[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update - January 14, 2005

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Jan 14 16:20:33 2005
Message-ID: <200501142120.NAA28629_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Close to the Crest - sol 360-366,
January 14, 2005

Currently Spirit is approximately 50 meters (164 feet) from a target
called "Larry's Lookout" on a ridge line in the "Columbia Hills." During
the period from sol 360 through sol 366, engineers focused on maximizing
the amount of time Spirit could drive every sol with limited power. The
driving is slow and difficult; Spirit is encountering many rock
obstacles and patches of soft sand that are causing Spirit to either
slip or dig in. Just when it looked like Spirit might not be able to
reach Larry's Lookout, the rover had three successful drive sols. Spirit
is in excellent health as the team looks forward to celebrating the
anniversary of Opportunity's landing on Jan. 24.

Sol-by-sol summaries:

Sol 360 was a repeat of sol 358's drive. Spirit performed an "S" turn
and then drove straight for about 4 additional meters (13 feet). This
was a refreshingly good result for the tough terrain where Spirit was
located. Spirit experienced as much as 48 percent slippage during the
drive, but ended up moving a total distance of 9.7 meters (31.8 feet).
Spirit also performed 20 minutes of post-drive imaging.

Sol 361 was a restricted sol due to a late downlink of data needed for
more extensive planning. That ruled out any driving or use of the
instrument deployment device. Spirit completed almost 2 hours of remote
sensing observations using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal
emission spectrometer.

Sol 362 and 363 were planned in a single planning cycle. Sol 362 was
another remote sensing sol. On sol 363, Spirit attempted a 10-meter
(33-foot) drive. Spirit accomplished about 3 meters (10 feet) of the
drive before stopping due to high wheel slippage. Spirit experienced
slippage of up to 98 percent on portions of this drive. Spirit then
performed 20 minutes of imaging.

On Sol 364, the rover planners devised a strategy that would attempt to
recover when Spirit experienced slippage of greater than 60 percent. The
drive sequence was complex and Spirit's planning team had a tight
planning cycle, so engineers came painfully close to missing the uplink
window. The payoff for the long day was a very good drive. Spirit
accomplished 7 meters (23 feet).

Spirit performed another uphill drive on sol 365. The rover drove 9
meters (29 feet) and performed 20 minutes of post-drive imaging.

The plan on sol 366 was to continue the uphill drive toward Larry's
Lookout, employing all the latest rover tricks. The drive was successful
as Spirit traversed more than 12 meters (39 feet) with slip averaging
less than 15 degrees. Spirit performed 30 minutes of post-drive
observations. Sol 366 ended on Jan. 12.

Total odometry after sol 366 is 4,030 meters (2.5 miles).

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Hovering Near Heat Shield and a Holey Rock -
sol 341-346, January 14, 2005

Opportunity is healthy. It acquired microscopic images of the fractured
edge of the heat-shield wreckage and began a detailed investigation of
an intriguing, pitted rock a few meters to the north, called "Heat
Shield Rock." The team continues to closely monitor orbital images for
dust storms. The opacity of the atmosphere above Opportunity has
averaged 0.75 with a slight downward (clearing) trend over the past week.

Sol-by-sol summaries

Sols 341 through 343 were combined in a three-sol plan for the Earth
weekend. On sol 341, Opportunity used a morning Mars Odyssey pass for a
communications relay at about 4 a.m. local solar time and then slept
until solar-array wakeup at about 8:45 a.m. After another short nap, the
rover did a bit of remote sensing and received its new commands for the
sol. Opportunity deployed its robotic arm and acquired 96 microscopic
images of the fractured edge of the heat shield. In the afternoon it
used its Mossbauer spectrometer to analyze dust on the science filter
magnet. It used the deep-sleep mode overnight. On sol 342, Opportunity
woke from deep sleep at about 7 a.m. local solar time and restarted the
Mossbauer integration on the magnet. It was a light day of activity with
afternoon remote sensing, an evening Odyssey relay pass, and then
deep-sleeping overnight. On sol 343, the rover restarted Mossbauer
integration on the magnet and completed afternoon remote sensing before
deep-sleeping.

On sol 344, Opportunity stowed its instrument deployment device (robotic
arm) and backed up about 4 meters (13 feet) before acquiring a panorama
of the heat shield and other remote sensing. The rover did not
deep-sleep overnight in order utilize the morning Odyssey relay and
return as much data as possible. The flash memory is relatively full.

On sol 345, Opportunity acquired additional navigation-camera images of
the heat shield to support a future re-approach for additional
microscopic imaging. It then turned and drove north toward "Heat Shield
Rock," which has pits in its surface. The rover traversed about 10
meters (33 feet) and arrived at the desired 1-meter (about 3.3 feet)
standoff distance to acquire remote sensing of the rock. Opportunity
used the energy-conserving deep-sleep mode overnight.

Sol 346 - Opportunity acquired additional remote sensing and then bumped
forward, putting the rock within the work volume of the tools on the
instrument deployment device. The rover took advantage of an
early-morning communications pass, so it did not deep-sleep overnight.
Received on Fri 14 Jan 2005 04:20:20 PM PST