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ZL2VAL > ROVERS 06.04.04 13:00l 89 Lines 3883 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 610728ZL2VAL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Status, 5th April
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Sent: 040406/1044Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:38594 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : ROVERS@WW
Update: Spirit and Opportunity
SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Achieves Mission Success - sol 91, Apr 05, 2004
Spirit woke up on sol 91, which ended at 6:38 p.m. PDT on April 5, 2004,
as if it were any other martian day, but this one was special. Finishing
90 sols of surface operations since landing day marked completion of the
last of the official success criteria for Spirit's prime mission. The
rover team at JPL had checked off the next-to-last box for mission
success two days earlier, when a drive of 50.2 meters (165 feet) took
Spirit's total travel distance over the 600-meter (1,969 feet) mark.
The martian day for sol 91 started with some remote sensing observations
of the sky and ground as well as navigation camera images of the
landscape to the east. Then the rover completed miniature thermal
emission spectrometer ground surveys and imaged the sky and ground with
the panoramic camera. After a short nap, Spirit acquired some pre-drive
imaging including a super-spectral look at an interesting spot in front
of the rover.
Early in the martian afternoon, Spirit began a 1.35-meter (4.4-foot)
drive to get closer to a rock called "Route 66." Once the drive was
finished, the rover analyzed the instrument deployment device's work
volume with hazard-avoidance camera images and a stare by the miniature
thermal emission spectrometer. A quick adjustment of 0.8 meters (2.6
feet) put the rover in perfect position and completed the drive.
Spirit spent the afternoon taking a systematic soil survey with the
panoramic camera, a 13-filter image of the destination informally named
"Columbia Hills," and acquiring miniature thermal emission spectrometer
data of the same locations.
Spirit will spend sol 92, which will end at 7:18 p.m. PDT on April 6,
2004, analyzing its capture magnet and filter magnet with its Mössbauer
spectrometer and microscopic imager. The rover will also complete
coordinated observations with the Mars Global Surveyor and switch tools
to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an overnight measurement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Bidding Adieu to 'Bounce' - sol 68-69, Apr 05, 2004
Over the weekend, Opportunity completed its observations at "Bounce
Rock" rock and prepared for its trek toward "Endurance Crater."
On sol 68, which ended at 4:00 a.m. PST on April 3, the rover backed
away from Bounce, then re-approached the rock in preparation for an
alpha particle X-ray spectrometer read on the right side of it. The
wake-up tune chosen for the sol was "Got to Go Back" by Van Morrison.
Opportunity made observations with its miniature thermal emission
spectrometer during the martian morning. Then it took set of microscope
images before backing away from the rock. More images were taken from
that vantage point before Opportunity made a 10-degree turn in place and
drove the 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) back to Bounce.
On sol 69, which ended at 5:40 a.m. PST on April 4, Opportunity
completed its instrument arm work on Bounce. It also examined soil
targets with its microscopic imager and Mössbauer spectrometer. The
wake-up song for the sol was "Little Maggie" by Tom Adams, chosen for
the soil target named "Maggie."
In coming sols Opportunity will make progress in a 750-meter (nearly a
half mile) drive to Endurance Crater. The rover team plans to make pit
stops along the way at scientifically interesting sites and will pause
other activities for a few sols while the rover gets new flight software.
=========================
73 de Alan, (Sysop ZL2AB).
AX25:ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
IP :zl2val@qsl.net
APRS:!3903.34S/17406.45E]
Message timed: 22:44 on 2004-Apr-06 (NZT)
Message sent using WinPack-AGW V6.80
Points to ponder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rural wisdom
------------
Don't name a pig you plan to eat.
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