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Martian Meteorite
title Martian Meteorite
description NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has found an iron meteorite, the first meteorite of any type ever identified on another planet. The pitted, basketball-size object is mostly made of iron and nickel according to readings from spectrometers on the rover. Only a small fraction of the meteorites fallen on Earth are similarly metal-rich. Others are rockier. As an example, the meteorite that blasted the famous Meteor Crater in Arizona is similar in composition. "This is a huge surprise, though maybe it shouldn't have been," said Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., principal investigator for the science instruments on Opportunity and its twin, Spirit. The meteorite, dubbed "Heat Shield Rock," sits near debris of Opportunity's heat shield on the surface of Meridiani Planum, a cratered flatland that has been Opportunity's home since the robot landed on Mars nearly one year ago. "I never thought we would get to use our instruments on a rock from someplace other than Mars," Squyres said. "Think about where an iron meteorite comes from: a destroyed planet or planetesimal that was big enough to differentiate into a metallic core and a rocky mantle." Rover-team scientists are wondering whether some rocks that Opportunity has seen atop the ground surface are rocky meteorites. "Mars should be hit by a lot more rocky meteorites than iron meteorites," Squyres said. "We've been seeing lots of cobbles out on the plains, and this raises the possibility that some of them may in fact be meteorites. We may be investigating some of those in coming weeks. The key is not what we'll learn about meteorites -- we have lots of meteorites on Earth -- but what the meteorites can tell us about Meridiani Planum." The numbers of exposed meteorites could be an indication of whether the plain is gradually eroding away or being built up. NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Jim Garvin said, "Exploring meteorites is a vital part of NASA's scientific agenda, and discovering whether there are storehouses of them on Mars opens new research possibilities, including further incentives for robotic and then human-based sample-return missions. Mars continues to provide unexpected science 'gold,' and our rovers have proven the value of mobile exploration with this latest finding." Initial observation of Heat Shield Rock from a distance with Opportunity's miniature thermal emission spectrometer suggested a metallic composition and raised speculation last week that it was a meteorite. The rover drove close enough to use its Moessbauer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometers, confirming the meteorite identification over the weekend. Opportunity and Spirit successfully completed their primary three-month missions on Mars in April 2004. NASA has extended their missions twice because the rovers have remained in good condition to continue exploring Mars longer than anticipated. They have found geological evidence of past wet environmental conditions that might have, been hospitable to life. Opportunity has driven a total of 2.10 kilometers (1.30 miles). Minor mottling from dust has appeared in images from the rover's rear hazard-identification camera since Opportunity entered the area of its heat-shield debris, said Jim Erickson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., rover project manager. The rover team plans to begin driving Opportunity south toward a circular feature called "Vostok" within about a week. Spirit has driven a total of 4.05 kilometers (2.52 miles). It has been making slow progress uphill toward a ridge on "Husband Hill" inside Gusev Crater. *Image Credit*: NASA
Six Wheels on Mars
title Six Wheels on Mars
date 01.15.2004
description This image from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's rear hazard identification camera shows the rover's hind view of the lander platform, its nest for the past 12 sols, or martian days. The rover is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the airbag-cushioned lander, facing northwest. Note the tracks left in the martian soil by the rovers' wheels, all six of which have rolled off the lander. This is the first time the rover has touched martian soil. *Image Credit*: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Spirit Reaches Out
title Spirit Reaches Out
date 01.16.2004
description This animation, composed of four images taken by the front hazard-identification camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows the rover stretching out its robotic arm, or instrument deployment device. This is the first use of the arm on Mars to deploy the microscopic imager, one of four geological instruments located on the arm. The first frame shows a clear view of the martian surface in front of the rover before the arm was successfully deployed early Friday morning. The subsequent frames show the arm emerging from its stowed position beneath the "front porch" of the rover body, reaching out, and using the microscopic imager to take close-up images of the martian soil. *Image Credit*: NASA/JPL/US Geological Survey
Spirit Begins Third Martian …
PIA10078
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Begins Third Martian Year
Original Caption Released with Image As it finished its second Martian year on Mars, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit was beginning to examine a group of angular rocks given informal names corresponding to peaks in the Colorado Rockies. A Martian year -- the amount of time it takes Mars to complete one orbit around the sun -- lasts for 687 Earth days. Spirit completed its second Martian year on the rover's 1,338th Martian day, or sol, corresponding to Oct. 8, 2007. Two days later, on sol 1,340 (Oct. 10, 2007), Spirit used its front hazard-identification camera to capture this wide-angle view of its robotic arm extended to a rock informally named "Humboldt Peak." For the rocks at this site on the southern edge of the "Home Plate" platform in the inner basin of the Columbia Hills inside Gusev Crater, the rover team decided to use names of Colorado peaks higher than 14,000 feet. The Colorado Rockies team of the National League is the connection to the baseball-theme nomenclature being used for features around Home Plate. The tool facing Spirit on the turret at the end of the robotic arm is the Moessbauer spectrometer.
