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ZL2VAL > ROVERS 24.02.04 12:20l 74 Lines 3123 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 0A0553ZL2VAL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Rovers status, 23rd Feb
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<ZL2BAU<ZL2BAU<ZL1AB<ZL2AB
Sent: 040224/0941Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:36529 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : ROVERS@WW
Update: Spirit and Opportunity
SPIRIT UPDATE: Heading for Middle Ground - sol 50, Feb 23, 2004
On Sol 50, ending at 2:35 p.m. PST, Spirit finished observations of the
trench at "Laguna Hollow," then continued on its journey toward the
crater called "Bonneville." Driving in a dog-leg pattern to avoid some
bumpy terrain, Spirit traveled approximately 18.8 meters (61.7 feet)
toward the halfway point, called "Middle Ground." The last 2.8 meters
(9.2 feet) were covered using autonomous navigation software.
After completing the drive, Spirit gathered miniature thermal emission
spectrometer data on the ground on both sides of the rover, and its
panoramic camera and navigation camera took pictures.
The wake-up song this morning (Sunday evening Pacific time) was "Samba
De Marte" by Beth Carvalho from her "Perolas Do Pagode" album. The
lyrics include a verse about waking up the rover on Carnival Day. This
song was written by Beth Carvalho after she heard that one of her songs
was used to wake up Mars Pathfinder's Sojourner rover during the 1997
mission. This is quite appropriate, as this spirited sol 50 also began
on Carnival day in Brazil!
In the coming sols, Spirit will complete the drive to "Middle Ground."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Busy Microscope at "El Capitan" - sol 28, Feb 22, 2004
On sol 28, which ended at 1:38 a.m. Sunday, PST, Opportunity moved its
arm repeatedly to make close-up inspections the "El Capitan" part of the
street-curb-sized outcrop in the crater where the rover is working.
Opportunity took 46 pictures with its microscope, examining several
locations on "El Capitan" at a range of focal distances. It also placed
its Mössbauer spectrometer and its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on
the rock target to assess what minerals and what elements are present.
Controllers chose the song "I am a Rock," performed by Paul Simon and
Art Garfunkel, as Opportunity's sol 28 wake-up music. The sol's
activities included observations by the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer and the panoramic camera, as well as the use of the tools
on the arm.
The arm's complex maneuvers totaled 25 minutes of actual arm movement.
Rover planners' success in accomplishing them drew a round of applause
in the Mission Support Area at JPL during the afternoon downlink from Mars.
During the martian night, early on sol 29, Opportunity woke up and moved
its arm again to switch from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the alpha
particle X-ray spectrometer. Additional close-up inspections are planned
for later in sol 29, which ends at 2:17 a.m. Monday. Plans for sol 30
feature the use of the rock abrasion tool to grind through the surface
at one target on "El Capitan."
=========================
73 de Alan, (Sysop ZL2AB).
AX25:ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
APRS:!3903.34S/17406.45E]
IP :zl2val@qsl.net
Message timed: 22:31 on 2004-Feb-24 (NZT)
Message sent using WinPack-AGW V6.80
Points to ponder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Insanity is contagious, You catch it from your kids.
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