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Somebody already made a reference to the Mars rock in Adirondack disambiguation page. So I went ahead and created the Adirondack (Mars) page taking content from the Adirondack section of MER-A (with slight modification). Obviously, now there's redundancy. Can I remove the Adirondack section from the MER-A page? - Kums 19:58, 14 Oct 2004 (UTC)
Should we not use UTC for times and dates? Seems more appropriate as Mars is not exactly on PST :-) SmilingBoy 01:27, 6 Jan 2004 (UTC)
I think we should use a changing "Current plan" section if people want to record expected activities day by day. I introduced that recently, but it just went away. I think the timeline should include brief notes on what has what actually happened (the facts), and it should be expressed in the past tense like most such sections of wikipedia. This requires changes in the early part of the timeline. NealMcB 22:26, 2004 Jan 14 (UTC)
The quotes from today's breifeings are quite messy and have some dictation errors. If you see any typos, feel free to correct them. Sennheiser 18:37, 27 Jan 2004 (UTC)
What OS does the rover's computer use and what did it use to manage flash memory? - Logotu 22:29, 9 Feb 2004 (UTC)
Wow! I didn't know that there were green rocks on mars! NASA 22:24, 15 Feb 2004 (UTC)
Nice first image at the top there Rbs!
Watch out with [ nasa.gov]'s updates, they sometimes get the date wrong:
Anyone suggest a better table of contents layout? I've added an initial section ==Introduction== to trigger the TOC there, but I don't feel that's the best location... moved further down maybe?
I've posted a question on an enhanced TOC at Wikipedia talk:Section#unnumbered TOC possible? Wikibob 20:19, 2004 Mar 1 (UTC)
NASA's Report archive only goes back to sol 33, Feb 05, 2004, so I copied what's there to subpage Talk:MER-A/reports in case we need to fill in some MER-A timeline gaps from early February. Wikibob 20:08, 2004 Mar 4 (UTC)
I've just uploaded this what lies ahead map from NASA for MER-A:
Mars MER-A what lies ahead sol 59
This map shows the path the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit will travel toward its future target, the large crater dubbed "Bonneville." The red line indicates Spirit's travels up to the 59th martian day, or sol, of its journey, and the blue line, the route it will follow. Engineers pinpointed the rover's exact location by comparing images taken by the panoramic camera on the rover (inset panels) to those acquired during descent by the descent image motion estimation system camera (underlying map).
Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Ohio State University
Wikibob 00:28, 2004 Mar 8 (UTC)
Can anyone explain what this ring shaped object is? uploaded from Nasa, Sol 65, MER-A, Microscopic and Pan Cam images.
It's obviously a space ship. How else would the Martians be able to abduct people? They tried to hide it under the sand but didn't do a very good job, did they. :=) pir 14:26, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)
The grey part in the middle is where they sit. (They're v. small) Washington Irving | Talk 14:28, 12 Mar 2004 (UTC)
You're right it is an artifact of the rover's investigations. But I think what we're actually seeing is compressed sand rather than ground rock (prompted by your comment I went back to look at other images and I found some similar but less ambiguous pictures. The semi-circular footprint is left by an instrument that looks at soil chemistry (I forget the name), then imaged so that the physical properties of the soil/sand can be inferred from the way it is pressed down... Thanks for helping to clear this up! Washington Irving | Talk 14:22, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)
This is an imprint in soft soil of the Mossbauer spectrometer contact plate. The Mossbauer contact plate is often used during Instrument Deployment Device (aka "arm") operations to determine the actual distance to the soil so that subsequent movements are spot on rather than subject to the +/- 1 cm or so accuracy of the stereo range finding. Kevingrozni ( talk) 18:08, 21 December 2010 (UTC)
The timelines are getting very long and I'd soon like to split them into months, mainly to help readers, as there's no problem with editing yet. I'm happy to keep pasting in NASA's daily reports, even though these will probably be edited down in the future, but please say if anyone has any other ideas. - Wikibob | Talk 22:18, 2004 Apr 1 (UTC)
These images were uploaded and added to MER-A timeline
Wikibob |
Talk 23:41, 2004 Apr 1 (UTC)
I noticed links to RAT on the MER-B article, which yesterday went to a disambiguation page that didn't have Rock Abrasion Tool listed. I added it, fixed up the links on the MER-A and MER-B articles, and wrote a Rock Abrasion Tool stub. I know that the RAT is covered on the Mars Exploration Rover article, but that article is getting very long and Wikipedia is now warning against expanding it and in favor of splitting it into multiple articles.
I just thought that those who contribute this content should know this. You might want to tear down my stub and link back to the MER article, or the MER article folks might want to start setting up separate articles for instrumentation and etc. I leave it to others.