Spirit Takes the Helm
PIA05877
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Takes the Helm
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows Spirit driving itself through the rocky terrain of Gusev Crater on sol 118 (May 8, 2004) using its auto-navigation software. Halfway through the drive, the rover spotted a rock bigger than its wheels (25 centimeters or 9.8 inches) and drove around to the left. At the end of its traverse, Spirit encountered several more large rocks, but since they were less than half its wheel height (12 centimeters or 4.7 inches tall), it drove right over them. The total distance traveled was 92.7 meters (304 feet) -- Spirit's longest drive yet. Over half the drive (55 meters or 180 feet) was executed using the auto-navigation software.
View in Front of Spirit
PIA04979
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title View in Front of Spirit
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken by the hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover's front wheels in stowed configuration.
Spirit Shadow over Laguna Tr …
PIA05339
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Shadow over Laguna Trench
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit casts a shadow over the trench that the rover is examining with tools on its robotic arm. Spirit took this image with its front hazard-avoidance camera on Feb. 21, 2004, during the rover's 48th martian day, or sol. It dug the trench with its left front wheel the preceding sol. Plans call for Spirit to finish examining the trench on sol 50.
Wide-Angle View of Gusev Dus …
PIA04156
Sol (our sun)
Hazard-identification Camera
Title Wide-Angle View of Gusev Dust Devil, Sol 559
Original Caption Released with Image This movie clip shows dust devils moving across the plain inside Mars' Gusev Crater, as seen with a hazard-identification camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The clip consists of consists of frames taken by that camera during a span of 8 minutes, 26 seconds on the rover's 559th martian day, or sol (July 29, 2005). Contrast has been enhanced for anything in the images that changes from frame to frame, that is, for the dust moved by wind. Spirit began seeing dust devil activity around the beginning of Mars' spring season. Activity increased as spring continued, but fell off again for about two weeks during a dust storm. As the dust storm faded away, dust devil activity came back. In the mid-afternoons as the summer solstice approached, dust devils were a very common occurrence on the floor of Gusev crater. The early-spring dust devils tended to move southwest-to-northeast, across the dust devil streaks in Gusev seen from orbit. Increasingly as the season progresses, the dust devils are seen moving northwest-to-southeast, in the same direction as the streaks. Scientists are watching for the big dust devils that leave those streaks.
Turning in the Testbed
PIA05053
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Turning in the Testbed
Original Caption Released with Image This image, taken in the JPL In-Situ Instruments Laboratory or "Testbed," shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit after the rover has backed up and turned 45 degrees counterclockwise. Engineers rehearsed this maneuver at JPL before performing it on Mars. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face the rear direction and drive off a rear side lander petal.
Turning on Mars
PIA05054
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Turning on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This image, taken on Mars, shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit after the rover has backed up 25 centimeters (10 inches) and turned 45 degrees clockwise. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face the rear direction and drive off a rear side lander petal. Note that the view in this image matches that of the image taken during rehearsal of this maneuver in the JPL testbed.
Spirit Rises to the Occasion …
PIA05031
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Rises to the Occasion (Animation)
Original Caption Released with Image This animation strings together images from the rover's front hazard avoidance camera taken during the stand-up process of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The first frame shows the rover's wheels tucked under in pre-stand-up position. The following frames show the stages of the stand-up process. The rover first elevates itself and unfolds the wheels. It then lowers, lifts and lowers again into its final position. Note the changing camera perspectives of the martian landscape, indicating the rover's heightened and lowered positions.
