Mars Exploration Rover Mission

JPL ^ | 1-3-04 | JPL

[bonesmccoy]

Mission Timeline: Entry, Descent, and Landing

The entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase begins when the spacecraft reaches the Mars atmospheric entry interface point (3522.2 kilometers or about 2,113 miles from the center of Mars) and ends with the lander on the surface of Mars in a safe state.

The rovers will arrive during the latter half of the northern winter/southern summer on Mars. Rover A will land at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time on Mars (with Earth set an hour after landing), whereas Rover B will land at around 1:15 p.m. local time on Mars (with Earth set as long as two-and-a-half hours after landing). That means that both rovers will land in the Martian afternoon while the Earth is still in view, allowing the Earth to receive the landing signal if the lander is on the base petal.

Entry, descent, and landing for the Mars Exploration Rover mission is an adaptation of the Mars Pathfinder method:

An aeroshell and a parachute decelerate the lander through the Martian atmosphere.

Prior to surface impact, retro-rockets are fired to slow the lander´s speed of descent, and airbags are inflated to cushion the lander at surface impact.

After its initial impact, the lander bounces along the Martian surface until it rolls to a stop.

The airbags are then deflated and retracted, and the lander petals and rover egress aids are deployed.

Once the petals have opened, the rover deploys its solar arrays, and places the system in a safe state. Communications during entry, descent, and landing will occur through a pair of low-gain antennas, one mounted on the backshell and the other on the rover itself. About 36 ten-second radio tones will be transmitted to Earth during descent through the atmosphere, which takes approximately six minutes. These tones are coded to indicate the accomplishment of critical steps in the entry, descent,and landing timeline. [More on these tones in the communications section]

A step-by-step guide to everything that will happen will be provided prior to entry, descent, and landing.

[Howlin]

Where can we get some 3D glasses.........LOL.

[spectre]

Ripping into my bookshelves...they're here somewhere..oh darn, where are my 3D glassess!!!!!

sw

[Howlin]

Today is 2 I think, because he is saying that they will try to retract the airbags even more on Sol 3.

[Howlin]

LOL......I'm sure I have some somewhere, too!

I'll find them next month, I'm sure.

[RightWhale]

There are many ways to render 3-D. Some do not require special glasses. These images may be rendered several ways so you can choose the presentation that works for you.

[Howlin]

I will be able to see them then?

[djf]

I've seen it presented as simply as two pictures side by side on the monitor. Take a thin piece of cardboard, like a cereal box, and cut a piece. Hold it vertically between the pics, let your eyes drift till they focus and Voila!

[smith288]

[blam]

"I'll find them next month, I'm sure."

Careful. I was looking for a property deed yesterday and came across my 4th grade report card.

[Momaw Nadon]

Proview™ Professional 3D Anaglyph Glasses

[Howlin]

OMG.......I just saw mine. 1st grade: "Linda talks too much." :-)

[RightWhale]

Of course, and in color. The main purpose of the stereo camera is to prepare a VR dataset. Virtual Reality would require a special headset, but you would be able to move around inside the image. The first image you see on your monitor would be just a quick look. The VR view would be coming later. You could access the VR dataset through the Mars Rover operator/simulator software that you may download for free and run on your PC.

[djf]

If thats a 3D, it's the color rendering process. I ain't got the glasses. But from what I can tell, Hoagland and others are right. The sky is blue!

[bonfire]

Hubby said our son has a pair of those glasses.....can't wait til kid gets home from school! Whoo hoo!!!

[Howlin]

Oh, those are cool. And it looks like something we should all have around -- just in case.

[Howlin]

FYI.

[Clintons Are White Trash]

Bumping and ready!

[Howlin]

You could access the VR dataset through the Mars Rover operator/simulator software that you may download for free and run on your PC.

So, if I download that software, I would be able to see that picture right now?

[Howlin]

Bon, just think: by the time Opportunity lands on January 24th, we're going to be EXPERTS in this stuff......LOL.

[smith288]

Nah, the further away something is in a 3d pic, the further the blue is from its matching red...the blue you see is just the 3d blue further to the right.