so, they're going in: a stupid Endurance Crater question

So, I'm sifting through the MER site the other day, checking out the new
Opportunity pans and thinking to myself, "well, I guess they've decided
they aren't gonna drive her into Endurance", and what do I see but the
press release that says they've decided they're going to drive Opportunity
into Endurance! I've been downloading and studying the pans that have come
back, and the sides of that monster look like an off-roader's nightmare --
except perhaps for that one spot, whose name I've forgotten offhand, that
looked like the one spot on the rim of Endurance where Opportunity may
have a half-decent shadow of a chance of getting out again. Everywhere
else around the rim looks like a sure place for Opportunity to tip and
fall on her face driving _in_, let alone trying to back out.

I keep thinking of the two attempts, iirc, it took her to drive out of
Eagle -- a relative piece of cake compared to Endurance -- and keep
imagining some far-flung ignominy for Opportunity, forced to drive in
circles, photographing and RATting and Mössbauering the same damn spots
over and over until she dies -- not that I'd accuse the MER teams of being
foolhardy or anything, and I suppose it wouldn't be a _huge_ loss as
Opportunity's worked way beyond her original main mission length, and
everything else she's given them is gravy, not to mention Sprit halfway
around the world from her, only a week-and-a-half's drive from the hills.

The press release notes that they've weighed the risks of not being able
to drive out against the scientific benefits to be gained, which, I guess,
is obvious enough. Still, I can't help wondering...what _if_ they can't
drive her out, at least on the first try? I'm sure they'll keep scouting
the rim, trying every other halfway reasonable-looking spot, but in the
meantime, had they thought of any scientific benefit that might actually
result from Opportunity being trapped _inside_ Endurance? I mean
_seriously_, not some goofy-assed Boob Haller **** about how tragic it'd
be if, because Opportunity was able to avoid being trapped in Endurance,
she never discovered the fossilized algae deposits on a rock outcrop just
a few meters away from where she clawed her way back over the rim.

So, for the sake of argument -- and the sheer comedic entertainment of any
MER/Opportunity team members who may actually have five minutes to lurk
here -- let's say she _is_ trapped. Does the team have an exit strategy?
Or, more accurately, a _no_exit_ strategy? Have they thought of some kind
of modified science mission -- some astronomy, some meteorological
experiments, perhaps -- or, maybe just spending the rest of the time using
its wheels to trench out the letters "JPL" across the floor of the crater
to see if the MGS camera can spot it?

--
"All over, people changing their votes,
along with their overcoats;
if Adolf Hitler flew in today,
they'd send a limousine anyway!" --the clash.
__________________________________________________ _________________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike Flugennock's Mikey'zine, dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

Considering that Endurance crater is larger than
the area the Sojourner rover travelled over, I think
they'd have plenty to do.

Besides which, it's unlikely that it'll ever get stuck
yet still be operational. If it can make any headway
up slope, no matter how marginal, it can inch out of
the crater. And the slopes don't look to be so steep
as to prevent making any headway. The serious risk is
tipping over, which would obviously be a "bad thing"
and wouldn't leave the rover with a whole lot to do
afterward.


P.S. If the MERs had a self-righting mechanism like
any decent BatttleBot, this wouldn't be a problem. =)

The serious risk is
tipping over, which would obviously be a "bad thing"
and wouldn't leave the rover with a whole lot to do
afterward.



Ahh how about a one use inflatable ballon that if activated would lift the
stuck rover into the air and be floated over to a new area, and then be
gradually deflated and land on the ground
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

On 06 Jun 2004 11:07:29 GMT, (bob haller) wrote:

Ahh how about a one use inflatable ballon that if activated would lift the
stuck rover into the air and be floated over to a new area, and then be
gradually deflated and land on the ground

I'd be curious to see your design for a balloon system that would lift
and move a rover in the Martian atmosphere.

Dale

In article ,
Mike Flugennock wrote:
...let's say she _is_ trapped. Does the team have an exit strategy?
Or, more accurately, a _no_exit_ strategy? Have they thought of some kind
of modified science mission...

Given the number of rock outcroppings in that crater, I'm sure they could
spend weeks in there without a word of complaint from the geologists.
--
"Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer
-- George Herbert |

While reading in the bathroom on Sun, 6 Jun 2004 14:04:40 GMT, I saw
that (Henry Spencer) had written:

Given the number of rock outcroppings in that crater, I'm sure they could
spend weeks in there without a word of complaint from the geologists.

Besides, it looks as if there's nothing within range on the surface
that they haven't already seen; the chances are far greater to find
something new/different inside the crater. The mission was completed
some time ago, anyway, and it would seem the greater benefit would be
found by going in.


--------------
Beady's Corollary to Occam's Razor: "The likeliest explanation of any phenomenon is almost always the most boring one imaginable."


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In article , John Beaderstadt
wrote:

While reading in the bathroom on Sun, 6 Jun 2004 14:04:40 GMT, I saw
that (Henry Spencer) had written:

Given the number of rock outcroppings in that crater, I'm sure they could
spend weeks in there without a word of complaint from the geologists.

Besides, it looks as if there's nothing within range on the surface
that they haven't already seen; the chances are far greater to find
something new/different inside the crater. The mission was completed
some time ago, anyway, and it would seem the greater benefit would be
found by going in...

Pretty much what I'd figured. They'd gotten more than they ever expected
from the primary mission, and everything else is icing. Not to mention, of
course, the _other_ rover, which should be arriving at the Columbia Hills
in maybe a week or so.

Good point about the size of Endurance total area covered by Sojourner
in '97 and the extent of geological features in Endurance worthy of study.

After hearing the discussion of the reasons for going into Endurance --
especially about their chance to get a look at deeper subsurface material
-- I posted those musings after wondering what kind of contingency science
plan, if any, they'd worked up in the event that they can't climb out of
Endurance.

I think the _really_ tough decision -- and the one that could yield
spectacular scientific results along with some serious postcard vistas --
will be the decision whether or not to drive into the Hills. Aside from
answering many questions about planetary formation processes on Mars, I'll
bet the pans from the top of Husband Hill would be spec****ingtacular.

--
"All over, people changing their votes,
along with their overcoats;
if Adolf Hitler flew in today,
they'd send a limousine anyway!" --the clash.
__________________________________________________ _________________
Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike Flugennock's Mikey'zine, dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

Besides, it looks as if there's nothing within range on the surface
that they haven't already seen; the chances are far greater to find
something new/different inside the

Yeah and besides no matter what one day the rovers will go silent Even if
kept in a very safe area.

The design appears good they should correct any obvious troubles like that
stuck switch one and begin another production run for launch for the next
closest approach
HAVE A GREAT DAY!

(Mike Flugennock) wrote in message ...
So, for the sake of argument -- and the sheer comedic entertainment of any
MER/Opportunity team members who may actually have five minutes to lurk
here -- let's say she _is_ trapped. Does the team have an exit strategy?
Or, more accurately, a _no_exit_ strategy? Have they thought of some kind
of modified science mission -- some astronomy, some meteorological
experiments, perhaps -- or, maybe just spending the rest of the time using
its wheels to trench out the letters "JPL" across the floor of the crater
to see if the MGS camera can spot it?

Maybe they'll shake some dust off the colar cells.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.