[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update - April 10, 2007

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:55:56 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200704111655.l3BGtv223425_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Studies Rocks En Route to "Home Plate" -
sol 1152-1158, April 10, 2007:

Spirit is healthy and performing scientific studies of an outcrop of
light-toned clasts and cobbles nicknamed "Elizabeth Mahon" on the edge
of "Home Plate" as well as a pockmarked rock outcrop nicknamed "Madeline
English."

To get around obstacles and make progress over rough terrain using only
five wheels, Spirit drove backward a few meters, pivoted around the
front wheel, drove backward another few meters, pivoted again to face
Madeline English, and finally pushed forward to reach the rock with
scientific instruments on the robotic arm.

After investigating Madeline English, the rover will head back north to
one of several possible "on-ramps" for driving onto Home Plate.

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to daily observations of atmospheric dust levels and surveys
of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer,
Spirit conducted the following activities:

Sol 1152 (March 31, 2007): Spirit acquired panoramic camera images of a
rock exposure known as "Clara Zaph" in addition to miniature thermal
emission spectrometer data from "Clara Zaph 1," "Clara Zaph 2," and
"Clara Zaph 3." The rover surveyed the sky and ground and targets known
as "Rita Briggs" and "Twila Shively" using the miniature thermal
emission spectrometer and completed a survey with the sun low in the sky
using the panoramic camera.

Sol 1153: Spirit turned southeast and drove backward 4 meters over the
target Elizabeth Mahon to place it within the work volume of the rover's
scientific instruments. Spirit acquired post-drive images using the
navigation camera and relayed data to the Odyssey orbiter overnight.

Sol 1154: Spirit acquired thumbnail images of the sky using the
panoramic camera and measured argon using the alpha-particle X-ray
spectrometer.

Sol 1155: Spirit unstowed the robotic arm, placed the Moessbauer
spectrometer on Elizabeth Mahon, and acquired data overnight. The rover
acquired a mosaic of panoramic camera images facing the drive direction
and relayed data to Odyssey overnight.

Sol 1156: Spirit continued to acquire overnight data from Elizabeth
Mahon using the Moessbauer spectrometer. Spirit acquired full-color
images using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera of a target known as
"Madeline English 2." The rover acquired miniature thermal emission
spectrometer data from Madeline English 2 and targets known as "Betty
Hill" and "Madeline English 3."

Sol 1157: Spirit changed tools from the Moessbauer spectrometer to the
microscopic imager and acquired a mosaic of microscopic images of
Elizabeth Mahon. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer
on the target and collected data overnight while also relaying relayed
data to the Odyssey orbiter. Spirit scanned the sky for clouds using the
navigation camera and acquired full-color images of white soil using all
13 filters of the panoramic camera.

Sol 1158 (April 6, 2007): Plans called for Spirit to acquire overnight
data using the Moessbauer spectrometer, panoramic camera images of
Madeline English, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer data on
targets known as "Noreen Arnold," "Carol Habben," and "Phyllis Wise."

Odometry:

As of sol 1153 (April 1, 2007), Spirit's total odometry was 7,077.10
meters (4.40 miles).

------------------------------------------------------------------------

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Characterizing Wind Streaks - sol 1131-1138,
April 10, 2007:

Opportunity is healthy and is attempting to characterize the dark wind
streak material which emanates from Victoria Crater as seen from orbital
images.

On Sol 1132 the team planned a four-hour alpha particle X-ray
spectrometer integration to measure atmospheric Argon. The purpose of
this measurement is to determine the atmospheric mixing processes and
track their changes with time.

Sol 1137 included a test of a fix for a steering bias bug in the
mobility flight software. This is the fix for the problem the team saw
on sol 1114, when the software selected an arc that was 13 degrees off
course from the goal.

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to Opportunity's usual observations of panoramic camera tau,
navigation camera cloud captures, miniature thermal emission sky and
ground stares, and panoramic camera sky spots, the rover did the following:

Sol 1131 (March 30, 2007): On this sol, Opportunity's panoramic camera
began to take the first half of a long baseline stereo image of "Valley
Without Peril." The navigation camera was used to fill gaps in the
previous sol's panorama. The panoramic camera was then used again to
image target "Almeria." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer also
observed Almeria.

Sol 1132: Opportunity bumped 5.6 meters (18.4 feet) to the second eye
location of the stereo panorama of Valley Without Peril. The miniature
thermal emission spectrometer observed target "Barcelona." The alpha
particle X-ray spectromter completed a four-hour atmospheric Argon
measurement.

Sol 1133: On this sol, the rover continued the long baseline stereo
second eye image of Valley Without Peril and also conducted remote sensing.

Sol 1134: Opportunity drove to a bright spot between wind streaks to set
up for microscopic imaging and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer
measurements on sol 1135. The rover took panoramic camera images at
three different times during the sol as part of a photometry experiment.

Sol 1135: On this sol, Opportunity used the microscopic imager to
examine the soil target "Salamanca," in the bright spot area between
wind streaks.

Sol 1136: Opportunity used the microscopic imager and the alpha particle
X-ray spectrometer on soil target "Sevilla." The miniature thermal
emission spectrometer did a foreground survey and the panoramic camera
was used to image the rover tracks.

Sol 1137: The rover drove about 35 meters (115 feet) to middle of a wind
streak and then took images with its panoramic camera as part of a
photometry experiment.

Sol 1138: On this sol, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer
completed a foreground survey. The panoramic camera conducted a
13-filter foreground survey and took more images for the photometry
experiment.

Current Odometry:

As of sol 1134, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,373.19 meters (6.45
miles).
Received on Wed 11 Apr 2007 12:55:56 PM PDT