Opportunity Takes a Dip Into Victoria Crater 79
Muad'Dave writes "From the NASA News Release 'Today, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity entered Victoria Crater for the first time. It radioed home information via a relay by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, reporting its activities for the day. Opportunity drove far enough in — about four meters (13 feet) — to get all six wheels past the crater rim. Then it backed uphill for about three meters (10 feet). The driving commands for the day included a precaution for the rover to stop driving if its wheels were slipping more than 40 percent. Slippage exceeded that amount on the last step of the drive, so Opportunity stopped with its front pair of wheels still inside the crater.' This marks the beginning of perhaps the greatest 'Opportunity' for new discoveries on Mars."
wow... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Just... (Score:3, Insightful)
Discoveries (Score:5, Insightful)
This marks the beginning of perhaps the greatest 'Opportunity' for new discoveries on Mars.
Reminds me of the old joke about a mysterious hole being found, experts are looking into it.
That aside, I wonder what they're really expecting to find at the bottom of this crater. Any material from the blast which formed it should be available outside the crater for a large radius. Down in the crater are they expecting to examine strata to search for traces of water, life, indications of Mars earlier life? I suspect most of this, like the debris of the meteorite would be easily found outside the crater without the risk of entering it. I'm afraid once Opportunity enters the crater that's the last of it's exploring days, roaming the surface of Mars and its only Crater News Network from now on.
to the astonishment of NASA a titleist was found at the bottom of the crater
Re:Sounds scary (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Sounds scary (Score:1, Insightful)
- Chris
Re:First read (Score:3, Insightful)