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ZL2VAL > ROVERS 30.04.04 14:02l 83 Lines 3617 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : C70809ZL2VAL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Status, 29th April
Path: DB0FHN<DB0THA<DB0ERF<DB0MRW<OK0PKL<OK0PCC<OK0PAD<OK0PPL<OK0NAG<9A0BBS<
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Sent: 040430/1038Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:39637 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : ROVERS@WW
Update: Spirit and Opportunity
SPIRIT UPDATE: A Drive and a Dig - sol 112-113, Apr 29, 2004
Spirit took it easy the morning of sol 112, which ended at 8:30 a. m.
PDT on April 27, and didn't begin operations until 11:45 a.m. Mars
Local Solar time, to conserve energy for an afternoon drive. Before
taking off, Spirit gathered some soil and atmospheric observations with
the mini thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera.
Then the drive began. Spirit's updated autonomous navigation software
proved its worth again this sol. During a long auto-navigation segment,
the rover encountered a hazard and was able to back up and find a way
around it. Spirit continued to drive backwards towards its intended goal
point, using the rear hazard avoidance cameras to navigate the way. When
the allotted drive time was up, Spirit turned back around and made one
last short drive to its resting place for the night. Spirit's odometer
records backwards and forwards driving and logged another 88.6 meters
(290.7 feet) for the sol 112 drive. The actual distance covered was
about 60 meters (197 feet).
On Sol 113, which ended at 9:09 a.m. PDT on April 28, Spirit woke up
earlier than normal, 9:00 a.m. Mars Local Solar time, to do morning
atmospheric science. One objective of the early sky scan was to image
morning clouds with the panoramic camera. Spirit then began an intense
study of a soil spot called "MayFly." During her examination of the
area, Spirit took panoramic camera and mini thermal emission
spectrometer images in parallel, conducted a two-hour Mössbauer
integration and finished off with a look through the microscopic imager.
The rover then stowed the instrument arm to prepare for digging a trench.
Rover planners intended for Spirit to use its wheels to dig a trench at
the MayFly spot, but hazard avoidance camera images of the area showed a
potato-size rock that could have potentially fallen into the wheel
hollow in the process. Rather than take that risk, controllers decided
to back the rover up 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) to a clearer spot.
After the final positioning, Spirit used its wheels to dig a
6-centimeter (2.4-inch) trench. Spirit finished the sol with hazard
avoidance camera images of the trench, which was used to plan Mössbauer,
alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and microscopic imager work on sol 114.
On sol 114, which ended at 9:49 a.m. PDT on April 29, 2004 Spirit
continued to investigate the trenched area with the Mössbauer
spectrometer, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the microscopic imager.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Opportunity Edges Its Way Toward 'Endurance' - sol
92-93, Apr 29, 2004
Opportunity spent sols 92 and 93, which ended at 8:51 p.m. PDT on April
27 and 9:30 p.m. PDT on April 28 respectively, edging its way closer to
"Endurance Crater." A total drive of 106 meters (347.8 feet) left the
rover just 70 meters (229.7 feet) from the rim.
The pattern for these two sols has been to take pre- and post-drive
remote sensing observations and imaging in the crater direction between
midday energy-conserving naps.
By sol 95, Opportunity will make the final approach to Endurance Crater.
=========================
73 de Alan, (Sysop ZL2AB).
AX25:ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
IP :zl2val@qsl.net
APRS:!3903.34S/17406.45E]
Message timed: 22:35 on 2004-Apr-30 (NZT)
Message sent using WinPack-AGW V6.80
Points to ponder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rural wisdom
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Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
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