Mars updates-Opportunity-sol 44-Back to the Grind - Spirit sol 64-Reaches the 300-Meter Mark!

NASA - JPL ^ | 03-09-2004 | NASA/JPL

[Phil V.]

Daily Updates - March 9, 2004

Opportunity Status for sol 44 Back to the Grind posted Mar. 9, 12 pm PST

On Opportunity's 44th sol, ending at 12:10 p.m. PST on Tuesday, March 9, the rock abrasion tool ground a 3.1 millimeter-deep (just over one-tenth of an inch) hole in the "Mojo 2" target on "Flatrock." Yesterday, diagnostic testing determined a voltage adjustment was necessary to overcome some mechanism "stickiness" in the routine during which the rock abrasion tool finds the highest point in the target area.

The routine worked perfectly on this grind with the new voltage setting. After one hour and five minutes of successful grinding, the rock abrasion tool grind motor stalled, probably while grinding into one of the spherules also known as "blueberries." These objects are known to obstruct the grinding tool and cause it to terminate its sequence.

Late in the martian morning, the Moessbauer spectrometer was placed on the hole, followed later by the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer took two long atmospheric measurements. The panoramic camera was busy taking images of the hole as well as surrounding target areas.

The wake-up songs were "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" by Janis Joplin for the rock abrasion tool's second attempt at "Mojo 2," and "X-ray Eyes" by Kiss for the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.

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Spirit Status for sol 64 Spirit Reaches the 300-Meter Mark! posted Mar. 9, 11 am PST

Spirit completed another 29 meters (94 feet) of its drive toward the rim of "Bonneville" crater on sol 64, which ended at 11:49 p.m. PST, bringing its total odometry to 314 meters (1,030 feet) – 14 meters (45.9 feet) past the minimum mission success criterion.

Spirit began the morning with an 18-meter (59 feet) direct drive that safely maneuvered the rover through a field of rocks. Spirit then traversed 11 more meters (35 feet) using autonomous navigation and at 11:30 a.m. Mars Local Solar Time completed the drive. Spirit had some difficulty finding a way around an obstacle during the last portion of the commanded drive. That resulted in some repeated forward and backward maneuvering which left an interesting "trench" for scientists to have the rover peer into.

Spirit is climbing up a very steep part of "Bonneville" now, and ended this sol's drive tilted at a forward pitch of about 15 degrees.

For the next sol, the plan was to have Spirit perform some mini-thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observations before waking up to do a touch-and-go and drive again!

[Phil V.]

Climbing the crater . . .

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[null and void]

After one hour and five minutes of successful grinding, the rock abrasion tool grind motor stalled, probably while grinding into one of the spherules also known as "blueberries."

Blueberries rule!, uhhh roll!...

[Phil V.]

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

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Focus on 'Flat Rock' This panoramic image of the 3.1 millimeter-deep (just over one-tenth of an inch) hole ground by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's rock abrasion tool in the target called "Mojo 2" on "Flatrock" was taken on the 44th martian day, or sol, of the mission. It will help complete the chemical analysis of the lowest layer of the outcrop in the crater where the rover now resides. (Mar. 9)

[Darksheare]

They finally got the grinder to make a dent in the rock, and that dent is only 3 millimeters deep??
Just what kind of rock is it?

[Fitzcarraldo]

Spirit: first peek over into the crater,

[Fitzcarraldo]

[Fitzcarraldo]

[mikrofon]

Mr. Mojo Grindin'

[Phil V.]

stay tuned - - - i'll make a 3-d - - -

[Reactionary]

That image doesn't look much like a bite from the abrasion tool; it looks like they simply ground one of the spherical "blueberries" into dust.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Notice the smooth "ramp" leading into the crater on the right side of #5.

[Hunble]

Without such outstanding Freepers, you would never know about these exciting discoveries every day.

I want 200 more of these robots crawling over the surface of mars as soon as possible.

Please keep up with the 3D images. I know how much effort you have put into creating those images and it is very much appreciated.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Looks like a real obstacle path.

[Diogenesis]

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks, I got to get me some 3D glasses.

Martian Eclipses: Deimos and Phobo
Mar 8, 2004

This panel combines the first photographs of solar eclipses by Mars' two moons. The panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity captured the images as the first in a planned series of eclipse observations by Opportunity and Spirit.

The Deimos image was taken at 03:04 Universal Time on March 4, 2004. This irregularly shaped moon is only 15 kilometers (9 miles) across in its longest dimension. It appears as just a speck in front of the disc of the Sun. The Phobos image was taken as that moon grazed the edge of the solar disc at 02:46 Universal Time on March 7, 2004. Phobos is 27 kilometers (17 miles) in its longest dimension. Its apparent size relative to Deimos is even greater because it orbits much closer to Mars' surface than Deimos does

Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell

+ Medium Resolution
+ High Resolution

[ElkGroveDan]

Good catch...been too busy today.

[Phil V.]

I'd not bet the farm that this is the rim . . . we shall see . . .

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[ElkGroveDan]

Hey check out that glint of light in the background on the rim in psot #7 Could it be....could it be.....from the Spirit heatshield that Mike Malin identified as impacting the rim of the crater from the orbital Mars Global Surveyor? (see black linear smudge on the crater rim in the photo below).

[ElkGroveDan]

Can I bet YOUR farm?

I've been to Meteor Crater in Arizona and this rim looks amazingly similar. I bet the vistors' center is just oout of view to the left. I hope the NASA folks capture it in the next panorama.

[ElkGroveDan]

And for all you 3-D guys, this orbital shot will knock your cardboard glasses off. Bonneville sure looks deep.