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TOPIC: Mars Exploration Rover Spirit
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RE: Mars Exploration Rover Spirit
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SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Continues to Test New Computer Smarts - sol 1070-1070, January 12, 2007:

On the rover's 1,068th sol, or Martian day of exploration on Mars (Jan. 4, 2007), Spirit used its new computer smarts to autonomously acquire images of the terrain using the hazard avoidance camera, construct a three-dimensional model of the terrain, identify rock or soil exposures of interest, and generate plans for placing the Mössbauer spectrometer and microscopic imager on 10 of those targets. Spirit's twin, the Opportunity rover on the other side of Mars, completed the same exercise. The next step of the testing process for both rovers will be to actually place scientific instruments on a target of interest.
Spirit spent much of the past week studying a layered rock exposure known as "Montalva." During the study, the rover used the brush on the rock abrasion tool, the microscopic imager, the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer that collects information about elemental composition, and the Mössbauer spectrometer that identifies iron-bearing minerals.
Plans called for Spirit to observe three transits of the Martian moon Phobos as it passed between the rover and the sun on sols 1075 (Jan. 11, 2007), 1077 (Jan. 13, 2007), and 1078 (Jan. 14, 2007).


Sol-by-sol summary:

Sol 1070 (Jan. 6, 2006): Spirit unstowed the robotic arm and brushed the surface of Montalva, acquired a microscopic image of the rock, and placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on it for elemental analysis. Before shutting down for the evening, Spirit measured atmospheric dust using the panoramic camera.

Sol 1071: Spirit acquired a full-colour image, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a boulder nicknamed "Davis." It also used the navigation camera for images of scientific targets, and used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to measure atmospheric dust and to surveyed the sky and ground, while communicating with the Odyssey orbiter in the afternoon.

Sol 1072: Spirit scanned the foreground using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, acquired 4 hours worth of data using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, monitored atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, and took images of the sky for calibration purposes.

Sol 1073: Spirit swung the robotic arm out of view to collect full-colour, 13-filter images of Montalva with the panoramic camera and acquired 4 hours of worth of data using the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover scanned the sky and ground using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, monitored dust accumulation on the rover mast, measured atmospheric dust, and imaged the sky for calibration purposes.

Sol 1074: Spirit used the navigation camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer observe a nearby rock known as "Kohnen" and another target known as "Amundsen." Spirit fired up the Mössbauer spectrometer for another 3 hours worth of analysis of Montalva. The rover turned off the Mössbauer spectrometer and monitored atmospheric dust.

Sol 1075: Spirit observed the morning transit of Phobos using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, fired up the Mössbauer for an overnight observation, acquired thumbnail images of the sky using the panoramic camera, and searched for dust devils by acquiring video frames using the navigation camera.

Sol 1076: Plans called for Spirit to use the Mössbauer spectrometer for another 3 hours of study of Montalva and to take images of the sky for calibration purposes with the navigation and panoramic cameras. Spirit was also to monitor atmospheric dust and pre-position the panoramic camera to acquire images of the next day's transit of Phobos.

Sol 1077: Plans called for Spirit to acquire images of the sky for calibration purposes while communicating directly with Earth using the high-gain antenna. Plans also called for Spirit to use the Mössbauer for 12 hours of analysis of Montalva, heat up the electronics inside the panoramic camera, and acquire images of the Phobos transit with the panoramic camera.

Sol 1078 (Jan. 14, 2007): Plans called for Spirit to scan the sky for clouds using the navigation camera, study a target known as "Svarthammaren," and survey the sky and ground during the Phobos transit at 1:45 p.m. local solar time using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover was to survey targets known as "Sejong" and "Amery" and search the sky for clouds again the following morning using the navigation camera.

Odometry:
As of sol 1075 (Jan. 11, 2006), Spirit's total odometry was 6,895 metres

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Image taken by the Spirit rover with its Navigation Camera on Sol 1071

SpiSol1071nav_old wild west
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Credit NASA

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Image taken by the Spirit rover on Sol 1071

SpiSol1071
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Credit NASA

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Image taken by the Spirit rover on Sol 1070

Spi1070
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SPIRIT UPDATE: Martian Weather Delays Travel Plans - sol 1063-1069, January 05, 2007:

The dust storm season has apparently arrived at Gusev, causing delays in Spirit's fourth Earth year of exploring the Red Planet. Spirit spent most of the holiday season of 2006 and 2007 keeping an eye on the sky, measuring atmospheric dust that could prevent sunlight from reaching the rover's solar panels.
During the past week, atmospheric dust levels have been typical for this time of year on Mars, measuring about 1 on the scale used by the rover. The rover estimates dust levels by measuring opacity -- the degree to which the atmosphere is impenetrable by light. This value is known as tau and varies on a continuous scale from 0 on up. During most of Spirit's mission on Mars, tau values have fallen between 0 and 1. Values between 1 and 2 can greatly limit the activities the rover can perform. Values of 2 or greater could be fatal.
In addition to measuring atmospheric dust, Spirit continued to watch for dust devils and successfully retested step No. 3 of new computer smarts that will enable the rover to autonomously place scientific instruments of the rover's robotic arm onto a target of scientific interest. During the test, Spirit was able to take images of the workspace, unstow the arm, and plan a path of approach for reaching a target.
Next up for Spirit will be an attempt to approach and conduct scientific analysis of a layered rock exposure known as "Montalva," part of a larger outcrop known as "Troll."

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, searching for clouds with the navigation camera, scanning the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and imaging the sky with the panoramic camera, Spirit completed the following activities.