Jeff Medkeff 01:22, Jan 26, 2005 (UTC)
Please read and discuss at Talk:MER-B.-- Pharos 09:30, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)
While typing the word "sol", I'm not sure if it should be capitalized when put along with a day (i.e. Sol 354 vs. a sol). Half the "sol"s in the article are capitalized, half undercase. So what should the standard be? Riffsyphon1024 18:40, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)
Why can't I see any image very first image on this page, "Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera image of Spirit's landing site"? Is anyone else having this problem? Semiconscious ( talk · home) 08:58, 29 August 2005 (UTC)
We're trying to improve the opening Summary, picture placement. I had the Husband Hill photo near top, on my screen it did not ruin text layout, apparently on some screens it does. Also, when I put the rover model on I was totaly incapable of putting any text under the picture. It would accept the text from a copy paste from another photo on the page but not when I would put the text in from the picture I loaded in Commons. I also don't like all the white space in the article to the left of small pictures. I'd rather somehow consolidating somehow text and / or pictures or something to get rid of the white space. Kyle Andrew Brown 01:32, 3 September 2005 (UTC)
The full color 3D conversion was done in the most advanced methodology. Please allow the tiny alternative to co-exist with the larger rover image. Millions of Kids and Space Exploration fans have 3D glasses, and the new "stereo" solar mission is soon to launch.
3dnatureguy 06:25, 26 January 2006 (UTC)
"First color photograph", etc. is clearly stating that Spirit is taking color photos. This is not true in the stict sense. The color images are constructed by taking photos of the same thing using different filters. Note that the filters are not the same as the RBG pigments in the human eye thus the color is not exactly what a human would see. Also one would hope the lighting does not change too much in the time it takes to take the photos: usually three (six if one takes photos with both left and right cameras). It would be more accurate to say, the "first color image released" or "first color image generated." MichaelSH 01:55, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
Could someone please explain this sentence at the end of the color photos section: "This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg, as this image, received on 6 January 2004, is about one eighth of a single pancam panorama and isn't stereo." I've added a clarify tag; obviously, the writer is familiar with the equipment, but most readers are not. Bry9000 ( talk) 21:18, 10 January 2008 (UTC)
I changed "mission patch" to read "launch patch". The launch patches stem from the 1SLS (the Air Force squadron in charge of the Delta launch range), not from NASA. Geoffrey.landis 20:04, 2 January 2007 (UTC)
I'm to lazy to look up how to correct this properly right now but the citation for the thing about the world trade center metal... well... it appeared in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/science/07mars.html?ex=1100876165&ei=1&en=b1c55b27760922a2
That should be the link... so somebody else fix it :) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Arch NME ( talk • contribs) 06:15, 21 January 2007 (UTC).
Is this called Spriti rover? Shouldn't it be titled Spirit (rover)? Hbdragon88 03:54, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
Even though NASA scientists refer to the rover as a "she" (i.e. "she has landed near a new crater) it should be refered to as an "it" on this page. This page is about facts, and it is a fact that the rover is an inanimate object with no gender. So I have changed the "She's" and "Her's" to "It's", because that is more encylclopedia like. Pacman 21:28, 26 February 2007 (UTC)
The 2004 section is missing all its links... where have they gone? Were they ever there? EAi 22:33, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
In the article it gives the landing point as "at latitude 14.57°, longitude 175.48° E meters.[3]".
I think this should be "at latitude 14.57° S, longitude 175.48° E [3]"
Changes are
1. Add 'S' to the first coordinate (it is given in the reference as -14.57° (note minus sign), which I presume means south
2. Remove 'meters', this has no meaning in a latitude and longitude measurement (on the reference page the position is given as latitude and longditude and the _error_ in meters)
Any comments?
Something is not right in the part where it state the power produced is 700 watts per day. Power is the measument of energy transfer per unit time (1 watt = 1 joule per second) and saying 700 watts per day implies a the power output changes by 700W per day, every day. The power output should be measured in watts alone, or the total energy produced per day could be measured in watt-hours. 700W sounds like a lot for a small solar panel like that to produce, especially on Mars, so maybe it should read watt-hours. Inductiveload 02:24, 10 August 2007 (UTC)
It's probably obvious for many of you, but why are Spirit and Opportunity devoid of any dust cleaning tool? I understand space is scarce, but such a tool is not that big. Dpotop 11:48, 3 September 2007 (UTC)
As you say, space was scarce. Apparently, a cleaning tool would have come at the cost of one of the scientific implements, and NASA decided to keep that implement instead increasing the rovers' longevity. To tell you the truth, it doesn't really make that much sense to me either. People have been bugging NASA about it ever since. : P Vsst 09:06, 6 September 2007 (UTC)
The template at the top lists "space flight". Nothing is flying... CompuHacker 19:58, 7 October 2007 (UTC)
Erm, anything that is attached directly to an object by gravity (large enough not the require clamps or ropes) would be considered a rover or something on the ground? Anything that has to be attached with ropes or clamps to prevent it from flying off is in flight. CompuHacker 00:23, 8 October 2007 (UTC)
I think the template is referring to the way the rover got to Mars not how the rover goes about Mars. It is irrelevant what the payload of a space-bound vehicle does after it is launched into space; the fact that it required a flight by a rocket is enough to justify the template. Thorenn ( talk) 21:13, 11 December 2009 (UTC)
The use of 'yards' may indicate meters in source data. A journey described in the article as '400 yards' to a crater that is '150 yards' across, was probably originally reported by scientists as 400 meters and 150 meters. I assume that modern NASA source data is metric by default. My impression is that now it is only the media (including NASA's own press officers) that persist in making it hard to work out whether source data is metric or non-metric.
