870 p1795.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    navcam_5x1_az_342_1_bpp
870 p1902.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    navcam_5x1_az_162_mixed_bpp
870 p1903.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    navcam_5x1_az_342_1_bpp
870 p2631.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    pancam_sky_spot_L234567R34567
870 Total    0   0   0   0   0   0

mhoward

Jul 5 2006, 09:16 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Jul 5 2006, 09:01 PM)

Nope

Now that's exciting. This is where the fun begins, I think. Or I should say, this is where the fun begins again.

Sunspot

Jul 5 2006, 11:26 PM

QUOTE (dot.dk @ Jul 5 2006, 10:01 PM)

Nope

CODE

870 p1151.04 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_idd_unstow_doc
870 p1154.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_idd_unstow_doc
870 p1205.08 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_penultimate_0.5_bpp_pri17
870 p1211.03 0   0   0   0   0   0    ultimate_front_haz_1_bpp_pri_15
870 p1275.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_0.5bpp_pri_41
870 p1305.07 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_penultimate_0.5bpp_pri17
870 p1311.07 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_ultimate_1_bpp_crit15
870 p1375.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_hazcam_0.5bpp_pri_41
870 p1795.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    navcam_5x1_az_342_1_bpp
870 p1902.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    navcam_5x1_az_162_mixed_bpp
870 p1903.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    navcam_5x1_az_342_1_bpp
870 p2631.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    pancam_sky_spot_L234567R34567
870 Total    0   0   0   0   0   0

Yayyyyyyyyyyyy

jamescanvin

Jul 6 2006, 02:24 AM

Here is my version of the 869 drive direction mosaic.

James

CosmicRocker

Jul 6 2006, 04:05 AM

It is exciting to be out of restrictions and most likely travelling daily again. But it would be so much more fun if we had more pancam frames toward the left. Other than the skyspots, there appear to be no pancams scheduled for sol 870. Why are they being so frugal with the pancams? I wouldn't think they use so much power as to be so important under a tight energy budget, but that is the only reason I can think of for the paucity of pancams we are experiencing.

As usual, a lovely image, James. I only wish you had more to work with.

alan

Jul 6 2006, 04:47 AM

The 869 pancam wasn't listed on the Pancam Tracking site at first, maybe its been left off of sol 870 too. In a few hours we will see one way or the other.

Tesheiner

Jul 6 2006, 06:27 AM

Yup; it happened many times before. It seems the "drive-direction" pancam sequence is usually planned (or at least included on the DB) quite late.

jamescanvin

Jul 6 2006, 07:30 AM

And to confirm that - another colour 4x1 is now in for 870

- should have some images soon.

djellison

Jul 6 2006, 07:36 AM

I'd imagine that the Navcam sequence comes straight out the book and is the same for every drive - whereas the Pancam sequence is usually customised a little more closely for direction etc - and is dependant on data and power budgets for the day

Doug

jamescanvin

Jul 6 2006, 07:42 AM

Hurrah! The 870 pancams cover Beagle.

jamescanvin

Jul 6 2006, 07:53 AM

Here she is - very rough stitch (i'll do a decent colour one tomorrow once all the data is down)

Click to view attachment

ustrax

Jul 6 2006, 08:31 AM

Some hard driving work ahead...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...Z1P1902L0M1.JPG

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...Z1P1902L0M1.JPG

Toma B

Jul 6 2006, 08:52 AM

QUOTE (ustrax @ Jul 6 2006, 10:31 AM)

Some hard driving work ahead...

Is it just me or these dunes are becoming smaller as we approach Beagle...?

Tesheiner

Jul 6 2006, 10:42 AM

No you're not alone.
I thought the same after sol 864 driving.

mhoward

Jul 6 2006, 03:58 PM

Autostitched Pancam L2 mosaic from Sol 870:

(Not a perfect job, but you get the basic idea.)

ElkGroveDan

Jul 6 2006, 04:28 PM

QUOTE (ustrax @ Jul 6 2006, 12:31 AM)

Some hard driving work ahead...

