View Full Version : [Space] NASA - Mars Exploration Rover MER-B "Opportunity" - Update Thread
Opportunity Trajectory Adjusted for Mars Landing
16 January 2004
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's next robotic rover to attempt a landing on Mars -- Opportunity -- underwent a trajectory correction maneuver January 16.
Flight controllers here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) commanded the Opportunity spacecraft to finesse its path to more accurately enter Mars' atmosphere on Saturday, January 24.
Music played at misson control at JPL was "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas.
Opportunity is slated to drop onto Meridiani Planum, an area on Mars located on the opposite side of the planet from where Spirit is now parked.
As a twin to the Spirit Mars rover, Opportunity will land on January 24 about 9:05 pm Pacific Standard Time (PST).
The Trajectory Correction Maneuver more precisely aligned Opportunity for its dive toward the pre-picked landing point. Meridiani Planum is an intriguing locale on Mars where mineral deposits -- specifically hematite -- are suggestive that Mars had a wet past.
Opportunity pre-landing press conference, ora su NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)!
Opportunity Closes in on the Red Planet
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 04:00 pm ET
23 January 2004
PASADENA, Calif. -- Early Jan. 25, at about 12:05 a.m. EST, NASA's second Mars Exploration Rover -- Opportunity -- will arrive on Mars. It's headed for a region known as Meridiani Planum, halfway around the planet from where its sister robot, the Spirit rover now resides.
What Opportunity might find at that landing site could be the geological mother lode at Mars that scientists seek -- a type of mineral that cries out: "Water was here!" This site may well have been a suitable environment for microbial life.
PASADENA, Calif. -- Early Jan. 25, at about 12:05 a.m. EST, NASA's second Mars Exploration Rover -- Opportunity -- will arrive on Mars. It's headed for a region known as Meridiani Planum, halfway around the planet from where its sister robot, the Spirit rover now resides.
What Opportunity might find at that landing site could be the geological mother lode at Mars that scientists seek -- a type of mineral that cries out: "Water was here!" This site may well have been a suitable environment for microbial life.
Good dose of edginess
"I am almost as nervous as I was for Spirit," admitted Rob Manning, Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Entry, Descent and Landing Lead here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). "Even though Meridiani is an easier landing site in some respects…less winds, less slopes, and the rocks aren't as bad… I'm going to be almost as nervous," he told SPACE.com.
In reconstructing how Spirit made it down at Gusev Crater, Manning has reason to retain a good dose of edginess.
"We had a wild day in landing Spirit," Manning said. An unexpectedly large wind gust played havoc with the spacecraft's approach and touchdown at Gusev. That burst of wind pushed Spirit's parachute and other landing gear in a horizontal direction toward a crater.
An inertial measurement unit, computer software, special camera gear, and small rockets onboard Spirit worked in concert to counter what could have been a deadly drift into the walls of the crater -- "all within a handful of seconds," Manning noted.
"I don't know if we would have been toast. On the other hand, it's an experiment I don't think I would want to perform," Manning added.
Today, MER engineers at a press briefing here graphically demonstrated the close-call nature of flying 150 million miles (170 million kilometers) and screeching to a rocket-assisted airborne stop just 23 feet (7 meters) above Mars.
Once cut free from its parachute, retro-rocket engines, and long bridle, the set of airbags with the Spirit rover tucked inside fell onto the planet, bouncing 28 times across the martian landscape before coming to a full stop.
Using the Mars Global Surveyor orbiting Mars, Spirit's parachute, heat shield, airbag bounce marks, and the rover's stationary landing hardware have been imaged. The heat shield was found to have hit the side of the nearby crater that scientists want Spirit to hopefully visit -- reportedly now dubbed as "Bonneville".
Glue gun and duct tape
At the end of the day, Spirit's safe and sound landing comes down to one engineering rule of thumb: margin.
Margin equates to elbow room. There is a delicate balance between margins and how close-to-the-edge engineers feel is tolerable. But then add in the vagaries of the Mars environment, well, those uncertainties can give you a bad day.
"From what I see, we have a lot of margin. We are confident that we made the right design choices in our rover landing system to make it reliable," Manning said. "But you never know. If I could land a thousand of these things, then I could tell you. We're still in the infant stages of this stuff."
Lessons learned from getting Spirit down and dirty on Mars are being applied to the landing of Opportunity.
For example, Opportunity's parachute is to be deployed higher and five seconds earlier than planned over Meridiani Planum. Secondly, gas generators to inflate the airbag landing system have been tweaked to reduce their warm-up time during the plummet toward Mars' surface.
Opportunity's landing system is good to go, Manning said. "Our mission is not to do engineering, although it's fun, exciting, and a lot of work. It doesn't matter if you took a glue gun and duct tape to get to Mars. As long as you get there safely…and we get good science for the mission…that's the most important thing," he explained.
Colorful territory
At Meridiani Planum, the Opportunity rover becomes a stranger in a strange land.
"This site will truly be an alien landscape. It will not look like anywhere we have been before on Mars," said James Rice, a Mars Exploration Rover scientist from the Arizona State University in Tempe.
Rice said he expects Opportunity to drop into colorful territory, perhaps a deeper, darker reddish brown with splashes of gray.
"All that pesky bright dust that we are familiar with will be absent," Rice told SPACE.com. The chances of encountering fantastic layered sediments will be much higher in Meridiani than at Gusev Crater, he explained.
These layers may be visible in small mesas and buttes. Moreover, the landscape appears to have been stripped by the wind. There will also be far fewer rocks than at Gusev, roughly half the rock abundance seen in the images returned by Spirit, Rice said.
"We may also see dune forms and small impact craters depending on where we put down in the landing ellipse," Rice added.
Gray hematite
Opportunity's targeted landing area is an ellipse about 53 miles (85 kilometers) long and 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) wide.
This zone is within a large region near the planet's arbitrarily designated prime meridian, or line of zero longitude. "Planum" means plains. So the name suits the territory. Meridiani Planum is one of the smoothest, flattest places on Mars.
Meridiani Planum has been found to contain the detectable mineral signatures for coarse grained gray hematite - a type of iron oxide mineral. This type of hematite generally forms in water.
On Earth, gray hematite usually -- but not always - forms in association with liquid water. Some environmental conditions that can produce gray hematite, such as a lake or hot springs, could be quite hospitable to life. Others, such as hot lava, would not.
"I can't predict what we'll find at this time," said Ray Arvidson, Deputy Principal Investigator for the MER endeavor from Washington University in St. Louis. When hematite was first detected from Mars orbit, "it kind of called to us to go to it," he explained at a JPL press briefing here this morning.
Joy Crisp told SPACE.com that the hematite-laden site could have been a more favorable environment for life, than say an ice-covered lake discovered at Gusev Crater. "That's the whole issue. Was there little warm water niches where water hung around long enough…for life to get started," she said.
On course cruise
Like its twin on the other side of Mars, Opportunity will use a rock abrasion tool and two spectrometers attached to the rover's arm to resolve what martian environment produced the hematite at Meridiani Planum.
"I think we're going to see some very interesting terrain," said Steve Squyres, Principal Investigator for the MER program and a space scientist from Cornell University.
Mission planners decided Thursday to skip an optional trajectory correction maneuver (TCM #5) for Opportunity as it cruises toward Mars. There is still time to fine-tune the spacecraft's aim point within Meridiani Planum, moving Opportunity's landing zone to be within better range of terrain features of interest. A "go/no-go" decision on TCM #6 to tweak the spacecraft's landing spot is to be decided tonight.
Opportunity is right on course to land halfway around Mars from Spirit.
"We expect everything to work nominally on Opportunity," said Charles Elachi, Director of JPL. "But still you have the risk of any entry, descent and landing…it's always risky."
Editor's Note: Opportunity's landing is slated for 12:05 a.m. EST on Sunday, Jan. 25. That corresponds to 9:05 p.m. PST on Saturday, Jan. 24 in the mission control room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
Oaichehai
23-01-2004, 23:25
ma non è che alla fine di ogni articolo in inglese si può fare un piccolo sunto in italiano o tutt'al più in spagnolo? :D:D:D
tanto per essere partecipe.......:D:D:D
Originariamente inviato da Oaichehai
ma non è che alla fine di ogni articolo in inglese si può fare un piccolo sunto in italiano o tutt'al più in spagnolo? :D:D:D
tanto per essere partecipe.......:D:D:D
MER-B, il secondo rover (Opportunity) sta per arrivare sul pianeta rosso, pressapoco sul lato opposto di Spirit.
Ammarterà sulla pianura Meridiani (Meridiani Planum) sabato alle ore 9:05 pm PST (ora del pacifico), 12:05 am EST (ora della costa est) o, per noi, domenica mattina alle 6:05.
Opportunity, due for Mars landing, gets its big chance
PASADENA, California (AFP) Jan 24, 2004
Opportunity, the second of two NASA rovers, is slated to land on Mars overnight Saturday as its troubled twin, Spirit, finds itself in a "critical state" on the Red Planet.
If all goes well, Opportunity should make its Martian landing at around 0505 GMT Sunday on the Meridiani Planum, described by NASA as one of the "smoothest, flattest places on Mars." That after Spirit, now plagued with communications troubles, arrived on Mars January 3 in the Gusev crater.
Opportunity scientist Joy Crisp said Meridiani "meets our criteria for a safe landing and is an excellent place for science."
NASA scientists are being extremely cautious.
Analysis of Spirit's descent through Mars's atmosphere for its landing at Gusev has contributed to a decision by flight controllers to program Opportunity to open its parachute higher than had been planned earlier, said the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Wayne Lee, chief engineer for development of the rover's descent and landing systems.
The two golf-cart-sized solar-powered rovers were to study the dusty Martian surface's geological characteristics for three months, trying to determine if the planet ever had conditions that were conducive to life.
The European Space Agency (ESA) said final efforts to coax a call from Europe's lost Martian lander Beagle 2 would take place this weekend, but the chances of success are negligible. The British-built mini-lab was due to have landed on December 25 but has failed to radio home.
Theories that the Red Planet was once awash with water received dramatic backing, meanwhile, from data relayed to Earth from Europe's unmanned spacecraft Mars Express.
Initial results from Mars Express sketched an image of a planet whose surface was once sculpted by seas and glaciers and confirms indications that its South Pole is capped by frozen water, ESA said.
Spirit landed January 3 and had been functioning nearly perfectly until Wednesday, beaming back to Earth spectacular color photographs of the surface of the Red Planet. But communications were abruptly cut off Wednesday and were only partially restored on Friday.
NASA officials expressed concern that the problems could take weeks to sort out and may never be entirely resolved.
"The chances it will be perfect again are not good," Mars Exploration Rover project manager Pete Theisinger told reporters at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory here. "We have got a long way to go with the patient in intensive care.
"It is still in a critical state, but stable," he said. "We don't know what's broken and the consequences. The flight software is not working properly.
"We should expect that we will not be restoring functionality to Spirit for a significant amount of time -- many days, perhaps a couple of weeks -- even under the very best of circumstances," Theisinger said.
Spirit suffered a "very serious anomaly" and stopped normal transmissions on Wednesday, but a signal was received on Friday from the solar-powered rover by one of the giant antennas of the international Deep Space Network near Madrid.
The transmission speed of 120 bits a second was well below the normal speed of 11,000 bits a second, but even the weak signal was welcomed after two days of worrying silence punctuated by an occasional meaningless "beep."
The Meridiani Planum, where Opportunity is supposed to touch down, is a zone of grey hematite, an iron oxide. Scientists plan to use research instruments on Opportunity to determine whether the grey hematite layer comes from sediments of a former ocean, from volcanic deposits altered by hot water or from other ancient environmental conditions.
NASA engineers plan to ask Spirit to provide further information about its condition in an effort to work out why the rover fell silent on its 19th day on the Red Planet.
The breakdown came just as the rover was to begin searching for signs that there may have been water on Mars that could have sustained life.
The 820-million-dollar Spirit and Opportunity project is the most ambitious ever to Mars.
Frank1962
24-01-2004, 23:16
http://mars1.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/realtime/mera1.jpg
Per chi vuole vedere in diretta l'arrivo di Opportunity:
NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)
January 24, Saturday
- 3-4 p.m. - Opportunity Landing Update - JPL
- 5-6 p.m. MER Briefing - JPL
- 7-8 p.m. - Briefing: "Fireside Chat" with Administrator O'Keefe and JPL Director Dr. Charles Elachi - JPL
- 10:30 p.m. - Opportunity Mission Coverage and Commentary - JPL
ore EST, che per noi si traduce in:
Sabato 24/1
- 21:00-22:00 - Opportunity Landing Update - JPL
- 23:00-00:00 - MER Briefing - JPL
Domenica 25/1
- 01:00-02:00 - Briefing: "Fireside Chat" with Administrator O'Keefe and JPL Director Dr. Charles Elachi - JPL
- 04:30 p.m. - Opportunity Mission Coverage and Commentary - JPL
ARRIVO: DOMENICA 25 GENNAIO 2004, ORE 06:05
2345 GMT (6:45 p.m. EST)
Louis D'Amario, the Mars Exploration Rover navigation team chief, says Opportunity remains on course for arrival on the plains of Meridiani tonight at about 12:05 a.m. EST (Earth Receive Time) after a seven-month, 280-million voyage.
The cigar-shaped landing zone is 46 miles long and 4 miles wide, which is 0.001 percent of the martian surface, he said.
To guide Opportunity to its landing site, controllers had the chance to perform five Trajectory Correction Maneuvers, plus one contingency burn. But just three were needed.
"We managed to target Opportunity to the desired atmospheric entry point, which will bring us to the desired landing point, using only three Trajectory Correction Maneuvers in that 280 million mile trip from Earth to Mars.
"If you remember back to the Spirit (pre-landing) press conference, I used the analogy to playing a very long hole in golf. For Spirit, only used four shots -- four Trajectory Correction Maneuvers -- so we got a birdie. But for Opportunity we only used three, so we got an eagle. We did even better!"
0035 GMT (7:35 p.m. EST Sat.)
The in-coming Opportunity rover is getting ever closer to Mars. Time to touchdown is now just four-and-a-half hours away.
Before the fiery entry into the Martian atmosphere can occur, the ring-shaped cruise stage must be jettisoned from the descent module containing the Opportunity rover. This is scheduled for 11:44:46 p.m. EST.
Entry interface occurs at 11:59:46 p.m. EST as the spacecraft punches into the upper fringes of the atmosphere about 128 kilometers above the planet's surface while traveling 5.4 kilometers per second (12,000 miles per hour). The protective heat shield is designed to withstand the 2,600-degree F temperature expected from the friction of falling through the atmosphere. Peak heating will happen around 12:01:28 a.m. at an altitude of 42.6 kilometers.
With about two minutes left in the descent, at 12:03:49 a.m. and 8.9 kilometers above the ground, the craft's parachute will be deployed.
Based upon the reconstruction of data gathered during Spirit's descent and weather reports about the atmosphere above Meridiani Planum, engineers have decided to have Opportunity open its parachute slightly earlier than Spirit did.
At 12:04:19 a.m. and an altitude of 5.8 kilometers, the bottom half of the aeroshell descent module is jettisoned, exposing the lander. The top half of the shell, still riding the parachute, will lower the lander on a small tether.
Activation of the radar altimeter occurs at 5.4 kilometers above the surface at 12:04:24 a.m. The descent imaging camera system initiates at 12:05:07 a.m. at an altitude of two kilometers.
The impact-cushioning airbags surrounding the lander will inflate at 12:05:31 a.m., followed a half-second later by ignition of retro rockets on the upper shell to bring the descent speed to zero. The tether will be cut about 12 meters above the surface at 12:05:34 a.m.
The first moment of touchdown -- starting a series of bounces -- is targeted for 12:05:37 a.m. EST (0505:37 GMT).
The spacecraft is expected to bounce and roll for several minutes before coming to rest.
Mission Control hopes to receive communication "tones" from the rover throughout the entry, descent and landing.
We will be posting updates on this page all evening!
Oaichehai
25-01-2004, 01:35
grande Giofx!!!
peccato che per quell'ora starò ronfando.....
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Per chi vuole vedere in diretta l'arrivo di Opportunity:
NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)
January 24, Saturday
- 3-4 p.m. - Opportunity Landing Update - JPL
- 5-6 p.m. MER Briefing - JPL
- 7-8 p.m. - Briefing: "Fireside Chat" with Administrator O'Keefe and JPL Director Dr. Charles Elachi - JPL
- 10:30 p.m. - Opportunity Mission Coverage and Commentary - JPL
ore EST, che per noi si traduce in:
Sabato 24/1
- 21:00-22:00 - Opportunity Landing Update - JPL
- 23:00-00:00 - MER Briefing - JPL
Domenica 25/1
- 01:00-02:00 - Briefing: "Fireside Chat" with Administrator O'Keefe and JPL Director Dr. Charles Elachi - JPL
- 04:30 p.m. - Opportunity Mission Coverage and Commentary - JPL
ARRIVO: DOMENICA 25 GENNAIO 2004, ORE 06:05
http://mars1.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/realtime/mera1.jpg
0235 GMT (9:35 p.m. EST Sat.)
As Opportunity's landing nears and engineers continue to examine Spirit's trouble, here are some words from NASA's space science chief Ed Weiler:
"I appreciate that by now you realize that landing on Mars is really tough and operating on Mars is even tougher, as we found out. We warned you of that three weeks ago (at Spirit's landing).
"Some of you and probably some of us have gotten used to success after success after success. But as we've have seen, exploration is a roller coaster. We've had the early ups and now we've had a down. It seems like we're back going up again. However, I can absolutely guarantee you there will be more downs and there will be more ups with both Opportunity and Spirit.
"However, what the last few days has proven to me is that we have got the absolute best team on Earth operating these (rovers)."
Traveling from NASA Headquarters in Washington to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for tonight's landing, Weiler thought he'd find a dark mood at JPL mission control given the ailing Spirit.
"I came here expecting to be literally at a funeral. I arrived here yesterday at 3 o'clock and things were looking pretty grim. But already last night things were looking a little bit better and then things got a lot better early this morning. There is a lesson in that."
This morning controllers were able to narrow the search for Spirit's ailment, giving officials renewed hope that the rover can resume its exploration of Gusev Crater in a couple of weeks.
0325 GMT (10:25 p.m. EST Sat.)
An assessment poll of flight controllers has been performed in advance of Opportunity making its turn to the atmospheric-entry orientation. No significant issues were reported with the spacecraft, the Deep Space Network tracking system or Mars Global Surveyor orbiter that will be used to receive data from Opportunity during landing.
The turn is expected to begin at 10:34 p.m. EST.
0335 GMT (10:35 p.m. EST Sat.)
Opportunity's landing is now 90 minutes away as NASA attempts to put its second Mars Exploration Rover on the surface of the Red Planet.
Although Spirit's landing was completely successful, giving confidence that tonight's descent of Opportunity will have a positive outcome, project manager Pete Theisinger cautions that nothing is assured when traveling to another planet with complex machines.
"I think you need to understand what the Spirit has proven and what is has not proven. The design of the two vehicles are identical but they are separate vehicles. So the Spirit has proven the design -- this entry, descent and landing system can work. But it has not established the integrity of Opportunity," Theisinger says.
0336 GMT (10:36 p.m. EST Sat.)
The turn to entry attitude is underway. This rotation will orient the spacecraft such that the heat shield is facing the atmosphere. Prior to this time, Opportunity was flying with its cruise stage solar panels pointed at the Sun and communications antenna in line with Earth.
0337 GMT (10:37 p.m. EST Sat.)
Opportunity is currently 10,880 miles from Mars, traveling at 7,683 miles per hour.
0345 GMT (10:45 p.m. EST Sat.)
The rover's turn appears to be largely complete at this time, Mission Control reports.
0354 GMT (10:54 p.m. EST Sat.)
Opportunity is currently 8,268 miles from Mars, traveling at 7,758 miles per hour. The craft's speed will continue to increase as the Martian gravity pulls Opportunity to the planet.
0400 GMT (11:00 p.m. EST Sat.)
Landing of Opportunity in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars is now just one hour away!
Meridiani Planum is considered one of the smoothest, flattest places on the Red Planet.
0412 GMT (11:12 p.m. EST Sat.)
The turn to entry attitude has been verified complete. The pointing error is 0.37 degrees, which is well within margin.
This turn was a critical event prior to Opportunity making the fiery plunge into the atmosphere by reorienting to put the heat shield facing the planet. Had the turn not occurred, the craft would burn up during entry.
0414 GMT (11:14 p.m. EST Sat.)
Heaters are being activated to condition solid rockets used by gas generators aboard the lander. The generators inflate the impact-cushioning airbags moments before touchdown.
0415 GMT (11:15 p.m. EST Sat.)
The spacecraft is 5,522 miles above Mars, traveling at a velocity of 8,094 miles per hour.
0431 GMT (11:31 p.m. EST Sat.)
Opportunity is currently 3,334 miles from Mars, traveling at 8,817 miles per hour.
Mission Control confirms that the gas generator heaters are active.
0453 GMT (11:53 p.m. EST Sat.)
Opportunity is cocooned with its descent module called the aeroshell. The aeroshell which has two parts -- a heat shield that faces forward and a backshell.
