Spirit: Deeper look into soil targets; Opportunity: Examining 'Block Island'

On Sol 1990 (Aug. 8, 2009), Spirit continued the campaign of grinding deeper into surface targets, then collecting contact measurements at each grind depth. The rock abrasion tool (RAT) performed a grind on the target Cyclops_Eye_6, followed by imaging of the resulting surface by the panoramic camera (Pancam) and the microscopic imager (MI). The MI also took a new look at the underbelly of the rover to further assess possible obstruction by a rock underneath.

Before an attempt to have the robotic arm (instrument deployment device, or IDD) place the Mössbauer (MB) spectrometer on the surface, a command sequence fault occurred with the arm. This fault was explained as a benign error that occurs from time to time due to very small positioning errors in the IDD. With this error investigated, understood and cleared, the IDD went on to have the RAT perform a grind scan on Sol 1993 (Aug. 11, 2009) in preparation for another profile grind.

On Earth, the surface system testbed (SSTB) rover extraction testing continues in preparation for Spirit's first extraction moves on Mars.

As of Sol 1994 (Aug. 12, 2009), Spirit's solar-array energy production is 895 watt-hours with atmospheric opacity (tau) of 0.352 and a dust factor of 0.844 on the solar array. Total odometry remains at 7,729.93 meters (4.80 miles).

A test setup at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory enables experiments with maneuvers being considered for use by Spirit to get Spirit out of soft soil where it has become embedded. In this image from Aug. 12, 2009, rover team members are moving a board used in getting the setup ready for the next test. From left: Matt Van Kirk, Julie Townsend, Tam Nguyen. Once the board is in place, the test crew applies weight to it to moderately compress the mixture of clay powder and diatomaceous earth being used as a simulation of the Martian soil underneath Spirit. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Opportunity is conducting contact investigations of a meteorite called "Block Island," which is about two-thirds of a meter (2 feet) across.

On Sol 1968 (Aug. 6, 2009), the Mössbauer (MB) spectrometer was placed on the meteorite surface on a target called "New_Shoreham" for a multi-sol integration. On Sol 1970 (Aug. 8, 2009) the robotic arm (instrument deployment device, or IDD) moved the MB to a new target called "Clayhead_Swamp" for a long integration.

To check out some pebbles next to the meteorite and to line up for new targets on Block Island, Opportunity bumped backwards and then re-approached Block Island with a 2.5-meter (8-foot) movement on Sol 1973 (Aug. 12, 2009). At this new location Opportunity is positioned to investigate some very unusual features on the meteorite's surface.

The shroud of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer (Mini-TES) continues to be left open on scheduled sols to allow the environment to clean putative dust contamination from the elevation mirror. No improvement in Mini-TES performance has been observed so far, but the rover has seen no wind events.

Opportunity's solar array produced 475 watt-hours of energy on Sol 1973 (Aug. 12, 2009). Atmospheric opacity (tau) was 0.415. The dust factor on the solar array was 0.560, indicating that 56.0 percent of sunlight hitting the array penetrates the layer of accumulated dust on it. Total odometry was 17,228.74 meters (10.71 miles).

Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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