[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - June 11, 2007

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 08:56:06 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200706121556.IAA18353_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Studies Layered Rocks at 'Home Plate' -
sol 1207-1218, June 11, 2007:

Having completed studies of bright, silica-rich soil deposits at a
target known as "Gertrude Weise," Spirit drove to a perch on the eastern
edge of the circular, plateau-like feature known as "Home Plate" and
began studying its stratigraphy. Spirit will next drive back in the
direction of Gertrude Weise to study another nearby outcrop. The nearby
outcrop, known as "Nancy Warren," appears similar to a previously
studied outcrop known as "Elizabeth Mahon" that had a silica content of
approximately 72 percent, somewhat lower than the 90-percent silica
measaured at Gertrude Weise.

A layer of dark soil on Elizabeth Mahon likely affected the measurement
of silica content with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, which
measures the abundance of chemical elements. Nancy Warren is interesting
because it appears to have less of the dark soil coating than Elizabeth
Mahon and could help scientists characterize the silica found at
Gertrude Weise.

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to daily observations of atmospheric dust levels using the
panoramic camera, surveys of the sky and ground using the miniature
thermal emission spectrometer, and communication activities including
morning direct-from-Earth uplinks via the rover's high-gain antenna and
evening downlinks at UHF frequencies via the Mars Odyssey orbiter,
Spirit completed the following activities:

Sol 1207 (May 26, 2007): Spirit re-started the Moessbauer spectrometer
and continued analysis of a rock target known as "Pesapallo,"
representing one of the lowest stratigraphic units of Home Plate. Spirit
surveyed targets known as "Margaret Brown" and "Edythe Keating" with the
miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Spirit acquired movie frames in
search of dust devils with the navigation camera in coordination with
orbital scans of the terrain by the High Resolution Science Imaging
Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The rover acquired
an image mosaic of a target called "Bullpen2" using the panoramic camera
and searched for clouds using the navigation camera.

Sol 1208: Spirit acquired data from targets known as "Mary Reynolds" and
"Eleanor Callow" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and
re-started analysis of Pesapallo using the Moessbauer spectrometer. The
rover completed an overnight relay of data to the Odyssey orbiter and
acquired an image mosaic of a target called "Bullpen3" with the
panoramic camera.

Sol 1209: Spirit used the rock abrasion tool to brush the surface of
"Superpesis," a rock target on another fin-shaped outcrop of Home Plate,
acquired stereo microscopic images of the target, and analyzed the
target with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Spirit acquired movie
frames in search of dust devils using the navigation camera.

Sol 1210: Spirit stowed the robotic arm, bumped backward, and acquired
full-color images of Pesapallo using all 13 filters of the panoramic
camera. Spirit drove 3 meters (10 feet) to a rock target known as "June
Emerson," acquired post-drive images with the navigation camera, and
took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.

Sol 1211: Spirit unstowed the robotic arm, brushed the surface of June
Emerson with the rock abrasion tool, acquired microscopic images of June
Emerson, and placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the target.
The rover surveyed additional targets known as "Dorothy Cameron" and
"Adeline Kerrar" using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Spirit then acquired data from June Emerson using the alpha-particle
X-ray spectrometer. The rover completed an overnight relay of data to
the Odyssey orbiter, acquired full-color images of Dorothy Cameron using
all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, and scanned the sky for clouds
using the navigation camera.

Sol 1212: Spirit acquired microscopic images of rock targets called
"Dorothy Key" and "Betty Foss." The rover placed the Moessbauer
spectrometer on June Emerson and collected data. Spirit used the
miniature thermal emission spectrometer to study rock targets known as
"Helen Staubin" and "Dorothy Chapman" and completed an overnight relay
of data to the Odyssey orbiter. Spirit acquired panoramic camera images
of the solar array to monitor dust accumulation.

Sol 1213: Spirit acquired more data from June Emerson using the
Moessbauer spectrometer and acquired data using the miniature thermal
emission spectrometer from Pesapallo and targets known as "Joan
Chiancola," "Jaynie Krick," and "Jean Gilchrist." Spirit acquired
panoramic camera images of the rover's tracks and full-color images
using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera of Jean Gilchrist and
Jaynie Krick. The rover completed an overnight relay of data to the
Odyssey orbiter and watched for dust devils.

Sol 1214: Spirit continued to acquire data from June Emerson using the
Moessbauer spectrometer. Using the panoramic camera and the miniature
thermal emission spectrometer, the rover acquired full-color images and
thermal data to characterize rock targets known as "Irene Kotowicz,"
"Audrey Seitzinger," "Lucille Colacio," and "Mary Kustra." Spirit
watched for dust devils and completed an overnight relay of information
to the Odyssey orbiter. Spirit stowed the robotic arm and acquired
full-color images of the reachable work volume using the panoramic
camera. The rover took spot images of the sky using the panoramic camera
and conducted reconnaissance using the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer.

Sol 1215: Spirit drove 1.2 meters (3.9 feet) to a finely crossbedded
rock target dubbed "Elizabeth Emery" and acquired post-drive navigation
camera images. The rover watched for dust devils, relayed data overnight
to the Odyssey spacecraft, surveyed the horizon with the panoramic
camera, and did reconnaissance using the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer.

Sol 1216: Spirit unstowed the robotic arm and conducted a study of
Elizabeth Emery with the brush on the rock abrasion tool, the
microscopic imager, and the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover
surveyed targets known as "Clara Cook" and "Ruth Lessing" with the
miniature thermal emission spectrometer, relayed data overnight to the
Odyssey orbiter, and acquired thumbnail images of the sky using the
panoramic camera.

Sol 1217: Spirit brushed a finely crossbedded rock target known as "Jane
Stoll" using the rock abrasion tool and took microscopic images of the
brushed target. The rover placed the Moessbauer spectrometer back on
Elizabeth Emery and collected more data. Spirit acquired full-color,
13-filter images of Dorothy Chapman with the panoramic camera and data
from Jaynie Krick using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The
rover completed an overnight relay to the Odyssey spacecraft.

Sol 1218 (June 7, 2007): Spirit acquired early-morning panoramic camera
images and movie frames in search of dust devils. The rover used the
rock abrasion tool to brush the surface of rock targets called "Mildred
Deegan" and "Betty Wagoner" and took microscopic images of the brushed
surfaces. Spirit surveyed Irene Kotowicz with the miniature thermal
emission spectrometer, completed an overnight relay of data to the
Odyssey orbiter, searched for clouds using the navigation camera, and
acquired images of a target known as "Donna Cook" with the panoramic camera.

Odometry:

As of sol 1218 (June 7, 2007), Spirit's total odometry was 7,124.92
meters (4.43 miles).
Received on Tue 12 Jun 2007 11:56:06 AM PDT