I'd say we have a couple more days of dunes to worry about, and that's it - forever.

dilo

Jul 6 2006, 06:06 PM

5x stretch of R2 stitch... two subjects in one photo!

mhoward

Jul 6 2006, 06:20 PM

QUOTE (ElkGroveDan @ Jul 6 2006, 04:28 PM)

I'd say we have a couple more days of dunes to worry about, and that's it - forever.

That's a sobering thought. I won't miss the drifts, certainly, but I think there will be other opportunities (?) to get stuck - the bottom of VC kind of looks like one huge sandtrap, a la Endurance but larger.

I didn't realize until just now that the white line of outcrop extending right from Beagle is the boundary between the drift sea and the apron. Beyond here, there be dragons...

CosmicRocker

Jul 6 2006, 06:28 PM

Sol 870 Pancams!...and they cover Beagle and the Beacon! I've never been so pleased to have been wrong.

mhoward

Jul 6 2006, 07:41 PM

Here's the 90-degree-wide view southeast:

Oren Iishi

Jul 6 2006, 08:33 PM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jul 6 2006, 06:28 PM)

Sol 870 Pancams!...and they cover Beagle and the Beacon! I've never been so pleased to have been wrong.

I wonder what that black line is just too the left on the horizon? This is starting to get very interesting.

Tesheiner

Jul 6 2006, 09:14 PM

Imaging plan for sol 871 is on the tracking web; driving sol, as expected.

CODE

871 p1151.04 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_idd_unstow_doc
871 p1154.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_idd_unstow_doc
871 p1205.08 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_penultimate_0.5_bpp_pri17
871 p1214.05 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_haz_ultimate_4bpp_pri15
871 p1275.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    front_hazcam_0.5bpp_pri_41
871 p1305.07 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_penultimate_0.5bpp_pri17
871 p1311.07 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_haz_ultimate_1_bpp_crit15
871 p1375.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    rear_hazcam_0.5bpp_pri_41
871 p1902.02 0   0   0   0   0   0    navcam_5x1_az_144_3_bpp
871 p2631.01 0   0   0   0   0   0    pancam_sky_spot_L234567R34567

Cugel

Jul 6 2006, 09:22 PM

QUOTE (Oren Iishi @ Jul 6 2006, 08:33 PM)

I wonder what that black line is just too the left on the horizon? This is starting to get very interesting.

Either an image artifact or a North Korean missile.
Welcome to the board!

Nirgal

Jul 6 2006, 10:30 PM

QUOTE (CosmicRocker @ Jul 6 2006, 08:28 PM)

Sol 870 Pancams!...and they cover Beagle and the Beacon! I've never been so pleased to have been wrong.

looks like the "smooth" Apron terrain between CC and Victoria rim is going to be

just a miniature sand sea, with just as much rippels but considerably smaller ones

I still strongly hope that, despite of the new ripple sea, the immediate surface layer turns out to be as "sustainable" as was the surface between Endurance and the etched terrain

David

Jul 7 2006, 12:44 AM

QUOTE (Nirgal @ Jul 6 2006, 10:30 PM)

looks like the "smooth" Apron terrain between CC and Victoria rim is going to be just a miniature sand sea, with just as much rippels but considerably smaller ones

The apron isn't uniform -- the outer edges, on the west at least, have light dunes; closer to the crater it appears to get substantially flatter. In either case, I don't expect the terrain to pose serious problems for Opportunity, unless it turns out to be something quite different from what we've seen before.

WindyT

Jul 7 2006, 02:57 AM

QUOTE (Oren Iishi @ Jul 6 2006, 08:33 PM)

I wonder what that black line is just too the left on the horizon? This is starting to get very interesting.

Alien artefact

dot.dk

Jul 7 2006, 05:38 AM

QUOTE (Nirgal @ Jul 6 2006, 10:30 PM)

looks like the "smooth" Apron terrain between CC and Victoria rim is going to be

just a miniature sand sea, with just as much rippels but considerably smaller ones

I still strongly hope that, despite of the new ripple sea, the immediate surface layer turns out to be as "sustainable" as was the surface between Endurance and the etched terrain

That's the terrain south of Beagle crater where the dunes just continues. It's only the area around Victoria that's dune free land

jamescanvin

Jul 7 2006, 07:56 AM

Nice drive - Just one more big ripple to cross before we enter the Beagle Crater parking lot.

