[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - September 27, 2007

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:49:19 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200709281549.IAA15416_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Arrives at "Stratigraphic Wonderland" -
sol 1321-1328, September 27, 2007:

Spirit completed the rover's longest 5-wheel drive to date en route to a
platy rock surface nicknamed "Texas Chili" in an area scientists are
calling a "stratigraphic wonderland." The platy outcrop is at site 3 on
top of "Home Plate" and is the focus of in-depth scientific investigation.

Two sols after not receiving a scheduled data transmission, Spirit drove
19.21 meters (63.02 feet) to the rover's current location about 15
meters (49 feet) away from a field of boulders.

Meanwhile, atmospheric dust levels continued to decline. Tau
measurements of atmospheric opacity dropped to 1.06 on sol 1327 (Sept.
27, 2007), with a dust factor of 0.48. Spirit has been averaging 350
watt-hours per Martian day (100 watt-hours is the amount of electricity
needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour).

Scientific studies of the platy outcrop included alpha-particle X-ray
spectrometer measurements both before and after brushing the surface,
analysis with the Moessbauer spectrometer, and acquisition of microscopic
images as well as a 360-degree panorama.

Sol-by-sol summary

Spirit began each Martian day by measuring atmospheric dust with the
panoramic camera, checking for drift (changes with time) in the
miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and surveying the sky and
ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. In addition to
those tasks, Spirit completed the following activities:

Sol 1321 (Sept. 21, 2007): Rather than completing the drive toward Home
Plate as intended, Spirit executed the previous sol's activities. As a
result of an internal failure in a station at the Deep Space Network in
Madrid, rover handlers were unable to transmit instructions to Spirit
via the rover's high-gain antenna.

Sol 1322: Spirit spent the first sol of a three-sol weekend collecting
remote science data, including panoramic camera images of a target known
as "Ambrosia" and miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements
of Ambrosia as well as targets known as "Bisque" and "Cobbler."

Sol 1323: Spirit acquired panoramic camera images of Bisque and Cobbler
before completing the 19.21-meter (63.02-foot) drive to site 3 on Home
Plate. The rover took images with the hazard avoidance cameras before
and after ending the drive and acquired post-drive image mosaics with
the navigation and panoramic cameras.

Sol 1324: Spirit acquired near-field panoramic camera images and spent
the third sol of a three-sol weekend collecting untargeted remote
sensing data. Observations included movie frames in search of dust
devils with the navigation camera and a systematic foreground survey
with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.

Sol 1325: Spirit surveyed rock clasts with the panoramic camera and
scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. The rover began
work on a 360-degree panorama as well as scientific studies of Texas
Chili. Spirit acquired navigation camera images in support of
observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, completed
a full-color, systematic, foreground survey using all 13 filters of the
panoramic camera, and acquired a mosaic of images of site 3 with the
panoramic camera. Spirit studied targets known as "Hardy Point,"
"Harmony Point," and "Ohridiski" with the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer. The rover unstowed the robotic arm and placed the
alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Texas Chili.

Sol 1326: In the morning, Spirit monitored dust on the rover mast.
Later, the rover acquired more panoramic camera images of site 3,
brushed the surface of Texas Chili with the rock abrasion tool, and
acquired images of the microscopic imager with the front hazard
avoidance camera to monitor dust accumulation. Spirit placed the
alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer back on the target and collected data
for about 18 hours.

Sol 1327: In the morning, Spirit received communications via the
European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The rover acquired more
panoramic camera images of site 3, switched tools from the
alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer to the Moessbauer spectrometer, and
collected Moessbauer data from Texas Chili for about 21 hours.

Sol 1328 (Sept. 28, 2007): Spirit took thumbnail images of the sky with
the panoramic camera, re-started the Moessbauer spectrometer, and
collected Moessbauer data from Texas Chili for about 25 hours. The rover
took more panoramic camera images of site 3 and was slated to continue
doing so the following morning.

Odometry:

As of sol 1327 (Sept. 27, 2007), Spirit's total odometry was 7,234.09
meters (4.49 miles).
Received on Fri 28 Sep 2007 11:49:19 AM PDT