NASA Mars Rover Spirit Update 1 February 2007
Spirit Examines Churned-Up Martian Soil
Spirit Status for sol 1091-1096
Spirit is healthy and continues to scan the Martian terrain for the dust devils of spring. The rover has completed its scientific studies of a layered rock exposure known as “Montalva” on an outcrop called “Troll.”
The rover is now en route toward a patch of bright soil churned up by the rover’s wheels in March 2007. Known as “Tyrone,” the patch of bright material, white and yellow in color, is possibly analogous to salty soils discovered by the rover earlier in the mission. Scientists plan to have the rover conduct remote sensing from a distance of about 10 meters (33 feet) in order to avoid getting mired in the sand. The rover will use its scientific instruments to get a better look at the soil exposure and determine whether it contains sulfates.
Spirit acquired movies with the navigation camera in search of dust devils on the rover’s 1091st, 1093rd, and 1095th sols, or Martian days (Jan. 27, Jan. 29, and Jan. 31, 2007). The risk of dust storms is predicted to increase through mid-October 2007.
The rover drove 12 meters (39 feet) between sols 1092 (Jan. 28, 2007) and 1094 (Jan. 30, 2007).
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera and surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Spirit completed the following activities:
Sol 1091 (Jan. 27, 2006): Spirit acquired panoramic camera images of a rock target known as “Zucchelli” as well as images for building a digital elevation model of the terrain between the rover and a rock of vesicular basalt known as “Esperanza.” Spirit acquired movie frames with the navigation camera in search of dust devils and used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to acquire data on rock targets known as “Troll 1,” “Macquarie,” and “Troll 2.”
Sol 1092: Spirit acquired navigation camera images following the day’s drive and panoramic camera images of the sky for calibration purposes.
Sol 1093: Spirit acquired movie frames with the navigation camera in search of dust devils and navigation camera images in support of observations to be made with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Spirit scanned the foreground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, monitored for dust on the rover mast with the panoramic camera, and conducted a survey of rock clasts with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1094: Spirit acquired panoramic camera images of a rock target called “Druzhnaya,” drove closer to Tyrone, and acquired post-drive images of the rover’s surroundings using the navigation camera.
Sol 1095: Spirit acquired data on Tyrone using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, acquired movie frames with the navigation camera in search of dust devils, acquired data on a rock outcrop known as “Oberth,” and acquired full-color images of Tyrone using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera.
Sol 1096 (Feb. 1, 2007): Spirit “bumped,” or rolled a short distance, toward a scientific target to be examined with instruments on the rover arm, acquired post-drive images with the navigation camera, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and acquired thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry
As of sol 1094 (Jan. 30, 2007), Spirit’s total odometry was 6,915 meters (4.3 miles).
