Spirit sends picture, Sol 25!

JPL justed posted this picture that Spirit sent back today, showing the arm
contacting Adirondack, as seen by the front hazcam.

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...ol25-flhaz.jpg

Way to go!

Joe

Good stuff! Well let's hope it's back up and running soon! What's the
lifespan of Spirit? If it's running fine next week how much 'exploration
time' will we have lost as a percentage of the whole mission?

Kris
My Energia HLLV site: http://www.k26.com/buran/

"Joe Knapp" wrote in message
gy.com...
JPL justed posted this picture that Spirit sent back today, showing the
arm
contacting Adirondack, as seen by the front hazcam.


http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/galle...ol25-flhaz.jpg

Way to go!

Joe

"Hansel" wrote in message

..au...
Good stuff! Well let's hope it's back up and running soon! What's the
lifespan of Spirit? If it's running fine next week how much 'exploration
time' will we have lost as a percentage of the whole mission?


Projected lifespan is 90 days - that means a little over 4 million$ per
rover per day.

JD

"Johnny Doe" wrote in message
...

"Hansel" wrote in message


.au...
Good stuff! Well let's hope it's back up and running soon! What's the
lifespan of Spirit? If it's running fine next week how much 'exploration
time' will we have lost as a percentage of the whole mission?


Projected lifespan is 90 days - that means a little over 4 million$ per
rover per day.

No, designed lifetime target is 90 days... project
lifespan based on current performance could
be many more months.

Bruce

Projected lifespan is 90 days - that means a little over 4 million$ per
rover per day.

No, designed lifetime target is 90 days... project
lifespan based on current performance could
be many more months.


Yes, I wanted to say designed, excuse me. I thought word 'projected' was
appropriate
but it isn't. 'Projected' would mean extrapolated, no?

JD

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 14:06:12 GMT, "Bruce Sterling Woodcock"
wrote:

No, designed lifetime target is 90 days... project
lifespan based on current performance could
be many more months.

The Viking landers were also made to last a minimum of 90 days, where
they actually lasted for a couple of years.

I just hope that they hurry up and get Spirit moving, when it has been
25 days since it landed now, which is of course nearly a third of it's
minimum design live time, where it has hardly gone anywhere since.

Cardman
http://www.cardman.com
http://www.cardman.co.uk

I think a few years would be great, just keep rovin, rovin, rovin, snap up
lots of great panoramas!

Kris
My Energia HLLV page:http://www.k26.com/buran/

"Cardman" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 14:06:12 GMT, "Bruce Sterling Woodcock"
wrote:

No, designed lifetime target is 90 days... project
lifespan based on current performance could
be many more months.

The Viking landers were also made to last a minimum of 90 days, where
they actually lasted for a couple of years.

I just hope that they hurry up and get Spirit moving, when it has been
25 days since it landed now, which is of course nearly a third of it's
minimum design live time, where it has hardly gone anywhere since.

Cardman
http://www.cardman.com
http://www.cardman.co.uk

"Cardman" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 14:06:12 GMT, "Bruce Sterling Woodcock"
wrote:

No, designed lifetime target is 90 days... project
lifespan based on current performance could
be many more months.

The Viking landers were also made to last a minimum of 90 days, where
they actually lasted for a couple of years.

True. And Viking 1 could have lasted even longer, if they hadn't
accidentally turned it off. Longest-lived interplanetary spacecraft
on record:

Pioneer 10: March 2 1972 -- Apr 27 2002 (or Jan 23 2003)
IMP-8: Oct 25 1973 -- Oct 30 2001
Pioneer 11: Apr 5 1973 -- Sep 29 1995 (or Nov ?? 1995)
Voyager 2: Aug 20 1977 -- today
Voyager 1: Sep 5 1977 -- today

One could argue that Pioneer 10 and 11 are still "alive" but
simply beyond our ability to communicate with currently given
their low-power states. Some of the various other probes
fromt he 60s and 70s that are still in solar orbit may
theoretically be functional but I don't know of any attempts
to contact them.

Bruce

"Bruce Sterling Woodcock" wrote in message
om...

"Cardman" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 Jan 2004 14:06:12 GMT, "Bruce Sterling Woodcock"
wrote:

No, designed lifetime target is 90 days... project
lifespan based on current performance could
be many more months.

The Viking landers were also made to last a minimum of 90 days, where
they actually lasted for a couple of years.

True. And Viking 1 could have lasted even longer, if they hadn't
accidentally turned it off. Longest-lived interplanetary spacecraft
on record:

Pioneer 10: March 2 1972 -- Apr 27 2002 (or Jan 23 2003)
IMP-8: Oct 25 1973 -- Oct 30 2001
Pioneer 11: Apr 5 1973 -- Sep 29 1995 (or Nov ?? 1995)
Voyager 2: Aug 20 1977 -- today
Voyager 1: Sep 5 1977 -- today

One could argue that Pioneer 10 and 11 are still "alive" but
simply beyond our ability to communicate with currently given
their low-power states. Some of the various other probes
fromt he 60s and 70s that are still in solar orbit may
theoretically be functional but I don't know of any attempts
to contact them.

Pioneers 6-8 seem to be still functioning:

http://samadhi.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/Quic...ioneer6QL.html

Unfortunately, I can't find a more recent update, but it's possible that P6
is the oldest working object in solar orbit.

Anyone know what the oldest earth satellite still in working order is?
--

Fin
----------------------------------------------------------
Fin Fahey
)
-----------------------------------------------------------

"Fin Fahey" writes:
"Bruce Sterling Woodcock" wrote in message
om...
True. And Viking 1 could have lasted even longer, if they hadn't
accidentally turned it off. Longest-lived interplanetary spacecraft
on record:

Pioneer 10: March 2 1972 -- Apr 27 2002 (or Jan 23 2003)
IMP-8: Oct 25 1973 -- Oct 30 2001
Pioneer 11: Apr 5 1973 -- Sep 29 1995 (or Nov ?? 1995)
Voyager 2: Aug 20 1977 -- today
Voyager 1: Sep 5 1977 -- today

One could argue that Pioneer 10 and 11 are still "alive" but
simply beyond our ability to communicate with currently given
their low-power states.

Pioneers 6-8 seem to be still functioning:

http://samadhi.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/Quic...ioneer6QL.html

Of these, how many are RTG powered? I know the Vikings and Voyagers
were. I'm also sure at least some of the Pioneers were RTG powered
(10 and 11 for sure). A little searching produced this list:

http://www.space.com/businesstechnol..._010625-6.html

Solar power is a distinct operational disadvantage to the MER's. Once
they degrade (from dust and the like), the MER's are done. Hopefully
the solar arrays will degrade at a slow enough rate that the MER's
will exceed their planned operational lifetime.

Jeff
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