Mars Exploration Rovers Update - March 6-12, 2008

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html

SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Begins Preparing for "Hibernation" Mode -
sol 1484-1490, March 6-12, 2008:

Spirit has reached its final position for the coming Martian winter
and
has no plans to move before the next Martian spring. During the next
few
months, the rover will increasingly go into a "hibernate" mode as the
sun continues to dim.

Spirit is currently wrapping up a campaign of scientific studies of
the
rock target known as "Wendell Pruitt," interspersed with remote
science
observations of targets nicknamed "Lucius Theus" and "Theopolis
Johnson." These targets were all named in honor of distinguished
members
of the "Tuskegee Airmen," the popular name for the 332nd Fighter
Group,
an all African-American unit of the U.S. Army Air Corps that served in
the European Theater during World War II.

Spirit's previous attempt to use the wire brush on the rock abrasion
tool on sol (Martian day) 1479 (March 1, 2008) failed to sufficiently
brush the surface of Wendell Pruitt. The rover repeated the effort on
sol 1484 (March 6, 2008) with greater success. On sol 1486 (March 8,
2008), Spirit acquired a 2-by-2-by-5 stack of stereo microscopic
images
of Wendell Pruitt. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray
spectrometer on the target on sol 1489 (March 11, 2008) but postponed
data collection with the instrument to conserve power for an
operational
readiness test in support of the Phoenix mission scheduled for the
late
morning of sol 1491 (March 13, 2008). At that time, the rover was to
send a tone at UHF frequencies directly to the Green Bank radio
telescope in West Virginia. The tone was to serve as a beacon; the
rover
would not be transmitting data.

Spirit continued to take panoramic-camera images for the 360-degree
"Bonestell panorama." The rover recharged its battery on sols 1485,
1487, 1488, and 1490 (March 7, 9, 10, and 12, 2008). On recharge days,
the rover typically conducts minimal science activity and does not
relay
Eartbound data to the Odyssey orbiter as it passes overhead.

A complication in Spirit's current circumstances is that the mast
holding the panoramic and navigation cameras is partially obscuring
the
X-band, high-gain antenna that Spirit's handlers use to command the
spacecraft from Earth. Engineers have been experimenting with
"parking"
these instruments in positions that minimize this obscuration.

Spirit is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. The
latest available power readings from sol 1489 (March 11, 2008) showed
power at 254 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed
to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour).

Sol-by-sol summary:

To conserve energy, mission planners have restricted the number of
sols
on which Spirit receives direct-from-Earth instructions via the
rover's
high-gain antenna and transmits data to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter.
Spirit continues, on a daily basis, to monitor atmospheric dust levels
with the panoramic camera, check for drift (changes with time) in the
miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and survey the sky and ground
with the instrument. In addition, during the past week, Spirit
completed
the following activities:

Sol 1484 (March 6, 2008): Spirit brushed the surface of Wendell
Pruitt,
acquired a single-frame, lossless-compression (high-resolution) image
of
the area in front of the rover with the navigation camera, and took
stereo images with the front hazard avoidance cameras.

Sol 1485: Spirit acquired super-resolution images of half of Lucius
Theus and recharged the battery.

Sol 1486: Spirit surveyed the horizon and took spot images of the sky
for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Spirit monitored
dust on the rover mast and acquired a 2-by-2-by-5 stack of stereo
microscopic images of Wendell Pruitt. The rover acquired a single-
frame,
lossless-compression image of the area in front of the rover with the
navigation camera as well as stereo images with the front hazard
avoidance cameras.

Sol 1487: In the morning, Spirit acquired column 2, part 3 and column
3,
part 1 of the full-color Bonestell panorama, using all 13 filters of
the
panoramic camera, then spent much of the Martian day recharging the
battery.

Sol 1488: In the morning, Spirit used the navigation camera to take
images of the sky (called "sky flats") for calibration purposes and
used
the panoramic camera to take super-resolution images of Theopolis
Johnson. The rover turned the panoramic camera mast assembly to
prepoint
the camera, then recharged the batteries.

Sol 1489: Spirit placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on
Wendell
Pruitt and, after relaying data to Odyssey, acquired data with the
instrument.

