"Robert J. Bradbury" wrote:
> This story here:
> http://www.space.com/news/mpl_found_010319.html
> reports that the Mars Polar Lander may have been found sitting
> on its legs. Future confirmation is needed, but this puts
> an interesting spin on Faster, Better, Cheaper... Robert
My bogosity meter is pegged. You know the size of the
lander, approximately, and you know how to do diffraction
limit calcs to determine the best possible resolution for
a given size mirror. Exercise for the reader: assuming
the closest approach of earth to Mars, what is the very
best resolution available to a "super spy agency" which
would presumably be operating from this planet, assuming
a 20 meter diameter mirror?
Ignore for the moment that Earth and Mars have not
had a close approach recently. spike
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