Spirit Checking Korolev

August 21, 2006

Spirit is healthy and continues to make progress on its winter science campaign. Spirit is finishing the "McMurdo mega-panorama" by acquiring touch-up images (dubbed "grout" by engineers). Spirit is nearly complete with the coverage of the ground around the rover.

Spirit continues making a series of atmospheric observations at the same time each day.

Spirit is collecting about 280 watt-hours of electrical power each sol from the rover's solar array (100 watt-hours is the amount of electricity needed to light one 100-watt bulb for one hour).

Sol-by-sol summaries:

Sol 929 (Aug. 14, 2006): Spirit studied a target called "Halley Brunt" with the panoramic camera and microscopic imager.

Sol 930: Spirit took a tau measurement, an observation during which the rover evaluates atmospheric opacity to estimate dust height.

Sol 931: Spirit took pictures with the panoramic camera of targets named "Korolev" and "McMurdo grout 10." Spirit also used the panoramic camera to take a tau measurement.

Sol 932 (Aug. 17, 2006): Spirit took a tau measurement with the panoramic camera, surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and took measurements of a target named "Vernadsky" along with a background stare with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.

Odometry:

As of sol 932 (Aug. 17, 2006), Spirit's total odometry remained at 6,876.18 meters (4.27 miles).

Copyright 2006 by Space Daily, Distributed by United Press International


print this article email this article download pdf blog this article bookmark this article     Stumble it Digg this share on Facebook retweet share on Reddit add to delicious
Rate this story - 3.3 /5 (3 votes)


August 21, 2006 all stories

Comments: 0

3.3 /5 (3 votes)
  • Stumble this up

  • Digg this

  • share this

  • hide
  • Related Stories

  • Second Planned Extrication Drive is Straight Ahead Again
    created Nov 19, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Dust Storm Passing Over Spirit
    created Aug 26, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Mars Dust Devil Has Colorful Effect in Image Series
    created Jul 14, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Mars Rover Yielding New Clues While Lodged in Martian Soil
    created Jun 25, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Spirit Takes a Peek at Her Belly
    created Jun 04, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0



  • hide
  • Relevant PhysicsForums posts

Other News

Titan

Titan's lakes could be explored by boat

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 2 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- If a suggestion to be made to NASA comes to fruition, vast lakes thought to be filled with liquid hydrocarbons near the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan, may one day be explored by boat.


Most of 47,000 Filipinos safe from raging volcano (AP)

Most of 47,000 Filipinos safe from raging volcano

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 42 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(AP) -- Almost all of the 47,000 residents living on the slopes of a rumbling volcano in the central Philippines have moved to emergency shelters, and lava and earthquakes Tuesday heralded what officials ...


A New Method of Estimating Stellar Distances

A New Method of Estimating Stellar Distances

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created 16 hours ago | popularity 4.6 / 5 (11) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- The star Chi Cygni is located about 550 light-years away, in the direction of the constellation of Cygnus the Swan. It is a notable star because, unlike the sun which still burns hydrogen ...


Brown dwarf pair mystifies astronomers

Brown dwarf pair mystifies astronomers

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created 16 hours ago | popularity 4.8 / 5 (12) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Two brown dwarf-sized objects orbiting a giant old star show that planets may assemble around stars more quickly and efficiently than anyone thought possible, according to an international ...


'Particle soup' discovery will improve climate predictions

'Particle soup' discovery will improve climate predictions

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 16 hours ago | popularity 4.2 / 5 (6) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- New research from scientists at The University of Manchester is set to improve predictions about climate and air quality - and make life easier for those suffering from respiratory problems.