Mars Rover Spirit Spies Her Parachute (Possibly Heat Shield Too)

MER Spirit Web Site (NASA/JPL) ^

[ElkGroveDan]

Just taking a few minutes to identify the raw MER images BEFORE NASA writes the press release -- a bonus you can get only here on FreeRepublic!

BEHOLD!

The white object in the photo above is most probably the parachute from Spirit which the rover can now look back on from her vantage point on the rim of the crater.

In the image above there is a white dot near the center of the crater rim. According to NASA insiders (and me) it is a high probability that this is the heat shield that was ejected by Spirit during landing back in January.

Here is a tighter shot of the possible heat shield that I created from the high-res crater photo:

[ElkGroveDan]

Here is a diagram of the Bonneville Crater and its landing area from Mars Global Surveyor Images taken from orbit and prepared by Mike Malin and his team of geniuses at Malin Space Science Systems

[ElkGroveDan]

Spirit now sits at approximately the 8:00 position on the rim of the crater.

[ElkGroveDan]

PING

[tje]

Sand Worm...

[KellyAdmirer]

I'm really starting to wonder about this mission if finding the craft's own parachute is cause for excitement.

[SquirrelKing]

"Mom?"

[No Blue States]

Melting snowman.

[KarlInOhio]

Finding things like the heat shield, the parachute and the bounce locations aid NASA in predicting how probes land on Mars and will make future landings more precise. Also, it's just pretty cool.

[ElkGroveDan]

I'm really starting to wonder about this mission if finding the craft's own parachute is cause for excitement.

No its just we engineering geek types who like to see the results of a well run machine. This picture was part of a panorama that would have been taken anyway. Its not considered part of the "science effort" per-se, its just cool.

However knowing how and where the parachute landed is just one more bit of data that can be used for designing future missions. It tells a lot about atmospheric winds air currents, and parachute efficiency in that atmosphere.

Besides this rover has already made some major geologic discoveries.

[BenLurkin]

Why do the numbnuts at NASA keep referring to this remote controlled space cart as though it were a person?

Do they think we are all five year olds?

Now . . . if it were like this Mars robot then . . .

[Petronski]

Where's the Apollo 11 landing site in relation to these maps?

</SheilaJacksonLee>

[JennysCool]

Oh, sure. Parachute. Heat shield. Riiiiiiiiiight. Peddle your papers elsewhere, disinformer!

-Richard C. Hoagland

[FourtySeven]

Oh, sure. Parachute. Heat shield. Riiiiiiiiiight. Peddle your papers elsewhere, disinformer! -Richard C. Hoagland

LOL, I was thinking the same thing. Since the images aren't 100% CLEAR, I'm sure the Hoglandites will be assuming it's yet more proof of alien technology.

[DoctorMichael]

Cool!

Thanks.

[ElkGroveDan]

Why do the numbnuts at NASA keep referring to this remote controlled space cart as though it were a person?

Actually this time it was me, the numbnut here on FreeRepublic. "She" has historically been used as a reference by men with regard to their ships and other crafts they build and operate -- throughout human history. Get over it.

[Paradox]

Regarding the parachute, is it that it is now visible from Spirits current location because of the height of the craters rim? From the Orbiter photo, it looks like the parachute could have been visible from the original landing site (had terrain permitted).

[ElkGroveDan]

Regarding the parachute, is it that it is now visible from Spirits current location because of the height of the craters rim? From the Orbiter photo, it looks like the parachute could have been visible from the original landing site (had terrain permitted).

I think so. There are probably some hummocky characteristis to the terrain that prevented it from being seen until now. It is a piece of fabric after all and has probably been lying quite flat for the most part.

[Paradox]

I think that if they have the time, JPL ought to go and check out the scattered hardware. The heatshield would be really interesting for the engineers. Perhaps see how much of it was burned off during entry. Maybe inspect the chute for tears and/or broken lines. I think the engineering data could be extremely useful.

[ElkGroveDan]

I think that if they have the time, JPL ought to go and check out the scattered hardware.

I totally agree. Image the big gouge that the heatshield has excavated over there (note the dark streak on the MGS photo). It's a free way to get a dig and a lot easier than the wheel-wiggling they've been doing.

The possibility of an impact gouge is even more enticing at the Opportunity site. Among their conclusions so far is that the crater they landed in is relatively low in hematite, but the surrounding plains are covered in it. An inspection of the Opportunity heat shield and backshell impact zones could allow inspection to freshly excavated depths that the rover would otherwise be unable to access.

[RightWhale]

From a technical point of view a look at how the equipment did should help designers of future missions.