Sol 1063 (Dec. 29, 2006): After completing a short drive the previous day to a north-facing slope that tilted the rover's solar panels toward the sun, Spirit monitored atmospheric dust, acquired panoramic camera images of a place (called "Desolacion") where the rover's tracks cross each other, surveyed the Martian horizon with the panoramic camera, and monitored dust accumulation on the rover mast.

Sol 1064: Spirit monitored atmospheric dust and surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.

Sol 1065: Spirit monitored atmospheric dust.

Sol 1066: Spirit monitored atmospheric dust.

Sol 1067: Spirit monitored atmospheric dust and searched for dust devils by acquiring successive navigation camera images that could be made into a movie.

Sol 1068 (Third Earth-year anniversary of Spirit's landing): Spirit monitored atmospheric dust, surveyed surrounding rocks with the panoramic camera, acquired full-colour images of Desolacion with the panoramic camera, and retested step No. 3 of the robotic arm autonomous placement code.

Sol 1069 (Jan. 5, 2006): Plans called for Spirit to approach Montalva, acquire full-colour panoramic camera images of a spongy-looking lava rock known as "Esperanza," and acquire panoramic camera images of Montalva and another layered rock exposure known as "Riquelme."

Odometry:
As of sol 1062 (Dec. 28, 2006), Spirit's total odometry was 6,891.34 metres.

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McMurdo Panorama
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This is a portion of an image, called the "McMurdo Panorama," taken by the panoramic camera on the Spirit rover during its winter campaign. The view is looking toward the east, at "Tyrone," the light-toned soils exposed by the rover's wheels.

McMurdo Panorama
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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell

The Tyrone area proved difficult for Spirit to get through, so the rover was commanded to traverse to "Low Ridge," the site of the winter campaign. Note the light-toned material in the wheel tracks generated as the rover drove to the site. Several rock and soil targets are shown that were investigated with instruments on the rover's robotic arm.
The McMurdo Panorama was acquired over several months while Spirit was on "Low Ridge." It required all of the camera's geology filters and covered 360 degrees in azimuth. This view is in false colour, with blue, green and red representing data collected through 430-nanometer, 530-nanometer and 750-nanometer filters, respectively.

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Image taken by the Spirit rover on Sol 1069.

SpiSol1069
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SPIRIT UPDATE: Spirit Rests During Dust Storm - sol 1058-1062, January 02, 2007:

A sudden dust storm cut short Spirit's investigation of a volcanic rock and kicked enough dust into the Martian atmosphere to drive solar power levels to an all-time low. Spirit's team of scientists and engineers decided to move the rover to a spot where the solar panels would be tilted toward the sun to increase the amount of electrical power available.
The southern hemisphere dust storm lowered power levels to 267 watt-hours on Spirit's 1,061st sol, or Martian day, of exploring Mars (Dec. 27, 2006). Spirit had been using its Moessbauer spectrometer to analyse the mineral composition of a rock nicknamed "Esperanza," a piece of lava full of tiny holes and known as vesicular basalt. Due to concern about low power, the team prepared to drive Spirit to a north-tilted spot on the way toward a new target, a layered outcrop known as "Troll."
Spirit spent the New Year's weekend in one place, monitoring dust and actually resting on a holiday.

Sol-by-sol summary:

Sol 1058 (Dec. 24, 2006): Spirit completed 4 hours and 42 minutes of analysis of a target known as "Palma" on the rock Esperanza using the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover tested Step No. 2 of a software program to watch for dust devils and studied a target known as "Boudouin" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.

Sol 1059: Spirit spent an additional 3 hours and 48 minutes collecting information about Palma with the Mössbauer spectrometer, scanned rock outcrops known as "Gurruchaga" and "Oberth" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and acquired super-resolution images of a rock target known as "Molodezhnaya."

Sol 1060: Spirit acquired an additional 4 hours and 47 minutes worth of Mössbauer spectrometer data from Palma and surveyed the Martian horizon with the panoramic camera.

Sol 1061: Spirit completed 3.5 hours of Mössbauer spectrometer analysis of Palma, bringing the total number of hours spent collecting data about the rock to 25. Spirit then acquired data from a rock target known as "Scott_Base" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and acquired a full-colour image of a soil target known as "Tyrone" using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera.

Sol 1062 (Dec. 28, 2006): The team prepared to send Spirit driving about 4 metres to a shallow slope selected because it would tilt the rover's solar arrays toward the sun, which was still fairly low above the northern horizon and dimmed by atmospheric dust.

Odometry:
On sol 1062 (Dec. 28, 2006), Spirit's total odometry reached 6,891.34 metres.

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NASA's newly upgraded Spirit rover will celebrate its third anniversary on the Martian surface hunkered down to weather a dust storm.
The rover parachuted down to Mars's Gusev Crater on 3 January 2004. Its twin, Opportunity, caught up and landed on the other side of the planet 21 days later.
Early last week, Spirit's instruments detected hazy conditions due to a large dust storm to the south that was churning up fine dust grains high in the atmosphere.
Because the storms block some sunlight from reaching the planet's surface, they could be dangerous for the rovers, which rely on solar power to generate electricity.
So on Thursday, ground controllers had Spirit stop taking scientific measurements of an igneous rock named Esperanza and scurry over to a slope tilted 7.4° to the north to maximise the amount of sunlight falling on its solar arrays.

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Image taken by the Spirit rover on December 30th, 2006 (Sol 1064).

SpiritSol1064
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Credit NASA

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