[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Status Report: Situation Improves; Spirit Resumes Using Robotic Arm

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2007 08:34:07 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200708081534.IAA29171_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2007-087a

Martian Skies Brighten Slightly
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
August 07, 2007

Mars Exploration Rover Status Report: Situation Improves; Spirit Resumes
Using Robotic Arm

Slight clearing of still-dusty Martian skies has improved the energy
situation for both Spirit and Opportunity, allowing controllers to
increase the rovers' science observations. Spirit is even being
commanded to move its arm for the first time in nearly three weeks. It
will position the arm's microscopic imager to take a series of
photographs of two soil targets and one rock target. Opportunity's
planned science observations are for studies of the atmosphere.

Energy production from solar arrays increased to 295 watt hours on
Spirit's 1,276th Martian day, or sol, which ended early Aug. 6, and to
243 watt hours on Opportunity's sol 1,255 which ended midday Aug. 5. The
solar panels generate electricity from sunlight. Dust storms obscuring
the sun have cut daily output as low as 261 watt hours on Spirit and 128
watt hours on Opportunity in recent weeks, compared with levels above
700 watt hours per sol before the current series of Martian dust storms
began in June. One hundred watt hours is what it takes to run a 100-watt
bulb for one hour.

The increased output from the solar panels, though slight, has allowed
Opportunity to fully charge its batteries and Spirit to bring its
batteries to nearly full charge. Also, the temperature of the core
electronics module on Opportunity, which was of concern when it fell to
minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 37 Celsius) last week, has increased
to minus 28.1 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 33.4 degrees Celsius).

"Conditions are still dangerous for both rovers and could get worse
before things get better," said John Callas, rover project manager at
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

"We will continue our cautious approach to the weather and configure the
rovers to maintain a high state of charge on the batteries.
Communication sessions with both rovers will remain limited until the
skies clear further."

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

Media contact; Guy Webster/JPL
818-354-6278
Received on Wed 08 Aug 2007 11:34:07 AM PDT