Here is an overview:
The system for getting each rover safely through Mars' atmosphere and onto the surface relies on an aeroshell, a parachute and airbags. The aeroshell has two parts: a heat shield that faces forward and a backshell. Both are based on designs used successfully by NASA's Viking Mars landers in 1976 and Mars Pathfinder in 1997.
The parachute is attached to the backshell and opens to about 15 meters (49 feet) in diameter. The parachute design was tested under simulated martian conditions in a large wind tunnel at NASA's Ames Research Center near Sunnyvale, Calif.
The backshell carries a deceleration meter used to determine the right moment for deploying the parachute. Solid-fuel rockets mounted on the underside of the shell reduce vertical velocity and any excessive horizontal velocity just before landing.
The airbags, based on Pathfinder's design, cushion the impact of the lander on the surface. Each of the four faces of the folded-up lander is equipped with an envelope of six airbags stitched together. Explosive gas generators rapidly inflate the airbags to a pressure of about 6900 Pascal (one pound per square inch). Each airbag has double bladders to support impact pressure and, to protect the bladders from sharp rocks, six layers of a special cloth woven from polymer fiber that is five times stronger than steel. The fiber material, Vectran, is used in the strings of archery bows and tennis racquets.
0459 GMT (11:59 p.m. EST Sat.)
ENTRY INTERFACE. Opportunity's "six minutes of terror" has begun as it makes a fiery descent into the Martian atmosphere, slowing from 12,000 miles per hour to zero in the next six minutes.
0500 GMT (12:00 a.m. EST)
Opportunity is 73 miles above the planet, traveling at 12,187 miles per hour, 441 miles uprange from the landing site.
0500 GMT (12:00 a.m. EST)
The navigation team in Mission Control reports they detect entry into the atmosphere.
0501 GMT (12:01 a.m. EST)
The Opportunity lander is now transmitting a tone that tells Mission Control is it decelerating at several g's.
0502 GMT (12:02 a.m. EST)
Maximum deceleration has been reached between 6 and 7 g's.
0502 GMT (12:02 a.m. EST)
Altitude 12 miles, some 27 miles uprange from the landing site. Deceleration continues as the spacecraft plunges through the atmosphere.
0503 GMT (12:03 a.m. EST)
Deceleration has eased to less than 1 g. Standing by for chute deployment at a speed of 1,000 mph.
0503 GMT (12:03 a.m. EST)
Deceleration has eased to less than 1 g. Standing by for chute deployment at a speed of 1,000 mph.
0504 GMT (12:04 a.m. EST)
Chute is out! Mission Control has received indication of deployment of Opportunity's supersonic parachute.
0504 GMT (12:04 a.m. EST)
The heat shield has been jettisoned! This exposing the lander inside the descent module.
0505 GMT (12:05 a.m. EST)
The radar is measuring the approaching surface. Standing by for retro rocket ignition.
0505 GMT (12:05 a.m. EST)
The braking rockets have been ignited! Touchdown will occur any moment.
0505 GMT (12:05 a.m. EST)
BOUNCING ON MARS! Mission Control has received a signal of Opportunity bouncing on the surface of Mars.
0506 GMT (12:06 a.m. EST)
After a short loss of signal from the rover, a strong signal is now being received as Opportunity arrives on Mars!
0508 GMT (12:08 a.m. EST)
A good signal is still being received! Unlike the Spirit landing where signal was lost immediately after touchdown, Opportunity continues to talk to Earth.
0508 GMT (12:08 a.m. EST)
Complete joy and relief in Mission Control as Opportunity has landed at Meridiani Planum.
C'E' SCHWARZY NELLA SALA MISSIONE!
E PURE L'EX-VICEPRESIDENTE AL GORE!
0510 GMT (12:11 a.m. EST)
Signals from Opportunity now show that the spacecraft is rolling. Following the initial impact, the airbag shrouded spacecraft bounces and rolls for several minutes before coming to a rest.
0514 GMT (12:14 a.m. EST)
Mission Control is still receiving evidence that Opportunity is slowly rolling, which is expected.
0516 GMT (12:16 a.m. EST)
The roll continues -- more than 10 minutes after the impact.
0517 GMT (12:17 a.m. EST)
Opportunity is still moving!
0519 GMT (12:19 a.m. EST)
Mission Control still seeing a very slow motion from the rover.
0522 GMT (12:22 a.m. EST)
Opportunity is telling controllers that no faults or errors were experienced during the rollout.
0523 GMT (12:23 a.m. EST)
Initial indication is being received that the rover has landed on the +Y petal down.
0523 GMT (12:23 a.m. EST)
Controllers still see a fluctuation in the data that would indicate the vehicle is still rolling. However, engineers suspect that may not be true.
0525 GMT (12:25 a.m. EST)
A strong signal is still being received from Opportunity -- now 20 minutes since touchdown.
0526 GMT (12:26 a.m. EST)
The Mars Global Surveyor orbiter collected data from Opportunity during the entry, descent and landing sequence. That information is transmitted to Earth for engineers to analyze.
0528 GMT (12:28 a.m. EST)
With Opportunity resting on the surface of Mars at Meridiani Planum, it will use motors to retract the impact-cushioning airbags. The lander then will open up like a flower, lowering its petals to reveal the rover tucked inside.
Next, the rover will deploy its power-generating solar panels. Then the Pancam Mast Assembly will be raised up. It can begin taking some pictures of the landing site once those events are completed. Those initial images, if snapped this evening, would be relayed to Earth via the Mars Odyssey orbiter overnight.
0532 GMT (12:32 a.m. EST)
Preliminary data shows the initial impact was two-or-three g's, a JPL spokesperson says.
0535 GMT (12:35 a.m. EST)
Engineers confirm that the spacecraft is resting on its side. But the lander is designed to right itself during the petal opening sequence.
Also, they believe that Opportunity wasn't really rolling all of that time. The fluctuating indication taken to mean rolling was really an artifact of the communications path with the craft on its side.
I prossimi eventi:
- 10:30 pm PST (07:30 Roma) - Briefing
- 12:45 am PST (09:45 Roma) - Commento
- 02:00 am PST (11:00 Roma) - Briefing
Opportunity Probe Lands On Mars
Pasadena (AFP) Jan 24, 2004
Opportunity, the second of two US probes sent to explore the surface of Mars, has landed safely on the planet, the US space agency NASA said late Saturday.
The agency said the probe had successfully made contact with controllers on Earth after landing at 9:05 pm (0505 GMT Sunday) in an area of the planet known as the Meridiani Planum.
The Meridium Planum is a zone of grey hematite, an iron oxide. Scientists plan to use the robot's instruments to determine whether the grey hematite layer comes from sediments of a former ocean, from volcanic deposits altered by hot water or from other ancient environmental conditions.
Meanwhile, National Aeronautics and Space Administration flight controllers worked to restore Spirit, the first of the two rovers sent to Mars, to full operation.
Spirit, which functioned flawlessly after its January 3 landing in Gusev Crater on the other side of the planet, has been plagued with communications problems since Wednesday.
As Opportunity raced toward Mars, Charles Elachi, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory here, told reporters he was sure Spirit could be restored to full function.
"This is not unusual what happened," he said. "We have done that on Galileo. I am completely confident without any hesitation that I think we will get that rover back to full operation."
Galileo is the US space probe that explored the planet Jupiter.
Opportunity Lands on Mars
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 12:21 am ET
25 January 2004
PASADENA, Calif. -- Mars has received a one-two exploration punch as the second Rover -- Opportunity -- achieved a successful landing tonight on the red planet.
Engineers and scientists broke out in cheers and tears here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), mission control for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) program.
Opportunity landed in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars. The spacecraft's exact whereabouts are not precisely known, but appears to have touched down within a pre-determined ellipse within Meridiani Planum.
Near-Perfect
Opportunity looks to have completed a near-perfect entry, descent, and landing.
Initial data suggested that the spacecraft hit Mars' surface at a relatively slow velocity -- some two to three times the force of gravity. The airbag system is designed to sustain a 40 g's collision with Mars.
Indications are that after coming to a stop, Opportunity was "side-petal" down. That means it will have to right itself on the red planet, then deflate its airbags.
The spacecraft slammed into the top of Mars' atmosphere at about 12,000 miles per hour (5.4 kilometers per second). That event was followed by a series of death-defying entry, descent and landing events.
Taking all of six minutes to plummet to the martian landscape, Opportunity bounced across Mars wrapped in its cocoon of airbags before coming to a complete stop.
"We're on Mars everybody. We're getting a strong signal," said Rob Manning, JPL's Entry, Descent and Landing manager.
Perfect maneuvering
Opportunity landed on Mars at 12:05 a.m. Sunday EST or 9:05 p.m. Saturday PST.Early today, mission managers chose not to use an option for making a final tweak to Opportunity's flight path. Previously, as the spacecraft closed in on the planet, the third and fifth out of five scheduled maneuvers were skipped as unnecessary.
Getting to the exact entry point using only three maneuvers since Opportunity's launch was heralded early this morning by JPL's Louis D'Amario, navigation team chief for the Mars rovers.
Hematite-rich territory
The rover's main task is to explore the Meridiani Planum landing site and determine whether that region could have had a past environment that was watery and possibly suitable for sustaining life.
Opportunity is on the lookout for a gray hematite. Meridiani Planum has been found by orbiting spacecraft sensors to be rich in gray hematite. This type of iron oxide usually forms in association with liquid water.
Here at JPL, as Opportunity reached Mars, troubleshooting teams are working around-the-clock to get the Spirit Mars Exploration Rover back on line. It landed three weeks ago, but subsequently ran into an apparent computer glitch that halted its science gathering duties.
0706 GMT (2:06 a.m. EST)
Initial indications are Opportunity landed about 24 kilometers from the target.
0717 GMT (2:17 a.m. EST)
The airbag retraction and petal opening should have happened by now. However, officials cannot yet confirm those critical events have occurred.
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
0516 GMT (12:16 a.m. EST)
The roll continues -- more than 10 minutes after the impact.
http://img.freeforumzone.it/upload/181993_Copia di spirit.jpg
:D :D :D
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 08:27
Bene anche l'altro è arrivato.. :)
Che tipo di problemi ci sono però? :confused:
SONO ARRIVATE LE PRIME FOTO!
0857 GMT (3:57 a.m. EST)
Mission Control is celebrating after the acquisition of data from Opportunity via Mars Odyssey orbiter.
"Cheer!" flight director Chris Lewicki jokingly instructed his team.
The fact that telemetry has been received indicates that the rover has performed its critical deployment activities following landing. Opportunity's exact status has yet to be confirmed, however. That is still to come.
0859 GMT (3:59 a.m. EST
About 20 megabits of data is being relayed via Odyssey.
0905 GMT (4:05 a.m. EST)
The control room is jam-packed with engineers, scientists and managers, all awaiting to hear Opportunity's status.
"You are privileged to be in one of the most exciting rooms on Earth at the moment," says flight director Chris Lewicki.
If all goes well, this data to be received will begin with engineering health information about the rover and be followed by images from various cameras on Opportunity.
0909 GMT (4:09 a.m. EST)
Data is now flowing into the control room.
0911 GMT (4:11 a.m. EST)
Telemetry shows good current from the power-generating solar arrays, confirming the panels are deployed!
0912 GMT (4:12 a.m. EST)
The first images of Opportunity have arrived on planet Earth!
0914 GMT (4:14 a.m. EST)
The initial images received were taken by rear-facing hazard avoidance cameras on Opportunity.
0915 GMT (4:15 a.m. EST)
Images are now flooding in from various rover cameras showing Meridiani Planum -- a place never seen before from the surface.
0916 GMT (4:16 a.m. EST)
The forward driveway off the lander shows a clear path for the rover, unlike Spirit which had a puffed up airbag blocking that route.
0917 GMT (4:17 a.m. EST)
"Welcome to Meridiani! I hope you enjoy your stay!" flight director Chris Lewicki proudly says.
0918 GMT (4:18 a.m. EST)
Opportunity's images show a wildly amazing landscape -- vastly different from the previous Spirit, Pathfinder or Viking landing site.
0923 GMT (4:23 a.m. EST)
Rover lead scientist Steve Squyres says the Meridiani landing site looks like nothing he's ever seen before. There are strange, different features across the area immediately next to the lander.
"I got no words for this!" he says.
La prima immagine:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/images/firstimage1.jpg
Eccezionale il paesaggio, è del tutto nuovo!
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 09:43
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Eccezionale il paesaggio, è del tutto nuovo!
già...aspettiamo che pubblichino quelle a colori.. :)
(Gio mi ridaresti uno dei link da cui prendi le info?..perchè li ho persi :D D :muro: :muro: :muro: )
Originariamente inviato da Schummacherr
già...aspettiamo che pubblichino quelle a colori.. :)
(Gio mi ridaresti uno dei link da cui prendi le info?..perchè li ho persi :D D :muro: :muro: :muro: )
NASA TV... c'è la conferenza in corso adesso:
http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram
poi:
- Spaceflightnow.com (http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/status.html)
- Space.com (http://www.space.com)
- Spacedaily.com (http://www.spacedaily.com)
- NASA - Mars Exploration Rover Mission (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov)
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/images/firstimage3_full.jpg
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/images/firstimage2.jpg
Opportunity rover successfully lands
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: January 25, 2004
With California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Vice President Al Gore looking on, NASA's Opportunity lander slammed into the martian atmosphere and bounced to an airbag-cushioned touchdown early Sunday, joining the crippled-but-recovering Spirit rover on the surface of the red planet.
"We are two for two!" said project manager Pete Theisinger. "Twenty four hours ago, closer to 36 maybe, I sat up on this stage and told you we had a serious problem with Spirit and we had Opportunity a day away from the riskiest part of its venture. And here we are tonight with Spirit, we think, on a path to recovery and we've successfully landed Opportunity on Mars. This is clearly an E ticket, that's for sure."
Opportunity's nail-biting, six-minute descent came off like clockwork, a virtual replay of Spirit's flawless entry, descent and landing Jan. 3 at Gusev Crater, a broad impact basin that once harbored a vast lake. But Opportunity bounced down on an altogether different type of place, a smooth, hematite-strewn plain on the other side of the planet that may hold geologic clues about how long water might have persisted on the surface in the distant past.
As data came in during Opportunity's descent, flight controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., burst into cheers and applause as engineers Wayne Lee and Rob Manning, the entry, descent and landing manager, called out key milestones. Because Mars currently is more than 100 million miles away, the drama playing out in mission control was 11 minutes behind the actual events on Mars.
But it was dramatic nonetheless.
"What a night! I mean, as the old saying goes, it's far better to be lucky than good," said NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe. "But you know, the harder we work, the luckier we seem to get. This team is absolutely phenomenal. No one dared dream we'd be able to pull off batting a thousand. ... This team is the best in the world, no doubt about it."
Opportunity slammed into the upper atmosphere of Mars at midnight, plunging toward the ground at 12,000 mph. Forty-two seconds later, at an altitude of 26.5 miles, atmospheric friction generated peak heating followed seconds later by maximum deceleration, a force equal to 6.3 times Earth's gravity at sea level.
Then, just before 12:04 a.m., the lander deployed its braking parachute.
"At this time, the parachute should have deployed," Lee said, monitoring data on a computer screen. "We are awaiting confirmation that has occurred. At this time, the vehicle should be going subsonic. Current altitude 25,000 feet..."
"Accel one tone," Manning said, referring to the reception of simple diagnostic tones being radioed from Opportunity.
"The heat shield should be..." Lee began.
"Parachute deploy!" Manning interrupted, prompting a round of cheers and applause.
Lee: We have positive indication of parachute deploy.
Manning: The parachute deploy event semaphore has been detected.
Lee: Currently at an altitude of 18,000 feet, at this time, the radar should be active. We expect the radar will lock up onto the ground...
Polly Estabrook: Heat shield, heat shield Manning: Heat shield separation detected.
Lee: We have confirmation from the spacecraft that the flight software has attempted to jettison the heat shield. That is expected. Current altitude 15,000 feet, current velocity 185 miles per hour.
Manning: The lander separation event has been detected.
Lee: The radar should lock on the ground approximately 15 seconds from now. Current altitude 11,000 feet, current velocity 180 miles per hour. Currently decelerating at zero-point-four Gs. Current altitude 9,352 feet. Velocity 175 miles per hour. At this time, we are passing 8,000 feet in altitude, we expect the radar should have locked up onto the ground by now. We expect the airbags will inflate approximately 20 seconds from now. Current altitude 5,000 feet, 168 miles per hour... 4,000 feet.
Unknown: There we go.
Manning: Radar solution matrix 21.
Unknown: Yeah, yeah! (excited cheers)
Lee: 3,000 feet. Uh, the radar has locked up on the ground, we have our retro rocket firing solution. Retro rocket ignition on my mark... Mark! At this time, the retro rocket...
Manning: Has fired. (wild applause and cheers break out)
Lee: We have confirmation the retro rockets have ignited. We are now awaiting confirmation of positive signals bouncing on the ground. At this time, we are five minutes 55 seconds after entry, we should be bouncing on the ground.
It was 12:05 a.m. EST.
Unknown: Whoo! (exhaling)
Unknown: Yeah, whoo Manning: We're getting a bouncing signal.
Several in unison: Yeah!" (more wild applause)
Lee: We're seeing, we're getting bouncing signals from the spacecraft, we're obviously alive on Mars. However, this bouncing will take place for another 10 minutes...
Manning: We've lost lock. Hold on...
Lee: We have a momentary loss of signal as the spacecraft is bouncing on the surface, it is difficult to maintain lock. We need to reacquire the signal to have a positive confirmation of a safe landing. Uh, as the spacecraft is bouncing on the surface of Mars, rolling around, the antennas are pointed at many different orientations.
Estabrook: We're seeing it on the LPC (left polarization channel)We see it on the LPC Manning: We're seeing it on the LPC (more applause and cheers). Very strong in LCP.
Lee: We have a very strong signal in the left-hand polarization channel, indicating we've had a safe (lander?)
Manning: (Garble) a signal on the RPC as well. Both, both channels.
Unknown: Beautiful
Manning: We're on Mars, everybody.
A few moments later, Manning and Richard Cook, a senior rover manager, embraced and Lee held up a broom, indicating a clean sweep for NASA's two rover landings. A few minutes after that, Schwarzenegger and Gore walked through the flight control consoles, shaking hands with the entry team and offering their own congratulations.
Opportunity, which landed 15 miles downrange from the center of its 46-mile-long landing ellipse, had its hands full. First, it had to deflate and pull in its no-longer-needed airbags before righting itself and opening the protective petals that have been folded around the rover since launch. Once exposed to the martian environment, Opportunity's flight computer was programmed to unfold its solar arrays and to deploy the mast supporting the rover's panoramic camera.
If the "critical deploy" activities go smoothly, it's possible the first black-and-white navigation camera images could start showing up in mission control between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. EST or so. But that may be an overly optimistic schedule.
Here's the immediate timeline of major events. These milestones will be off a bit because Opportunity ended up resting on one of the lander's side petals:
EST............EVENT
01:26:25 a.m...Deploy primary solar array
01:26:43 a.m...Deploy secondary solar array
01:38:01 a.m...Begin deployment of
pancam mast assembly
02:25:59 a.m...Earth sets
03:17:17 a.m...Last normal critical deploy
completion time
03:38:46 a.m...Mars Odyssey rises
03:55:03 a.m...Mars Odyssey sets
03:57:42 a.m...Rover shutdown
04:05:00 a.m...Playback of Mars Odyssey
data (possible pictures)
05:04:04 a.m...Sunset
At the post-landing news conference, O'Keefe pulled out a bottle of champagne and proposed a toast "to the Mars Exploration Rover team, the best in the world!" When he toasted the team after Spirit's landing Jan. 3, some reporters wondered if the celebration might have been a bit premature. Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space flight, has repeatedly told reporters the time for champagne would be at the end of the mission, not the beginning. As O'Keefe poured his toast early today, Weiler barely smiled. But he warmed up a bit when he got his chance to say a few words.
"I wouldn't be in character if I didn't remind everybody, this is just one more critical milestone," Weiler said. "As we learned with Spirit, things do go bad. We've got a lot of critical deployments (coming). ... There's a long road to go yet, but this was one heck of a critical milestone."
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 10:11
Grazie dei link,ora mi guardo la conferenza ;) :p
1007 GMT (5:07 a.m. EST)
Controllers have determined the lander base's is fairly level. The pitch is up about five degrees, not unexpected since the lander came to rest on its side and had to right itself to open the petals. There is a 1.8-degree roll to the right.
The heading is about 26 degrees or north-northeast.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/images/firstimage4.jpg
Oaichehai
25-01-2004, 10:27
io di inglese non ci capisco un fico secco, però mi sembra un cabaret piuttosto che una conferenza stampa di importanza storica.....
tutti che ridono ogni 2 secondi??????? ma sono scemi gli americani??? :eek: :D :confused: :muro: :rolleyes: :cool: :eek:
Tutte le immagini scattate nel primo giorno (Sol1):
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity.html
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/001/1P128287301EDN0000P2303L5M1.JPG
Probabilmente le impronte degli airbags:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/001/1P128287373EDN0000P2303L5M1.JPG
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/p/001/1P128287581EDN0000P2303L5M1.JPG
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 10:37
Originariamente inviato da Oaichehai
io di inglese non ci capisco un fico secco, però mi sembra un cabaret piuttosto che una conferenza stampa di importanza storica.....
tutti che ridono ogni 2 secondi??????? ma sono scemi gli americani??? :eek: :D :confused: :muro: :rolleyes: :cool: :eek:
Io li trovo simpatici invece :D ogni tanto fanno delle battute che fan ridere davvero :D :D
certo un po' di serietà vista l'importanza non guasterebbe :D :D
1020 GMT (5:20 a.m. EST)
Scientists say they have hit the jackpot with Opportunity's exotic, alien landing site. It appears nothing like the previous robotic landing locales on the Red Planet.