This issue happens in multiple space articles. But there are multiple Wikiprojects for space articles. Does anybody have a suggestion as to which Wikiproject is the most likely to address this issue? Lightmouse ( talk) 14:23, 4 January 2008 (UTC)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Current_rover_mission
And add it to the article if possible. CompuHacker ( talk) 15:14, 31 March 2008 (UTC)
I noticed that the article does not include the objectives or the scientific payload of the rover. BatteryIncluded ( talk) 22:46, 25 July 2008 (UTC)
As a visitor with no knowledge of (but a sudden curiosity in) this mission, I've found it next to impossible to discover 1) where the rover is now 2) what it has done recently. I assume via vandalism, the years 2006 and 2008 seem to be used interchangeable (see Low Ridge Haven, Home Plate, etc). Could someone who follows this patrol the dates, assign earth dates to each Sol date (as is done in some places but not others), and give some idea of what the timeline is/has been, perhaps in a section lead? I know it's annoying to have strangers come and tell you what to do, but this is an article which is both very high profile and which follows events that on a day-to-day basis are quite obscure to us non-experts. As it stands I come away from this more confused than enlightened. T L Miles ( talk) 05:10, 12 September 2008 (UTC)
In the header section it says that "dust clearing events" restored the solar power levels, what kind of "events" happened? -- Arnos78 ( talk) 01:17, 14 May 2009 (UTC)
"Spirit was stuck in soft soil on Mars, one of the mission's embedding events."
If this isn't a bad joke, it needs to be expanded upon. Rsduhamel ( talk) 03:29, 18 September 2009 (UTC)
For the second time in the past 24 hours, I have removed a reference to the recent xkcd comic: [3]. I think this is a very minor reference in the popular media which doesn't seem to need mention in the article. Any other thoughts, disagreements? -- TeaDrinker ( talk) 22:06, 29 January 2010 (UTC)
When were the Martian years anniversaries? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.173.206.185 ( talk) 15:37, 16 February 2010 (UTC)
I just happened upon this article [1], that indicates that, if Spirit survives the winter, NASA might undertake more efforts to get the little rover to move again. I thought this might warrant a mention in the article, if somone wants to include it. Jedikaiti ( talk) 22:48, 4 March 2010 (UTC)
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The article, in both the lead and the last entry for 2010, do not make it clear whether the current state is considered an end-of-mission. I understand it is not, but something should be added to make this clear. SchmuckyTheCat ( talk)
Is my maths totally wrong or does 50mm/sec = 0.18 km/h rather than 1.8 km/h? 145.64.134.245 ( talk) 12:48, 25 January 2011 (UTC)
It is noted in the intro that when the rover became stuck, it had operated 21.6x its planned mission duration. For the introduction I should think that should be sufficient, such that noting that contact efforts continued until 24.6x mission duration and mission was not declared terminated until 25.2x mission duration is excessive detail. I would think it would be too much to declare mission duration for a large number of things the rover did when it was operating and communicating, never mind when it was not. It was fully functional for more than 20x planned duration. Good for Spirit. Trumpeting that fact ONCE is surely enough for a neutral presentation of the subject.-- Brian Dell ( talk) 00:09, 28 May 2011 (UTC)
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Curiosity rover which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. — RMCD bot 03:47, 28 January 2013 (UTC)
There have been some edits back and forth of the opening sentence and I'd like to get some concensus from other editors. Which of the two is clearer and best describes the subject?
Personally I find is to be the better choice. Though the contact was lost with the rover and it is no longer active. It still is a rover. was a robotic rover on Mars could easily be interpreted as indicating that the rover is no longer on Mars. What do others think?-- RadioFan ( talk) 16:25, 28 July 2013 (UTC)
As for Opportunity I try to restructure the article a little (better formatting). -- MoreInput ( talk) 17:04, 21 November 2013 (UTC)
A Martian year is 686 Earth days as opposed to our year of 365 Earth days. I know some of these you may think "well it should be obvious" but nothing is obvious when it comes to folks reading an encyclopedia page. People just aren't used to converting time units which here on Earth are constants for all intents and purposes, but once you step off of Earth are not. It's like the distinction between Newton's laws of gravity and Einstein's - Newton works for most everyday stuff, but when we're talking about being on Mars, we need the more specific explanations, including timekeeping on Mars but not only using "sols" for days.
The following bits are ambiguously stated in length to an amateur:
This is confusing - are only the days in Earth units? If the entire timeframe is Earth units, it should say that before spitting out the numbers: "In earth time units: 5 years, 3 months, 27 days"
Again, Earth years or Mars years?
I'm not trying to start an argument or be picky, but kids (who may indeed possibly find themselves translating Earth time to Mars time on their way there) read this article and clarity should be maintained.-- Varkman ( talk) 10:12, 7 January 2016 (UTC)
The link to the MER Website appears to be broken. Fix? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Madmohawk ( talk • contribs) 13:54, 26 April 2017 (UTC)
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