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ZL2VAL > ROVERS 13.03.04 13:04l 113 Lines 5413 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 5201-ZL2VAL
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Subj: Status, 12th March
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Sent: 040313/1028Z @:ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC #:37503 [New Plymouth] FBB7.00g $:5201-ZL
From: ZL2VAL@ZL2AB.#46.NZL.OC
To : ROVERS@WW
Update: Spirit and Opportunity
SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit is "On Top of the World" - sol 67, Mar 12, 2004
Spirit woke up on sol 67, which ended at 1:48 a.m. PST March 12, 2004,
to "On Top of the World" by the Carpenters. The song was fitting, as
yestersols's drive put Spirit at the rim of "Bonneville" crater, but it
took some additional maneuvering to get the rover perfectly placed for
the 360-degree panoramic camera images it will take on upcoming sols.
Before beginning the sol 67 drive, Spirit completed an overnight alpha
particle x-ray spectrometer integration and a couple of small panoramic
camera shots of its surroundings.
Then the rover traveled 13 meters (42.7 feet) in a direct drive around
some obstacles followed by a 1.4-meter (4.6 feet) automatic navigation
drive. Spirit spent the afternoon using the mini thermal emission
spectrometer to look at targets that will be analyzed more fully on sol
67, and then driving 0.9 meters (3 feet) forward to be able to access
that area with the arm tomorrow.
Spirit put a total of 24.8 meters (81.4 feet) on the odometer today,
partly due to some back and forth maneuvering it had to do to ensure a
safe path. The final location has proven to be just right, and Spirit
will stay put for a couple sols while it continues to investigate
"Bonneville" crater.
Before the day was over, Spirit looked at the sun for an attitude update
and then took front hazard avoidance camera images of the arm work
volume, and a small navigation panorama of the crater. The rover also
completed some mini thermal emission spectrometer analysis of the far
side of the crater and finished the day with some panoramic camera
images of the sunset.
On sol 68, which will end at 2:28 a.m. PST March 13, 2004, Spirit will
begin a two-sol panoramic camera session and complete selected mini
thermal emission spectrometer observations. The rover will also begin a
very long Mössbauer integration on a soil target.
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OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Aiming for Shark's Tooth - sol 47, Mar 12, 2004
On sol 47, which ended at 2:10 p.m. PST on Friday March 12, Opportunity
awoke to "No Particular Place to Go" by Chuck Berry in recognition of
the stay at "Berry Bowl." Engineers also played "That's Amore" by Dean
Martin in honor of the Phobos moon's transit across the sky.
Opportunity finished remnants of activities from the past sol's research
at "Berry Bowl." The sol started with the hazard avoidance camera taking
a picture of the "Berry Bowl" area as a context picture. The miniature
thermal emission spectrometer then performed some "sky stares" of the
atmosphere. At 11:30 Local Solar Time, the robotic arm started moving.
It picked up the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and moved to a new
location nearby, then switched to the Mössbauer spectrometer. Both
spectrometers are searching for clues about the chemical composition of
the mysterious "blueberries."
Later, Opportunity took panoramic camera images of the suite magnet on
the rover itself, which is collecting atmospheric dust samples to
understand why the martian dust is so magnetic. The panoramic camera
also took images of a target dubbed "Fool's Silver," which contains an
interesting angular feature in the outcrop.
After all the morning's hard work, Opportunity took a short siesta to
rest and recharge. Opportunity reawakened a few hours later to take more
images of the atmosphere with the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer and panoramic camera. Those were taken in the same
locations as the morning measurements to compare the atmospheric data
throughout the sol.
At 15:40 Local Solar Time, Opportunity took about a dozen images of the
Sun to catch the eclipse by the martian moon, Phobos. Opportunity once
again shut down for a nap and woke up at 4:53 Local Solar Time, sol 48,
for a tool change and a communications session with the Odyssey orbiter.
While the rover was awake for the Odyssey pass, the rover heated up the
robotic arm, which had chilled to almost -80 degrees Celsius (-112
degrees Fahrenheit). The motors cannot move at that frigid temperature,
so the rover arm heated for 32 minutes to surpass the operational
temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). As the rover
arm quickly cooled, the heat lasted long enough (5 minutes) for the arm
to twist its wrist and change instruments from the Mössbauer
spectrometer back to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
The rest of the plan for sol 48, which will end at 2:49 p.m. PST on
Saturday, March 13, is to perform quite a few complicated maneuvers.
Opportunity plans to brush an area with the rock abrasion tool, analyze
the brushed area with the spectrometers, then drive 10 meters (33 feet)
along the slippery slopes of the outcrop to "Shark's Tooth" in
"Shoemaker's Patio."
==============================
73 de Alan
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Points to ponder
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marriage
~~~~~~~~
If you want your spouse to listen and pay strict attention to every word
you say, talk in your sleep.
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