From: baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov (Ron Baalke)
Subject: Dante Advisory
Followup-To: sci.space
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 21:15:00 GMT

Charles Redmond
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.   December 28, 1992
(Phone:  301/286-6256)

DANTE ADVISORY

ROBOT AND TEAM ARRIVE SAFELY AT MT. EREBUS BASE CAMP

	Dante, an 8-legged NASA Robot, and the twelve member 
government/university team undertaking the robotic exploration, 
have arrived safely at the base of the live Antarctic volcano, 
Mt. Erebus.  The team has successfully established 
telecommunications between themselves and the Goddard Space 
Flight Center via the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite.

	There is the possibility the Antarctic team might be able 
to transmit at 4:20 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m. EST today video of 
their preparation activities taped during the past several 
days.  

	When Dante begins its descent into the crater of the 
volcano, the team will provide live video during several 20-
minute feeds a day.  These feeds will occur during 8:00 am and 
4:00 pm.  The earliest the team estimates the descent will 
occur is no sooner than Wednesday, Dec. 30.  There is no 
current estimate of the time of these feeds.  Also, local 
weather is a factor and the team is taking longer than 
orginally expected to accomplish certain tasks, so the estimate 
of Wednesday could be early.

	The robot's exploration down the steep inner rim of Mt. 
Erebus to the lava lake of the Antarctic volcano is a 
technology demonstration and science expedition between NASA 
and the National Science Foundation.   For most of the robot's 
expected exploration activities, it will be under the local 
control of the Antarctic team.

	However, portions of the robot exploration will be 
controlled from a payload control center at Goddard.  This will 
be the longest distance ever for live robotic control and 
simulates what may be in store for NASA's further exploration 
activities with humans and robots on Mars.  Carnegie-Mellon 
University and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and 
Technology are partners with NASA and the NSF as robotics and 
volcano experimenters.

	Robotic exploration of the live Mt. Erebus volcano will 
take a minimum of 3 days.  Each day, the Antarctic team expects 
to transmit five 20-minute live video feeds from cameras 
mounted atop the robot or from atop rim of the volcano.

	The feeds will be transmitted from Mt. Erebus via NASA's 
Tracking and Relay Data Satellite West to Goddard.  NASA will 
issue further media advisories when the dates and times of the 
feeds are  known. (Call 301/286-6397 for recorded update 
information.)  

	NASA also will provide commentary on the robot's progress 
provided by robotics and volcano experts at Goddard.  The 
television feed and commentary will be available both at 
Goddard and on NASA Select Televison.

-end-

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    /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov
    | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |
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