Free Newsletters - Space News - Defense Alert - Environment Report - Energy Monitor
. 24/7 Space News .




Spirit And Opportunity Still Pack A Full Toolkit 10 Months Later

Researchers used the rover Spirit's rock abrasion tool to help them study a rock dubbed "Uchben" in the "Columbia Hills" of Mars. The tool ground into the rock, creating a shallow hole 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter in the central upper portion of this image. It also used wire bristles to brush a portion of the surface below and to the right of the hole. Spirit used its panoramic camera during the rover's 293rd martian day (Oct. 29, 2004) to take the frames combined into this approximately true-color image. Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell.
Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 05, 2004
All the scientific tools on NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers are still working well, a full 10 months after Spirit's dramatic landing.

The ones on Spirit are adding fresh evidence about the history of layered bedrock in a hill the rover is climbing.

"Our leading hypothesis is that these rocks originated as volcanic ash that fell from the air or moved in ground-hugging ash flows, and that minerals in them were altered by water," said Dr. Ray Arvidson of Washington University, St. Louis, deputy principal investigator for the mission.

"This is still a working hypothesis, not a firm conclusion, but all the instruments have contributed clues that fit," he said.

"However, it is important to point out that we have just begun to characterize the textures, mineralogy and chemistry of these layered rocks. Other hypotheses for their origin focus on the role of transport and deposition by water."

"In fact, it may turn out that volcanism, water and wind have produced the rocks that Spirit is examining. We are just beginning to put together the big picture."

Both rovers completed three-month primary missions in April. NASA has extended their missions twice because they have remained productive longer than anticipated.

"We're still making good progress even though Spirit has two types of problems with its wheels," said Jim Erickson, rover project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

"We are working around those problems successfully, but they might be a sign of things to come, as mechanical parts wear out during our exploration of Mars."

One question for continuing investigations as Spirit heads for rocks higher in the "Columbia Hills," is what the environment was like when water altered the minerals.

Possibilities include water in the volcanic magma mixture before the ash erupted, surface water transporting the ash while it was still loose after the eruption, and ground water soaking through the rocks that solidified from the accumulated ash.

Some clues for a volcanic-ash origin come from a layered rock dubbed "Uchben." Researchers pointed Spirit's microscopic imager at a spot on Uchben scoured with the rock abrasion tool.

The images reveal sand-size particles, many of them sharply angular in shape and some quite rounded. The angularity is consistent with transport by an eruption.

Particles carried across the surface by wind or water usually tumble together and become more rounded. Uchben's rounded particles may be volcanic clumps, may be concretions similar to what Opportunity has found, or may be particles tumbled in a water environment.

Evidence for alteration by water comes mainly from identification of minerals and elements in the rocks by the rover's Moessbauer spectrometer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.

The rovers' principal investigator, Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., said, "We have really made headway just in the last several weeks in understanding these rocks. The most likely origin is debris that blasted out of a volcano, was transported by air or water to its present location, and settled out in layers."

Opportunity, meanwhile, examined a lumpy boulder called "Wopmay" inside "Endurance Crater." The slope of the ground and loose surface material around the rock prevented Opportunity from getting firm enough footing to use its rock abrasion tool.

Evidence from the spectrometers and microscopic imager is consistent with scientists' earlier hypothesis that rocks near the bottom of the crater were affected by water both before and after the crater formed. The evidence is still not conclusive, Squyres said.

Opportunity is heading toward the base of "Burns Cliff," a tall exposure of layered rock in the wall of the crater. However, if the rover encounters more of the poor traction found around Wopmay, planners may change course and drive up out of the crater.

Related Links
Mars Rovers at JPL
Mars Rovers at Cornell
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express

Spirit Heading Towards One Year On Mars
Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 04, 2004
Spirit employed its full instrument suite on Sols 285 through 291 to study "Uchben," an interesting rock encountered on the way into the Colombia Hills. The engineering team continued to diagnose and study work-arounds for a problem with the steering brake relay.



Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only














The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.