Posted on 04/06/2004 4:15:24 PM PDT by Phil V.
Daily Updates - April 6, 2004
Opportunity Status for sol 70
100-Meter Dash
posted Apr. 6, 12:45 pm PST
Opportunity "dashed" away from the rim of its "Eagle Crater" landing-site on sol 70, which ended at 6:20 a.m. PST on April 5. The roughly 100-meter (about 328 feet) drive led the rover to a target area dubbed "Anatolia," along a sinuous crack in the plains of Meridiani Planum defined by deep impressions in the sand sprinkled with Eagle Crater-like rocks. In the coming sols Opportunity will further investigate the rocks in this "mini-outcrop."
Before leaving the vicinity of Eagle Crater, Opportunity performed a maneuver on "Bounce" rock lightheartedly called "crush and go" by the rover engineers. In order to gather further information about the rock's hardness, the intentional drive over Bounce was an attempt to fracture it. The science team is awaiting images from the rover's rear hazard avoidance camera to see the results.
An appropriate tune - "Truckin'" by The Greatful Dead - woke Opportunity this sol.
This image, acquired by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, highlights the vast plains of Meridiani Planum. The science team is currently focused on the sinuous crack, which consists of a series of deep dimples sprinkled with rocks that resemble, from a distance, those in the "Eagle Crater" outcrop. On sol 70, Opportunity drove approximately 100 meters (about 328 feet) northeast to a target area along the crack dubbed "Anatolia." In the coming sols, the rover will study the crack in greater detail. ======================================
Spirit Gets Her Kicks at 'Route 66'
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this panoramic camera image on sol 91. It shows Spirit's current resting place at the base of a 60-centimeter-wide (23.6-inch-wide), 24-centimeter-high (9.4-inch-wide) rock dubbed "Route 66."
Found along Spirit's trek toward the Columbia Hills, this rock peaked scientist's interest because its light-toned and scalloped surface is very similar to the previously targeted rock called "Mazatzal." Scientists are debating whether to spend time analyzing Route 66, or to bank energy and keep driving toward its ultimate goal, the eastern-lying Columbia Hills.
Scientists have some time to debate the issue because Spirit will remain at this location through the flight software update that will occur during sols 94 to 98.
. . . here's a color pic that I put together (thanks to your assist, DAN) of the grind area of "bounce" (Opportunity site). It looks to be approximately correct (filters 2,5 & 7).
| Rank | Location | Receipts | Donors/Avg | Freepers/Avg | Monthlies | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Alabama | 265.00 |
7 |
37.86 |
|
|
363.00 |
20 |
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Every time I read about the "tune the landers woke up to" I feel a twinge of annoyance.
More science! Less screwin' off!
Save that crap for the grade school field trips.
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