Spirit makes a run for the
December 9th 2007 03:05
Yet another Mars roving spacecraft.
The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken a new color image of the feature named the "Home Plate" in Gusev Crater on Mars.
The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows up inside the perimeter of Home Plate, where it was when HiRISE image was taken on Sept. 27, 2007, at 2:19 P.M. local Mars time.
Spirit is driving toward the safe, north-facing slopes on the north side of Home Plate, which is toward the top of the image. There it will be positioned to tilt its solar panels toward the Sun for the long Martian to keep the electrical power going in winter. Home Plate is a flat, raised feature that is probably a remnant of a deposit emplaced by an ancient volcanic activity.
The new color image of Home Plate was created using the camera's blue-green and red channels. At the time, the camera was flying about 270 kilometers, or about 168 miles, over the surface. At that distance, the camera could resolve objects about 81 centimeters, or about 32 inches, across. The sun was about 56 degrees above the horizon in the winter afternoon sky.
The HiRISE camera is the most powerful camera ever to orbit another planet. It has taken thousands of black-and-white images, and hundreds of color images, since it began science operations in 2006.
A single HiRISE image will often be a multigigabyte image that measures 20,000 pixels by 50,000 pixels, which includes a 4,000-by-50,000 pixel region in three colors. It can take a computer up to three hours to process such an image.
The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken a new color image of the feature named the "Home Plate" in Gusev Crater on Mars.
Overhead view of the "Mars Plate"
The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows up inside the perimeter of Home Plate, where it was when HiRISE image was taken on Sept. 27, 2007, at 2:19 P.M. local Mars time.
Spirit is driving toward the safe, north-facing slopes on the north side of Home Plate, which is toward the top of the image. There it will be positioned to tilt its solar panels toward the Sun for the long Martian to keep the electrical power going in winter. Home Plate is a flat, raised feature that is probably a remnant of a deposit emplaced by an ancient volcanic activity.
The new color image of Home Plate was created using the camera's blue-green and red channels. At the time, the camera was flying about 270 kilometers, or about 168 miles, over the surface. At that distance, the camera could resolve objects about 81 centimeters, or about 32 inches, across. The sun was about 56 degrees above the horizon in the winter afternoon sky.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS/Cornell Spirit's 'Paige' Panorama of the Interior of 'Home Plate'
A single HiRISE image will often be a multigigabyte image that measures 20,000 pixels by 50,000 pixels, which includes a 4,000-by-50,000 pixel region in three colors. It can take a computer up to three hours to process such an image.
| 65 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by Mountain Fog
Infognito
Years ago, when I was working on a film entitled "Total Recall", I was asked to find visuals on future space vehicles and also anything I could on Mars. So I rang the States, was put on to the Jet Propulsion people at NASA, who then told me to ring the White House!
When I did, the switch asked a few questions about my inquiry, then redirected my call. It was as it transferred me that I realised the voice was completely expressionless, only recited a basic list of questions and sounded a little weird, I had been talking to a computer! This was in the early 80s too!
Anyway, the library at the White House arranged to send me colour transparencies of the Mars surface and space vehicles etc. I still have them somewhere.
I love the Mars robots and used to follow their antics closely.
cheers
fog
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
The technology employed in these vehicles is amazing the image quality especially.
Total recall I remember the film it was one of the new special effects scifi blockbuster.
Mars has always been one of my favourite planets to see through the telescope. I guess the pictures you have are some of the early missions and are of still of great interest