Status Report

NASA Spirit Rover Image: Spirit Switches on Its X-ray Vision

By SpaceRef Editor
January 20, 2004
Filed under , , ,

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.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

High Resolution

SpaceRef staff editor.