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Spirit Rover Ready To Bump Back Into Action On Mars
Pasadena CA (JPL) Nov 14, 2006 After Spirit's successful 0.71-meter (28-inch) bump on sol 1010, the team has new targets in the robotic arm's work volume for the first time in 204 sols. There is some interesting light and dark material within arm's reach and this week the team planned a robotic arm campaign including a microscopic imager mosaic, four hours of alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration and 43 hours of Moessbauer spectrometer integration. Spirit is receiving a little over 320 Watt-hours now and is able to occasionally use the Moessbauer or alpha particle X-ray spectrometer overnight. Sol-by-sol summaries: Sol 1013 (Nov. 8, 2006): This sol began with the usual engineering block tau (atmospheric clarity) measurement, then a calibration of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer before that instrument was used to stare at the sky and ground. Spirit then used its front hazard avoidance cameras to look at the robotic arm's work volume, then unstowed the arm and took a stereo microscopic image of target "Berkner Island." The rover then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on Berkner Island and integrated for four hours. Spirit used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to stare at target "Davis" during the afternoon when NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft passed overhead. Sol 1014: The rover changed tools to the Moessbauer spectrometer and integrated for 23 hours. Sol 1015: During the morning of this sol, Spirit conducted dust monitoring of its panoramic camera mast assembly (its neck and head). The rover then restarted the Moessbauer on target Berkner Island for a 10-hour integration. A panoramic camera tau measurement and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation of sky and ground were conducted around the Odyssey pass. Sol 1016: On this sol, Spirit took images with its navigation camera. It then restarted the Moessbauer spectrometer on Berkner Island for a 10-hour integration. Total integration time is 43 hours at this target. The rover then conducted a panoramic camera sky observation. As of sol 1016 (Nov. 11, 2006), Spirit's odometry is 6,976.89 meters (4.34 miles). Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com Lunar Dreams and more
Mars Global Surveyor Goes Quiet After 10 Year Mission To Mars
Houston (UPI) Nov 13, 2006NASA engineers tried Monday to re-establish contact with the Mars Global Surveyor, which has quit communicating with Earth. The 10-year-old spacecraft has failed for a week to respond to communications to adjust a solar panel, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said. |
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