"This is exactly what it looked like in my wildest dreams. But they were pretty wild!" Squyres says.
Squyres guesses the rover might actually be down in a crater.
La prima immagine a colori (presa con la camera panoramicxa):
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/merb/images/firstimage5.jpg
Per chi interessa sapere tutto sulle foto e la veridicità dei colori:
http://www.atsnn.com/story/30048.html
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 11:31
che fanghiglia :D :p :O
First pictures show bizarre martian world
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: January 25, 2004
The Opportunity rover unfolded its solar panels and beamed back its first snapshots of Mars four hours after landing today, providing stunning views of nearby slab-like rock formations, the first bedrock ever seen on the red planet. The images also showed what to this point is the smoothest fine-grain soil ever seen on Mars.
"Welcome to Meridiani! I hope you enjoy your stay!" Flight director Chris Lewicki told his landing team as they marveled at the flood of photos. "You are privileged to be in one of the most exciting rooms on Earth at the moment."
Principal investigator Steve Squyres was stunned at the vista, a scene strikingly different from the rock-strewn terrains of the Spirit landing site and those of the Viking and Pathfinder landers. The rock-free soil near Opportunity appeared to have a consistency similar to talcum powder, clearly preserving the imprint of seams in the lander's airbags. Nearby, an outcrop of rectangular, slab-like rocks stood in stark contrast, a formation unlike any seen before on Mars.
"I will attempt no science analysis because it looks like nothing I've ever seen before in my life," Squyres told flight controllers as the black-and-white navigation camera images flashed on large projection screens. "You all heard about the deeply corrugated terrain that was at the west end of the landing ellipse. What we're seeing here, I believe, is a more subtle, certainly more trafficable version of the same stuff here.
"As we expected," he continued, and then stopped, caught off guard by yet another striking photo. "Holy smokes! I'm sorry, I'm just blown away by this." He then continued, saying "we had expected to see something that was very flat on a broad scale and that was hilly and hummocky on a finer, more regional scale and that's what we're seeing. That outcrop is just out of this world. I can't wait to get there. I've got nothing else to say. These are fantastic. This is the sweetest spot I've ever seen."
As fresh pictures flashed into view, the control team cheered or murmured in amazement.
"I've got no words for this," Squyres said, looking at the nearby formation. "The slabbiness of this is intriguing. Now, volcanic units can do this, too, but sedimentary rocks definitely do that. I got no idea what we're looking at. But the slabby nature of this is fascinating. I'd say that outcrop is a fairly attractive first traverse target, you think?"
The control team laughed aloud. But it will be a while before Opportunity is ready to roll off its lander and onto the martian surface. Engineers will need two weeks or more to fully activate and check out the rover's systems and to take a color, stereo panorama of the landing site. Complicating the issue, flight controllers likely will take a bit more time than normal to make sure a computer glitch like the one that recently crippled Spirit doesn't hobble Opportunity as well.
But so far, "we done good," joked project manager Pete Theisinger during a post-landing news conference at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Larry Soderblum, a science team member with the U.S. Geological Survey, agreed, saying "the crescendo has grown and grown and grown and finally, here it is. Martian paydirt."
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040125imagereaction.jpg
Pete Theisinger, rover project manager, and Jennifer Trosper, mission manager, react as the first images arrive from Opportunity. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
"We followed the water and I guess rainbows have water and at the bottom of our rainbow is a pot of gold," he said. "This rates with several of the discoveries I've personally been here to witness, all the way from Viking through the discovery of volcanos on (Jupiter's moon) Io and geysers on (Neptune's moon) Triton. And this is there. ... It's one thing to be very, very, very good. And it's better to be very, very, very lucky. And we are lucky.
"It's very difficult to reconcile going to Mars and finding a place that's safe enough to land and expecting to find something interesting when you get there. It's like going to the middle of Oklahoma and hoping you'll find the Grand Canyon. ... It's very difficult, even with the best images, to know what you're going to get until you get on the surface. It's a shot in the dark, choosing a landing site. We hit the nail squarely on the head and we have a scientific jackpot. We have a payload that's tuned to take it apart. Let's go for it!"
Squyres said Opportunity may have landed in a crater.
"Whether or not we're in a crater will become more clear as we get a better sense of where we are," he said. "Certainly, if we're in a crater it's one that I don't expect to have any significant difficulty climbing out of. In terms of rover trafficability, how can it get any better? I mean, smooth sailing to the horizon. And then, those rocks.
"This is the first bedrock outcrop ever seen on Mars at a landing site. What we'll find when we get there, I don't know."
beh, almeno il posto mi sembra più simpatico di quello in cui è atterrato "spirit".
1215 GMT (7:15 a.m. EST)
It is nighttime at Opportunity's Meridiani landing site. The rover sleeps during the night to conserve power, but it will wake up for a short time to transmit data to NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter when it flies overhead at about 2:30 p.m. EST today.
We will update this page when information becomes available from the Odyssey pass.
The next rover news conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST.
jumpermax
25-01-2004, 16:46
veramente fantastico quel sito sui colori che hai linkato giofx... seguendo quanto riportato ho fatto la mia versione a colori di una delle foto...
http://utenti.lycos.it/jumper77/hwupgrade/images/prova%20a%20colori1.jpg
forse è meglio così
http://utenti.lycos.it/jumper77/hwupgrade/images/prova%20a%20colori2.jpg
Originariamente inviato da jumpermax
forse è meglio così
http://utenti.lycos.it/jumper77/hwupgrade/images/prova%20a%20colori2.jpg
forte jumper, bravo!
Norbrek™
25-01-2004, 18:57
Raga, non sono una cima in inglese:D
Non è che qualcuno può dirmi a grandi linee cosa dice quel sito sui colori?
Grande Gio per le notizie! ;)
E grande Opportunity! Bell'atteraggio!
Speriamo che i problemi dello Spirit non si ripresentino anche con questo... :sperem:
quali problemi ha ancora spirit???
Originariamente inviato da khri81
quali problemi ha ancora spirit???
Come "ancora"? Gli stessi di prima... un po' meno perche' iniziano ad avere un'idea su cosa puo' essere successo, ma mica l'hanno rimesso in sesto. Leggi l'altro thread, c'e' scritto tutto. ;)
Il prossimo passaggio di Odyssey è fra 3 minuti, alle 20:45 ora italiana... Tutto su NASA TV:
NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Il prossimo passaggio di Odyssey è fra 3 minuti, alle 20:45 ora italiana... Tutto su NASA TV:
NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)
Porco cane da 'sto internet point caccoloso non posso vedere i .ram... :grrr:
Dove trovo qualcosa che posso vedere Gio??
Originariamente inviato da gpc
Porco cane da 'sto internet point caccoloso non posso vedere i .ram... :grrr:
Dove trovo qualcosa che posso vedere Gio??
Mi spiace ma NASA TV è in broadcast solo con Real...
l'unica cosa che puoi vedere mi sa sono i video scaricabili da http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video.
1215 GMT (7:15 a.m. EST)
It is nighttime at Opportunity's Meridiani landing site. The rover sleeps during the night to conserve power, but it will wake up for a short time to transmit data to NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter when it flies overhead at about 2:30 p.m. EST today.
We will update this page when information becomes available from the Odyssey pass.
The next rover news conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST.
1940 GMT (2:40 p.m. EST)
The data relay session between the Mars Odyssey orbiter and Opportunity rover should be occurring at this time. The information will be arriving on Earth shortly.
Mission Control says the data bundle should include the pictures from the lander's descent imaging camera showing the surface just prior to touchdown.
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Mi spiace ma NASA TV è in broadcast solo con Real...
l'unica cosa che puoi vedere mi sa sono i video scaricabili da http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video.
Vabbe' leggero' i riassunti domani... :cry: rivoglio la mia adsl con il mio computeeeeeerrrrr... :cry:
Ora si vede la control room con gli operatori e il direttore del JPL, Elachi, in attesa di ricevere i segnali con la telemetria da Odyssey.
Odyssey ha un'antenna più precisa di MGS e la sua orbita equatoriale permette di trasmettere in modo molto più ottimale i dati dai rover fino a qui. Per questo viene di solito atteso il passaggio di Odyssey.
Ora è notte a Meridiani Planum, il rover sta "dormendo" ma verrà svegliato per scaricare la telemetria con i dati che descrivono loa condizione del rover.
Odyssey sta trasmettendo la portante a Terra.
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Odyssey sta trasmettendo la portante a Terra.
Oh che bello mi fai la cronaca! Sono commosso! :cry: :D Troppo buono... ;)
Originariamente inviato da gpc
Oh che bello mi fai la cronaca! Sono commosso! :cry: :D Troppo buono... ;)
figurati... eheh
Ahah, uno dei mega-computer ha Windows XP!
Stanno ricevendo con la telemetria le immagini della camera panoramica (Pancam).
duchetto
25-01-2004, 20:06
è arrivata una nuova immagine?:confused:
Bellissima l'immagine da vicino delle roccie vicino al bordo del cratere, se è un cratere come sembra...
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 20:07
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Ahah, uno dei mega-computer ha Windows XP!
:D :D
cmq si sono arrivate alcune immagini già :)
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Stanno ricevendo con la telemetria le immagini della camera panoramica (Pancam).
Bello bello... me le vedro' domani, adesso devo andare a cena. Meglio, a prepararmi la cena... :O
Grazie e a domani! ;)
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Ahah, uno dei mega-computer ha Windows XP!
:D LOL Speriamo che sul rover non ci sia Windows CE :D
Odyssey sta trasmettendo le immagini prese da Opportunity durante la discesa, come ha fatto Spirit
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Bellissima l'immagine da vicino delle roccie vicino al bordo del cratere, se è un cratere come sembra...
Ecco se inizi a dire cosi' io poi non vado piu' a cena (cosa che non mi farebbe male visto che sto mangiando come un maiale... :oink: )
Originariamente inviato da Schummacherr
:D :D
cmq si sono arrivate alcune immagini già :)
Magari fossero arrivate anche sul sito... :sperem:
Originariamente inviato da gpc
Bello bello... me le vedro' domani, adesso devo andare a cena. Meglio, a prepararmi la cena... :O
Grazie e a domani! ;)
A domani gp!
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 20:10
Ma che è la foto ultima che è arrivata?non si capisce :p
Odyssey continua a trasmettere le immagini di discesa di Opportunity
Schummacherr
25-01-2004, 20:10
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Odyssey continua a trasmettere le immagini di discesa di Opportunity
a ecco cos'era! :D
Originariamente inviato da Schummacherr
Ma che è la foto ultima che è arrivata?non si capisce :p
Una delle foto prese da Opportunity con la Navigation Camera tramite una finestrella di naylon durante la discesa.
Un'altra immagine tra qualche secondo... il tempo di trasmetterla a Terra.
2006 GMT (3:06 p.m. EST)
About 22.9 megabits of data has been received by Odyssey from the Opportunity rover.
2008 GMT (3:08 p.m. EST)
The descent images are arriving now.
2015 GMT (3:15 p.m. EST)
There has been a short break in Odyssey's playback of the data. More information is expected in a little while.
E' chiaro ora: siamo in un altro cratere, ma più basso e piatto, e soprattutto con sabbia finissima, come mai si è visto su Marte (il letto di un lago, con tutta probabilità).
2029 GMT (3:29 p.m. EST)
All three of the descent images have been received showing the approaching martian surface as Opportunity neared touchdown last night. The pictures will help scientists and engineers pinpoint the rover's exact landing site.
2034 GMT (3:34 p.m. EST)
The Opportunity rover appears to be in good condition, according to the health data just received. There have been no new fault errors and no reports from flight controllers of any problems.
A NASA news conference is upcoming at 4 p.m. EST.
LE FOTO DELLA DISCESA, che aiuteranno a capire l'esatta posizione del rover nella pianura Meridiani:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/e/001/1E128278505EDN0000F0006N0M1.JPG
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/e/001/1E128278509EDN0000F0006N0M1.JPG
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/1/e/001/1E128278513EDN0000F0006N0M1.JPG
Oaichehai
25-01-2004, 21:29
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Ahah, uno dei mega-computer ha Windows XP!
allora non durerà molto :rotfl:
2116 GMT (4:16 p.m. EST)
Science leader Steve Squyres says Opportunity has scored a 300-million-mile hole in one!
As suspected overnight when the first images arrived on Earth, the rover has landed inside a 20-meter diameter crater. The crater is estimated to be a couple of meters deep. Therefore, it should not be a challenge for the rover to drive out, he said.
A much larger crater, seen in the descent camera images, is near the lander and likely within reach of Opportunity to explore.
Descent Images
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040125b/MER-B_DIMES_1986m-B22R3_br.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040125b/MER-B_DIMES_1690m-B22R3_br.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040125b/MER-B_DIMES_1404m-B22R3_br.jpg
First close-up of the bedrock
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040125b/Pancam_Postcard_WedgeV_bw-B22R3_br.jpg
High Resolution (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040125b/Pancam_Postcard_WedgeV_bw-B22R3.jpg)
jumpermax
26-01-2004, 00:42
a giudicare dalle foto sembrerebbe che la sonda abbia centrato in pieno il cratere che si vede a destra...
Opportunity achieves 'interplanetary hole in one'
BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: January 25, 2004
After a seven-month voyage spanning 300 million miles from Earth to Mars, the Opportunity rover ended up inside a tiny crater to the utter delight of mission scientists.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040125overhead.jpg
Imagery from Opportunity is combined to generate this "overhead" view of the rover sitting on its lander at Meridiani Planum. Credit: NASA/JPL
The second of NASA's two Mars Exploration Rover safely arrived in an area known as Meridiani Planum at 12:05 a.m. EST (0505 GMT) Sunday. Opportunity was sent there to study a mineral, called gray hematite, which usually forms in the presence of water.
"We knew going in that there are two fundamental geological units here," Steve Squyres, the Mars rover principal investigator, said of the flat plains of Meridiani. "One of them is a thick sequence of layered rocks, fairly light in tone. We do not know what they are. And then draped on top of that is a thin coating of what appears to be some kind of fine-grain material, and that's the stuff we think contains the hematite.
"My fondest hope after looking at pictures from orbit before we landed was that we would land some place that we would be close enough to a crater that we would have a chance of traversing to it and actually getting to the layered material.
"Instead, what has happened is we have scored a 300-million mile interplanetary hole in one and we are actually inside a small impact crater!"
Images taken by Opportunity soon after touchdown revealed the $400 million craft was sitting in a shallow crater about 65 feet in diameter.
"I don't know what the odds would be for us hitting a crater like this, but this is just sensational," said Squyres.
A side wall of the crater is covered with a light-colored layer of fractured rock. This tantalizing rock outcrop along with the surface-covering material means Opportunity has its scientific objectives dead ahead.
"If it got any better, I couldn't stand it," said Dr. Doug Ming, rover science team member.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040125postcard.jpg
This "postcard" from Opportunity's panoramic camera shows the strange martian landscape southwest of the rover. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
NASA's orbiting Mars Global Surveyor discovered a couple of years ago that Meridiani Planum featured gray hematite, prompting researchers to send a rover to the locale. Opportunity carries a set of sophisticated science tools -- spectrometers, multiple cameras and a rock-grinding device -- to unveil the composition of soil and rock samples.
The rover will probe the hematite to determine if the material is from sediments of an ancient ocean, from volcanic deposits altered by hot water, or from other environmental conditions in the planet's distant past.
"Hematite forms in a number of different ways on Earth but most of them involve the action of liquid water," Squyres said.
The battle cry of NASA's Mars exploration program is "follow the water." Proving that Mars once had liquid water would help to determine if the planet could have supported life long ago.
"Knowing just how the hematite on Mars was formed will help us characterize the past environment and determine whether that environment was favorable for life. One big question, of course, is whether life ever started on Mars. This mission probably won't tell us that, but it may well lead to future mission that can answer that question," said Joy Crisp, rover project scientist.
As Opportunity was descending to the surface, a camera package on the lander snapped three photographs. The imagery shows a much larger crater -- about 500 feet across -- within a half-mile of the landing site.
"It is surely, I think, within our reach," said Squyres.
"The way I envision this mission going: we drive off the lander, we look at the soil, we investigate this hematite mystery, we go to the outcrop, we explore it in some detail because it is right there in front of us, ripe for the pickin', we look at that carefully, we understand that geologic unit, then we climb out of the crater, look around and then head for the big one. And it is going to be a wonderful adventure."
But before Opportunity can depart its lander base, it must first stand up, deploy its wheels and cut a series of umbilicals. Engineers believe it will be the end of next week before the craft rolls onto the surface.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040125descent1.jpg
This first image from the lander's descent camera was taken at an altitude of 1,986 meters (6,516 feet). The image spans approximately 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) across the surface of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040125descent2.jpg
This second image from the lander's descent camera was taken at an altitude of 1,690 meters (5,545 feet). The image spans approximately 1.4 kilometers (7/8 of a mile) across the surface of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040125descent3.jpg
This second image from the lander's descent camera was taken at an altitude of 1,404 meters (4,606 feet). The image spans approximately 1.2 kilometers (3/4 of a mile) across the surface of Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL
Opportunity Caught its Shadow on Entry
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 11:25 am ET
26 January 2004
PASADENA, Calif. -- Being the new arrival on Mars, the Opportunity spacecraft made use of its parachute/airbag landing system to plop itself down within Meridiani Planum.
On approach to Mars’ surface, Opportunity’s Descent Image Motion Estimation System (DIMES) worked like a champ. A set of three images were taken by a camera on the bottom of the lander during the craft’s final descent
DIMES is onboard to calculate the spacecraft’s horizontal motion during its final seconds of flight. The system determined that sideways motion was small, so Opportunity's computer decided not to fire the lateral rockets carried specifically for slowing that motion. That was not the case for Spirit’s landing, some three weeks ago.
http://www.space.com/images/h_oppor_crater_0125a_02,0.jpg
Parachute shadow
The three DIMES photos were released Sunday here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and will help determine the exact whereabouts of Opportunity at Meridiani Planum.
In those photos, the shadow of Opportunity’s parachute can be seen moving across two of the three images.
Opportunity did bounce and roll into a small impact crater. About one-half mile (1 kilometer) from the spacecraft’s final resting location, a large crater about 500 feet (150 meters) is within easy driving distance for the Opportunity rover.
"That crater is Mother Nature’s drilling rig," James Garvin, NASA Lead Scientist for Mars Exploration in the Office of Space Science in Washington, D.C. told SPACE.com . Scientists value such crater locations as a way to see what's beneath the surface without needing to dig, he said.
è un grande......
è come se ci facesse la telecronaca della missione
:D
MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2004
1701 GMT (12:01 p.m. EST)
The post-landing health checks of Opportunity's Microscopic Imager, Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer and Mossbauer Spectrometer have been completed. Steve Squyres reports that all appear to be "in perfect health."
The devices are located on the rover's science arm, and will be used for close-up examination of soil and rocks at Meridiani.
1730 GMT (12:30 p.m. EST)
Opportunity is currently asleep after successfully completing its Sol 2 workday. It will be awakened tonight for Sol 3 in which the lollipop-shaped high-gain communications antenna will deploy and begin service for relaying large amounts of data from the rover. In addition, the Pancam camera package will continue its work to image landing site.
Mission manager Jim Erickson says controllers are making "steady progress" to prepare Opportunity for eventually driving off the lander. The roll is expected late next week.
1830 GMT (1:30 p.m. EST)
The latest color postcard from the Opportunity shows the small crater that the rover is sitting in.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040126a/MERB_Sol1_Postcard-B002R1_br2.jpg
Scientists say this is the darkest landing site ever visited by a Mars spacecraft. The rim of the crater is approximately 32 feet from the rover. The crater is estimated to be 65 feet in diameter.
There are rock outcrops dispersed throughout the crater. The soil appears to be a mixture of coarse gray grains and fine reddish grains.
Data taken from the camera's near-infrared, green and blue filters were combined to create this approximate true color picture. The view is to the west-southwest of the rover.
Norbrek™
27-01-2004, 10:53
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Data taken from the camera's near-infrared, green and blue filters were combined to create this approximate true color picture. The view is to the west-southwest of the rover.
Non ho capito, ma i colori sono quelli originali o li ricostruiscono?
PaTLaBoR
27-01-2004, 12:18
http://www.ecodibergamo.it/EcoOnLine/NAZIONALI/2004/01/27_opportunity.shtml
e quelli sarebbero le pendici? :wtf:
e il cratere? ari:wtf:
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
Non ho capito, ma i colori sono quelli originali o li ricostruiscono?
No, semplicemente non esistono foto veramente "true color" scattate con la tecnica digitale.
http://www.atsnn.com/story/30048.html
1730 GMT (12:30 p.m. EST)
The Mars rover Opportunity successfully deployed, pointed and began using its high-gain communications antenna overnight, officials report. The antenna provides a path for large amounts of data to be transmitted from the rover to Earth.
