[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - September 18, 2007

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:20:42 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200709181920.MAA04101_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Explores Top of "Home Plate" - sol 1309-1314,
September 18, 2007:

After spending some time getting used to the terrain on top of "Home
Plate," Spirit began driving across the top of the elevated plateau, en
route to taking more images and examining a possible fracture in the
bedrock.

On the rover's 1,310th Martian day, or sol, of exploration (Sept. 9,
2007), Spirit completed a drive characterization to determine how the
rover responded on Home Plate terrain. After passing that test, Spirit
proceeded toward a destination known as "Site 2." Plans called for the
rover to acquire the second portion of a long-baseline, stereo view of
"Husband Hill" and study the potential fracture. In addition, Spirit was
slated to collect remote sensing data looking to the west, southwest,
and south in search of possible drive paths as well as geological
information.

Sol-by-sol summary

In addition to measuring atmospheric opacity with the panoramic camera,
surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer, and checking for drift (changes with time) in the
miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Spirit completed the following
activities:

Sol 1309 (Sept. 8, 2007): Spirit examined targets known as "Gumbo,"
"Goulash," "Stew," and "Pudding" with the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer. Spirit took wide-range atmospheric dust measurements using
the panoramic camera and then, after the evening pass of the Odyssey
orbiter, recalibrated the dust measurements of the panoramic camera.

Sol 1310: Spirit acquired panoramic camera images of Gumbo and Goulash.
The rover turned in place to characterize the drive toward Site 2 and
started driving in that direction. Spirit took images with the hazard
avoidance cameras just before and after completing the drive as well as
post-drive images with the panoramic camera.

Sol 1311: Spirit surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.

Sol 1312: Spirit monitored dust accumulation on the rover's mast with
the panoramic camera and continued driving. The rover acquired images
with the hazard avoidance cameras before and after completing the drive
and acquired post-drive images with the panoramic and navigation
cameras. Spirit acquired a rearward-looking mosaic of navigation camera
images, surveyed the external calibration target with the miniature
thermal emission spectrometer, and completed a systematic ground survey
using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera.

Sol 1313: Spirit surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.

Sol 1314 (Sept. 13, 2007): Spirit acquired full-color views, using all
13 filters of the panoramic camera, of the fracture on Home Plate. The
rover acquired forward-looking images with the panoramic camera and
acquired data from targets dubbed "Tapioca," "Bouillabaisse," and
"Dumplings" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Spirit
acquired wide-range measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic
camera and measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray
spectrometer. After the overpass of the Odyssey orbiter, Spirit
recalibrated dust measurements with the panoramic camera. The following
morning, the rover was to acquire panoramic camera images of Dumplings
and complete a survey of rock clasts.

Odometry:

As of sol 1312 (Sept. 11, 2007), Spirit's total odometry was 7,206
meters (4.48 miles).
Received on Tue 18 Sep 2007 03:20:42 PM PDT