Mars rover update - Spirit Status for sol 68 Spirit Sits Still for Science

NASA - JPL ^ | 03-13-2004 | NASA/JPL

[Phil V.]

Daily Updates - March 13, 2004

Spirit Status for sol 68 Spirit Sits Still for Science posted Mar. 13, 1 pm PST

Spirit spent all of sol 68, which ended at 2:28 a.m. PST on March 13, 2004, at the "Bonneville" crater location. It began the morning operating the panoramic camera to acquire the first images of what will be a 360-degree shot of "Bonneville's" rim and basin, and the "Columbia Hills" to the southeast.

Spirit also moved the instrument deployment device, or rover arm, into position to acquire panoramic camera images of the magnets on the rock abrasion tool. It then placed the Moessbauer spectrometer on soil for a short integration after taking five microscopic imager images.

Around 13:35 Mars Local Solar time, one of Mars' moons, Deimos, passed in front of the sun. Scientists and rover controllers took this opportunity to image the moon's transit with the panoramic camera before completing mini thermal emission spectrometer observations of the crater interior.

Spirit's work isn't over though. The Moessbauer will continue analyzing the soil at "Bonneville's" rim through the night.

Sol 69, which will end at 3:07 a.m. PST on March 14, 2004, will also be a no-drive sol during which Spirit will acquire the second half of the 360-degree panoramic camera image of Bonneville. Spirit will also perform remote sensing of the inside of the crater and analyze soil targets with the Moessbauer and alpha particle x-ray spectrometer.

[Phil V.]

A PORTION OF LARGE 3-D PANORAMA OF Bonneville Crater . . .
ElkGroveDan, it looks more and more like the heat shield . . .

LARGE 3-D OF CRATER (700 Kb)

[Phil V.]

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

[NormsRevenge]

The Columbia Hills? I wonder if that is another name for the hills I mentioned last noght, I thought it was referred to as "Endurance"?

Thanks for the post.

[Phil V.]

I hope that rover wanders over to the heat shield and sniffs around. It would be interesting (and instructive) to see the trench that it excavated.

[NormsRevenge]

Here's the hills I think being referred to.

FRom January 10 panoramic..

Hazy Martian Skies

This image mosaic taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's panoramic camera shows the hills southeast of Spirit's landing site. Like a smoggy day in Los Angeles, dusty martian skies limit how much detail can be seen. This lack in visibility is demonstrated by comparing hills on the left to those on the right, located nearly two times farther away. The left panel of this image was captured in the late morning martian hours, looking toward the Sun. The right image was taken in the early afternoon, when the Sun was higher and the skies appeared darker.

[GeronL]

At the bottom of that pic, about a quarter from the left-hand side is a square looking 'rock'. I bet if the rover got closer and took a better look it would be inscribed with the words: Meal Ready to Eat: Fourth Martian Infantry

[NormsRevenge]

Another couple of shots of the hills..

In the distance stand the east hills, which are closest to the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in comparison to other hill ranges seen on the martian horizon. The top of the east hills are approximately 2 to 3 kilometers (1 to 2 miles) away from the rover's approximate location. This image was taken on Mars by the rover's panoramic camera.

[Phil V.]

Fourth Martian Infantry

Fourth Martian Combat Engineers - demolitions

[GeronL]

well, they did a swell job

[Phil V.]

Over to the far right of my large panorama that I linked to are the hills you refer to - to the south east and beyond the crater.

[NormsRevenge]

hmmmm? heat shield or chute?

[Phil V.]

well, they did a swell job

Did you click on the 700Kb link? You'll notice that the martians have already constructed a "road" leading down into the crater - far right . . . . an easy roll!

[Phil V.]

Your picture is of the chute. The shield is on the crater rim - NE of rover's position.

[2111USMC]

"the martians have already constructed a "road" leading down into the crater"

You're right! It does look like a perfectly constructed road.

(Guess that also proves you right in that the Martian Combat Engineers have already been there!)

[Phil V.]

They've already done the majority of the excavation for a stadium for the upcoming Solar Invitational Games.

[NormsRevenge]

ahhh, the chute, Thanks.

[Dahoser]

I'm thinking something that starts with a K.

[NormsRevenge]

THanks..LOLOL... That's what first came to mind for me as well. ;-)

[Brett66]

It sure is satisfying to be able to see hills on the horizon and actually be able to drive over to them.

[mikrofon]

The hills in the distance are indeed impressive, looking forward to when they trek over there.

I just hope they don't decide to play the theme from "The Sound of Music" as the wakeup song -- I think I'd lose it...