A Little Science, A Lot Of Driving

MARSDAILY

New Columbia Hills Desktop

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this gray-scale panoramic camera image of the "Columbia Hills" on sol 107 (April 21, 2004). Spirit is still approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and 52 sols away from its destination at the western base of the hills.

Once Spirit reaches the base, scientists and rover controllers will re-analyze the terrain and determine whether to send the rover up the mountain. Another option will be to send Spirit south along the base where she may encounter outcrops as indicated by orbital images from the Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell

Pasadena (JPL) Apr 26, 2004
Spirit spent most of sol 106, which ended at 4:32 a.m. PDT on April 21, performing remote sensing on the inside of "Missoula Crater." It acquired panoramic camera and mini thermal emission spectrometer panoramas and navigation camera images of the crater, along with some panoramic camera images looking back toward "Bonneville" crater.

On the morning of sol 107, which ended at 5:12 a.m. PDT on April 22, Spirit got some atmospheric and cloud observations with the panoramic camera and mini thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then took a look with the panoramic camera at three targets called "Gratteri Piazza,"

"Wallula Gap," and "Clark Fork." Finally it was time to drive. Spirit completed a 73.8-meter (242-feet) traverse that included a jog around a sandy hollow to the east of Missoula. Most of the drive was in the southeast direction on course to the "Columbia Hills."

After the drive, Spirit acquired additional panoramic camera and navigation camera observations. The total odometry at the end of sol 107 was 976.77 meters (.6 miles).

Spirit continued driving toward the Columbia Hills on sol 108, which ended at 5:51 a.m. PDT on April 23, and will drive some more on sol 109, which ends at 6:31 a.m. on April 24.

The wakeup song on sol 109 was "(Take me) Riding in my Car" by Woodie Guthrie.

Opportunity Reviews Rock Abrasion Tool Hole
Opportunity spent its 87th sol, which ended at 5:33 p.m. PDT on April 22, gathering compositional information from the depression ground into "Pilbara" on sol 86. The Moessbauer spectrometer examined the hole before the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed there. The microscopic imager shot close-ups of Pilbara's new impression.

Data were also gathered by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.

This set of activities should nearly complete a very detailed look at representative rocks and soil from "Fram Crater," which can then be compared to the "Eagle Crater" rocks and soils.

Opportunity's 86th sol, which ended at 4:53 p.m. PDT on April 21, was another record-breaker! A nearly two-and-a-half hour grind produced an impressive 7.2 millimeter (about 0.28 inches) hole in the rock called "Pilbara."

The plan for the rest of the sol called for placing the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the new impression to determine the elemental composition of the exposed area. It was determined, however, that the rover position would not allow for a safe integration of the instrument.

Rover planners amended the plan for the sol so the rover would back up and reposition itself for a safe placement of the spectrometer after the rock abrasion tool completed the grind.

On sol 87 the rover will analyze the rock abrasion tool hole with the alpha particle X-ray and Moessbauer spectrometers.

MARSDAILY

Missoula Crater In Sight

Pasadena - Apr 19, 2004
Spirit had a busy weekend, culminating with a 75-meter (246-feet) drive toward "Missoula Crater" on sol 103, which ended at 2:33 a.m. PST on April 18. The sol before the drive, Sol 102, which ended at 1:54 a.m. on April 17, was an easier day for Spirit. Its main objectives were to use the panoramic camera and mini thermal emission spectrometer to acquire photometric and atmospheric measurements.

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