Spirit Stretches Out
PIA05040
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Stretches Out
Original Caption Released with Image This animation flips back and forth between images taken before and after deployment of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's bogie, a part of the rover's suspension system that extends the wheel base. These images were taken by Spirit's hazard avoidance camera.
Rover Pre-Turn
PIA05050
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Rover Pre-Turn
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit before the rover begins a crucial 3-point turn to face in a west direction and roll off the lander.
Cutting the Cord-2
PIA05052
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Cutting the Cord-2
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the rear hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 45 degrees clockwise. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west. The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting from the front lander petal. Before this crucial turn took place, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander. The turn took around 30 minutes to complete.
In and Out (Animation)
PIA05045
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title In and Out (Animation)
Original Caption Released with Image This animation links two images taken by the front hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. The rover is stowing and unstowing its robotic arm, or instrument deployment device. The device is designed to hold and maneuver the various instruments on board that will help scientists get up-close and personal with martian rocks and soil.
Cutting the Cord
PIA05051
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Cutting the Cord
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 45 degrees clockwise. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west. The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting off the front lander petal. Before this crucial turn could take place, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander. The turn took around 30 minutes to complete.
Snapshots of Martian Soil
PIA05090
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Snapshots of Martian Soil
Original Caption Released with Image This animation strings together five different snapshots of the martian soil captured by the microscopic imager onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. Each picture was taken from a different height. Scientists combine these images to produce one well-focused picture. The actual size of the soil patch shown here is 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across.
Spirit Looks Back
PIA05082
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Looks Back
Original Caption Released with Image This image from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's rear hazard identification camera shows the rover's hind view of the lander platform, its nest for the past 12 sols, or martian days. The rover is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the airbag-cushioned lander, facing northwest. Note the tracks left in the martian soil by the rovers' wheels, all six of which have rolled off the lander. This is the first time the rover has touched martian soil.
Location of Spirit's Home
PIA05086
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Location of Spirit's Home
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows where Earth would set on the martian horizon from the perspective of the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit if it were facing northwest atop its lander at Gusev Crater. Earth cannot be seen in this image, but engineers have mapped its location. This image mosaic was taken by the hazard-identification camera onboard Spirit.
Ready to Roll
PIA05069
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Ready to Roll
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the view from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit after it successfully completed a 115 degree turn to face northwest, the direction it will roll off the lander. The image was taken by the rover's front hazard avoidance camera.
Continuing the Turn
PIA05068
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Continuing the Turn
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 95 degrees clockwise. This maneuver shows the first and second steps in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west (the first step previously shown in PIA05051 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05051 ]). The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting off the front lander petal. Before starting this maneuver, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander.
Spirit is Out the Gate
PIA05081
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit is Out the Gate
Original Caption Released with Image JPL engineers played Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out" in the control room as they watched new images confirming that the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit successfully rolled off its lander platform early Thursday morning. This image from the rover's front hazard identification camera shows the rover's view of the martian landscape from its new position 1 meter (3 feet) northwest of the lander. One of the rover's next tasks will be to locate the Sun with its panoramic camera and calculate from the Sun's position how to point its main antenna toward Earth.
95-degree Position on Mars
PIA05067
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title 95-degree Position on Mars
Original Caption Released with Image This image from the hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover in its near-final turned position on the lander at Gusev Crater. At this point, the rover has turned 95 degrees, with 115 degrees being its goal position. This picture looks remarkably similar to the image taken during a "dress rehearsal" at the JPL In-Situ Laboratory, or "testbed," prior to the maneuver on Mars.
Spirit Reaches for Closer Lo …
PIA05089
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Reaches for Closer Look
Original Caption Released with Image This animation, composed of four images taken by the front hazard-identification camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows the rover stretching out its robotic arm, or instrument deployment device. This is the first use of the arm on Mars to deploy the microscopic imager, one of four geological instruments located on the arm. The first frame shows a clear view of the martian surface in front of the rover before the arm was successfully deployed early Friday morning. The subsequent frames show the arm emerging from its stowed position beneath the "front porch" of the rover body, reaching out, and using the microscopic imager to take close-up images of the martian soil.
