[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - July 28, 2004

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Jul 28 15:22:46 2004
Message-ID: <200407281922.MAA03538_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Survives 200 Sols! - sol 198-200, July 28, 2004

On sol 198, Spirit completed a long overnight reading by the M?ssbauer
spectrometer on a rock target called "Sabre," then ground a second rock
abrasion tool hole on a target called "Mastodon." The alpha particle
X-ray spectrometer was placed in the fresh hole in preparation for a
reading, which was started during the overnight Odyssey communication pass.

On sol 199, Spirit completed a 6-hour early morning alpha particle X-ray
spectrometer reading on Mastodon. After a midday nap to conserve energy,
Spirit took pictures with the microscopic imager to create a mosaic of
the rock abrasion tool hole. Spirit then placed the M?ssbauer instrument
in the hole and began a 20-hour overnight reading.

Sol 200, ending on July 26, was a busy day for Spirit. Spirit completed
the overnight M?ssbauer reading on the rock abrasion tool hole, took a
midday nap, stowed the arm, bumped back to take pictures and readings of
the hole with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission
spectrometer, then drove about 52 feet (16 meters). Due to the nature of
the terrain, the drive was done in 6-wheel mode to minimize errors
(rather than the current standard 5-wheel mode to conserve the aging
right front wheel). Engineers carefully targeted Spirit's drive to end
in a location with favorable tilt to the north to point the solar panels
toward the Sun, giving Spirit as much power as possible as the Sun hangs
low in the sky during martian winter.

Spirit will continue to drive up the Columbia Hills and search for more
rock outcroppings.
Received on Wed 28 Jul 2004 03:22:37 PM PDT