Also, the second of the three umbilical cable bundles running from the lander to rover has been cut.
On the workday that begins tonight, Sol 4, a lift mechanism on the lander base will raise up the rover, allowing the front wheels to be unfolded from their stowed launch position and locked into place. These are just the first steps to get the rover configured to drive off the lander late next week.
Controllers are looking at an issue on Opportunity. Telemetry from the rover indicates a small power draw, which engineers suspect is a heater on the science arm's shoulder joint that is operating during the cold period of the each day instead of simply when the arm is being used. Mission manager Jim Erickson says it is too soon to say what, if any, impact this will have.
Overall, he says Opportunity is in "pretty good shape."
Meanwhile, the science team is giddy from new imagery taken by Opportunity showing finely-layered rocks in the light-colored, tabular-shaped outcrop formations near the rover landing site. It isn't yet known if the layering was caused by water or volcanic activity. Opportunity will drive to the rock outcrop after leaving the lander to begin extensive examination with its suite of science instruments.
1745 GMT (12:45 p.m. EST)
The new imagery showing the rock outcrop that has scientists excited can be downloaded here (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040127a/Sol3_mosaic_left-B003R1_br2.jpg).
A three-dimensional version, for those of you with 3-D glasses, can be seen here (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040127a/Sol3_glyph-B003R1_br2.jpg).
Also, a computer animation image (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040127a/VizMerBGreatWallArmOut-B003R1_br2.jpg) has been created showing the rover at the outcrop.
1820 GMT (1:20 p.m. EST)
Opportunity mission manager Jim Erickson provided this report about the rover's science arm heater situation during today's status news conference:
"There is one new issue with the vehicle. We have discovered that there is a power loss that's going on in the vehicle. We think we know what's going on there.
"There is a set of thermostatic-controlled heaters. One of them is located physically in the shoulder joint of the instrument arm. Normally this is enabled by the ground and then a thermostat on the side of the rover determines what the air temperature is and, if it's cold enough, it turns on this heater in this arm to keep it up in temperature for operation.
"Normally we don't always want it on because we aren't normally always operating the arm. Right now, we are believing it is going to be on continuously whenever it's cold enough.
"We have multiple investigation paths underway on this -- one making sure that our current theory of what this current draw is is correct, and others to begin to explore the issues of are there operational workarounds to keep this under control or possible solutions to be able to turn it off when we want it to be off."
In response to questions after his briefing, Erickson also had this to add:
"Right now we are seeing about a 15-watt resistance that's being dissipated somewhere. We have evidence this is where it's going to. At this point, I would like to have a little more time to look at what we are seeing from the vehicle before we make any judgments on exactly what's there."
Erickson said it's too soon know what impact this issue might have.
"It's not on continuously, let me make sure that is clear. It is only when the thermostat brings it on during the cold period of the day. We use it to keep the rover's shoulder mechanism warm enough to operate correctly. Apparently it is going to be warm enough to operate correctly whether we want it to be operated or not!
"We are very paranoid people. So now that we're thinking about having this on all of the time, if that's really the problem, we have already asked people to start thinking about 'well, is this something long-term that might be an issue?' We just have to have time to have those people go back, do their analysis and come let us know. We always assume there is a problem until we prove otherwise."
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2004
NASA memorialized the Apollo 1 crew - Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee - by dedicating the hills surrounding the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's landing site to the astronauts. The crew of Apollo 1 perished in flash fire during a launch pad test of their Apollo spacecraft 37 years ago today.
Martian landmarks dedicated to Apollo 1 crew
NASA ANNOUNCEMENT
Posted: January 27, 2004
NASA memorialized the Apollo 1 crew -- Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee -- by dedicating the hills surrounding the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's landing site to the astronauts. The crew of Apollo 1 perished in flash fire during a launch pad test of their Apollo spacecraft 37 years ago today.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040127chaffeegrissom.jpg
The hills named for Chaffee and Grissom as seen by Spirit's panoramic camera. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
"Through recorded history explorers have had both the honor and responsibility of naming significant landmarks," said NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe. "Gus, Ed and Roger's contributions, as much as their sacrifice, helped make our giant leap for mankind possible. Today, as America strides towards our next giant leap, NASA and the Mars Exploration Rover team created a fitting tribute to these brave explorers and their legacy."
Newly christened "Grissom Hill" is located 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) to the southwest of Spirit's position. "White Hill" is 11.2 kilometers (7 miles) northwest of its position and "Chaffee Hill" is 14.3 kilometers (8.9 miles) south-southwest of rover's position.
Lt. Colonel Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom was a U.S. Air Force test pilot when he was selected in 1959 as one of NASA's Original Seven Mercury Astronauts. On July 21, 1961, Grissom became the second American and third human in space when he piloted Liberty Bell 7 on a 15 minute sub-orbital flight. On March 23, 1965 he became the first human to make the voyage to space twice when he commanded the first manned flight of the Gemini space program, Gemini 3. Selected as commander of the first manned Apollo mission, Grissom perished along with White and Chaffee in the Apollo 1 fire. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Va.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040127white.jpg
The hill dedicated to White as seen by Spirit's panoramic camera. Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
Captain Edward White was a US Air Force test pilot when selected in 1962 as a member of the "Next Nine," NASA's second astronaut selection. On June 3, 1965, White became the first American to walk in space during the flight of Gemini 4. Selected as senior pilot for the first manned Apollo mission, White perished along with Grissom and Chaffee in the Apollo 1 fire. He is buried at his alma mater, the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
Selected in 1963 as a member of NASA's third astronaut class, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Roger Chaffee worked as a Gemini capsule communicator. He also researched flight control communications systems, instrumentation systems, and attitude and translation control systems for the Apollo Branch of the Astronaut office. On March 21, 1966, he was selected as pilot for the first 3-man Apollo flight. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, Va.
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040127apollohills.jpg
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040127apollohills.jpg
1734 GMT (12:34 p.m. EST)
At the daily status briefing now underway, officials report that Opportunity successfully stood up and deployed its front wheels overnight. A lift mechanism in the lander base jacked up the rover, allowing the front two wheels to be released from their launch stowage locations and extend into position.
The Sol 5 workday that begins late tonight (U.S. time) will see the lift mechanism retracted out of the rover's way and the deployment of the rear wheels.
If all continues to go well, Opportunity could drive off the lander as early as Sunday night.
1755 GMT (12:55 p.m. EST)
Scientists have just released an amazing color version of the rock outcrop panorama first seen in black and white form yesterday. You can download it here (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040128a/Sol3_Outcrop_Color-sol004-b-B004R1.jpg).
New close-up views of the rock formations at landing site are available here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/jan-28-2004/Sol3_Outcrop_Color-z-med.jpg) and here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/jan-28-2004/1P128-med.jpg).
Also, click here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/jan-28-2004/airbag-impression-med.jpg) to see views of the marks that the lander's airbags made in the soil. You can compare the airbag markings with this ground testing here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/jan-28-2004/AirbagTestImage-med.jpg).
Oaichehai
28-01-2004, 21:13
traduzione?
Chi ha visto stasera il patetico film di stasera (rai 2) su Marte? :rotfl:
Originariamente inviato da Oaichehai
traduzione?
arrrr...
"At the daily status briefing now underway, officials report that Opportunity successfully stood up and deployed its front wheels overnight. A lift mechanism in the lander base jacked up the rover, allowing the front two wheels to be released from their launch stowage locations and extend into position.
The Sol 5 workday that begins late tonight (U.S. time) will see the lift mechanism retracted out of the rover's way and the deployment of the rear wheels.
If all continues to go well, Opportunity could drive off the lander as early as Sunday night."
"Al briefing quotidiano ora in corso, i tecnici hanno detto che Opportunity si è sollevato e ha posizionato correttamente le sue due ruote anteriori nel corso della notte (terrestre). Un meccanismo di sollevamento nella base del lander ha alzato il rover, permettendo alle ruote di essere rilasciate dalla posizione di imballaggio per il volo e di posizionarsi per l'uso.
Il quinto giorno marziano (Sol5) che comincia più tardi in serata (ora del pacifico) avrà tra i suoi obbiettivi il ritiro del sistema di sollevamento e il posizionamento delle due ruote posteriori.
Se tutto continua senza intoppi, Opportunity potrebbe scendere dal rover già domenica sera."
Norbrek™
28-01-2004, 22:53
Originariamente inviato da devis
Chi ha visto stasera il patetico film di stasera (rai 2) su Marte? :rotfl:
Perchè patetico, è vero c'erano molte incongruenze, ma patetico è eccessivo, a me è piaciuto:D
La storia che si respiri ossigeno e' la piu' grossa cavolata che ha rovinato il film, per non parlare degli immensi prati verdi con gli insetti che se ne nutrono ..:muro:
Tecnologicamente mi e' piaciuto :)
secondo me la vera cavolata di molti film di fantascienza sapete qual'è, che nn pensano in modo troppo fantascientifico, cioè scusate, x atterrare su marte hanno usato una capsula tipo quella dei rover spirit e opportunity, con gli airbag!!! ma dai nn credo che tra 30 o 40 anni useranno questi mezzi, ma credo che avranno inventato qualche astronave decente che riesca ad atterrare e ripartire senza bisogno di mezzi secondari! e poi anche quando c'è stato il bombardamento di raggi gamma, ma secondo voi un'astronave tecnologicamente avanzata tra 30 o 40 avrà un qualche tipo di schermatura contro le radiazioni solari o no? e poi la gravità, ma secondo voi nel futuro volevte che nn riescano ad inventare la gravità artificiale??? senza dover ricorrere a scarpe magnetiche oppure a capsule che girano su se stesse, sfruttando la forza centrifuga?
ad esempio ieri sera hanno fatto 2001 odissea nello spazio, sinceramente nn l'avevo mai visto e con tutto il rispetto x chi l'ha creato e fatto, ma faceva veramente ridere i polli. ma secondo voi è possibile che avessero inventato hal un computer super intelligente che funziona con cosa??? le schede perforate!!! ah questa mi ha fatto ridere x mezz'ora!!! questa è stata veramente una gran cazzata, il giorno che ci saranno computer intelligenti, nn ci saranno più i cd i dvd i dischetti e nn ci saranno nemmeno memorie allo stato solido, ma saremmo ben più avanti.
cioè secondo me in un film di fantascienza, dovrebbero pensare vramente in là con la tecnologia, e pensare a cose che nemmeno ora si pensano, la fantascienza è ciò che nn c'è ora!!
Originariamente inviato da khri81
e poi la gravità, ma secondo voi nel futuro volevte che nn riescano ad inventare la gravità artificiale??? senza dover ricorrere a scarpe magnetiche oppure a capsule che girano su se stesse, sfruttando la forza centrifuga?
Infatti le capsule che girano su se stesse sfruttano proprio la forza centrifuga, questo per precisare :p
lo so che sfruttano la forza centrifuga x creare gravità, mi sono espresso male, cmq in un futuro molto lontano nn ci sarà bisogno di questi aggeggi.
ok, interessante... ma non è l'oggetto del thread... ;)
Norbrek™
29-01-2004, 00:24
Originariamente inviato da devis
La storia che si respiri ossigeno e' la piu' grossa cavolata che ha rovinato il film, per non parlare degli immensi prati verdi con gli insetti che se ne nutrono ..:muro:
Tecnologicamente mi e' piaciuto :)
Guarda che non è una cavolata, è giustificata dal fatto che sti insetti che si nutrono di alghe producono una grossa quantità di ossigeno, se mai la cavolata è che non spiegano come sti insetti abbiano fatto ad arrivare lì, e la cavolata è anche che nessuno, nasa compresa si sia accorta che l'atmosfera sia mutata fino a diventare respirabile, ci volevano sti poveri astronauti per capirlo, dico ma fra 50anni possibile che non ci sia nessuna cavolo di sonda che monitorizza l'atmosfera marziana, ci sono già adesso LOL!
E anche le goccioline di umidità che colano dal soffitto della caverna sono un po' una cavolata, se ci fosse abbastanza acqua in sospensione nell'atmosfera per creare quelle goccioline, allora il cielo dovrebbe essere per lo meno biancastro azzurrino, ma non di certo rosso..... a parte questo un bel film:sofico:
errr... torniamo in topic che senno' poi non si capisce piu' niente?
THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2004
1740 GMT (12:40 p.m. EST)
Opportunity is another step closer to driving off the lander in a few days. The Mars rover extended its two back wheels today to give the vehicle the desired wheelbase length.
On Wednesday, the screw jack mechanism elevated Opportunity's body so its two front wheels could unfold. The rocker-bogie suspension system was then locked into place. With the rover supporting its own weight, the lifting mechanism was retracted back into the lander this morning.
Tonight, the middle two wheels will be released from their stowed position and the science arm will be unlatched from its launch location.
Also on the just-completed Martian workday, Opportunity used the Mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer instrument to observe a portion of the landing site terrain, including the rock outcrop. However, the data was not returned to Earth before the rover went to sleep for the night.
Meanwhile, controllers today will perform health checks on Spirit's camera mast as they prepare that rover for returning to science operations next week. Last night, the rover sent back its first image since developing computer troubles a week ago.
There is no Mars rover status news conference today. The next briefing is scheduled for Friday at 12 noon EST (1700 GMT).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2004
1740 GMT (12:40 p.m. EST)
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity will be driving off its lander even earlier than envisioned yesterday. The $400 million craft is now slated to reach the surface by early Saturday morning (U.S. time).
"We've had a good couple of days on Opportunity. As a result, we are a little bit ahead of schedule," rover systems engineer Daniel Limonadi said at the status briefing underway right now at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
In the just-completed workday that occurred overnight (U.S. time), the rover's center wheels were released and the science arm was unlatched and moved to its stowed position for the drive off the lander. Tonight, the Mossbauer Spectrometer and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer instruments on the end of the rover's arm are undergoing testing.
"That's both a functional check to make sure everything still works after the pyro fire from the (arm) release we did today and also a nighttime calibration for both of those instruments," Limonadi said.
On the Friday night (U.S. time) workday, the final umbilical linking the landing base and the rover will be cut and then Opportunity will move a tiny bit to ensure its drive system is functioning. If all goes well, the rover will drive onto the surface early Saturday morning (Eastern Standard Time).
Limonadi says Mission Control will send Opportunity the command to make the autonomous drive at about 3:30 a.m. EST (0830 GMT). Data to confirm the 10-foot drive has occurred will be received on Earth around 6 a.m. EST (1100 GMT).
The departure from the lander is occurring two days ahead of schedule and five days ahead of the timeline that Spirit took.
We will be updating this page with live updates Saturday morning as Opportunity reaches the Martian surface to begin roving around Meridiani Planum.
(mo 'sta volta posto prima io :D )
Opportunity to Roll Onto Mars Surface Saturday
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 11:50 am ET
30 January 2004
PASADENA, Calif. -- Engineers have moved forward plans to unleash Opportunity from a parked position atop its lander, then roll off onto Mars surface in Meridiani Planum this evening.
Scientists here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are hungrily awaiting the output from new scans of a rock outcrop at Opportunity’s home within a small crater.
Opportunity's lander platform successfully tilted itself forward by pulling airbag material under the rear portion of the lander then flexing its rear petal downward. The result: The tips of a reinforced fabric off-ramp for the rover are now in the soil. This means Opportunity can be commanded to perform a simple, straight-ahead drive-off.
The rover’s six wheels have been positioned to start driving duties. Getting Opportunity’s wheels down and dirty on Mars is now slated for overnight Friday-to-Saturday.
From a distance
From the deck of the lander, Opportunity did use its Mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES), scanning a slice of the neighborhood terrain, including a rock outcrop. Mini-TES identifies the composition of rocks and soils from a distance.
Word is that new science results from Mini-TES clearly identify hematite within Opportunity’s landing area.
Hematite is made up of iron and oxygen -- a type of iron oxide. Deposits of grey hematite are usually found in locales in which standing water or mineral hot springs have been present. But hematite can also occur without water, as a product of volcanic activity.
Along with that hematite, other materials would offer more clues as to Meridiani Planum’s geological past. For example, clays and carbonates would indicate there had been water in the area. If the area had been volcanic, other types of minerals, such as olivine and pyroxene would be present.
Water-related hematite would help shore up the prospect that life may have existed on Mars.
Poke and prod
The science eyes behind Opportunity are focused on the exposed outcrop of layered rocks.
"It is too early to tell what type of material makes up the outcrop. I have my guesses, but will await more data," said Jim Rice, a MER science team member from Arizona State University in Tempe. "I think this site, namely the outcrop is a treasure trove…a very real geological history vault just awaiting our further examination," he told SPACE.com.
Rice said that finding martian bedrock is a "golden opportunity" and one that the scientific team will be able to aggressively seize upon thanks to the rover’s mobility and science payload…to "poke and prod" this magnificent chunk of martian antiquity, he said.
"Who knows what kind of history is locked away in its layers," Rice concluded.
:D Scusate, non è che ci sia una buona anima che ogni post riassume in italiano ?
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 19:04
Originariamente inviato da gegeg
:D Scusate, non è che ci sia una buona anima che ogni post riassume in italiano ?
Quoto, non l'ho chiesto per non fare la solita figura di quello che non sa l'inglese, il 6 che mi porto a casa in pagella ogni trimestre non mi consente di capire i termini postati qui:D
Lo facciamo per voi: che la vostra curiosita' vi porti la' dove la vostra pigrizia e scarso studio vi impediscono di arrivare :sofico:
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 19:15
:cry:
Su su che sapere l'inglese e' fondamentale. Al lavoro... tanto sono tutti termini tecnici uguali praticamente all'italiano, forza...
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 19:20
Originariamente inviato da gpc
Su su che sapere l'inglese e' fondamentale. Al lavoro... tanto sono tutti termini tecnici uguali praticamente all'italiano, forza...
Come uguale all'italiano?:D
Io ho 6 in inglese, ma non capisco niente di quello postato:D
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
Come uguale all'italiano?:D
Io ho 6 in inglese, ma non capisco niente di quello postato:D
Male, significa che ci sono anche altri problemi allora dietro... :asd:
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 19:27
Originariamente inviato da gpc
Male, significa che ci sono anche altri problemi allora dietro... :asd:
:fuck: vabbè vorrà dire che la mia istruzione in campo spaziale rimarrà limitata per colpa vostra che non mi spiegate, una futura mente geniale non nascerà per colpa vostra:sofico:
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
:fuck:
:ahahah: :ciapet: :asd:
vabbè vorrà dire che la mia istruzione in campo spaziale rimarrà limitata per colpa vostra che non mi spiegate, una futura mente geniale non nascerà per colpa vostra:sofico:
Meglio, un concorrente in meno :D
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 19:37
Vabbè, ho tradotto con altervista, ma tanto non si capisce niente, sembra l'italiano di un analfabeta sotto effetto di stupefacenti:D
PASADENA, Calif. -- gli assistenti tecnici hanno spostato i programmi di andata per liberare l'occasione da una posizione parcheggiata in cima al relativo lander, quindi rotolano fuori sulla superficie del Marte in Meridiani Planum questa sera. Gli scienziati qui al laboratorio di propulsione del getto (JPL) stanno attendendo affamato l'uscita dalle nuove esplorazioni di un affioramento roccioso a casa di Opportunity?s all'interno di piccolo cratere. La piattaforma del lander dell'occasione si è inclinata con successo in avanti tirando il materiale del sacco ad aria sotto la parte posteriore del lander allora che flette il relativo petalo posteriore verso il basso. Il risultato: Le punte di una fuori-rampa di rinforzo del tessuto per il vagabondo sono ora nel terreno. Ciò significa che l'occasione può essere comandata per effettuare un semplice, continuo guida -fuori. I rover?s sei rotelle sono stati posizionati per cominciare guidare le funzioni. Sta ottenendo Opportunity?s fa rotare giù e sporco su Marte ora previsto per Venerdì-$$$-Sabato di notte. Da una distanza Dalla piattaforma del lander, l'occasione ha utilizzato il relativo spettrometro Mini-Termico dell'emissione (Mini-TES), esplorante una fetta del terreno della vicinanza, compreso un affioramento roccioso. Mini-TES identifica la composizione delle roccie e dei terreni da una distanza. La parola è che i nuovi risultati di scienza da Mini-TES identificano chiaramente l'ematite all'interno di area di atterraggio di Opportunity?s. L'ematite si compone di ferro e di ossigeno -- un tipo di ossido del ferro. I depositi di ematite grigia sono trovati solitamente in locales in cui l'acqua diritta o le molle calde minerali è stata presenti. Ma l'ematite può anche accadere senza acqua, come prodotto di attività vulcanica. Con quell'ematite, altri materiali offrirebbero più indizii quanto al passato geologico di Meridiani Planum?s. Per esempio, le argille ed i carbonati indicherebbero che ci era stato acqua nella zona. Se la zona fosse stata vulcanica, altri tipi di minerali, quali il olivine ed il pyroxene sarebbero presenti. l'ematite Acqua-relativa contribuirebbe a puntellare il prospetto che la vita può esistere su Marte. Colpo e pungolo Gli occhi di scienza dietro l'occasione sono messi a fuoco sull'affioramento esposto delle roccie fatte uno strato di. "è troppo in anticipo per dire al che tipo di materiale compone l'affioramento. Ho mie congetture, ma attenderò più dati, "ha detto il riso di Jim, un membro della squadra di scienza di MER dall'università di Stato dell'Arizona in Tempe. "penso questo luogo, vale a dire l'affioramento è una volta geologica molto reale di storia di trove?a del tesoro che attende appena nostro ulteriore esame," lui ha detto a SPACE.com. Il riso ha detto che quello trovare la roccia fresca martian è "un'occasione dorata" ed una che la squadra scientifica potrà grippare aggressivamente su grazie ai rover?s mobilità ed al payload?to "colpo di scienza e prod" questo pezzo magnifico dell'antichità martian, lui ha detto. "chi conosce che genere di storia è bloccato via nei relativi strati," riso conclusivo.
no per favore non mettetevi a traddure gli articoli con 'sti cosi... :cry:
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 19:48
Originariamente inviato da gpc
no per favore non mettetevi a traddure gli articoli con 'sti cosi... :cry:
falla te la traduzione:asd:
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
falla te la traduzione:asd:
errr... ok, inzozza pure con le traduzioni schifide... :fiufiu:
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 19:57
Originariamente inviato da gpc
errr... ok, inzozza pure con le traduzioni schifide... :fiufiu:
:Prrr: W altervista:D
Tornando in tema, meno male che spirit si sta riprendendo, ma non potevano pensarci prima che la memoria poteva riempirsi con 6mesi di dati:D
Azz :eek: veramente ? la memoria piena ? :eek: e che hanno fatto adesso sposta nel cestino ? oppure format c: :D :muro:
guardate nell'ultimo rigo della traduzione :rolleyes: il riso ....:mc:
Norbrek™
30-01-2004, 20:54
Originariamente inviato da gegeg
guardate nell'ultimo rigo della traduzione :rolleyes: il riso ....:mc:
Le formidabili traduzioni di altervista:D
Oaichehai
30-01-2004, 23:54
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
ho tradotto con altervista
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
:Prrr: W altervista:D
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
Le formidabili traduzioni di altervista:D
3 piccioni con una fava!!!!
