Quote from: spectre9 on 12/05/2012 06:22 amI've now had a look at the other 3 prospective MSL landing sites and I like Mawrth Vallis Nili Fossae has always been my favourite but I'm not sure NASA likes it.The Mars team deserves this one with their tremendous public outreach for Curiosity. Well done to them.I'll keep crowing about Europa and hopefully it's moved up in the 2020s.I just stumbled on this link.http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/Really goes to show how big Mars is and how much there is to explore.I hope it gets a better name than the last one What's wrong with the name Curiosity then?Be nice if after this they moved onto getting something to Titan, that must be a pressing scientific objective beyond Mars.
I've now had a look at the other 3 prospective MSL landing sites and I like Mawrth Vallis Nili Fossae has always been my favourite but I'm not sure NASA likes it.The Mars team deserves this one with their tremendous public outreach for Curiosity. Well done to them.I'll keep crowing about Europa and hopefully it's moved up in the 2020s.I just stumbled on this link.http://marsoweb.nas.nasa.gov/landingsites/Really goes to show how big Mars is and how much there is to explore.I hope it gets a better name than the last one
Personal opinion on the name I guess. Not to my taste.Titan is going to be eclipsed by Saturn making missions difficult. Once NASA has an ASRG spare I'm sure they will take a look at doing a Titan mare boat but it has to be very cheap under strict cost caps.There are no real pressing objectives beyond Mars they all have a priority. It's way of bringing order to Chaos with so many tantalising targets for scientific exploration in the outer planets.Link to the presentation here.http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=24381.0
SAN FRANCISCO — The unmanned rover that NASA plans to launch toward Mars in 2020 should gather up Red Planet rocks and dirt for delivery to Earth someday, some experts say."I hope and expect that its main mission will be to collect and cache a well-chosen set of samples for eventual return to Earth," Steve Squyres of Cornell University, principal investigator for NASA's Opportunity Mars rover, told SPACE.com via email.
Once NASA has an ASRG spare I'm sure they will take a look at doing a Titan mare boat but it has to be very cheap under strict cost caps.
I'd read that a zoom camera and a stereoscopic camera were originally intended for Curiosity but left out.
I think John is a refreshing change from the typical “wooden” persons that would have his position and responsibly. The man is totally down to earth and displays a lack of ego than many “less accomplished” individuals...
Quote from: Rocket Science on 12/05/2012 03:54 pmI think John is a refreshing change from the typical “wooden” persons that would have his position and responsibly. The man is totally down to earth and displays a lack of ego than many “less accomplished” individuals...One of those people who had the position was Alan Stern. You considered him "wooden"?
The new rover may have some caching capabilities...
1-Question 1: Will there be enough plutonium 238 for this mission? Or will they have to fly a ASRG instead of a MMRTG?2-Question 2: What orbiters will still be operation for this mission. Odyssey certainly won't last, MRO probably won't last. MARVEN orbit is so high it may have limited com relaying ability, all that will be left (hopefully) is just one ESA orbiter. should there be another push to get a dedicated telecoms orbiter?
MARVEN orbit is so high it may have limited com relaying ability,
We will need some orbiter type missions to replace aging missions. Mars Odyssey is gonna need to be replaced at some point. Even if it is just a relay comm mission.
Quote from: FOXP2 on 12/05/2012 10:54 pmMARVEN orbit is so high it may have limited com relaying ability,Actually it is a better orbit, it will be in view longer, allowing for more data to be transmitted.
Legit question: How hard is it to modify the cruise stage of the EDL sequence to be able to also (aero)brake into orbit after detaching the decent stage, to then remain in orbit as a comsat?
Quote from: simonbp on 12/04/2012 11:28 pmWe will need some orbiter type missions to replace aging missions. Mars Odyssey is gonna need to be replaced at some point. Even if it is just a relay comm mission.Legit question: How hard is it to modify the cruise stage of the EDL sequence to be able to also (aero)brake into orbit after detaching the decent stage, to then remain in orbit as a comsat?
I get the impression that some of you guys read one post and then ask the same questions that have been answered multiple times before in earlier posts.