Mars Exploration News  
Spirit Productive With Peace Efforts

At 40mm this is the deepest RAT hole drilled by Spirit so far. Quick true color desktop available - 1024x768

Pasadena CA (JPL) Feb 03, 2005
Spirit had another productive week in the locale of a target called "Peace." Because of strong interest in the unusual character of "Peace," the team decided to throw the full science instrument payload at the rock.

Sol-by-sol summaries
On sol 374, Spirit performed a successful 40-minute grind on Peace. The short grind time was due to energy limitations on the rover, which were a result of a dust storm that limited solar energy.

The rock abrasion tool performed with no anomalies, and a 3.22- millimeter hole was made, removing some of the upper rock surface.

Then, Spirit placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the hole drilled by the rock abrasion tool. The usual morning and evening remote-sensing science observations were conducted.

On sol 375, Spirit placed the Moessbauer spectrometer in the abraded hole. Again, the usual remote-sensing science observations were made.

On sol 376, Spirit continued the Moessbauer spectrometer integration, then Spirit changed tools to take pictures of the rock abrasion tool hole with the microscopic imager. Spirit performed more remote-sensing science.

On sol 377, Spirit completed a successful 1-hour-and-56-minute grind on Peace. This was the second attempt at grinding this rock target because the depth of first grind on sol 274 was deemed insufficient by the science team to really get inside the rock. The rock abrasion tool again performed the operation with no anomalies.

It ground an additional 9.7 millimeters into the previously abraded surface. This additional depth did not necessarily add directly to the depth achieved on sol 374 due to potential rover arm placement errors, but it was the deepest rock abrasion tool hole created to date!

On sol 378, Spirit started the Moessbauer spectrometer reading at noon and integrated until 3:00 a.m. The usual atmospheric science was conducted.

On sol 379, Spirit restarted the Moessbauer spectrometer to get four hours of observations during the day, and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading was taken overnight. Atmospheric science, miniature thermal emission spectrometer readings of "Boycott", and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading were taken overnight.

On sol 380, the Science Operations Working Group (SOWG) decided that Spirit should remain at the location with "Peace." Spirit collected pictures of the deep rock abrasion tool hole with the microscopic imager.

The microscopic imager images of the bottom of that hole were received on the ground. A short alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on a new "Peace" target was collected just before the Odyssey orbiter communications pass, and the data were sent down on that pass.

A long alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration (greater than eight hours) will come down later. Additional pictures of Peace from the microscopic imager were collected. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer monitored dust.

The panoramic camera and hazard avoidance camera took images of the rock abrasion tool's magnets and grinding bit. The atmosphere has become slightly less dusty since the latest reporting. Sol 380 ended on Jan. 27.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
Mars Rovers at JPL
Mars Rovers at Cornell
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Spirit Heading To 'Home Plate'
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jan 09, 2006
Last week Spirit completed robotic-arm work on "El Dorado." The rover used all three of its spectrometers plus the microscopic imager for readings over the New Year's weekend.









  • NASA plans to send new robot to Jupiter
  • Los Alamos Hopes To Lead New Era Of Nuclear Space Tranportion With Jovian Mission
  • Boeing Selects Leader for Nuclear Space Systems Program
  • Boeing-Led Team to Study Nuclear-Powered Space Systems

  • NASA Selects Moon Mapper for Mission Of Opportunity
  • SMART-1's First Images From The Moon
  • India To Launch Two Lunar Missions By 2015: Official
  • Sensor System To Gauge Effects Of Cosmic Rays On Lunar Explorers

  • LockMart Announces New All-Star CEV Team
  • NASA Selects Small Explorer Mission
  • Space Race 2: Seats Open For Soyuz Flights
  • Northrop Grumman, Boeing Finalize Space Exploration Teaming Agreement

  • Pluto-Charon Origin May Mirror That Of Earth And Its Moon
  • SwRI Researchers Show Planetoid Sedna May Have Formed Far Beyond Pluto
  • What Melted Quaoar, The Ice Planet?
  • Nuclear-Powered Mission To Neptune Could Answer Questions About Planetary Formation

  • Space Scientist Proposes New Model For Jupiter's Core
  • The Moon Eclipses Jupiter
  • Jupiter's Gets All Spotty In Rare Triple Moon Transit
  • SiRF Joins iNavSat Consortium In Euro Galileo Concession Bid



  • Welcome To Rhea: Impact Central
  • Sun-Striped Saturn
  • Moonlander: Let It Rain
  • Titanic Rainmaker

  • New Technology Could Make TV More Exciting
  • Superfluid Helium- 4 Whistles Just The Right Tune
  • Scientists Close In On 'Superbrakes' For Cars
  • "Bumpy" Glass Could Lead To Self-Cleaning Windows, Slick Micromachines

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement