[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update - April 8, 2004

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:12 2004
Message-ID: <200404082301.QAA15638_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

SPIRIT UPDATE: Last Sol for Spirit Science - sol 93, Apr 08, 2004

Spirit began sol 93, which ended at 7:57 p.m. PST on April 7, by
heating the high gain antenna. Spirit then took some calibration
measurements and navigation camera imaging of the alpha particle
X-ray spectrometer's placement on the magnet.

Around 10:30 a.m. Mars Local Solar time, Spirit moved its
instrument deployment device out of the way to take hazard
avoidance camera images of the rock target called "Route 66."
The rover then operated the Mössbauer spectrometer for a
four-hour integration. During the integration, Spirit captured
its current location with a panoramic camera mosaic toward the
"Columbia Hills" and the rover tracks.

After a short nap, Spirit took mini thermal emission spectrometer
observations of the rover tracks, and rock targets called "Everest"
and "Pisa." The rover completed the Mössbauer integration and
then placed it on Route 66 with the alpha particle X-ray
spectrometer pointed up to the sky. The instrument deployment
device will remain in this position during the flight software
load time period, allowing for long integrations of the
Mössbauer on Route 66 and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer
on the sky.

Sol 94, which ends at 8:37 p.m. PST on April 8, will be the
beginning of the four-sol flight software upload. Before rover
operators begin loading the updated software, they will command
Spirit to perform a sunrise imaging operation. The flight
software update will continue through sol 97 with a rover reboot
on sol 98, Monday April 12.



OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Traveling Around the Trough - sol 73, Apr 08, 2004

Opportunity was on the move again on sol 73, which ended at
7:39 a.m. PST on April 7. The rover toured and examined the
trough remotely.

Opportunity woke up to "Let the Good Times Roll" by B.B. King - a
nod to Spirit's successful primary mission of 91 sols and a
call for more good times during the coming sols.
Received on Thu 08 Apr 2004 07:01:42 PM PDT