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TOPIC: Mars Exploration Rover Spirit
Blobrana


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RE: Mars Exploration Rover Spirit
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SPIRIT UPDATE:  Diagnostics on Antenna Actuator - sols 2022-2028, September 10-16, 2009:

Spirit is continuing science investigations with remote-sensing and robotic-arm instruments while positioned at her embedded location on the west side of Home Plate.
Spirit began the week with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) examining dust on the capture magnet located up on the rover deck.

On Sol 2024: (Sept. 12, 2009), the robotic arm (instrument deployment device, or IDD) collected another microscopic imager (MI) mosaic of the rover underbelly, then took a stack of MI images of the surface target "Penina4" followed by the APXS placement on the same target.

On Sol 2025: the Mössbauer (MB) spectrometer was placed on Penina4.

On Sol 2027: (Sept. 15, 2009), a high-gain antenna (HGA) fault occurred. Telemetry indicates anomalous behaviour with the dynamic brake on the HGA actuators. Diagnostics are underway and a likely workaround is in development. Spirit is otherwise in good health.

As of Sol 2028: (Sept. 16, 2009), Spirit's solar-array energy production is 403 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (tau) of 1.21 and a dust factor of 0.631. Total odometry remains at 7,729.93 metres.

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Spirit became embedded in soft soil at a site called Troy in early May
Efforts to free the stuck Spirit rover on Mars have been dragging on since May, and one NASA official now says the robot may never get free.

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SPIRIT UPDATE:  Examining Target 'Olive Leaf' - sols 2015-2021, September 03-09, 2009:
Spirit is continuing remote sensing and in situ science while positioned at her embedded location on the west side of Home Plate.

On Sol 2015: (Sept. 3, 2009), a Mössbauer (MB) integration was completed on target "Olive Leaf." On the next sol, a rock abrasion tool (RAT) calibration and a RAT diagnostics were performed, then the APXS was placed on Olive Leaf for an overnight integration. On the sol after that, the robotic arm (instrument deployment device, or IDD) positioned the microscopic imager (MI) to take an image of the capture magnet on the rover deck. Then the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS) was placed on that magnet for a multi-sol integration.
The panoramic camera (Pancam) was busy taking 13-filter images of "Scamander Plains" and documentary images of the rover deck.
Ground testing continued at JPL with tests using the Mars-weight surface system testbed (SSTB Lite) rover with its center-of-gravity over a rock.

As of Sol 2021: (Sept. 3, 2009), Spirit's solar-array energy production is 418 watt-hours, with an increased atmospheric opacity (tau) of 1.65 and a dust factor of 0.669. Rover power plans have been conservative because of the elevated atmospheric opacity. Total odometry remains at 7,729.93 metres.

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PTV - Mars Rover Update August 30, 2009



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NASA says its Mars rover Spirit, which has been stuck in loose martian sand since April, is losing power due to a dust storm that's blocking its solar panels. The amount of electricity generated by the solar panels on Spirit has been declining for the past several Martian days, or sols, as a regional dust storm moved southward and blocked some of the sunshine at Spirit's location, the space agency said.

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Spirit Hits 2,000
Today marks the 2,000th Martian day, or sol, of what was initially planned as a 90-sol mission on Mars for NASA's Spirit rover.

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Planned Rover Test to Run a Week or More
Mars rover team members are planning a long-duration experiment with the test rover at JPL beginning next week. This test will check whether favourable motion seen in earlier tests can be sustained to gain as much distance in the sandbox as Spirit would need to complete on Mars to escape its predicament.

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Longer Tests Beginning
Mars rover team members have begun a new phase of testing at JPL -- using longer-duration experiments -- in their preparations for driving Spirit again on Mars.
They have completed assessments of individual manoeuvres, using the test rover in a box of sloped, soft soil that simulates conditions at the patch of Martian ground called "Troy," where Spirit's wheels have dug themselves hub-deep. Tests beginning today are using combinations of the individual manoeuvres and longer-duration drives.

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Free Spirit - Measuring Progress - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory



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Engineers used straight-backward driving of a test rover on Earth on Wednesday, July 8, as they evaluate manoeuvres that might be useful for getting Spirit out of a sandtrap on Mars. They had tested straight-forward driving first, then refreshed the sandbox setup simulating Spirit's situation before beginning the backward tests. Weeks of further testing and analysis are expected before engineers identify the best moves to command Spirit to perform. Meanwhile, Spirit is using its science instruments to examine the environment surrounding the rover on Mars.

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