ALTAVISTA!!!!!!!!!!! Altervista si occupa di spazi web gratuiti!!! :D:D:D:D
.......................anzi che qualcuno non ci abbia messo anche Astalavista :D
NASA TV MER-B Opportunity egress live coverage
NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31, 2004
0802 GMT (3:02 a.m. EST)
Cable cut No. 3, severing the Opportunity rover's final umbilical to the lander, was successfully performed. The rover then inched slightly in a maneuver called "the bump" to ensure the drive system was working normally.
Controllers are examining data in preparation to giving approval for Opportunity's drive off the lander later this morning.
0820 GMT (3:20 a.m. EST)
Flight director Chris Lewicki has conducted the "go for egress" poll of his team in Mission Control. Everyone reported "go" status!
Shortly, commands will be issued to Opportunity to make the roll off the lander.
0826 GMT (3:26 a.m. EST)
Rover Mission Control has issued commands to Opportunity to begin the drive sequence. The craft will perform the 10-foot journey entirely on its own and without live interaction with ground controllers.
The honor of pushing the button to transmit the command from Earth to Opportunity was bestowed upon Kevin Burke, the lead mechanical engineer for the drive-off.
With the mouse click complete, applause broke out in the control room.
0856 GMT (3:56 a.m. EST)
A beep has been heard from Opportunity, confirming that the Mars rover received the commands to perform the drive off the lander.
0920 GMT (4:20 a.m. EST)
The Mars Odyssey orbiter will be passing over the Opportunity landing site to receive data and images from the rover that will confirm the drive has occurred. The information will be relayed to Earth, arriving around 6:15 a.m. EST.
0955 GMT (4:55 a.m. EST)
The Deep Space Network communications system on Earth has received another beep from Opportunity. This signal indicates that the rover has reached the point in the command sequence to begin driving.
"Because of light time, the vehicle should already be on the surface at this time," flight director Chris Lewicki reported. It takes about 11 minutes for a signal to travel between Mars and Earth.
"But I want to know now," another controller could be heard saying.
Confirmation of a successful drive will be relayed through the Mars Odyssey orbiter around 6:15 a.m. EST.
1000 GMT (5:00 a.m. EST)
Mission Control just played the song "Going Mobile" by The Who to commorate Opportunity's first drive.
1026 GMT (5:26 a.m. EST)
Mission Control has updated the schedule for receiving data from Odyssey. Information announcing Opportunity's drive is now expected around 5:55 a.m. EST.
"Twenty-nine minutes and counting," flight director Chris Lewicki tells his controllers.
Opportunity è sul terreno di Marte!
1101 GMT (6:01 a.m. EST)
Opportunity rover data is now being received on Earth via Mars Odyssey orbiter. It will take a few moments before controllers will be able to verify whether the drive has occurred as planned.
1102 GMT (6:02 a.m. EST)
The Opportunity rover is a true Marsmobile! The craft has successfully driven off its lander base and is now standing on the floor of a small crater at Meridiani Planum. Opportunity's first drive has been accomplished six days after landing -- two days ahead of schedule.
The rover will remain in its current position a few feet away from the lander for a couple of days, allowing its science arm to examine a patch of soil with the microscopic images and spectrometers. Opportunity will then drive to the bedrock outcrop along the crater wall about 25 feet northwest of the lander.
Opportunity is near the center of a crater 72 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep. On Friday, scientists unveiled a three-dimensional model of the crater, created from information in stereo images. This is the first time a crater on another planet has been mapped from inside the crater. See the model here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/jan-30-2004/3D_Opportunity_crater_map-m.jpg).
MER-B Opportunity Briefing, 3:35 am PST (12:35 ora di Roma)
NASA TV (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)
duchetto
31-01-2004, 11:27
sono arrivate le immagini?
Originariamente inviato da duchetto
sono arrivate le immagini?
1109 GMT (6:09 a.m. EST)
Opportunity has returned images showing the empty lander behind the rover and a view looking forward at the rock outcrop.
"Two for two, one dozen wheels on soil," flight director Chris Lewicki says as Opportunity joins Spirit on the surface of Mars.
A post-egress news conference is coming up at 6:45 a.m. EST.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/jan-31-2004/1R128814818-540.jpg
1154 GMT (6:54 a.m. EST)
Scientists just proclaimed that Opportunity has verified the existence of gray hematite at the landing site. This is a mineral that usually, but not always, forms in the presence of water.
The Mars Exploration Rovers were sent to the Red Planet to look for proof of past water.
Raga' ma un sito italiano che spiega passo passo le vicende dei fratelli robot ?
Originariamente inviato da gegeg
Raga' ma un sito italiano che spiega passo passo le vicende dei fratelli robot ?
in Italia? eh...
duchetto
31-01-2004, 12:30
Originariamente inviato da gegeg
Raga' ma un sito italiano che spiega passo passo le vicende dei fratelli robot ?
gli scienziati hanno appena proclamato che Opportunity ha verificato l'esistenza di ematite grigia,un minerale che di solito, ma non sempre, si forma in presenza d'acqua
Norbrek™
31-01-2004, 12:33
Originariamente inviato da Oaichehai
3 piccioni con una fava!!!!
ALTAVISTA!!!!!!!!!!! Altervista si occupa di spazi web gratuiti!!! :D:D:D:D
.......................anzi che qualcuno non ci abbia messo anche Astalavista :D
:O :sofico: Scusate:D
Opportunity rover a true Marsmobile
BY WILLIAM HARWOOD
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION
Posted: January 31, 2004
Mission Control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory erupted in cheers and applause one more time early today as the Opportunity rover crawled off its lander and onto the dark, dusty floor of a martian crater.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040131lander.jpg
Opportunity looks back at empty lander after drive off. Credit: NASA/JPL
"Uh, that would be two for two, Flight," a controller said as data reached Earth confirming Opportunity's short trip.
"Two for two," agreed flight director Chris Lewicki. "One dozen wheels on soil."
Seconds later, a photograph looking back toward the Challenger Memorial Station lander appeared on control room monitors, prompting a now familiar round of excited cheers, applause and hugs. A view from the rover's forward-facing camera showed low-lying slabs of martian bedrock straight ahead, a high-priority target for initial science observations.
"And it looks like astrobot survived the trip," Lewicki said.
Opportunity thus joined the identical Spirit rover on the martian surface, completing two roll offs in less than a month. It took engineers 12 workdays to get Spirit off its lander, but just seven for Opportunity.
"We knew it was going to be a good day," said mission manager Matt Wallace. "The rover woke up fit and healthy to Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run.' Really, from the time Opportunity was first born, only about two years ago, this vehicle has been a blue-collar, hard-working machine. She's got the scars to prove it. But like the team that designed her, she would not quit and she's where she should be on Meriadani Planum."
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040131roverforward.jpg
Opportunity's forward-looking view shows the bedrock outcrop. Credit: NASA/JPL
Kevin Burke, the engineer in charge of Opportunity's roll off sent the commands to initiate the three-meter move about 90 minutes before first motion. The 83-second move began at 4:50:07 a.m. EST.
"In my wildest dreams, I never thought they'd let a mechanical engineer touch a computer in Mission Control," Burke laughed. "It was pretty darn neat, I must say. We've done it a billion times in the test bed. ... But it's a little different to hit that button and send that command millions of miles away. That's true commitment.
On the science front, data from Opportunity's Thermal Emission Spectrometer confirm the presence of hematite in the soil near the lander. Hematite forms in the presence of water on Earth and it may provide clues about the role of water in Mars' past.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2004
1715 GMT (12:15 p.m. EST)
The Mars rover Opportunity extended its robotic arm today, flexing the science boom to begin studying a patch of soil near the landing base.
Opportunity remains parked in the position it reached after driving off the lander Saturday. It will stay in that spot for several days while the soil investigations are completed. Then the rover will drive to the bedrock outcrop nearby.
The arm, known as the Instrument Deployment Device, or IDD, carries the Mossbauer Spectrometer, Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, Microscopic Imager and Rock Abrasion Tool.
Also during today's workday for Opportunity, the Rock Abrasion Tool was activated to ensure it was working. Next, the Microscopic Imager cover was successfully opened. Later, the arm maneuvered the Mossbauer and APXS instruments into view of the rover's cameras.
The first science observations are being made with the Microscopic Imager, giving scientists unique views of the soil. Tomorrow, the German Mossbauer instrument will examine the soil to look for iron-bearing minerals.
Meanwhile on Spirit, science operations are being performed today. The reformatting of the flash memory has been pushed back to tomorrow.
NASA Rover Snaps First Mars Soil Photos
By Andrew Bridges
Associated Press
posted: 05:15 pm ET
03 February 2004
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- NASA's Opportunity took the first microscopic photographs on Mars of soil that scientists believe could contain evidence the now-dry planet once was a wetter world capable of sustaining life.
The pictures, released Tuesday, show a coin-sized patch of grainy soil, peppered with tiny pebbles. Opportunity captured the images with its microscopic imager, one of four instruments at the end of its robotic arm.
Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, began this week conducting what NASA hoped would be sustained science operations. The rovers, 6,600 miles apart, both reached out with their mechanical arms to study firsthand the soils and rocks on the ground beneath their wheels.
Opportunity rolled onto the ground Saturday, a week after it landed. Spirit arrived Jan. 3 but a couple of weeks later it was sidelined with software problems.
Mission manager Jennifer Trosper said Spirit returned to work, even as engineers worked out the final kinks in the software.
Opportunity has transmitted its first 360-degree color panoramic image of its landing site. The rover touched down in one of the flattest, smoothest regions on Mars but ultimately came to rest inside a crater just 72 feet across.
"It provides us with a real sense of 'you are there,'" said scientist Jeff Johnson of the U.S. Geological Survey office in Flagstaff, Ariz. Johnson likened the mosaic image to the overlapping snapshots tourists often take of the Grand Canyon to capture its full sweep.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration next planned for Opportunity to put its Mossbauer spectrometer to the ground. The German-built instrument measures the composition and abundance of iron-bearing minerals.
Spirit resumed its own scientific observations, and NASA planned for it to brush off the surface of a volcanic rock called Adirondack, removing any dust and allowing the rover's microscopic imager to photograph it.
NASA launched the pair of roaming robots to find geological evidence of past water activity on Mars. That could show the planet was hospitable to life perhaps billions of years ago.
Opportunity hasn't had to venture far to gather evidence.
Halfway around Mars from its twin, the robot already has discovered an iron-rich mineral called gray hematite. Preliminary measurements suggest the mineral is of a variety that forms in liquid water, providing the first hint that the now dry site once was wetter.
NASA announced it would name seven hills east of Spirit's landing site in memory of the astronauts killed a year ago aboard the space shuttle Columbia. The agency must submit the names to the International Astronomical Union for official designation.
NASA previously said it would name another group of hills at the site to memorialize the three Apollo 1 astronauts killed in a launch pad fire in 1967.
Opportunity Rover Status: Opportunity to "Stow and Go"
Opportunity woke up on sol 11 to Duran Duran's "Please Tell Me Now" and successfully completed a 24-hour observation of the soil with the mössbauer instrument at "Tarmac." The arm rotated to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the same patch of soil and observations with that instrument are underway. Scientists are busy trying to determine what geologic processes formed the spherical grains seen through the eyes of the microscopic imager. The plan for sol 12 is to stow the arm and go for a 3 meter (about 10 feet) drive to the right of the outcrop where they hope to trench on sol 14 (Saturday).
Opportunity Puts Mars Under its Microscope
By Tariq Malik
Staff Writer
posted: 05:00 pm ET
04 February 2004
NASA's Opportunity rover has taken a good look at the Martian surface, peering close at odd round pebbles, initially thought to be worn down by red planet water.
"There are only so many ways to make really round grains," said Steven Squyres, principal investigator for the Athena science payload project aboard each rover, during a press conference Wednesday. "And we were interested in just how round they are, so we stuck our [robot] arm out and took a look."
Opportunity used its Microscopic Imager (MI), a cross between a microscope and digital camera at the end of its robot arm, to look at a small portion of a pebble field first seen by a different camera. Looking at an area about three centimeters wide, the imager found a wide variety of larger pebbles sitting on a bed of fine sand.
The closer inspection, however, found those pebbles not so round -- and some full of holes -- but they may still yield clues into their formation, mission scientists said during the press briefing at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The rocks may be the remains of a meteorite impact or the solidified remnant of molten lava ejected by a Martian volcano.
"We're having particles here from a variety of sources," explained Ken Herkenhoff, a USGS geologist and MI element lead for MER. "These holed rocks formed probably by volcanic processes."
In addition to taking microscopic images of the pebbles -- the largest one seen is about three millimeters wide -- Opportunity's handlers used the a Mössbauer spectrometer on the rover arm to search for signs of hematite, a mineral formed when iron is exposed to oxygen and water, among the pebbles. There was only a small amount, but not surprising since a mineral map generated by Opportunity's Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer (Mini-TES) showed the robot as sititng in a hematite-poor region of its landing site, Meridiani Planum.
"This is the first mineral map ever done on the surface of another planet," Squyres said. Opportunity's robotic twin Spirit used its Mini-TES to create a temperature map, not mineral, of its Gusev Crater landing site, he added.
In the Opportunity map, the circular bounce marks from the rover's airbag landing apparently disturbed the layout of hematite at Meridiani Planum.
Squyres said that starting Thursday, Opportunity should begin heading into a hematite-rich region on its way to a rock outcropping about 20 feet (six meters) away. Ten feet into that journey, the rover is scheduled to dig a trench in the Martian soil with a front wheel and study its contents using the instruments on its arm.
In addition Opportunity, JPL scientists have been hard at work on Spirit in efforts to return the rover to its science mission following a software malfunction traced to its rewriteable flash memory system. They had hoped the probe would be able to complete its studies on the nearby rock Andirondack, but Spirit failed to find Sun Monday - possibly due to a corrupt computer file in its flash memory -- and science operations were once again stalled.
Spirit Mission manager Mark Adler said that today Spirit's handlers have begun reformatting the robot's flash memory, which is suspected to be the source of its recent computer malfunction. The process includes a four-hour memory wipe to erase all of Spirit's flash memory followed by a system reboot. In the meantime, project scientists are also continuing a hardware check to be sure it is working properly.
"This is not an operation that we do lightly," Adler said, adding that the flash erase process should abort if it causes any abnormal side effects in other rover operations. "In fact, we do checks every step of the way."
The Spirit rover should resume normal science operations by Feb. 5, Adler added.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2004
Opportunity has examined its first patch of soil in the small crater where the rover landed on Mars and found strikingly spherical pebbles among the mix of particles there. "There are features in this soil unlike anything ever seen on Mars before," says the lead scientist.
Opportunity sees tiny spheres in Martian soil
MISSION CONTROL STATUS REPORT
Posted: February 4, 2004
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040204soil.jpg
This magnified look at the soil near the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site, Meridiani Planum, shows coarse grains sprinkled over a fine layer of sand. Credit: NASA/JPL/US Geological Survey
NASA's Opportunity has examined its first patch of soil in the small crater where the rover landed on Mars and found strikingly spherical pebbles among the mix of particles there.
"There are features in this soil unlike anything ever seen on Mars before," said Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., principal investigator for the science instruments on the two Mars Exploration Rovers.
For better understanding of the soil, mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., plan to use Opportunity's wheels later this week to scoop a trench to expose deeper material. One front wheel will rotate to dig the hole while the other five wheels hold still.
The spherical particles appear in new pictures from Opportunity's microscopic imager, the last of 20 cameras to be used on the two rover missions. Other particles in the image have jagged shapes. "The variety of shapes and colors indicates we're having particles brought in from a variety of sources," said Dr. Ken Herkenhoff of the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Team, Flagstaff, Ariz.
The shapes by themselves don't reveal the particles' origin with certainty. "A number of straightforward geological processes can yield round shapes," said Dr. Hap McSween, a rover science team member from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. They include accretion under water, but apparent pores in the particles make alternative possibilities of meteor impacts or volcanic eruptions more likely origins, he said.
A new mineral map of Opportunity's surroundings, the first ever done from the surface of another planet, shows that concentrations of coarse-grained hematite vary in different parts of the crater. The soil patch in the new microscopic images is in an area low in hematite. The map shows higher hematite concentrations inside the crater in a layer above an outcrop of bedrock and on the slope just under the outcrop.
Hematite usually forms in association with liquid water, so it holds special interest for the scientists trying to determine whether the rover landing sites ever had watery environments possibly suitable for sustaining life. The map uses data from Opportunity's miniature thermal emission spectrometer, which identifies rock types from a distance.
"We're seeing little bits and pieces of this mystery, but we haven't pieced all the clues together yet," Squyres said.
Opportunity's Moessbauer spectrometer, an instrument on the rover's robotic arm designed to identify the types of iron-bearing minerals in a target, found a strong signal in the soil patch for olivine. Olivine is a common ingredient in volcanic rocks. A few days of analysis may be needed to discern whether any fainter signals are from hematite, said Dr. Franz Renz, science team member from the University of Mainz, Germany.
To get a better look at the hematite closer to the outcrop, Opportunity will go there. It will begin by driving about 3 meters (10 feet) tomorrow, taking it about halfway to the outcrop. On Friday it will dig a trench with one of its front wheels, said JPL's Dr. Mark Adler, mission manager.
Opportunity's twin, Spirit, today is reformatting its flash memory, a preventive measure that had been planned for earlier in the week. "We spent the last four days in the testbed testing this," Adler said. "It's not an operation we do lightly. We've got to be sure it works right." Tomorrow, Spirit will resume examining a rock called Adirondack after a two-week interruption by computer memory problems. Controllers plan to tell Spirit to brush dust off of a rock and examine the cleaned surface tomorrow.
Each Martian day, or "sol," lasts about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Spirit begins its 33rd sol on Mars at 2:43 a.m. Thursday, Pacific Standard Time. Opportunity begins its 13th sol on Mars at 3:04 p.m. Thursday, PST.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2004
Opportunity completed an 11-foot drive early Thursday, moving from its initial parking spot reached after leaving the lander last weekend toward the rock outcrop in the wall of the crater the rover landed in. It will continue the drive to the exposed bedrock early Friday.
An image from the rover showing its tracks in the soil is available here (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/status/opportunity/20040205a/020504z_1R129255699EFF0242P1211L0M1.jpg). The rover made two arcs to the right, then one arc to the left, then a 30-degree turn in place, then a straight-ahead drive.
Originally slated to dig a hole with one of its wheels Friday, officials scrapped that plan and decided to continue moving to the outcrop. The trenching will be rescheduled when the rover reaches an area where the soil has a higher concentration of large-grain hematite, NASA said.
After waking up Thursday night/Friday morning (U.S. Time), the rover will drive about about five feet farther, possibly to within arm's reach of one of the rocks in the exposed outcrop, Mission Control reported.
Meanwhile, the Spirit rover fresh off its flash file system reformatting conducted Wednesday was scheduled to brush the rock nicknamed Adirondack today before examination with its science instruments.
The next rover news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST Friday. We will update this page with more details at that time.
Opportunity cruising to exposed bedrock
BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: February 6, 2004
Driving up the inclined wall of the small crater the craft landed in, the Mars rover Opportunity was expected to arrive at the outer edge of bedrock outcropping early Saturday to begin its geologic work.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040206drive.jpg
This picture from the rear hazard-identification camera on Opportunity looks back at the tracks the rover has made. Credit: NASA/JPL
"Opportunity is continuing to turn the crank and move forward with its set of activities," mission manager Matt Wallace reported Friday.
