Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Posted on 09/27/2006 12:33:59 PM PDT by Mike Fieschko
NASA's Mars rover Opportunity reached the rim of "Victoria Crater" in Mars' Meridiani Planum region with a 26-meter (85-foot) drive during the rover's 951st Martian day, or sol (Sept. 26, 2006). After the drive, the rover's navigation camera took the three exposures combined into this view of the crater's interior. This crater has been the mission's long-term destination for the past 21 Earth months.A half mile in the distance one can see about 20 percent of the far side of the crater framed by the rocky cliffs in the foreground to the left and right of the image. The rim of the crater is composed of alternating promontories, rocky points towering approximately 70 meters (230 feet) above the crater floor, and recessed alcoves. The bottom of the crater is covered by sand that has been shaped into ripples by the Martian wind.
The position at the end of the sol 951 drive is about six meters from the lip of an alcove called "Duck Bay." The rover team planned a drive for sol 952 that would move a few more meters forward, plus more imaging of the near and far walls of the crater.
Victoria Crater is about five times wider than "Endurance Crater," which Opportunity spent six months examining in 2004, and about 40 times wider than "Eagle Crater," where Opportunity first landed.
This view is presented as a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.
Source: NASA
ping
Man, Dig that craaaaazy beach!...........
Amazing!! I didn't realize the Rover was still going? Wasn't it supposed to have run out of steam last year sometime.
Damn thing must have those energizer batteries that pink rabbit uses.
where are the waves.. I waxed my board
Both rovers are still going. I believe they were expected to have a minimum usefull life span of around 3 months. I think new years eve will be 3 years for the first one and the second will reach the 3 year marker a month or so later.
Both Rovers are still going. They were projected to run for about 3 months. They are now going on almost 3 years. It is fun to watch them explore.
There was more wind than expected and the solar panels have stayed relatively clear.
And the very large photo.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/opportunity/20060927b/site_B76_264_navcam_CYL_L-B952R1.jpg
Wow, these little guys are still running, that's phenomenal.
They were supposed to have a lifespan of 90 days; instead, they've kept going for close to 900. I'd say we got more than our tax-dollars' worth out of those two.
Still better than the Europeans have managed to do; their last probe did a faceplant on Mars, and while it did have the capability of flipping itself back over, they didn't think it was important and they left out the battery power needed to do so. Ooops.
I believe the current score is US 4, Europe 1, Martian Air Defenses 4, Martian Ground Defenses 0.
Well the original expectation was the solor panels would get covered with dust, and the batteries would die and this would all happen in a few months..
Fortunately though, daily winds blow the panels clean, so they just keep going and going.
cool... even voyager is still going strong too!
Same crater from orbit, approx half a mile wide.
Some details on the power systems of the Mars rovers ("Spirit" and "Opportunity") from wikipedia:
Power and electronic systems:
When fully illuminated, the rover solar arrays generate about 140 watts for up to four hours per Martian day (sol). The rover needs about 100 watts to drive. The power system for the Mars Exploration Rover includes two rechargeable lithium ion batteries (weighing 16 pounds (7.15 kg) each), that provide energy for the rover when the sun is not shining, especially at night. Over time, the batteries will degrade and will not be able to recharge to full power capacity. For comparison, the future Mars Science Laboratory is expected to last approximately one Martian year using radioisotope thermoelectric generators to power its large suite of instruments. Solar panels are being considered for an MSL mission (or missions), but RTGs provide versatility to work in dark environments and high latitudes where solar energy is not an efficient method for power generation.
It was thought that by the end of the 90-sol mission, the capability of the solar arrays to generate power would likely be reduced to about 50 watts. This was due to anticipated dust coverage on the solar arrays, as well as the change in season. However, almost two Earth years later, the rover's power supplies hover between 300 watt-hours and 900 watt-hours per day, depending on dust coverage. Cleaning events (probably wind) have occurred more frequently than NASA originally anticipated, keeping the solar arrays relatively free of dust and extending the life of the mission.
Maybe now we'll learn Victoria's Secret!
Hey don't mock the Euros too much on mars missions...
We've plowed into the planet a few times... little conversion from english to metric problems... and of course the nice crash of the returning disk into the desert...
While the rovers have been a huge success.. there were a few failuers before them too.
Yes, v-ger was the subject of a Star Trek movie.
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