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ZL2VAL > ROVERS 29.02.04 18:43l 78 Lines 3421 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 5196-ZL2VAL
Read: GUEST
Subj: Rovers status, 27th Feb
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Sent: 040229/0842Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:36806 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g $:5196-ZL
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : ROVERS@WW
Update: Spirit and Opportunity
SPIRIT UPDATE: Heading To "Humphrey" - sol 54, Feb 27, 2004
On sol 54, Spirit woke up to the song "Big Rock in the Road" by Pete
Wernick and made its final approach to the imposing rock called
"Humphrey" before the sol ended at 5:13 p.m. PST on Friday, Feb. 27. The
initial 3.5 meter (11.5 feet) drive toward the rock was cut short at
only 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) due to a built-in software safety. Rover
engineers quickly adjusted the software restriction and drove the final
meter of that planned drive, plus the 0.9 meters (about 3 feet) that put
the rover in the best position for brushing "Humphrey" with the rock
abrasion tool.
Before approaching the rock, Spirit used its alpha particle X-ray
spectrometer to investigate the areas the rock abrasion tool will brush
and grind. Unlike the last rock abrasion tool sequence on the rock
called "Adirondack," the planned procedure for "Humphrey" will include
brushing three separate areas of the rock. After brushing, Spirit will
back up and examine the brushed areas with the instruments on its arm.
The science team will then decide the best place to grind into
"Humphrey" - it could be one of the three brushed areas or another
section altogether. The hope is to remove as much dust as possible so
the instruments on Spirit's arm can get a pre-grinding "read" on the
rock coating and then, after grinding, study beneath the coating and
surface.
In the sols following the rock abrasion tool sequence, Spirit might
investigate an interesting rock behind it, or continue on toward
"Bonneville" crater.
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OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Scratch and Sniff - sol 34, Feb 28, 2004
Opportunity remains healthy and active. During its 34th sol on Mars,
which ended at 5:34 a.m. Saturday, PST, the rover used its rock abrasion
tool for the second time. It ground the surface off a patch of rock at a
site called "Guadalupe" in the outcrop the rover has been examining. The
rover looked at the patch with its microscope both before and after the
grinding session. Then it placed its Moessbauer spectrometer against the
newly exposed interior material of the rock for a long reading of data
that scientists use to identify what iron-containing minerals are
present in the target.
Opportunity also used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer during
the sol to assess the composition of an outcrop feature dubbed
"Shoemaker Wall." It took images of "Guadalupe" with its panoramic
camera before and after the use of the rock abrasion tool.
Wake-up music played in the mission support area at JPL for sol 34 was
"Dig In," by Lenny Kravitz.
For sol 35, ending at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, PST, plans call for continuing
use of tools on the robotic arm to examine the rock interior exposed by
the "Guadalupe" grind.
==============================
73 de Alan
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Points to ponder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marriage
~~~~~~~~
You have two choices in life: you can stay single and be miserable,or get
married and wish you were dead
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