Earlier this week, the Opportunity rover used its suite of instruments to examine a patch of soil in front of the rover. This is the spot where the craft drove to after rolling of its lander base last weekend.
"We've had a good number of productive days over the last few days. We completed exercising the instrument arm and the Mossbauer Spectrometer, APXS (Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer) and MI (Microscopic Imager) at the site where we egressed to.
"Yesterday, we completed a drive of about three-and-a-half meters. The drive was composed of several arc turns to the left, followed by an arc turn to the right, a turn in place and then a small drive forward, all of which were designed to give us some additional confidence in the characterization of the mobility system and its performance at Meridiani in this crater.
"Today, we sequenced a drive to approach the right-hand side of the outcrop, a target that is named Snout. The drive was about a 1.6-meter drive. We executed the drive (but) we came up a little bit short on Snout. And so we will complete that approach tomorrow."
Opportunity has another 30 or 40 centimeters to go, Wallace said.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040206outcrop.jpg
A view from Opportunity's forward camera shows the outcrop. Credit: NASA/JPL
"We are not entirely sure why we fell short, but we are pretty sure what we are seeing is soil slippage."
As the rover climbs the crater wall, it is pitched nose-up by almost 13 degrees, he said.
Before finishing the drive Saturday, Opportunity's arm will be deployed to take microscopic images of it the soil of the current position before moving on.
"We'll drop the arm down towards the soil and take several more of these spectacular Microscopic Imager pictures of the soil so we can continue to catalogue the soil inside this crater. Then we will restow the arm and drive forward."
After reaching Snout, the rover's science devices will be employed Sunday to examine the exposed bedrock.
"From there, it's looking like the scientists are asking us to start an arc along the bottom of the outcrop area, stopping at several choice viewing locations and taking some additional pictures and potentially dropping the arm down and getting additional microscopic images as we go.
"So that's where we've been and that's where we're going.
"The spacecraft continues to operate nominally. She's healthy and happy and continuing to do the job she was sent to do."
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2004
1745 GMT (12:45 p.m. EST)
Mars rover Spirit has driven away from the rock Adirondack, officials are reporting at a news conference currently underway at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
On the other side of Mars, Opportunity stowed its science arm and began slowly driving along the exposed bedrock earlier today. The outcrop has been named "Opportunity Ledge."
Meanwhile, an incredible image taken by Opportunity has revealed the parachute and backshell from its descent module sitting on the gray plains outside the tiny crater where the rover landed. See the image here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/feb-09-2004/Descent_Stage-med.jpg). Opportunity snapped a picture of the hardware after climbing up the side of the crater over the weekend.
Also today, navigation experts have announced their report on exactly where Opportunity landed.
We'll post a full story later today.
1820 GMT (1:20 p.m. EST)
Orbital imagery showing the effects of Opportunity's landing can be seen here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/feb-09-2004/02_overview_labels-med.jpg). A close-up view showing the lander and rover sitting inside the crater is available here (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/feb-09-2004/04_lander_labels-med.jpg).
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/feb-09-2004/Descent_Stage-med.jpg
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/feb-09-2004/02_overview_labels-med.jpg
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/rover-images/feb-09-2004/04_lander_labels-med.jpg[/IMG]
qcuno sa il bitrate di trasmissione tra i robottini e la terra? su che frequenze trasmettono? con quali protocolli?
Originariamente inviato da dupa
qcuno sa il bitrate di trasmissione tra i robottini e la terra? su che frequenze trasmettono? con quali protocolli?
Trasmettono in altissima frequenza (X-band) con l'High Gain Atenna (HGA) e in alta frequenza (UHF) con la Low Gain Atenna (LGA). Velocità di trasmissione fino a 128 kb/s in downlink, via orbiter (Odyseey o MGS), 3,5-12 kb/s direttamente con la Terra.
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Trasmettono in altissima frequenza (X-band)... con l'High Gain Atenna (HGA) fino a 128 kb/s in downlink. In media frequenza via-orbiter (Odyseey o MGS), UHF, tramite la Low Gain Atenna (LGA) bidirezionalmente, a 3,5-12 kb/s.
uhm.. nn ho molto ben capito.. ti sparo un po' di domande :)
1) il robottino spedisce i dati direttamente alla Terra o li passa a un satellite sopra marte che poi li spedisce alla Terra?
2) noi come li riceviamo questi dati? passano tramite satellite che gira attorno alla Terra.. oppure sono direttamente ricevibili da antenna terrestre?
3) sono criptati? o io se avessi le antenne giuste e conoscessi il protocollo usato potrei vedere i dati spediti da spirit?
4) quando vengono spediti i dati su cosi' lunghe distanza vengono emesse onde elettromagnetiche in tutte le direzioni o vengono "puntate" verso il ricevente per consumare meno potenza?
5) quanta potenza serve per comunicare tra marte e terra su questa frequenza e con questi bit-rate..
grazie :)
jumpermax
09-02-2004, 23:38
certo che il Mars Global Surveyor ha una bella vista... diamine!
Originariamente inviato da dupa
1) il robottino spedisce i dati direttamente alla Terra o li passa a un satellite sopra marte che poi li spedisce alla Terra?
Entrambe le cose. Le modalità di trasmissione sono due: una attraverso la Low Gain Antenna (LGA) del rover, via-orbiter (Mars Odyssey e Mars Global Surveyor), e una direttamente con la Terra (attraverso la DSN - Deep Space Network), con la High Gain Antenna (HGA). La prima è omni-direzionale (come le tradizionali antenne radio in bassa e media frequenza), l'altra è direzionabile automaticamente (è un disco che viene fatto puntare dal rover verso la Terra, dopo aver determinato la posizione del sole nel cielo).
2) noi come li riceviamo questi dati? passano tramite satellite che gira attorno alla Terra.. oppure sono direttamente ricevibili da antenna terrestre?
Tutti i dati vengono ricevuti direttamente dal rover o dal satellite in orbita marziana (Odyssey, MGS o Mars Express), dalla Deep Space Network, una rete di antenne a disco (da 34 a 70 m) ad altissima sensibilità costituita da tre stazioni poste approssimativamente a 120° una dall'altra (per avere una copertura totale della volta celeste), una a Goldstone, deserto del Mojave, California, una vicino Madrid, Spagna, ed una vicino Canberra, Australia.
3) sono criptati? o io se avessi le antenne giuste e conoscessi il protocollo usato potrei vedere i dati spediti da spirit?
Direi proprio di si, puoi riceverli. I segnali non sono mai criptati (che senso ha?) e li possono ricevere anche tutti i radio telescopi che ascoltano le giuste frequenze al momento giusto, poi logicamente non se ne farebbero un tubo...
4) quando vengono spediti i dati su cosi' lunghe distanza vengono emesse onde elettromagnetiche in tutte le direzioni o vengono "puntate" verso il ricevente per consumare meno potenza?
Come la fisica insegna il segnale viaggia nella direzione dalla quale è stato generato, se l'ascoltatore è posizionato in modo da poterlo sentire, lo riceve (più o meno intensamente a seconda della sua posizione rispetto alla sorgente).
5) quanta potenza serve per comunicare tra marte e terra su questa frequenza e con questi bit-rate..
Con la LGA ciascun rover non consuma più di 4-5 W, tieni conto che 1 W basta per spedire un segnale con telemetria (non solo la portante) da distanze interstellari (come le sonde Vojager e Pioneer, ora al di là del sistema solare).
grazie :)
Prego.
Il protocollo, già che lo chiedevi, è una versione proprietaria basata sul collaudato e diffuso TCP.
Innanzitutto grazie mille per le risposte così complete.
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Con la LGA ciascun rover non consuma più di 4-5 W, tieni conto che 1 W basta per spedire un segnale con telemetria (non solo la portante) da distanze interstellari (come le sonde Vojager e Pioneer, ora al di là del sistema solare).
Tempo fa parlavo con un mio amico che si occupa di telecomunicazioni, mi diceva che con la potenza massima consentita per i privati (0.500 W) era possibile trasmettere anche a lunghe distanze (migliaia di km) se si usavano bassissime frequenze, mentre per le alte frequenze (ad esempio il wi.fi) le distanze precipitano fino a poche decine di metri.
Ma questo nn è un po' in contrasto con il fatto che queste sonde trasmettano a frequenze molto alte?
Immagino che ovviamente + alta è la frequenza, maggiori informazioni si possano spedire, ma sinceramente io mi aspettavo che consumassero almeno un 100 W i robottini per spedire i dati su quelle frequenze
grazie ciao!
Originariamente inviato da dupa
Tempo fa parlavo con un mio amico che si occupa di telecomunicazioni, mi diceva che con la potenza massima consentita per i privati (0.500 W) era possibile trasmettere anche a lunghe distanze (migliaia di km) se si usavano bassissime frequenze, mentre per le alte frequenze (ad esempio il wi.fi) le distanze precipitano fino a poche decine di metri.
Ma questo nn è un po' in contrasto con il fatto che queste sonde trasmettano a frequenze molto alte?
Immagino che ovviamente + alta è la frequenza, maggiori informazioni si possano spedire, ma sinceramente io mi aspettavo che consumassero almeno un 100 W i robottini per spedire i dati su quelle frequenze
No, con 100 W durerebbe solo qualche giorno una missione del genere... tieni conto che i pannelli solari di ciascun rover "raccoglie" 140 W a inizio missione (per arrivare a circa 50 W alla fine) e richiede circa 100 W per muoversi.
Trasmettere in alta frequenza è necessario per poter ricevere circa 1,9 Gbit di dati al giorno, tra telemetria e immagini ad altissima risoluzione.
jumpermax
10-02-2004, 00:14
Originariamente inviato da dupa
Innanzitutto grazie mille per le risposte così complete.
Tempo fa parlavo con un mio amico che si occupa di telecomunicazioni, mi diceva che con la potenza massima consentita per i privati (0.500 W) era possibile trasmettere anche a lunghe distanze (migliaia di km) se si usavano bassissime frequenze, mentre per le alte frequenze (ad esempio il wi.fi) le distanze precipitano fino a poche decine di metri.
Ma questo nn è un po' in contrasto con il fatto che queste sonde trasmettano a frequenze molto alte?
Immagino che ovviamente + alta è la frequenza, maggiori informazioni si possano spedire, ma sinceramente io mi aspettavo che consumassero almeno un 100 W i robottini per spedire i dati su quelle frequenze
grazie ciao!
non sono esperto di telecomunicazioni, ma un wi-fi con antenna direzionale e contatto a vista può trasmettere con quella potenza per molti km. Non ho idea di quanto influisca l'atmosfera con il processo di attenuazione del segnale comunque qua stiamo parlando di antenne di circa 40-50 metri di di diametro, che guadagno possono avere?
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
No, con 100 W durerebbe solo qualche giorno una missione del genere... tieni conto che i pannelli solari di ciascun rover "raccoglie" 140 W a inizio missione (per arrivare a circa 50 W alla fine) e richiede circa 100 W per muoversi.
Trasmettere in alta frequenza è necessario per poter ricevere circa 1,9 Gbit di dati al giorno, tra telemetria e immagini ad altissima risoluzione.
Uhm... sai per caso che relazione approssimativa lega: potenza consumata, frequenza di trasmissione, distanza raggiunta?
mi domandavo cosa si potesse fare con i 0.500 watt consentiti dalla legge italiana, visto che se spirit con 5 watt trasmette da marte, anche con 1/10 della sua potenza potrei far qcosa anche io :D
Originariamente inviato da dupa
Uhm... sai per caso che relazione approssimativa lega: potenza consumata, frequenza di trasmissione, distanza raggiunta?
mi domandavo cosa si potesse fare con i 0.500 watt consentiti dalla legge italiana, visto che se spirit con 5 watt trasmette da marte, anche con 1/10 della sua potenza potrei far qcosa anche io :D
mmh... devi tener conto della ricezione, che viene fatta con antenne di una certa dimensione (:D) e che per gran parte del tragitto il segnale viaggia senza disturbi e interferenze (sostanzialmente), nel vuoto.
che vorresti fare scusa? :sofico:
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
mmh... devi tener conto della ricezione, che viene fatta con antenne di una certa dimensione (:D) e che per gran parte del tragitto il segnale viaggia senza disturbi e interferenze (sostanzialmente), nel vuoto.
che vorresti fare scusa? :sofico:
visto che il wi.fi con 0.500 W trasmette su distanze ridicole.. o si riesce a moddare le schede di rete (a sapere quali resistenze cambiare :D :D) oppure abbassando le frequenze (e quindi il bitrate) si dovrebbero raggiungere distanze di qche kilometro con bit-rate decenti (spero)
jumpermax
10-02-2004, 00:37
Originariamente inviato da dupa
visto che il wi.fi con 0.500 W trasmette su distanze ridicole.. o si riesce a moddare le schede di rete (a sapere quali resistenze cambiare :D :D) oppure abbassando le frequenze (e quindi il bitrate) si dovrebbero raggiungere distanze di qche kilometro con bit-rate decenti (spero)
mi sa che tu non conosci questo sito allora, la questione è molto più semplice
www.nabuk.org
mai sentito parlare della antenna pringles? Portata un paio di km e realizzata con un tubetto di pringles
http://www.nabuk.org/main/immagini/pringles%20antenna/miniature/chiuso.jpg
Originariamente inviato da jumpermax
mi sa che tu non conosci questo sito allora, la questione è molto più semplice
www.nabuk.org
mai sentito parlare della antenna pringles? Portata un paio di km e realizzata con un tubetto di pringles
http://www.nabuk.org/main/immagini/pringles%20antenna/miniature/chiuso.jpg
figata! grazie mille...
posto il link se dovesse servire a qcuno
http://www.nabuk.org/main/showart.php?parent=9&id=13
Mystery Continues: Scientists Baffled by Spheres on Mars
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 03:15 pm ET
12 February 2004
A new close-up image of the Martian surface reveals more of the tiny spherical objects that have been puzzling scientists for several days. Researchers reiterated that they don't know what process created the spheres but that they don't think biology is involved.
NASA and journalists had been getting questions from the public about whether the spherules, as they are called, might be fossils.
Each spherule is about the size of a BB. The Opportunity rover has photographed them on the sandy soil at the its landing site and embedded in rocks at a nearby ledge. The new images include a 3-D view.
The landing site is covered with fine grains of sand, larger irregular-shaped grains that possibly have eroded from the rock ledge, and the "spectacular" spherules, said Mark Lemmon, science team member for the rovers at Texas A&M University.
"There's much more than meets the eye in these images," Lemmon said, but he couldn't say what that was.
Scientists would like to know if the spherules were created by water, or if they were instead born in volcanic eruptions. More observation will be needed to find out, assuming answers are forthcoming.
"We haven't seen anything that leads us to conclude that water has to be involved," Lemmon cautioned at a press conference today.
"Personally I'm really stumped" about the spherical objects, said Wendy Calvin, a geophysicist at the University of Nevada at Reno and member of the rover science team. "I have no idea how they got there." But she added that there was "no reason" to assume biology was involved.
Digging in
Opportunity will further investigate the spherules, along with interesting layering found in rocks protruding from the ledge, in coming days. The rover has yet to use one of its most powerful research instruments, a Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) that will dig into the rocks to expose their inner compositions.
Opportunity is traversing the small ledge, which is about the height of shoebox, to examine various outcroppings. It started with a rock called Stone Mountain and has since investigated locations dubbed Alpha and Bravo, said Art Thompson, an engineer on the rover project. It is now at the Charlie site.
Each position change involved driving the rover about 13-20 feet (4-6 meters).
Engineers experienced some problems with the rover slipping as it navigated the slope leading out of the subtle depression in which it landed on the Meridiani Planum near the Martian equator. That problem -- which could lead to trouble if the rover were to run into something unexpected -- has apparently been solved, Thompson said, by having the robot intentionally over-drive on the way up and under-drive on the way down.
Once scientists decide they've got all the information they want from the ledge, Opportunity will crawl above it and dig into some soil on the surrounding plain, where higher concentrations of the mineral hematite appear to exist.
Hematite typically forms in the presence of water, but it is sometimes the result of volcanic activity. Scientists want to know which was the case around the Opportunity landing site.
The search for water drives all of NASA's Mars missions, because water is the key ingredient required for life.
Spirits up
On the other side of the planet, in the Gusev crater, the twin rover Spirit continues to drive toward a small impact crater some 800 feet (240 meters) from its landing site. Its last two daily runs covered 89 feet (27 meters) and 79 feet (24 meters).
A glitch earlier this week caused Spirit to miss a day of work. Cold onboard temperatures, caused when the rover shaded parts of itself, prevented it from pointing an antenna earthward. The problem has been solved, Thompson said.
"She's in outstanding health now," he said of Spirit, adding that the rover is experiencing no adverse effects from an earlier memory problem that had put the robot out of commission for several days.
"We have two very busy rovers," Thompson said.
http://www.space.com/images/h_opp_soil-mosaic-0212_02.jpg
3D (va osservato con gli appositi occhialini):
http://www.space.com/images/h_spheres_3D_0212_02,0.jpg
Rover Opportunity Digs in on Mars
By Leonard David
Senior Space Writer
posted: 10:00 pm ET
16 February 2004
The Opportunity Mars rover used its wheels on Monday to create a trench in martian soil.
Preliminary looks at images relayed from the rover suggest the trench is some 3-4 inches (8 to 10 centimeters) deep in the martian surface. Using Opportunity’s robot arm, tipped with an array of science instruments, an intensive study of the disturbed martian surface is to be carried out.
Scientists want to discern differences, if any, between the observable topside of Mars and materials subsurface. The area picked for the robot’s first dig has been dubbed Hematite Slope. The area is rich with hematite -- a mineral that typically, but not always, forms in association with water.
Opportunity is operating within a modest crater within the Meridiani Planum region of Mars.
Dig of the day
Rover controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California commanded Opportunity to use its wheels in such a way as to create the trench. The robot then imaged its dig of the day.
Earlier today, Jim Erickson, JPL Mission Manager for the Mars Exploration Rover program told SPACE.com that the dig would use a set of small cleats on the robot’s right front wheel. "Primarily those cleats are for traction, but they serve as a really thin shovel as well," he said.
Erickson said to accomplish the trench, the rover rocks back and forth, using a selected wheel that can be locked in place and also is spun to do the digging.
Following scientific scrutiny of the trench, the rover is to be driven back to a site called El Capitan, part of a rock outcrop within the crater that the rover is surveying.
http://www.space.com/images/h_b4a_trench_02.jpg
Before-and-after images of Opportunity rover site show robot has utilized its wheels to reveal subsurface materials on Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL
Ohhhh oggi per tv ho visto una cosa stralollosa: c'era una foto presa dallo Spirit (o Opportunity ma non importa) con un corteo di marziani con gli striscioni "Yankees go home" "Mars for Martians" :rotfl:
Me la trovate? Dai che fa spataccare... :asd:
2245 GMT (5:45 p.m. EST)
Latest report from Mission Control:
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has scooped a trench with one of its wheels to reveal what is below the surface of a selected patch of soil.
"Yesterday we dug a nice big hole on Mars," said Jeffrey Biesiadecki, a rover planner at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
The rover alternately pushed soil forward and backward out of the trench with its right front wheel while other wheels held the rover in place. The rover turned slightly between bouts of digging to widen the hole. "We took a patient, gentle approach to digging," Biesiadecki said. The process lasted 22 minutes.
The resulting trench -- the first dug by either Mars Exploration Rover -- is about 50 centimeters (20 inches) long and 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep. "It came out deeper than I expected," said Dr. Rob Sullivan of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., a science-team member who worked closely with engineers to plan the digging.
Two features that caught scientists' attention were the clotty texture of soil in the upper wall of the trench and the brightness of soil on the trench floor, Sullivan said. Researchers look forward to getting more information from observations of the trench planned during the next two or three days using the rover's full set of science instruments.
Opportunity's twin rover, Spirit, drove 21.6 meters closer to its target destination of a crater nicknamed "Bonneville" overnight Monday to Tuesday. It has now rolled a total of 108 meters (354 feet) since leaving its lander 34 days ago, surpassing the total distance driven by the Mars Pathfinder mission's Sojourner rover in 1997.
Spirit has also begun using a transmission rate of 256 kilobits per second, double its previous best, said JPL's Richard Cook. Cook became project manager for the Mars Exploration Rover Project today when the former manager, Peter Theisinger, switched to manage NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Project, in development for a 2009 launch.
Spirit's drive toward "Bonneville" is based on expectations that the impact that created the crater "would have overturned the stratigraphy and exposed it for our viewing pleasure," said Dr. Ray Arvidson of Washington University in St. Louis, deputy principal investigator for the rovers' science instruments. That stratigraphy, or arrangement of rock layers, could hold clues to the mission's overriding question -- whether the past environment in the region of Mars where Spirit landed was ever persistently wet and possibly suitable for sustaining life.
Both rovers have returned striking new pictures in recent days. Microscope images of soil along Spirit's path reveal smoothly rounded pebbles. Views from both rovers' navigation cameras looking back toward their now-empty landers show the wheel tracks of the roversÕ travels since leaving the landers.
Each martian day, or "sol" lasts about 40 minutes longer than an Earth day. Opportunity begins its 25th sol on Mars at 10:59 p.m. Tuesday, PST. Spirit begins its 46th sol on Mars at 11:17 a.m. Wednesday, Pacific Standard Time. The two rovers are halfway around Mars from each other.