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...4UP1902L0M1.JPG

Tesheiner

Jul 7 2006, 08:02 AM

Yup.
And here is today's aprox. position and driving path as seen from sol 870 navcams.
Click to view attachment

Edited: The net drive was about 25m (parallax).
Edit2: 24m according to the tracking web data.

diane

Jul 7 2006, 11:13 AM

QUOTE (jamescanvin @ Jul 7 2006, 03:56 AM)

Nice drive - Just one more big ripple to cross before we enter the Beagle Crater parking lot.

Cool. I suspect we've all gotten a little dune-shy.

BrianL

Jul 7 2006, 12:43 PM

QUOTE (jamescanvin @ Jul 7 2006, 02:56 AM)

Nice drive - Just one more big ripple to cross before we enter the Beagle Crater parking lot.

Personally, I think they've positioned themselves nicely behind a nice big, fluffy WEH, but since I'm always wrong (see beacon thread) perhaps that augurs well for the next drive.

Brian

Bill Harris

Jul 7 2006, 12:51 PM

We've gotten dune-cautious. Oppy is entering a new geomorphic province and with that change comes change in the character of the sand. Thus far it's been remarkably firm and well-behaved but if it's going to get funny, it'll do so coming into the Beagle parking lot.

--Bill

mhoward

Jul 7 2006, 02:12 PM

Good grief, where did all this sand come from?

The anaglyph view looks rather, er, alarming... but I trust they know what they are doing... (edit: corrected anaglyph link)

Tesheiner

Jul 7 2006, 02:22 PM

QUOTE (BrianL @ Jul 7 2006, 02:43 PM)

Personally, I think they've positioned themselves nicely behind a nice big, fluffy WEH, but since I'm always wrong (see beacon thread) perhaps that augurs well for the next drive.

There is a lot of distortion on those navcam images; actually the ripples are not so big as they look like.
I think they will take this path (slip check ON, sure!) up to that first outcrop and then straight ahead to BC on the following sol.

Marz

Jul 7 2006, 02:34 PM

QUOTE (Tesheiner @ Jul 7 2006, 09:22 AM)

There is a lot of distortion on those navcam images; actually the ripples are not so big as they look like.
I think they will take this path (slip check ON, sure!) up to that first outcrop and then straight ahead to BC on the following sol.

I agree with Bill's assessment that these ripples are not MER-hungry. The surface right before Beagle seems to contain much coarser grains than the "Purgatory class" sediment. Check out the hazcam to see how firm these dunes are:

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...4UP1311R0M1.JPG

Hopefully, it will be an easy drive onto pavement and a nice survey of Beagle for the next dozen sols.

chris

Jul 7 2006, 02:47 PM

Looks like they are checking carefully...

http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/opportuni...4UP1151L0M1.JPG

Chris

Jeff7

Jul 7 2006, 02:56 PM

That's probably just the standard end-of-drive arm-deployment that they adpoted since the arm began acting up. Better to have it stuck deployed than stowed.

chris

Jul 7 2006, 03:12 PM

Ah yes, good point.

mhoward

Jul 7 2006, 03:13 PM

I don't quite undertand why they made a beeline for this large drift feature - seems like a little to the north of it was the way to go. But anyway, I agree with your path, Tesh - I look forward to seeing tomorrow how easy it was...

mhoward

Jul 7 2006, 03:39 PM

Here's an Autostitch of the Sol 871 Pancam mosaic:

anaglyph version

CosmicRocker

Jul 7 2006, 03:45 PM

"Yikes!," was the word that came uncontrollably from my mouth when I woke up this morning to see the updates that had downloaded overnight. The drifts surrounding Opportunity on three sides are every bit as large as those at Jammerbugt. I really have to think they are reconsidering this route.