Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Roll Out on Mars at 12 AM PST 1-31-2004 (LIVE THREAD)

Jet Propulsion Laboratory ^ | 1-30-04 | NASA JPL

[bonesmccoy]

The roll off of Opportunity from the lander pad at Meridiani Planum will occur at midnight tonight.

JPL NASA will be carried live on NASA TV.

JPL reports a 12 AM PST "Opportunity egree live coverage"

4 AM PST : Opportunity egress briefing

[DeepDish]

Yes, the rocky outcrop appears to be layered, they want to find out if it is sediments or volcanic.

[Miss Marple]

Well, they did mention the Rover in passing, so I know they know it is on Mars.

Now the obnoxious morning team is giving us polling data on Kerry, showing him in a dead heat with Bush. Julian, of course, is thrilled with this development.

[ZAKJAN]

See the live Real player link on above posts....

[Fitzcarraldo]

Yes - they'll look at the outcrop and determine what's it made of. I assume it's volcanic ash deposited in shallow water. The hematite probaby occured when ioren compounds went into solution in the water and then precipicated out.
They should be able to pin allthis down.

[Miss Marple]

There are three choices the cause of the layering:

1. Water-deposited sediment.
2. Wind-deposited sediment.
3. Multiple volcanic/igneous deposits of lava over a period of time, with cooling between each episode

[DeepDish]

It is about plus 12 here in southern Missouri. The big announcement was that the rover has detected heamtite, which confirms observations from space. Try to stay warm MM.

[KC Burke]

By Wednesday, Kerry will have a lock and then we can begin to focus.

Martian events seem to have little chance of capturing a broad public audience. The details are too techical for the average TV viewer. If there was a car chase involved, that would help.

[KC Burke]

See the live Real player link on above posts....

I'm on dial-up and I don't try to those feeds unless I am very patient, which I am not this morning ;-)

[Fitzcarraldo]

Martian events seem to have little chance of capturing a broad public audience.Don't forget that in July Cassini enters the Saturn system leading up to the Huygens probe landing on Titan in Jan 2005. Saturn will compete with the presidential election for the attention a populace subjected to demoratic spew.

[DeepDish]

LOL

That's the ticket, a fifty mph rooster tailing off road rover. Drive that puppy off the platform to the strains of the Dukes of Hazard theme.

[ChadGore]

We get picture
Main screen turn on

[KC Burke]

The only "Titan" that the public is aware of is a new Nissan truck model, unfortuantly.

[Miss Marple]

I think you've hit on something. We need to let JPL know that the next mission should have TWO Rovers land in the same place, and one can chase the other!

Guaranteed cable coverage!!

[ChadGore]

Re: I think you've hit on something. We need to let JPL know that the next mission should have TWO Rovers land in the same place, and one can chase the other!

Rock em' sock em' robots :)

[Miss Marple]

[thecabal]

Move 'opportunity'
For great justice.

[ChadGore]

Here's a zoom on the rover tracks

[ChadGore]

lander only

[e_engineer]

Hope my Mars pings have not become too much of a nuisance!

Not a nuisance at all. Thanks.

[petuniasevan]

Here's a 3-d map of Opportunity's location. It's in a crater about 10 feet deep and 72 feet in diameter.