Rover Sets Mars Distance Record (Spirit)

BBC ^ | 2-10-2004

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Rover sets Mars distance record

Spirit can navigate over yellow and green colored terrain, but not red.

The US space agency's robotic Mars explorer Spirit has broken a record for the distance travelled by a robot rover in one day on the Martian surface. Spirit travelled nearly 21 metres (70 feet) across the rock-strewn surface of Gusev Crater, where it is looking for past or present signs of liquid water.

Scientists said Spirit's twin rover Opportunity had experienced slips during 50% of its drive on Tuesday.

This is thought to be due to loose soil at its Meridiani Planum landing site.

Spirit's drive was more than three times the longest distance covered in one day by Nasa's Sojourner rover, which landed on Mars in 1997.

Spirit drove "blind" for about half the distance, following a planned route to a stopping point.

For the second half of the trip, it drove to a second stopping point, executed a turn and then rolled onward before stopping.

Spirit creates a map of the terrain in front of it, dividing it into green, yellow and red areas based on how easy it perceives that terrain is to traverse.

The rover can navigate over yellow and green coloured terrain, but not red.

Command test

The trip, intended to test driving commands, was a success.

Over the weekend, Spirit drilled its first artificial hole in a rock - the football-sized Adirondack - and took readings from it using the science instruments on its robotic arm.

Before leaving Adirondack, Spirit took images and collected miniature thermal emission spectrometer (Mini-Tes) data from the hole it ground with its rock abrasion tool (Rat).

It will now investigate another rock called White Boat.

Later on in its mission, Spirit will investigate a large crater at its Gusev Crater landing site called Bonneville Crater.

On Tuesday morning engineers played Spirit's twin rover Opportunity a lighthearted wake-up call: the song Slip Sliding Away by Paul Simon.

Opportunity made it across four metres (12 feet) on its drive and is now poised to continue observing parts of the rocky outcrop that sticks out of the crater where it has landed.

It will begin close-up observation of the bedrock today (Tuesday).

The rover will drive up, down and inside the rim of the crater taking images of the outcrop as it goes, a procedure known as "scoot and shoot".

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"Scientists said Spirit's twin rover Opportunity had experienced slips during 50% of its drive on Tuesday."

Troubling.

[blam]

Ping.

[_Jim]

had experienced slips during 50% of its drive on Tuesday

Sounds like 'wet Tejas clay' stuck on the bottom of boots ...

[non-anonymous]

experienced slips

That's what happens when you drive across sand.

[_Jim]

... or Lake Michigan beach sand ...

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

To those who are wondering about basaltic rock, check here:

Click here.

[Phil V.]

If you'd like to be on or off this MARS ping list please FRail me

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Here is an interesting stereo strip from yesterday's raw pancam pics. Notice the "floating rock" at the bottom . . . way kewl in stereo . . . I wish NASA/JPL would do a 3-D of this picture.

[blam]

"Notice the "floating rock" at the bottom . "

Excellent picture.

[tet68]

Any thing new, seems we should be getting a slew of pictures now. Maybe what we really need are a half a dozen
relay birds orbiting the planet first!
A 100,000 watt High Gain blowtorch coming direct from WMARs, rocking platters and driving DVD for your listening pleasure, next up Moonglow for jaime and Amy
then My Prayer by the Platters. But first a word from our sponsor, GW.Bush and the US. Government......

[Darksheare]

Cool.
A rock rabbit.

[txzman]

Check out this NASA web site - outstanding, interactive and lets you look at everything they've done. Drive a rover, check out all the sites that have been marked for inspection. Very cool!

Mars Quest Online

[Fresh Wind]

If you take the photograph and photoshopically reverse the two halves of the image, and then look at it with your eyes crossed, it becomes 3D. That rock in front really seems to be floating! Awsome!

[GeronL]

troubling... all that mud is something else.

[GeronL]

Look at that title... the theme song from Chariots of Fire are running through my head.

[GeronL]

It looks like a muddy river bottom!!

[Ophiucus]

Drive a rover, check out all the sites that have been marked for inspection. Very cool!

Yep. The rovers are cool.

So when will they start selling the Rover model for my desk and the Rover Lego set for my little nephew? :-)

[Phil V.]

SUCCESS!!! I've finally succeeded!!! I've just been able to get stereo WITHOUT my stereoscope AND with the picture in the posted configuration . . . LEFT/RIGHT images from l/r camera. . . no crosseyed headache . . . no need to reverse order . . . Here's how. . . .

Get a 12" sq piece of cardboard. Place the edge on the divide of the picture (left/right divide) Put the tip of your nose on the other edge of the cardboard. Relax your eyes. The floating rock will eventually merge . . . PRESTO! 3-d!!! WITHOUT GLASSES!

[Fresh Wind]

Yeah, that works great too! I just want to reach out and grab that rock! Those NASA geologists must be in some sort of heaven!