Panoramic View of Lander Dur …
PIA05083
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Panoramic View of Lander During Turn
Original Caption Released with Image This 360-degree panoramic mosaic image composed of data from the hazard avoidance camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a view of the lander from under the rover deck. The images were taken as the rover turned from its landing position 95 degrees toward the northwest side of the lander.
Continuing the Turn-2
PIA05088
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Continuing the Turn-2
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the view from the rear hazard avoidance cameras on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit as the rover turns 95 degrees clockwise. This maneuver shows the first and second steps in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west (the first step previously shown in PIA05052 [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05052 ]) . The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting from the front lander petal. Before starting this maneuver, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander.
Rover Takes a Sunday Drive
PIA05099
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Rover Takes a Sunday Drive
Original Caption Released with Image This animation, made with images from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit hazard-identification camera, shows the rover's perspective of its first post-egress drive on Mars Sunday. Engineers drove Spirit approximately 3 meters (10 feet) toward its first rock target, a football-sized, mountain-shaped rock called Adirondack. The drive took approximately 30 minutes to complete, including time stopped to take images. Spirit first made a series of arcing turns totaling approximately 1 meter (3 feet). It then turned in place and made a series of short, straightforward movements totaling approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet).
Spirit Reaches for Closer Lo …
PIA05096
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Reaches for Closer Look
Original Caption Released with Image This image taken by the front hazard-identification camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows the rover's robotic arm, or instrument deployment device. The arm was deployed from its stowed position beneath the "front porch" of the rover body early Friday morning. This is the first use of the arm to deploy the microscopic imager, one of four geological instruments located on the arm. The instrument will help scientists analyze and understand martian rocks and soils by taking very high resolution, close-up images.
Spirit Leaves Telling Tracks
PIA05097
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Leaves Telling Tracks
Original Caption Released with Image Scientists have found clues about the nature of martian soil through analyzing wheel marks from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in this image. The image was taken by Spirit's rear hazard-identification camera just after the rover drove approximately 1 meter (3 feet) northwest off the Columbia Memorial Station (lander platform) early Thursday morning. That the wheel tracks are shallow indicates the soil has plenty of strength to support the moving rover. The well-defined track characteristics suggest the presence of very fine particles in the martian soil (along with larger particles). Scientists also think the soil may have some cohesive properties.
Spirit Switches on Its X-ray …
PIA05115
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Switches on Its X-ray Vision
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit probing its first target rock, Adirondack. At the time this picture was snapped, the rover had begun analyzing the rock with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer located on its robotic arm. This instrument uses alpha particles and X-rays to determine the elemental composition of martian rocks and soil. The image was taken by the rover's hazard-identification camera.
Hungry for Rocks
PIA05103
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Hungry for Rocks
Original Caption Released with Image This image from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit hazard identification camera shows the rover's perspective just before its first post-egress drive on Mars. On Sunday, the 15th martian day, or sol, of Spirit's journey, engineers drove Spirit approximately 3 meters (10 feet) toward its first rock target, a football-sized, mountain-shaped rock called Adirondack (not pictured). In the foreground of this image are "Sashimi" and "Sushi" - two rocks that scientists considered investigating first. Ultimately, these rocks were not chosen because their rough and dusty surfaces are ill-suited for grinding.
Approaching Rock Target No. …
PIA05107
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Approaching Rock Target No. 1
Original Caption Released with Image This 3-D stereo anaglyph image was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit front hazard-identification camera after the rover's first post-egress drive on Mars Sunday. Engineers drove the rover approximately 3 meters (10 feet) from the Columbia Memorial Station toward the first rock target, seen in the foreground. The football-sized rock was dubbed Adirondack because of its mountain-shaped appearance. Scientists plan to use instruments at the end of the rover's robotic arm to examine the rock and understand how it formed.