Sol 1490 (March 12, 2008): Spirit acquired column 3, part 2 of the
Bonestell panorama and recharged the batteries. Plans for the next
morning called for Spirit to acquire thumbnail panoramic-camera images
of the sky looking starboard (to the rover's right) for calibration
purposes.

Odometry:

As of sol 1489 (March 11, 2008), Spirit's total odometry remained at
7,528.07 meters (4.68 miles).


------------------------------------------------------------------------

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Opportunity Finds More Evidence of Ancient Water -
sol 1463-1470, March 5-13, 2008:

Opportunity has completed scientific studies of the undisturbed
surface
of a rock target informally named "Dorsal" in the "Gilbert" rock layer
inside "Victoria Crater." Dorsal is a protruding fin of rock created
by
minerals deposited in cracks that remained in place long after the
original rock eroded away because they were more resistant to
weathering.

Data collected with the Mössbauer and alpha-particle X-ray
spectrometers
show that the fins in Gilbert contain large quantities of the mineral
hematite. This iron-bearing mineral is also abundant in the frequently
occurring, round concretions known as "blueberries" that are believed
to
have formed in water. Scientists have been looking for such pristine
fins ever since Opportunity first noticed them back in "Eagle Crater,"
where the rover landed more than four years ago.

Next, Opportunity will grind into the rock surface at a point
informally
named "Gilbert_A" to measure the chemical composition of the rock's
interior using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Along the way,
the
rover has been getting close-up views of the fin with the microscopic
imager.

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the
rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna
on
the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the
panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:

Sol 1463 (March 5, 2008): Opportunity ran diagnostic tests of the
robotic arm and acquired a 1-by-1-by-5 stack of microscopic images,
with
some extras thrown in for good measure, of Dorsal. The rover placed
the
Mössbauer spectrometer on a specific target informally named "Dorsal
Tail" and spent about 10 hours collecting data with the instrument.
Opportunity began work on a super-resolution mosaic of images of the
rim
of Victoria Crater known as the "rimshot panorama," acquiring part 1
of
the mosaic using the panoramic camera. The rover acquired full-color
images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a cobble
nicknamed "Jin" on the slope above the rover.

Sol 1464: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and
continued
its investigation of Dorsal Tail. The rover acquired images with the
navigation camera as well as part 2 of the super-resolution rimshot
panorama, which will encompass the crater rim from "Cape Verde" to
"Cabo
Frio." Opportunity participated in a UHF relay of data with the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter as part of a panoramic-camera data compression
test. The rover monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly
and
took super-resolution images of a rock target informally named "Lyell
Oxford."

Sol 1465: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer for
continued
investigation of Dorsal Tail and acquired part 3 of the rimshot pan.
Opportunity participated in another UHF relay with the Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter to test compression of panoramic camera data.
The
rover measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the
alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and used the panoramic camera to
survey the horizon and take spot images of the sky for calibration
purposes.

Sol 1466: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and
continued
work on Dorsal Tail. The rover acquired full-color frames, using all
13
filters of the panoramic camera, of a disturbed slope.

Sol 1467: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and
continued
its investigation of Dorsal Tail. The rover completed work on part 4
of
the super-resolution rimshot pan.

Sol 1468: Opportunity acquired a 1-by-1-by-3 stack of microscopic
images
of Dorsal Tail and a 1-by-1-by-3 stack of microscopic images of a rock
exposure nicknamed "Dorsal New." The rover placed the Mössbauer
spectrometer on Dorsal New, took calibration images known as "sky
flats"
with the navigation camera, and acquired part 5 of the super-
resolution
rimshot panorama. Opportunity acquired data with the Mössbauer
spectrometer and acquired part 6 of the super-resolution rimshot
panorama.

Sol 1469: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and began
to
investigate Dorsal Tail with the instrument. The rover acquired parts
7
and 8 of the rimshot panorama.

Sol 1470 (March 13, 2008): Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer
spectrometer and resumed studies of Dorsal Tail with the instrument.
The
rover acquired part 9 of the rimshot panorama and also used the
panoramic camera to take spot images and thumbnail images of the sky.

Odometry:

As of sol 1469 (March 12, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was
11,671.23 meters (7.25 miles).
.

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