QUOTE (ustrax @ Oct 30 2008, 02:54 AM)
...
I know that Spirit is being presented as the underdog at NG, but here? At UMSF?
This is a show about TWO rovers so why would you post its announcement on an Opportunity thread?
Descrimination I say...descrimination... ...
No, no...I don't believe there is any bias anywhere against Spirit. I think the word "underdog" was used to emphasize the challenge Spirit faced once they realized she landed in the Gusev lake bed full of basalt. From the onset, Spirit had to head for the hills in a desperate effort to find rocks that had not been buried by the flooding basalts. The brief stop at Bonneville Crater only verified the significant depth of the basalt on the Gusev plains, and probably convinced everyone that if any significant science would be performed by this rover, it would be required to drive to the limits of its design envelope, and probably further. As we all know, Spirit met that challenge, climbed mountains, dug trenches, survived winters, and made wonderful discoveries to amaze us all. This dual mission has turned out to be an amazing experiment and accomplishment. It is difficult to find words to describe it.
Now, we wait on the edge of our seats to learn where Spirit will next be directed to explore in its domain, as Opportunity embarks on a truly epic journey, encouraged by its sister's previous accomplishments. Can life get any better than this?
QUOTE (mars loon @ Oct 31 2008, 10:23 PM)
... Like Tom, I have a completely new appreciation for the dramatic escape from Tarturus. ...
I looked back to Salley's November 30, 2007 update to relive the event. It is covered in great detail as usual, but the energy budget concerns were not obvious to me at the time. But if you notice how quickly Spirit dove over the edge of Home Plate after extricating itself from Tartarus, it clearly was performed posthaste.