Ready to Rock and Roll
PIA05100
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Ready to Rock and Roll
Original Caption Released with Image This image from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit hazard-identification camera shows the rover's perspective just before its first post-egress drive on Mars. On Sunday, the 15th martian day, or sol, of Spirit's journey, engineers drove Spirit approximately 3 meters (10 feet)toward its first rock target, a football-sized, mountain-shaped rock called Adirondack (not pictured). In the foreground of this image are "Sashimi" and "Sushi" - two rocks that scientists considered investigating first. Ultimately, these rocks were not chosen because their rough and dusty surfaces are ill-suited for grinding.
Spirit Takes a Turn for Adir …
PIA05109
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Takes a Turn for Adirondack
Original Caption Released with Image This rear hazard-identification camera image looks back at the circular tracks made in the martian soil when the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit drove about 3 meters (10 feet) toward the mountain-shaped rock called Adirondack, Spirit's first rock target. Spirit made a series of arcing turns totaling approximately 1 meter (3 feet). It then turned in place and made a series of short, straightforward movements totaling approximately 2 meters (6.5 feet). The drive took about 30 minutes to complete, including time stopped to take images. The two rocks in the upper left corner of the image are called "Sashimi" and "Sushi." In the upper right corner is a portion of the lander, now known as the Columbia Memorial Station.
Draped in the Rover's Shadow
PIA05345
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Draped in the Rover's Shadow
Original Caption Released with Image This movie was compiled from a series of 10 images taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's front hazard-avoidance camera. The images were taken at 10-minute intervals on February 21, 2004 at the trenching site dubbed "Laguna Hollow." Between the first and second images, the head of the panoramic camera mast assembly can be seen preparing to take miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements. The spectrometer focused on a designated spot approximately 3 meters (9.8 feet) from the center of rover for 90 minutes, measuring the cooling effect caused by sunlight turning to shade. By observing the rate at which the material at this site cooled, scientists will be able to characterize its physical properties. This site provided a unique opportunity to compare the subsurface material exposed by the trenching activity with the surface material affected by the shadow experiment.
Spirit Does a "Jig" at Lagun …
PIA05318
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Does a "Jig" at Laguna Hollow
Original Caption Released with Image This front hazard-avoidance image taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on sol 45 shows Spirit in its new location after a drive totaling about 20 meters (65.6 feet). The circular depression that Spirit is in, dubbed "Laguna Hollow," was most likely formed by a small impact. Scientists were interested in reaching Laguna Hollow because of the location's abundance of very fine, dust-like soil. The fine material could be atmospheric dust that has settled into the depression, or a salt-based material that causes crusts in the soils and coating on rocks. Either way, scientists hope to be able to characterize the material and broaden their understanding of this foreign world. To help scientists get a better look at the variations in the fine-grained dust at different depths, controllers commanded Spirit to "jiggle" its wheels in the soil before backing away to a distance that allows the area to be reached with the robotic arm. Spirit will likely spend part of sol 46 analyzing this area with the instruments on its robotic arm.
Strolling on Martian Ground
PIA05267
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Strolling on Martian Ground
Original Caption Released with Image This animation is created from still images taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during its approximately 21.2-meter (69.6-foot) drive across the pebbly ground at Gusev Crater, Mars, on the 37th day, or sol, of its mission (Feb. 9, 2004). Two sols later, Spirit drove another 24 meters (78.7 feet) toward a rock target called White Boat. The images were captured by the rover's front hazard-avoidance camera after it began the autonomous portion of its drive.
Wiggling Its Way to Discover …
PIA05333
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Wiggling Its Way to Discovery
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's view from its new location inside the shallow depression dubbed "Laguna Hollow." To get a better look at the soil making up the hollow, Spirit drove forward a bit, wiggled its wheels, then turned and backed up. The result - a scrape on the floor and a clod of dirt stuck on one of Spirit's wheels - told scientists that the soil is sticky and reminiscent of that observed at the airbag drag mark nicknamed "Magic Carpet." Spirit will further investigate this disturbed patch of soil with its robotic arm beginning today (Feb. 19, 2004). It will also dig a trench at "Laguna Hollow" with one of its wheels. This fish-eye image was taken by the rover's hazard-avoidance camera.
