[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Finishes Primary Mission

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:11 2004
Message-ID: <200404061729.KAA10221_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/04/05/mars.rovers.ap/index.html

Mars rover finishes primary mission
Associated Press
April 5, 2004

PASADENA, California (AP) -- NASA's Spirit
rover wrapped up its primary mission to Mars
on Monday as it continued to roll across the
planet's surface on an extended tour that
could last through September.

The unmanned robot, marking its 90th full
day on Mars, had accomplished all of the
tasks NASA considered essential to declare
the joint mission a success. Its twin rover,
Opportunity, was getting close to achieving
the same.

"Spirit has completed its part of the bargain,
and Opportunity doesn't have much left to
do," said Mark Adler, manager of the $820
million mission.

The mission's key tasks included a
requirement that one of the rovers travel at
least 1,980 feet -- a mark Spirit surpassed
on Saturday.

Between the two of them, the rovers also
had to take stereo and color panoramas of
their surroundings, drive to at least eight
locations and operate simultaneously for a
minimum of 30 days.

NASA assumed technical and other
problems would ground the rovers fully
one-third of the time they operated on Mars.

Despite computer memory problems that left
Spirit sidelined for 2 1/2 weeks, it has still
spent more days at work than expected.
Opportunity must function for another 20
days before meeting all its goals, Adler said.

"It's better than we could have possibly
imagined," Adler said.

NASA has extended the mission through
September. If the rovers continue to function,
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will apply for
money to extend the project again, Adler
said.

Beginning Thursday, NASA will begin
updating software on the rovers. The new
software should allow Spirit to travel farther
each day while navigating autonomously and
help Opportunity conserve battery power at
night.

Spirit landed Jan. 3 in Gusev Crater, a
90-mile-diameter depression scientists
believed once contained a lake. It is now
several days into a trek toward a cluster of
hills that may contain geologic evidence of a
wetter environment, including perhaps
layered rocks formed in standing water.

Opportunity has found such rocks halfway
around the planet since landing Jan. 24.
Scientists believe a salty sea or swamp once
covered that site, called Meridiani Planum.
Received on Tue 06 Apr 2004 01:29:50 PM PDT


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