Opportunity digs Mars
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: February 17, 2004
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is putting its mark on the Red Planet, digging a small hole so its suite of science instruments can probe soil enriched with hematite, a mineral that typically forms in the presence of water.
"We dug a nice big hole on Mars," rover planner Jeffrey Biesiadecki quipped during a news conference Tuesday.
Using its right front wheel, the craft carved a trench 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep, 20 centimeters (8 inches) wide and 50 centimeters (20 inches) long.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040216trench.jpg
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040216trench.jpg
"We took a patient, gentle approach to digging with the sequence. No single maneuver we did actually moves all that much material. Rather, it is a gradual process that digs deeper and deeper the longer we let it run," Biesiadecki explained.
"We start with the right front wheel digging by itself, turning half of a degree in the negative direction, digging a small pile of material in front of it, and we image that with the front (hazard avoidance cameras) so we can see the initial scraping of material that we dig up in the first move.
"Then the rover will turn-in-place to its right about 12 degrees followed by another running of the right front wheel all by itself, this time in the opposition direction, kicking up material behind the wheel.
"It will turn-in-place back to the left, going a little bit further than where it started from, again running the right front wheel in the reverse direction, increasing the pile that is forming.
"It continues this process over and over again as long as we let it, growing a wider and deeper trench as it goes.
"On each end before we reverse direction, the rover will actually drive onto the pile of material that is forming on each side and that's to compress and compact that material so it doesn't slide back down into the hole we are digging.
"Finally, as we are driving from one end to the other we have the rover pause in the middle of the trench. It stops, runs the right front wheel again by itself, kicks up material in the direction it is traveling, drives over that material and kicks it up again towards the side of the trench. This is to prevent a mound from forming in the middle of the trench. This extra scraping in the middle helps reduce the size of that mound."
The wheel digging took six minutes, but that time was actually spread out over 22 minutes. The rover took breaks between spins to snap images and allow its motors to cool down and prevent overheating.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040216wheeltrench.jpg
The brightness of the newly exposed soil is seen in this image taken by the rover's hazard-avoidance camera. The rock outcrop lining the inner edge of the small crater encircling the rover and lander can be seen on the horizon. Credit: NASA/JPL
In preparation for the trenching, Opportunity employed its science instruments to study the soil by collecting detailed images and mineral and elemental composition data. The same measurements will be made inside the fresh trench so researchers can study the "before and after" effects of the digging to learn more about the Martian soil.
"What we are looking at is the mineralogy, the chemistry (and) the texture of the undisturbed surface and the surface where material is excavated," said Ray Arvidson, rover deputy principal investigator.
Initial pictures of the trench have already grabbed scientists' curiosity.
"Some of the things catching the attention of the science team include the clotty nature of the soil seen along the upper walls as well as the contrast in brightness -- from the brighter floor material with the material outside the trench," said Rob Sullivan, science team member from Cornell University.
The instruments on Opportunity's arm -- the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, Mossbauer Spectrometer and Microscopic Imager -- will be studying the hole over the next couple of days. The rover also will take images with its other cameras.
"In the next couple of days we will be getting these results in. We should be getting better images to look at as well," Sullivan said.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/images/040216merbmap.jpg
This composite image maps the areas traveled by Opportunity at Meridiani Planum. Dotted lines represent areas the rover has already traveled. Solid lines represent areas still on the rover's travel agenda. Credit: JPL/NASA/Cornell/MSSS
The specific spot selected to perform the digging was identified by Opportunity's Mini-Thermal Emission Spectrometer to contain hematite -- the mineral that usually forms in water and what this rover was sent to Mars to study.
"Why are we here? Earlier, Mini-TES had looked around the interior of the crater that we are in and found that the area that the rover has currently driven to is richer in hematite than other places," Sullivan said.
Once finished examining the trench, Opportunity will drive back to the exposed bedrock along the crater wall for science work, including using its Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) to drill into the outcropping.
"The intent is to move to El Capitan, which is back to the wall rocks and do a full suite of measurements including pre- and post-RAT'ing on the key outcrops," Arvidson said.
"And after that, we will exit the crater and probably drive to the crater that is approximately 600 meters to our east. The idea there is to do a radial ejecta traverse, very similar to what we are doing with (Spirit at) Bonneville. But that is all being debated and it is subject to the exploration and discovery that we expect make."
Da Space.Com
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/rover_update_040219.html
Mars Rovers Explore Hints of Salty Water
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 03:25 pm ET
19 February 2004
NASA's Opportunity rover sent back new images from Mars showing that small spheres previously found on the surface also exist below, in a trench the rover dug. Hints of salty water were also found in the trench, but much more analysis is needed to learn the true composition.
Meanwhile Opportunity's twin rover, Spirit, is about to dig a trench of its own in order to investigate soil that sticks to its wheels, suggesting the fine-grained material might be moist.
In a press conference today, officials said the soil at both locations could contain small amounts of water mixed with salt in a brine that can exist in liquid form at very low temperatures.
The scientists stressed that only miniscule amounts of water would be needed to create the brine.
Water is the main thing scientists are searching for at Mars, because all life as we know it requires liquid water.
Mechanically speaking, both rovers are performing better than engineers promised and they might last into summer, well beyond the 90 days they were designed for, said Steven Squyres, principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project from Cornell University.
Mission officials have long known that if all goes well, the rovers would indeed exceed the three-month life span that was considered a minimum design criteria. The robots face a host of threats, from frigid temperatures to high doses of radiation and wind-blown dust that can coat their solar panels, eliminating their source of power.
"These vehicles are holding up spectacularly," Squyres said today. But he cautioned that "projections are very difficult to make." Still, he said all signs point to a lifetime "that could be considerably longer" than the original plan and that he hoped to be still doing rover science in the summer.
Opportunity's spheres
At Meridiani Planum near the equator of Mars, Opportunity has examined its self-dug trench. More data is yet to be returned that should help scientists understand mysterious BB-sized spheres they've found strewn on the surface everywhere in the vicinity and embedded in a rock wall.
Now those spheres have been found in the trench.
Unlike those on the surface, the spheres in the wall of the trench are "polished and shiny," said geochemist Albert Yen of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. No one knows why.
Yen said it's not surprising that the buried spheres are different from those at the surface, since they experience different conditions. Some coating could be responsible for the higher reflectivity of the long-buried spheres below. He said it was not due to just an effect of lighting.
In the broader sense, the spheres could have been formed in a volcano or a meteor impact, or they might be the result of running water. Those are the three hypothesis researchers have been working with for several days now. Each is still a possibility.
Spirit's travels
On the other side of Mars, Spirit has begun to encounter rocks ejected from a modest impact crater toward which it is headed. The rocks could prove interesting as a way to study the interior of Mars, explained Dave Des Marais of NASA's Ames Research Center.
The destination, called Bonneville crater, was carved out long ago by a space rock impact. Computer models show that rocks would have been carved from the crater in a reverse manner, the lower stuff being tossed higher and farther from the crater. Des Marais described it as similar to a flower opening.
"A lot of the older, deeper material gets thrown out farther," he said.
Spirit is starting to see rocks that could be those older ones. Finding out for sure will take weeks, in a two-pronged effort. Spirit will catalogue the compositions and colors of several rocks along the way. Then when it reaches the crater, scientists hope to see some exposed layers in the crater wall, then match their colors up with the tossed-out rocks.
"This is a bit of a wish," Des Marais said, "but I think it's a real possibility."
First, however, scientists want to study fine-grained soil that's sticking to Spirit's wheels. The rover will dig a trench to see whether the slightly cemented stuff exists below or is a surface phenomenon.
Des Marais said the material could be stuck together by a process where water and salt collect at the surface and form a cement. The salt is drawn upward in a continual process. Then the water evaporates, leaving the salt behind. If that is what's going on, then there should be more salt at the surface than below.
The trench is not expected to become a well, however.
"I wouldn't expect to see a pool of water," he said.
Ma c'è una pagina dove sono raccolti, per esempio, i risultati delle indagini fatte?
Originariamente inviato da gpc
Ma c'è una pagina dove sono raccolti, per esempio, i risultati delle indagini fatte?
Mmmh, no... cioè, non forse come le intendi tu, ci sono dei report, ma niente di più... forse sui siti degli enti/università che seguoni il lato scientifico della missione.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040216a/After-U-Turn_br.jpg
After a U-Turn
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity made its first U-Turn on Mars on Feb. 14, 2004, as the completing move of its longest one-day drive, about 9 meters or 30 feet. This view from the right front hazard-avoidance camera shows the scene in front of Opportunity after the turn, with the selected location for the mission's first trenching operation now directly in front of the rover.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040217a/04-ra-4-tracks-B024R1_br.jpg
At Home in the Crater
The wheel tracks seen above and to the left of the lander trace the path the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has traveled since landing in a small crater at Meridiani Planum, Mars. After this picture was taken, the rover excavated a trench near the soil seen at the lower left corner of the image. This image mosaic was taken by the rover's navigation camera.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040217a/05-ra-5-trench-B024R1_br.jpg
Opportunity Trenches Martian Soil
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity dragged one of its wheels back and forth across the sandy soil at Meridiani Planum to create a hole (bottom left corner) approximately 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) long by 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) wide by 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) deep. The rover's instrument deployment device, or arm, will begin studying the fresh soil at the bottom of this trench later today for clues to its mineral composition and history. Scientists chose this particular site for digging because previous data taken by the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer indicated that it contains crystalline hematite, a mineral that sometimes forms in the presence of water. The brightness of the newly-exposed soil is thought to be either intrinsic to the soil itself, or a reflection of the Sun. Opportunity's lander is in the center of the image, and to the left is the rock outcrop lining the inner edge of the small crater that encircles the rover and lander. This mosaic image is made up of data from the rover's navigation and hazard-avoidance cameras.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040217a/06-ra-6-drive-B024R1_br.jpg
The Road Less Traveled
This image is a screenshot from a computer-generated animation showing the path the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity traveled between the 16th and 21st days, or sols, of its mission. On sol 16, the rover followed a "V-shaped" route, driving backwards 2.5 meters (8.2 feet), turning in place 49 degrees counterclockwise, driving forward by 1 meter (3.3 feet), then driving forward again another 0.6 meters (2 feet). On sol 17, the rover traversed a "U-shaped" path, driving backwards 1.3 meters (4.3 feet), turning in place 90 degrees counterclockwise, driving forward 2.9 meters (9.5 feet), turning in place 90 degrees clockwise, driving forward 0.6 meters (2 feet), then finally driving forward again 0.5 meters (1.6 feet). On sol 19, the rover took another "V-shaped" journey, driving south backwards for approximately 1.9 meters (6.2 feet), turning in place to face the west-northwest rock target Zugspitze, then driving forward 2.5 meters (8.2 feet). On sol 21, the rover backed up 1.4 meters (4.6 meters), turned to the southwest, then via a series of arc turns, arrived at its trench location. Once there, the rover rotated 180 degrees to face 10 degrees to the west of north, then drove a short 0.5-meter-arc (1.6-foot-arc) forward. The drive ended with the rover facing approximately north, ready to dig a hole in the martian surface. Data from the rover's onboard sensors were used to make this animation.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040217a/08-jb-2-movie-B024R1_br.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040217a/09-rb-1-trench-B024R1_br.jpg
What Lies Beneath
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity dragged one of its wheels back and forth across the sandy soil at Meridiani Planum to create a hole (center) measuring approximately 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) long by 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) wide by 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) deep. The rover's instrument deployment device, or arm, will begin studying the fresh soil at the bottom of the trench later today for clues to its mineral composition and history. Scientists chose this particular site for trenching because previous data taken by the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer indicated that it contains crystalline hematite, a mineral that sometimes forms in the presence of water. The brightness of the newly-exposed soil is thought to be either intrinsic to the soil itself, or a reflection of the Sun. This image was taken by the rover's hazard-avoidance camera.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040217a/10-rb-2-spin-B024R1_br.jpg
Peeling Back the Layers of Mars
This is a 3-D model of the trench excavated by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on the 23rd day, or sol, of its mission. An oblique view of the trench from a bit above and to the right of the rover's right wheel is shown. The model was generated from images acquired by the rover's front hazard-avoidance cameras.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040217a/11-rb-3-horizon-B024R1_br.jpg
Fresh Soil for Inspection
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity dragged one of its wheels back and forth across the sandy soil at Meridiani Planum to create a hole (bottom of image) measuring approximately 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) long by 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) wide by 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) deep. The rover's instrument deployment device, or arm, will begin studying the fresh soil at the bottom of this trench later today for clues to its mineral composition and history. Scientists chose this particular site for digging because previous data taken by the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer indicated that it contains crystalline hematite, a mineral that sometimes forms in the presence of water. The brightness of the newly-exposed soil is thought to be either intrinsic to the soil itself, or a reflection of the Sun. The rock outcrop lining the inner edge of the small crater encircling the rover and lander can be seen on the horizon. This fish-eye image was taken by the rover's hazard-avoidance camera.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/04-EB-1-RSVP-B026R1_br.jpg
Grooving in Trenchtown (computer animation)
This image is a screenshot from a computer-generated animation showing the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's arm exploring the trench dug by one of its wheels. The rover's arm, or instrument deployment device, holds a suite of scientific instruments designed to examine rocks and soil for signs of past water on Mars. One of these instruments, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, is shown here investigating the trench. The movie was generated from data taken by the rover's onboard sensors.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/05-EB-2-TRENCH-B026R1_br.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/06-AY-1-pre-B026R1_br.jpg
Tiny Pebbles
This image taken by the microscopic imager instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's instrument deployment device, or "arm," shows the crater floor at Meridiani Planum, Mars, before the rover dug a trench on sol 23 (February 16, 2004). Grains of soil on the floor appear sand-sized with millimeter-sized pebbles on top. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/07-AY-2-wall-B026R1_br.jpg
Taking a Deeper Look
This image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the crater floor at Meridiani Planum, Mars, after the rover dug a trench on sol 23 (February 16, 2004). Scientists used the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the rover's instrument deployment device, or "arm," to take a picture of the small patch of soil in the center of the trench wall. Here, that microscopic image has been overlaid to show where that patch of soil, which measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across, is located.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/08-AY-3-shiny-B026R1_br.jpg
The Mystery of the Sparkling Spheres
This image, taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or "arm," reveals shiny, spherical objects embedded within the trench wall at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Scientists are highly intrigued by these objects and may further investigate them. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/09-AY-4-nose-B026R1_br.jpg
Moessbauer Nose Print
This image was taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or "arm." The image shows the imprint of the donut-shaped plate on the rover's Moessbauer spectrometer instrument, also located on the "arm." The Moessbauer spectrometer was deployed within the trench to investigate the fine-grained soil for iron-bearing minerals. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/10-SS-2-el_Cap-B026R1_br.jpg
El Capitan or Bust
This image mosaic taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera highlights the rover's next target - a collection of rocks within the larger outcrop nicknamed "El Capitan." "El Capitan" is located at the top of the outcrop, a bit right of center. Opportunity will travel after it finishes exploring the trench dug by with one of its wheels.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/1M130404829ILF0400P2953M2M1-B026R1_br.jpg
'Stucco' Walls-2
This image, taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or "arm," shows the partial "clodding" or cementation of the sand-sized grains within the trench wall. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across and makes up half of the projected "Stucco Walls" image.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/1M130405011ILF0400P2953M2M1-B026R1_br.jpg
'Stucco' Walls-3
This image, taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or "arm," shows the partial "clodding" or cementation of the sand-sized grains within the trench wall. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across and makes up half of the projected "Stucco Walls" image.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/trench_mi_mosaic_cyl-B026R1_br.jpg
'Stucco' Walls
This projected mosaic image, taken by the microscopic imager, an instrument located on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity 's instrument deployment device, or "arm," shows the partial clotting or cement-like properties of the sand-sized grains within the trench wall. The area in this image measures approximately 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) wide and 5 centimeters (2 inches) tall.(This image also appears as an inset on a separate image from the rover's navigation camera, showing the location of this particular spot within the trench wall.)
Se qualcuno avesse dubbi, l'ordine è Foto - Titolo - Descrizione, non Titolo - Descrizione - Foto :D
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040219a/IDD_sol_24_25_animation_th200.gif
Opportunity's instrument deployment device explores the trench it dug with its wheel.
February 25, 2004
02:53 pm ET
Team Wrestles with Opportunity's Battery Problem
Mission controllers for the Opportunity Mars rover are preparing new sleep orders for the robot in order to save at least some power being leached by a faulty heater.
The heater, located on Opportunity's robotic arm -- also called its Instrument Deployment Device (IDD) -- has been stuck on since the rover rolled off its landing pad in January. Opportunity is currently 32 days into its mission on Mars.
"The amount of power per day is slowly dropping due to seasonal change and dust collecting on the solar panels," said Richard Cook, a project manager of the Mars Exploration Rover program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The power loss from the heater is gradually becoming a significant drain on Opportunity's available resources, he added.
Project engineers are testing a deep sleep program that will shut down all of Opportunity's night process, including an alarm clock and other electronics. Once uploaded next month, the software should starve the stuck heater of power at night, cutting the energy drain by two-thirds.
Opportunity's power supply has been the recent focus of attention by mission managers after a task-full day of drilling and other studies earlier this week ate into the robot's energy reserves. The rover spent the bulk of yesterday recharging its batteries, pausing for just three hours before going back to sleep at noon Mars local time.
The rover is scheduled to complete Mössbauer spectrometer measurements of its current target, a hole cut by its Rock Abrasion Tool into the surface of the rock El Capitan, and drill at least one more hole before moving on to a new target.
Meanwhile, the Spirit rover -- Opportunity's twin on Mars -- also had a light day at its Middle Ground location in Gusev Crater. The robot moved 10 feet (3 meters) forward and took panoramic images that will be used by scientists to select science targets from among a number of interesting rocks in the area. Many of the rocks were long ago ejected from the modest-sized Bonneville Crater toward which the rover is headed.
Spirit is scheduled to make more remote sensing observations of Middle Ground tomorrow, as well as use its robot arm to look at material collected by its deck magnets.
Opportunity Slices into the Surface of Mars
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040225a/xpe_First_Opp_RAT-B032R1_br.jpg
The semi-circular depression on the right side of this microscopic image resulted from Opportunity's first grinding of a rock on Mars. The rock abrasion tool sliced into the surface about 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) deep and ground off a patch 45.5 millimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter on a rock called "McKittrick" during Opportunity's 30th sol on Mars, Feb. 23, 2004. The hole exposed fresh interior material of the rock for close inspection by the rover's microscopic imager and two spectrometers on the robotic arm.
Scientists and engineers got a nice bonus in that two spherical features nicknamed "blueberries" were unexpectedly cut in half within this rock. Team members had noticed the blueberries in earlier pictures on other rocks in the outcrop and had wanted to attempt to cut one in half sometime during the future of the mission. As luck would have it, two blueberries were hidden in the depths of "McKittrick." The one blueberry shown in the bottom right of this picture appears to have been scratched by the grinding wheel, which is further explained in image #2.
The two rectangular boxes in the lower left and upper middle parts of this image are "drop outs," where the data packets inadvertently did not make it back to Earth during the initial communications relay via the Deep Space Network antennas. The missing data packets should be resent to Earth within the next few days. Just above each of the black "drop out" rectangles is another rectangular area filled with a cluster of smaller rectangles in different shades of gray, which are image compression artifacts.
For more information about the "blueberries," please see JPL's Press Release dated February 9, 2004.
For more microscopic images of the results from Opportunity's first use of the rock abrasion tool, please see the raw images for sol 30 (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/opportunity_m030.html).
The rock abrasion tools on both Mars Exploration Rovers were supplied by Honeybee Robotics, New York, N.Y.
SDC:
February 26, 2004
03:25 pm ET
Minor Brain Surgery Scheduled for Rovers
Rover team members are testing new flight software to make the robots more efficient, Mission Manager Jennifer Trosper said during a press conference today. The "robustness changes," due to upload no earlier than the end of this month, will speed up the rovers' autonomous navigation programs so they can drive farther each day.
One included software change will allow engineers to turn off a troubled heater on Opportunity that has been draining its battery. Meanwhile, as the amount of sunlight dwindles each day with winter approaching at the Opportunity landing site, less power is produced by the rover's solar panels. Engineers have instituted a "receive only" mode for communications to reduce power consumption.
Opportunity continues analyzing rocks in an outcropping in the depression where it landed, along with imaging and studying soil up close. The rover is not expected to climb out of the shallow depression for up to two weeks.
Spirit in the Debris Field
The Spirit rover is well into a field of rocky debris spat out from a crater carved long ago by a space rock. The planned software changes should assist the rover to navigate the increasingly crowded ground as it approaches the Bonneville crater.
Spirit has just under a football field of distance left to traverse and is gathering data on soil and rocks along the way. The rim of Bonneville is apparently in sight, and the rover is expected to reach it in about two weeks. Researchers would like to drive Spirit into the crater.
Ray Arvidson, deputy principal investigator from Washington University in St. Louis, said scientists are working to get stereo images of the crater from NASA's orbiting Mars Global Surveyor. Until then, they don't know if the slopes are navigable. Bonneville is about 490 feet (150 meters) across and 50 feet (15 meters) deep.
