[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update - December 1, 2005

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Dec 2 12:56:22 2005
Message-ID: <200512021754.jB2HsnS05300_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

SPIRIT UPDATE: Downhill Progress - sol 668-680, Dec 01, 2005:

Spirit is healthy and making good progress downhill. The short-term goal
is to drive toward couple of interesting features dubbed "Comanche" and
"Miami." A decision on which target to choose for close examination will
be made after the drive images come down from sol 680 (Dec. 1, 2005).

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Spirit used all four devices on its
robotic arm -- the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, the Moessbauer
spectrometer, the microscopic imager, and the rock abrasion tool (the
brush on the abrasion tool) -- to study an outcrop area called
"Seminole. The two targets for use of those tools on this outcrop were
informally named "Abiaka" and "Osceola". The names refer to native
American tribes in Florida. The investigations of the targets'
composition identified abundant olivine and indicated that the outcrop
is mafic (bearing a class of usually dark-colored minerals rich in
magnesium and iron).

As of sol 679 (Nov. 30, 2005), Spirit has driven 5,463 meters (3.39 miles).

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Stalled Motor, Stowed Arm - sol 649-660, Dec 01, 2005:

Opportunity drove 43 meters on sol 649 (Nov. 20, 2005) and then bumped
10 meters to an outcrop for work with its robotic arm (instrument
deployment device) over the Thanksgiving holidays. Opportunity's
commands for sol 654 (Nov. 25, 2005) included unstowing the arm to begin
using the tools on it for examining the layered outcrop that the rover
had driven to three sols earlier. The arm is always stowed during
drives. This time, a shoulder-joint motor that is needed for unstowing
the arm stalled, and the arm stayed stowed. In subsequent sols,
engineers worked to narrow the range of possibilities for the cause of
the stall. Among the remaining possibilities is that, after working more
than seven times longer than originally planned, the lubrication is
degrading. One possible fix would be to increase the duration of the
allowed motor start-up, to overcome the increased initial friction. The
first diagnostic activity for the arm was performed sol 659, where a
very small motion was recorded. Future diagnostic activities and
continuing analysis will be performed to further characterize the
shoulder-joint motor in upcoming sols.

As of sol 659 (Nov. 30, 2005), Opportunity has driven 6,502 meters (4.04
miles).
Received on Fri 02 Dec 2005 12:54:49 PM PST