Spirit Digs a Trench
PIA05337
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Digs a Trench
Original Caption Released with Image A view from the front hazard avoidance camera of NASA's Spirit rover on its 47th sol shows a trench excavated by the rover's left front wheel within the "Laguna Hollow" area. The trench, dubbed "Road Cut," is 7 centimeters (3 inches) deep. The soil at this location is more cohesive than the material where Spirit's twin, Opportunity, dug its first trench at Meridiani. Spirit made 11 back-and-forth passes to dig this trench, and still did not produce as deep a hole as Opportunity dug in 6 passes. Scientists and engineers plan to begin up-close inspection of the soil in this trench on sol 48 by placing the microscopic imager on the floor and the walls before conducting Moessbauer and alpha particle x-ray spectrometer readings on some of the same points.
Breaking Martian Ground
PIA05344
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Breaking Martian Ground
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit digging a trench in the fine-grained soil lining the bottom of the shallow depression dubbed "Laguna Hollow." The trench is 7 centimeters (3 inches) deep and was created after the rover dragged one of its wheels back and forth across the surface 11 times. The whole operation lasted about two hours. A similar trench dug on the other side of Mars by Spirit's twin, Opportunity, is 10 centimeters deep (4 inches) and took only six sweeps to complete, indicating that the soil there is more loosely packed. Spirit excavated its trench by repeating two basic steps: first, it spun its left front wheel in reverse to dig, second, it turned left and spun the same wheel in the forward direction. To widen the trench, each pass back and forth began a little farther to the right. By the end, the rover had swiveled 40 degrees. Spirit is traveling toward a large crater nicknamed "Bonneville." It has stopped along the way at "Laguna Hollow" to take a closer look at the fine sediments contained there. The movie consists of images taken by Spirit's front hazard-avoidance camera.
Mind of Its Own
PIA05268
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Mind of Its Own
Original Caption Released with Image This animation shows the path the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit traveled during its 24-meter (78.7-foot) autonomous drive across the bumpy terrain at Gusev Crater, Mars, on the 39th day, or sol, of its mission. The colored data are from the rover's hazard-avoidance camera and have been reconstructed to show the topography of the land. Red areas indicate extremely hazardous terrain, and green patches denote safe, smooth ground. At the end of its drive, Spirit decided it was safer to back up then go forward. The rover is now positioned directly in front of its target, a rock dubbed Stone Council.
Spirit Spies Wavy Bedforms
PIA05250
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Spirit Spies Wavy Bedforms
Original Caption Released with Image Spirit took this front hazard-avoidance camera image on sol 37 (Feb. 9, 2004) after completing the longest drive ever made by a rover on another planet - 21.2 meters (69.6 feet). The wavy feature called a bedform is created when material is transported and deposited by some process - in this case wind. The team is interested in the fact that the crests of this and most other bedforms they've observed through orbital data and rover images are all parallel to each other, indicating uniform wind direction.
Wiggling Its Way to Discover …
PIA05321
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Wiggling Its Way to Discovery
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's view from its new location inside the shallow depression dubbed "Laguna Hollow." To get a better look at the soil making up the hollow, Spirit drove forward a bit, wiggled its wheels, then turned and backed up. The result - a scrape on the floor and a clod of dirt stuck on one of Spirit's wheels - told scientists that the soil is sticky and reminiscent of that observed at the airbag drag mark nicknamed "Magic Carpet." Spirit will further investigate this disturbed patch of soil with its robotic arm beginning today (Feb. 19, 2004). It will also dig a trench at "Laguna Hollow" with one of its wheels. This fish-eye image was taken by the rover's hazard-avoidance camera.
'Serpent' Untouched
PIA05582
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title 'Serpent' Untouched
Original Caption Released with Image A drift dubbed "Serpent" stretches in front of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in this picture from the left eye of Spirit's front hazard-avoidance camera. Spirit took the image during its 71st martian day, or sol, on Mars (March 15, 2004) while exploring the rim of the crater nicknamed "Bonneville." The following sol, the rover used its wheels to dig into the drift and expose material under the surface.
