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ZL2VAL > ROVERS 24.08.04 11:17l 114 Lines 5757 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 0B0071ZL2VAL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Status report, 23rd August
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DB0ERF<DB0FBB<DB0GOS<DB0EEO<DB0RES<ON0AR<ZL2BAU<N1UAN<
WB0TAX<ZL2TZE<ZL2AB
Sent: 040824/0945Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:46148 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : ROVERS@WW
Update: Spirit and Opportunity
*SPIRIT UPDATE:
Spirit probes deeper into 'Clovis' outcrop - sol 209-218, August 23, 2004
Spirit continued work over the past nine sols at a rock called "Clovis."
The rover used its rock abrasion tool, microscopic imager, alpha
particle X-ray spectrometer, and Moessbauer spectrometer to probe deeper
into the history of this rock. Clovis is the most altered rock
encountered by Spirit to date. It is part of a rock outcrop located on
the "West Spur" of the "Columbia Hills," roughly 55 meters (180 feet)
higher than Spirit's landing site about 3 kilometers (2 miles) away.
Spirit also successfully performed a couple of communications tests with
the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter last week. The tests
demonstrated the two spacecraft's ability to work together to transmit
data collected by the rovers to Earth via the Mars Express
communications relay. NASA's Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor
orbiters also have this capability. More than 85 percent of the data
from the rovers has been transmitted to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter.
On sol 209, Spirit experienced an unexpected reboot of the flight
software. This incident was not a threat to the spacecraft. It is a
known bug in the system that the rover team is working around.
On sol 210, Spirit drove up steep terrain to reach the exact spot on
Clovis for work with the science instruments at the end of the robotic
arm.
Between sols 211 and 216, Spirit completed an alpha particle X-ray
spectrometer reading of a spot on Clovis called "Plano," which had been
brushed off using the rock abrasion tool. Spirit then placed the rock
abrasion tool on Plano again and drilled for 2.5 hours, creating a hole
8.9 millimeters (0.4 inch) deep, which is a new record! Spirit also
continued a campaign to capture a color 360-degree panoramic camera
image from this location. Spirit captured additional segments of the
panorama on sols 217 and 218.
On sol 217, Spirit took microscopic images of the rock abrasion tool
hole, and then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the hole
for an early morning observation.
On sol 218, Spirit placed the Mössbauer spectrometer in the rock
abrasion tool hole and started a 48-hour observation. This is a longer
than normal integration time, with a goal of resolving in more detail
the makeup of this highly altered rock.
Spirit remains in excellent health.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:
Opportunity Team Decides Against Dunes - sol 200-203, August 23, 2004
On sol 200 Opportunity was commanded to perform some remote sensing and
some rock abrasion tool diagnostics in response to an activity that
faulted out on sol 199. During these diagnostics on sol 200, the tool
failed to respond as desired to a command to calibrate the grind motor.
Analysis of this event suggests that there is a piece of debris
(probably a rocky chunk of Mars) trapped between the grind bit and the
brush bit. The rover team believes that it can be freed by turning the
bits in reverse, but they are still evaluating the best approach to
remedy the situation. There are several options available. The team
decided to continue the investigation of this anomaly while pressing on
with other objectives.
On sol 201 the rover was commanded to stow its arm and drive to a
position about 12 meters (about 39 feet) clockwise around the crater.
The intent is to head towards a dune tendril that reaches out of the
bottom of the crater and may be accessible without having to drive into
terrain that is too sandy for the rover to safely traverse. The drive
went very well, and the rover ended up in the expected place.
On sol 202 the rover was commanded to proceed a little ways downslope.
Team members were not able to command the drive the rover as far as they
might have liked because they did not get all the data they hoped to get
in the afternoon downlink pass on sol 201. The terrain around the rover
is heavily coated with sand and dust, so each traverse requires careful
evaluation to make sure there is enough rock material to drive on with
confidence. From the images available, the team determined it could
safely command only about a 1-meter (3.3-foot) drive. This drive
proceeded as expected. At the end of the drive, panoramic camera images
were acquired directly in front of the rover and out to the dune
tendril. These images will be used to assess traversability to this
sandy feature.
On sol 203 the team decided to scratch the approach to the dune tendril
and, instead, headed the rover back towards "Axel Heiberg" and another
target named "Ellesmere" for some soil observations. The terrain between
the rover and the dune tendril did not present clear evidence of rocky
plates to give the rover sufficient traction. Rather than spend more
time in an attempt to scout further for an approach path, the decision
was made to abandon the quest for the dune tendril. A drive of
approximately 14 meters (46 feet) positioned the rover where it will be
able to zero in on Ellesmere next. There was an apparent combination of
slip or induced heading change, or both, due to the sandy terrain, which
resulted in the rover ending up about 3 meters (about 10 feet) farther
left than expected. This also caused Opportunity to unintentionally run
over a patch of fine soil with some small dune-like ripples in it. The
team will be assessing this traverse error, but it is par for the course
when driving this far on such sandy, sloped terrain.
73 - Alan, ZL2VAL @ ZL2AB
Message timed: 21:29 on 2004-Aug-24
Wackiest Warning Labels Ever
----------------------------
* "Do not use snow blower on the roof."
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