| | ZL2VAL > ROVERS 13.08.04 11:57l 84 Lines 3731 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 700042ZL2VAL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Rovers Status, 11th August
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DB0ERF<DB0FBB<DB0GOS<ON0AR<ON0AR<7M3TJZ<IK6PYS<SP7MGD<
ZL2TZE<ZL2AB
Sent: 040813/1044Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:45520 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : ROVERS@WW
Update: Spirit and Opportunity
*SPIRIT UPDATE:
Spirit is investigating 'Clovis' outcrop - sol 205-208, August 11, 2004
Over the last few sols, Spirit struggled mightily to reach a rock
outcrop called "Clovis," overcoming the challenge of rough, steep
terrain and subsequent backsliding. The site is near the crest of the
"West Spur" of "Columbia Hills."
On sol 205, Spirit attempted to reach Clovis by climbing out of the
sandy hollow in which it was sitting. Unfortunately, on a slope of more
than 20 degrees, slippage caused Spirit to dance around the outcrop. The
drive was finally cut off by a time-of-day limit on rover mobility.
The plan for sol 206 was designed to accommodate up to a 50 percent slip
and still reach the outcrop target. However, due to challenging terrain
near Clovis, Spirit again did not end up exactly where scientists and
engineers wanted it to go. For part of its traverse, Spirit slipped
about 125 percent, actually losing ground in its attempt to move uphill.
Late in the sol, internal software experienced a timing problem in which
two instrument-related commands were given at nearly the same time,
temporarily precluding further operation of the miniature thermal
emission spectrometer and camera mast on Spirit.
Sol 207 became a recovery sol. While the timing issue was being
analyzed, engineers decided not to use the mast, panoramic cameras,
navigation cameras, Mössbauer spectrometer, alpha particle X-ray
spectrometer, or the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. On the
bright side, since the problem did not affect communications, a
communications experiment with the European Space Agency's Mars Express
orbiter was successfully conducted in the early morning hours of sol 208.
By sol 208, which ended on Aug. 3, Pacific Time, the mast had been
declared usable. Operators commanded Spirit to drive 7.5 meters (25.6
feet) to Clovis, using a route avoiding the steepest terrain that had
created problems for the rover in earlier sols.
Spirit is examining Clovis. This outcrop will likely be the subject of
Spirit's most intensive investigation to date.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:
Aiming for 'Axel Heiberg' - sol 190-191, August 12, 2004
Opportunity continues its voyage farther into "Endurance Crater" with a
near-term drive goal of a rock outcrop dubbed "Axel Heiberg," and a
possible later destination at the foot of "Burns Cliff" on the south
side of the crater.
Sol 190 - Opportunity completed a 3.4-meter (about 11-foot) drive
towards Axel Heiberg. The slope was steady at about 17 degrees and
slippage during the drive was about 16 percent, as predicted. The rover
took images for use in planning future drives and made observations with
its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Controllers employed the
microscopic imager to help with diagnosing the cause of error messages
from that instrument received last week.
Sol 191 - Opportunity successfully drove another 5 meters (about 16.4
feet) closer to Axel Heiberg, leaving about 5 meters (about 16.4 feet)
to go. The drive included a short backup at the end to check for
uphill-drive slippage, which was within acceptable limits. Deep sleep
was used overnight.
The team continues to acquire microscopic imager diagnostic images at
different times of day to see if temperature might be a contributing
factor to the errors seen from that instrument last week. So far, no
more errors have occurred.
73 - Alan, ZL2VAL @ ZL2AB
Message timed: 22:28 on 2004-Aug-13
Wackiest Warning Labels Ever
----------------------------
* A can of self-defense pepper spray warns users: "May irritate eyes."
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