The Right Scuff
PIA05583
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title The Right Scuff
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired this image on the 72nd martian day, or sol, of its mission (March 15, 2004) with the left eye of its front hazard-identification camera after digging its wheel into the drift dubbed "Serpent." Creating the commands that would generate this scar was not an easy task for rover controllers. Essentially, they had to choreograph an intricate dance for Spirit, maneuvering it up the side of the dune, shimmying its left front wheel a number of times to create the scuff, and then reversing to attain proper positioning for miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations. Before the task was finished, Spirit moved forward to put the scuff within proper reach of the rover's arm. This scar allows the rover's instruments to see below the drift surface, to determine the composition of its materials. Initial results indicate that the drift material is similar to the basaltic sands that have been seen throughout Spirit's journey to the large crater dubbed "Bonneville." The material does not seem to be the same as that inside the crater. Two questions raised by these results are: Why is the dark sand in the crater not the same as the dark sand in the drift? And why are there two different dark soil-type deposits in such a small place?
Contrasting Martian Terrains
PIA06760
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Contrasting Martian Terrains
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this interesting view of martian topography just below the "West Spur" portion of the "Columbia Hills" on sol 208 (Aug. 2, 2004). The view is looking southwest. The rover's wheel tracks show the contrast between soft martian soil and the harder "Clovis" rock outcrop, which scientists are now studying. The angle of the horizon indicates the tilt of the rover to be about 20 degrees. On the horizon is a small peak informally named "Grissom Hill," about 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) away. To the right of the peak is the edge of a 2-kilometer-wide (1.2-mile-wide) crater. A few weeks ago, Spirit stopped to conduct scientific studies of rocks in "Hank's Hollow," located on the right side of the image approximately one-third of the way down from the top. This photo was taken with Spirit's right rear hazard-avoidance camera.
Adirondack Under the Microsc …
PIA05175
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera
Title Adirondack Under the Microscope
Original Caption Released with Image This image was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit front hazard-identification camera after the rover's first post-egress drive on Mars Sunday, Jan. 15, 2004. Engineers drove the rover approximately 3 meters (10 feet) from the Columbia Memorial Station toward the first rock target, seen in the foreground. The football-sized rock was dubbed Adirondack because of its mountain-shaped appearance. Scientists have begun using the microscopic imager instrument at the end of the rover's robotic arm to examine the rock and understand how it formed.
Windows to Fresh Rock
PIA05638
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera …
Title Windows to Fresh Rock
Original Caption Released with Image This hazard-avoidance camera image was taken by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit on sol 79 after completing a two-location brushing on the rock dubbed "Mazatzal." A coating of fine, dust-like material was successfully removed from targets named "Illinois" (right) and "New York" (left), revealing clean rock underneath. In this image, Spirit's panoramic camera mast assembly, or camera head, can be seen shadowing Mazatzal's surface. The center of the two brushed spots are approximately 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) apart and were aggressively analyzed by the instruments on the robotic arm on sol 80. On sol 81, the rover drilled into the New York target to expose the original rock underneath.
Spirit Has Flower Power
PIA05686
Sol (our sun)
Hazard Identification Camera …
Title Spirit Has Flower Power
Original Caption Released with Image The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this image with its hazard-avoidance camera on sol 86 (March 31, 2004), after the rover's rock abrasion tool had brushed for three minutes on each of six locations on the rock named "Mazatzal" to create a flower-shaped mosaic. The goal for this operation was to create a brushed area big enough for the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to capture within one of its pixels, which are 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) in diameter at the distance between the rock and the instrument. Because the rock abrasion tool creates individual brushed areas only about 5 centimeters (2 inches) in diameter, the team designed this six-location series of tool placements in order to brush 92 percent to 95 percent of the spectrometer's pixel size. This operation was only the second time the rock abrasion tool has created a brushing mosaic. The first time was a three-spot brushing on the rock called "Humphrey." The brush was originally designed to be used as an aide during full grinding operations, however it has been very effective in brushing the top layer off of dusty martian rocks to allow scientists a multi-depth look into the rocks on Mars.
'Engineering Flats'
PIA06392
Sol (our sun)
Hazard-identification Camera
Title 'Engineering Flats'
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this image with its front hazard-avoidance camera on sol 187 (July 13, 2004). Spirit is currently at a location called "Engineering Flats," where it is has been undergoing a "tune-up." One of the goals for Spirit's time in the "shop" is to lubricate a sticky, right front wheel.
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