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Mid-October when Opportunity's 45 days runs out will be four months since loss of contact.
We didn't even start trying to restore contact with Spirit until 4 months after loss of contact.
I still can't make an engineering case not giving Oppy a chance.
#WakeUpOppy #SaveOppy
I was there when we sent the last offical command to try and restore contact with Spirit.
I was there when we sent the last unofficial commands weeks later using a different set of commands.
We tried everything for Spirit. Why not for Opportunity?
#WakeUpOppy #SaveOppy
So what is active listening?
In 2010 we called it "sweep and beep." It actively sends commands on the rover's frequency with instructions to send a "beep" carrier signal.
Can get a response when the rover might not have sent a signal on its own.
#WakeUpOppy #SaveOppy
Was there an official "end of mission" plan for Spirit, akin to this for Oppy? How was the decision made to call it quits?
My reccolection is the decision was made in a MER Project Staff Meeting as a group. It was discussed, a consensus of the PM, Team Chiefs, Project Scientist, and Mission Managers was reached. That decision had buy-in from the senior personnel. It was a team decision.
That said the plan at that point, was to continue efforts through the existing DSN coverage allocated to Spirit. But it wasn't and EOM decision. Opportunity was still functional. The MER mission would continue, albeit shorthanded one rover.
I remember that staff meeting. It was in the "fishbowl" conference room on the north side of the Mission Support Area (control room, now used by MSL). I was sitting in the tow of chairs along the north wall.
When it was my turn to speak, I advocated for at a minimum stopping active listening with Mars Odyssey. Every power cycle of Odyssey's radio used for Spirit was one that could be used by Opportunity (or Curiosity or future missions) later.
My perspective was doing what was best for the *mission* as a whole. Opportunity was just beginning to explore Endeavour Crater when Spirit recovery ended...and it is amazing what we have learned about Mars since then.
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