Robert Roy Britt
Opportunity Photographs Sunset on Mars
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 04:45 pm ET
26 February 2004
NASA's Opportunity robot sent back the first image of a Martian sunset taken by the twin-rover mission. It reveals a dusty scene that one scientist likened to a bad smog day in a big city.
"It's pretty cool," said Jim Bell, a Cornell University astronomer and lead scientist for the panoramic camera, or Pancam that took the images.
A series of three pictures was made at about 5:30 p.m. Mars time as the Sun headed toward the horizon near the equator at Meridiani Planum. The sky, Bell said, is about twice as dusty as what was photographed at the Mars Pathfinder landing site in 1997.
"As the Sun sets it dims substantially," Bell said. "Those of you who live in Los Angeles will be very familiar with this effect."
Bell unveiled the images at a press conference at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
The sky color is about what an astronaut would realistically see from the surface. A blue halo surrounds the Sun, because dust scatters blue light from the Sun in a forward direction more efficiently than red light, Bell said.
More sunset images will be produced and compared with similar photographs made by the Viking and Pathfinder landers, so researches can learn more about variations in atmospheric dust with the seasons.
http://www.space.com/images/h_opp_sunset_0226_02.gif
Quicktime clip (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video/movies/spirit/10-jb-1-sunset.mov)
giofx non ho voglia di tradurre tutte le pagine dall' inglese.
mi puoi dire se hanno scoperto che materiale è quello chiaro sotto la superficie di polvere rossa di marte?
ps: il tramonto è troppo fico! :eek:
Originariamente inviato da eriol
giofx non ho voglia di tradurre tutte le pagine dall' inglese.
mi puoi dire se hanno scoperto che materiale è quello chiaro sotto la superficie di polvere rossa di marte?
è di natura vulcanica, ma è ancora da capire l'esatta orginer delle sferette viste al microscopio...
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
è di natura vulcanica, ma è ancora da capire l'esatta orginer delle sferette viste al microscopio...
grazie.
sembra quasi argilla.
magari le sferette sono cristallizzazioni dovute alla temperatura.... :boh:
Originariamente inviato da eriol
grazie.
sembra quasi argilla.
magari le sferette sono cristallizzazioni dovute alla temperatura.... :boh:
a quanto so hanno escluso l'acqua nella creazione dei sedimenti.
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
a quanto so hanno escluso l'acqua nella creazione dei sedimenti.
no scusa spiegami bene...
intendi dire che l' acqua non c' entra nella formazione dello strato chiaro e delle sferette giusto?
cmq non hanno ritrattato il fatto che l' acqua su marte ci sia no? :confused:
Originariamente inviato da eriol
no scusa spiegami bene...
intendi dire che l' acqua non c' entra nella formazione dello strato chiaro e delle sferette giusto?
esatto...
cmq non hanno ritrattato il fatto che l' acqua su marte ci sia no? :confused:
ma figurati... :D
l'acqua esiste sicuramente ai poli, quasi sicuramente in quantità sotto la superficie (è quello che dovrà confermare o meno Mars Express).
L'angolo di gpc: informazione di qualità da marte :O :D
The Sun Sets on Mars (Still)
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/10-jb-1-sunset-B030R1.jpg
On Sol 20 of its journey, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity woke up around 5:30 p.m. in the martian afternoon to watch the sunset. This is a still image from the rover's panoramic camera showing Sun just over the horizon. The rover is looking to the southwest. This image is only approximate true color, using infrared, green and violet filters, rather than the human red-green-blue, so that the maximum panoramic camera wavelength range could be covered by the observations, enhancing the scientific value of the measurements.
The rapid dimming of the Sun near the horizon is due to the dust in the sky. There is nearly twice as much dust as there was when the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft, which landed on Mars in 1997, imaged the sunset. This causes the Sun to be many times fainter. The sky above the Sun has the same blue tint observed by Pathfinder and also by Viking, which landed on Mars in 1976. This is because dust in the martian atmosphere scatters blue light forward toward the observer much more efficiently than it scatters red light forward. Therefore, a "halo" of blueish sky color is always observed close to the Sun. Only half of this halo can be seen in this image because the other half is below the horizon.
-------------
Opportunity Landing Spot Panorama (3-D Model)
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/04-ra-3-viz-B033R1_br.jpg
Link alle immagini grandi:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/04-ra-3-viz-B033R1_br2.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/04-ra-3-viz-B033R1.jpg
The rocky outcrop traversed by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is visible in this three-dimensional model of the rover's landing site. Opportunity has acquired close-up images along the way, and scientists are using the rover's instruments to closely examine portions of interest. The white fragments that look crumpled near the center of the image are portions of the airbags. Distant scenery is displayed on a spherical backdrop or "billboard" for context. Artifacts near the top rim of the crater are a result of the transition between the three-dimensional model and the billboard. Portions of the terrain model lacking sufficient data appear as blank spaces or gaps, colored reddish-brown for better viewing. This image was generated using special software from NASA's Ames Research Center and a mosaic of images taken by the rover's panoramic camera.
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Opportunity Landing Spot Panorama Close-Up (3-D Model)
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/11-jb-2-viz-B033R1_br.jpg
Link alle immagini grandi:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/11-jb-2-viz-B033R1.jpg
The rocky outcrop traversed by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is visible in this zoomed-in portion of a three-dimensional model of the rover's landing site. Opportunity has acquired close-up images along the way, and scientists are using the rover's instruments to closely examine portions of interest. The white fragments that look crumpled near the center of the image are portions of the airbags. Distant scenery is displayed on a spherical backdrop or "billboard" for context. Artifacts near the top rim of the crater are a result of the transition between the three-dimensional model and the billboard. Portions of the terrain model lacking sufficient data appear as blank spaces or gaps, colored reddish-brown for better viewing. This image was generated using special software from NASA's Ames Research Center and a mosaic of images taken by the rover's panoramic camera.
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Charlie Flats and El Capitan
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/12-jb-3-elcap-B033R1_br.jpg
Link alle immagini grandi:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/12-jb-3-elcap-B033R1_br2.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/12-jb-3-elcap-B033R1.jpg
This mosaic image from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity’s panoramic camera shows two regions of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The region on the left, dubbed “Charlie Flats," was imaged because it contains an assortment of small grains, pebbles and spherules, as well as both dark and light soil deposits. The region on the right is where Opportunity is parked and is doing work as of Sol 33 of its mission (February 26, 2004).
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Charlie Flats
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/13-jb-4-flats-B033R1_br.jpg
Link alle immagini grandi:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/13-jb-4-flats-B033R1.jpg
This image from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity’s panoramic camera shows a region of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars, dubbed “Charlie Flats.” This region is a rich science target for Opportunity because it contains a diverse assortment of small grains, pebbles and spherules, as well as both dark and light soil deposits. The area seen here measures approximately 0.6 meters (2 feet) across. The smallest grains visible in this image are only a few millimeters in size. The approximate true color image was acquired on Sol 20 of Opportunity's mission with panoramic camera filters red, green and blue.
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Charlie Flats Spectra
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/14-jb-5-spectra-B033R1_br.jpg
Link alle immagini grandi:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/14-jb-5-spectra-B033R1_br2.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/14-jb-5-spectra-B033R1.jpg
The chart on the right shows examples of spectra, or light wave patterns, extracted from the region of the Meridiani Planum rock outcrop dubbed “Charlie Flats,” a rich science target for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The spectra were extracted from the similarly colored regions in the image on the left, taken by the rover’s panoramic camera. The green circle identifies a bright, dust-like soil deposit. The red circle identifies a dark soil region. The yellow identifies a small, angular rock chip with a strong near-infrared band. The pink identifies a sphere-shaped pebble with a different strong near-infrared band. The cyan circle shows a dark, grayish pebble.
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El Capitan
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/15-jb-6-false-B033R1_br.jpg
Link alle immagini grandi:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/15-jb-6-false-B033R1_br2.jpg
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20040226a/15-jb-6-false-B033R1.jpg
This image from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity’s panoramic camera shows the "El Capitan" region of the rock outcrop at Meridiani Planum, Mars. On the bottom is the view obtained from the “Alpha” waypoint station on Sol 18 of Opportunity’s mission. On the top is the view obtained after the rover had moved to “Bravo” waypoint station on Sol 19. This image is a false-color composite using the red, green and blue filters.
OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: New Communications Plan - sol 32, Feb 26, 2004
On sol 32, which ended at 4:15 a.m. Thursday, February 26, Opportunity awoke to "Let It Be" by the Beatles. Opportunity's day was focused on getting a second Mössbauer instrument measurement of the hole created by the rock abrasion tool at the "McKittrick" rock site. The Mössbauer can detect spectral signatures of different iron-bearing minerals.
The data from the first Mössbauer spectrum of "McKittrick" was received on Earth Wednesday afternoon. The alpha proton X-ray spectrometer data from yestersol at this target was retransmitted to Earth again Wednesday to get missing packets of data that were not received during the first data communications relay. Opportunity also snapped pictures of the rock areas named "Maya" and "Jericho" with the panoramic camera and took miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements of the sky and "El Capitan" throughout the sol.
The amount of power Opportunity is able to generate continues to dwindle due to the decreasing amount of sunlight (energy) reaching the solar panels during the martian seasonal transition to winter. Because of this, the engineers are adjusting the rover's daily communications activities. To minimize power use for communications sessions, engineers began a new "receive only" morning direct-from-earth communication relay. This lower-power communication mode was successful. Opportunity will continue with this approach to maximize the available power for driving and science activities as Mars moves farther away from Earth and the Sun in its elliptical orbit.
In conjunction with the morning communications session change, engineers added a second afternoon Mars Odyssey orbiter relay pass, which uses less power in transmitting data volume than direct-to-Earth communication. This additional Odyssey pass more than compensated for the elimination of the morning direct-to-Earth downlink. Engineers also continue to effectively use rover "naps" throughout the day to maximize energy savings.
The plan for sol 33, which ends at 4:55 a.m. Friday, February 27, is to take a very short trip (10 to 20 centimeters or 4 to 8 inches) towards the next rock abrasion tool target site, "Guadalupe."
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mars_science_040227.html
Water on Mars? Flood of Data, Trickle of Answers
http://a52.g.akamaitech.net/f/52/827/1d/www.space.com/images/hf_mars_water_040227_01,0.jpg
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 07:00 am ET
27 February 2004
Nobody on the Mars rover science teams expected quick answers. But now the reality of the task is clear. Pinning down whether there was ever standing or running water at the landing sites of the twin Mars rovers is going to take some time. And the eager public will just have to wait, mission scientists made clear yesterday.
But an answer -- one way or the other -- could well be forthcoming.
What had at first been a stream of intriguing science pictures and data from the two-rover mission has dwindled to a trickle the past week or so. Pictures of rocks begin to look like other pictures of rocks. Were those Spirit's tracks in the soil or Opportunity's?
While the data may seem less interesting now, the spigot is wide open and the scientists are no less intrigued.
More than 11,000 images and 9.1 gigabytes of information have been returned by the two rovers, Cornell University astronomer Jim Bell said at a NASA press conference yesterday.
On several fronts, Bell and his colleagues are using the rovers' many instruments to explore intriguing hints of water. But now with press conferences reduced from one a day to one per week, it's clear the gee-whiz factor has given way to painstaking scientific investigation.
Spheres remain a mystery
No more information was provided yesterday on spherical grains in the soil and rock of Mars that have puzzled geologists since early February.
The spherules, as they are called, might have formed in the presence of water, but they could also be the result of a volcanic eruption or meteor impact. This week a couple of spheres were sliced in half and photographed, but they've not been fully analyzed.
More detailed images of soil have revealed a wider variety of grain sizes than had previously been noted. Bell said on one small scene scientist have noted "a fascinating array" of shapes, colors and probably compositions. Some of the larger, angular grains, a few millimeters in size, show preliminary signs of carrying hematite. This mineral often -- but not always -- forms in the presence of water.
Opportunity's Meridiani Planum landing site was chosen because an orbiting spacecraft had seen strong signs of the hematite. Ground observations have confirmed there is some. Now scientists hope to learn which flavor of hematite they're dealing with.
In other work, Opportunity has off-and-on for several days been grinding into rocks that are layered and might have formed in the presence of water. Microscopic images and other observations are being gathered from the drill sites.
As with all the other possible hints of water, though, scientists aren't sure what process caused the layering. Water would do it, but wind and volcanism could also do the trick.
Ray Arvidson, deputy principal investigator from Washington University in St. Louis, said further investigation of the minerals and chemicals in the rocks are needed to put together a complete story. He hinted that the chapters were being written by the data that's flowing back daily.
"That story is right around the corner," he said.
Entrenched
Opportunity's twin, Spirit, is working the massive Gusev impact crater on the other side of Mars. It is currently investigating a rock field that was once kicked up by nearby, more modest meteor impact -- a crater within a crater. Spirit will spend the next couple of weeks trudging toward the smaller crater, called Bonneville, while examining interesting rocks and soil patches all the way.
Don't expect any grand conclusions until all that data has been analyzed. And, quite possibly, what will be learned might involve just rocks, not water.
Gusev itself might once have been full of water, like Crater Lake in Oregon. But so far, it has not revealed any solid evidence to support that conjecture.
Both rovers recently dug trenches that revealed clumpy material that might involve very small amounts of water vapor from the atmosphere combining with salt in the soil to form a sticky brine. A full analysis of the trench data -- gathered by multiple instruments -- is underway.
Most scientists are convinced Mars was once warmer and wetter. The questions nowadays involve where the water was, where it went, and whether it was around long enough to foster life.
The rovers were each designed to determine if their landing sites once held standing or running water, where life might have percolated. Arvidson was asked if he's confident the data would eventually show that to be the case. He stressed that "we're in the middle of our job" and there was no way to tell yet which way it would go, wet or dry.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we'll be able to say a lot about the role of water -- or not -- at these two sites," Arvidson said. "I'm pretty confident that we're getting the data we need to answer the questions."
NASA to Announce 'Significant Findings' of Water on Mars Tuesday
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 03:30 pm ET
01 March 2004
NASA will hold a press conference Tuesday to announce "significant findings" about water on Mars based on evidence from its Opportunity Mars rover.
"It's going to be the most significant science results that we've had from the rovers, and it's bearing on their primary mission," NASA spokesperson Don Savage told SPACE.com. That mission is to find signs of water that might support life.
Will the announcement change how we think about Mars?
"Anything of a significant nature has that possibility," Savage said. "Sure."
If there is liquid water presently at the surface of Mars, as several lines of rover evidence have hinted, then most scientists agree there is the possibility that life could exist. Water does not mean life, but it is the key ingredient that makes life possible.
Few scientists doubt that Mars was once warmer and wet. And tremendous amounts of water are locked up as ice in the polar regions. The main question is whether any of that water remains at the surface in liquid form. Opportunity and its twin, Spirit, are exploring opposite sides of the planet near the equator.
A SPACE.com story Sunday revealed a "palpable buzz" among rover scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, from where the rover mission is run. Sources indicated that a coherent picture of the geology of the rover landing sites was emerging.
Speculation that the announcement might involve any discussion of biology has not been confirmed.
Until now, all rover science news has been revealed at press conferences held in Pasadena. A routine had been established and the next press conference was slated for later this week. Sources indicated a major press conference might come next week. But NASA rushed to set up Tuesday's press conference at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.
"We didn't want to sit on this information for a long time," Savage said, adding that the scientists felt they "had gotten the information they needed."
The panel assembled for the press conference includes top brass and a cast of important science characters.
Speakers will include Ed Weiler, Associate Administrator for NASA's Office of Space Science, Jim Garvin, Lead Scientist for Mars and the Moon, Cornell University's Steve Squyres, the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Principal Investigator, and MIT geologist John Grotzinger, among others.
The press conference will take place at 2 p.m. ET and will be carried live on NASA television.
Opportunity has been investigating the soil and a rock outcropping in a shallow depression at its Meridiani Planum landing site, which may once have been the site of a giant lake or ocean. The rocks are layered and may have formed as sediments settled in the bottom of an ancient lake or ocean, or as part of a river bed, but that is only one hypothesis.
Both Opportunity and Spirit have found sticky, clumping soil that scientists already said could contain water. Only small amounts of water, perhaps sucked from the atmosphere, would be needed to mix with salt in the soil and create a brine, which could exist in liquid form even in the frigid environment of Mars.
Opportunity also appears to sit amid a field of hematite, a mineral that typically -- but not always -- forms in the presence of water. The rover has also found countless BB-sized beads. The spherical objects might have formed in a water environment, the scientists have said before, but there could also be other explanations, including volcanism and meteor impacts.
The rovers have sent back a mountain of other data on rocks and soil that, as of late last week, had not been fully analyzed or in some cases had not yet been released.
The rovers landed in January and are schedule to explore Mars for at least three months. They could last into summer, however. The mission price tag is $820 million.
Major news from Mars rover to be announced Tuesday
BY SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 1, 2004
Tuesday promises to be a pivotal day in Mars exploration as NASA announces "significant findings" from the Opportunity rover.
The $400 million craft landed in the Meridiani Planum equatorial region of Mars on January 25, scoring an interplanetary hole in one by coming to rest inside a bowl-shaped crater. Exposed bedrock in the crater walls has been the subject of examination by Opportunity, in addition to the soil, odd spherical objects and the presence of a mineral, called gray hematite, that typically forms in water.
Opportunity and its twin rover Spirit working on the opposite side of Mars were dispatched as robotic geologists to find evidence that the planet once had water. If water existed on Mars, the planet may have supported life.
NASA has scheduled a news conference for Tuesday at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) from agency headquarters in Washington. The event will be carried live on NASA Television.
Ed Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space science, will make opening remarks. The news conference panelists include:
Professor Steve Squyres, Mars Exploration Rover principal investigator from Cornell University
Professor John Grotzinger, rover science team geologist from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Benton C. Clark III, rover science team member and chief scientist of space exploration at Lockheed Martin Space Systems
Joy Crisp, rover project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jim Garvin, NASA's lead scientist for Mars and the Moon
scozia666
02-03-2004, 10:50
Spendiamo qlc parola in italiano invece di copiare e incollare in inglese?
Tnx!;)
Originariamente inviato da scozia666
Spendiamo qlc parola in italiano invece di copiare e incollare in inglese?
basta sapere 2 acche di inglese, non ti aspetterai che traduco tutto... ;)
NASA - News Briefing (Interactive media briefing):
March 2, 2004 - 2:00 PM EST (20.00 ora italiana).
NASA TV (Real Media) (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/35037main_portal.ram)
NASA TV - Audio only (Real Media) (http://www.nasa.gov/ram/55643main_NASATV_Audio_Only.ram)
NASA TV (Windows Media) (http://www.nasa.gov/55644main_NASATV_Windows.asx)
Norbrek™
02-03-2004, 18:14
Alle 8 ci sarà un comunicato stampa, sembra che spirit abbia trovato la vita.....
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
Alle 8 ci sarà un comunicato stampa, sembra che spirit abbia trovato la vita.....
A parte che si tratta di Opportunity, dubito che si tratti di vita, se non passata. Più probabile di acqua presente.
Norbrek™
02-03-2004, 18:28
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
A parte che si tratta di Opportunity, dubito che si tratti di vita, se non passata. Più probabile di acqua presente.
Ma se l'ho visto adesso al telegiornale?
Loro hanno detto spirit e hanno parlato di vita e non acqua, prelevando un campione da una roccia, hanno fatto vedere l'animazione e alcuni ingrandimenti....
Originariamente inviato da Norbrek™
Ma se l'ho visto adesso al telegiornale?
Loro hanno detto spirit e hanno parlato di vita e non acqua, prelevando un campione da una roccia, hanno fatto vedere l'animazione e alcuni ingrandimenti....
Si, la conferenza stampa NASA è tra mezz'ora e al TG (già me lo immagino dicendo quante cazzate) hanno già tutto...
cmq si tratta di Opportunity, non Spirit!
Norbrek™
02-03-2004, 18:32
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
Si, la conferenza stampa NASA è tra mezz'ora e al TG (già me lo immagino dicendo quante cazzate) hanno già tutto...
cmq
:sofico:
hanno la conferma della presenza in passato di acqua nel sito di Opportunity, a Meridiani planum.
Mezzetti0903
02-03-2004, 19:09
Avemus Vitam dunque??..
no, nessuna evidenza di vita passata e tantomeno presente, ma la conferma di acqua liquida nel passato del pianeta.
Mezzetti0903
02-03-2004, 19:14
..gnurante!...è itagliano latinizzato!! NON latino!!
Originariamente inviato da Mezzetti0903
..gnurante!...è itagliano latinizzato!! NON latino!!
ah ecco....:rolleyes: :D
Norbrek™
02-03-2004, 19:34
Originariamente inviato da GioFX
no, nessuna evidenza di vita passata e tantomeno presente, ma la conferma di acqua liquida nel passato del pianeta.
Ma che cavolata, questo si sapeva già da moooolto tempo, i canali chi li avrebbe scavati altrimenti, la birra?:sofico:
Già....ancora non ho visto nesuna notizia in tele.
Sono un pochino deluso però.
ShadowThrone
02-03-2004, 19:38
al tg5 hanno fatto vedere un micropezzo di conferenza stampa della nasa. h20 su marte.. ora si che potranno costruirci il mac!!! :asd:
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