Mars Rover Spirit Mission Update Thread

[spacechump]

abq_farside look up about six posts <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /><i>Use your MAIN finger on the yellow side and your OTHER finger on the orange side and turn it.<br />Spin the middle side topwise. TOPWISE!!!</i><br /><br />I want to say Simpsons but dang I can't remember. Where is that quote from again?

 

[anoolios]

The press release does not explicitly state that the two problem wheels share a single relay. Two separate steering actuator relays failing on the same day seems like an almost incredible coincidence. Is it possible that this steering difficulty is related to a software problem?

 

[jaredgalen]

Yep spacechump, it's the simpsons.<br />The episode where a hurricane hits Springfield and they find themselves confined to their basement confronting the sheer frustration that is THE RUBIX CUBE. <br /><br />As for Futurama quotes, Zapp has to have said my favorite.<br /> "I've studied abroad....or two"<br />Priceless

 

[spacechump]

I can't imagine that they wouldn't have an individual relay for each actuator. Maybe the actuators both actually, at the same time, passed their expected operational lifetimes. Maybe this is what we'll expect from all the other actuators on both rovers soon....unfortunately.<br /><br />Oh and just for you jaredgalen:<br /><br />"If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominos will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate."<br /><br />I use that quote elsewhere.

 

[fangsheath]

I'm sure they will find a workaround. Worst case, we still have the hazard avoidance software and the vehicle can simply move in short, fairly straight traverses if necessary. I certainly hope we can reach the summit of Husband Hill. I am anxious to get a close look at the dark area just to the south.

 

[alokmohan]

NASA loses spirit.When is the last rite?Wonderful work done.

 

[spacechump]

It's not over till its over alok. Don't give up on Spirit yet.

 

[mikehoward]

Don't know what this means, but Spirit moved on Sol 271.<br /><br />See: http://homepage.mac.com/michaelhoward/marsupdate/slideshow/2/f/271/2F150427445.htm <br /><br />I hope this means good news is on the way.

 

[fangsheath]

Spirit has maneuvered to take a position directly over the layered rock Tetl. Perhaps they have found a workaround. The Hazcam images do suggest that both front wheels did orient properly to perform a stationary yaw.

 

[spacechump]

Spirit definately moved to a new position.<br /><br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-10-07/2F150427991EFF8953P1214R0M1.JPG<br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-10-07/2F150427445EFF8941P1201L0M1.JPG<br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-10-07/2F150427445EFF8941P1201R0M1.JPG<br />http://qt.exploratorium.edu/mars/spirit/forward_hazcam/2004-10-07/2F150427991EFF8953P1214L0M1.JPG<br /><br />Look at these in order from top to down.

 

[yurkin]

Great news,<br />but how did they fix it and what exactly went wrong.

 

[fangsheath]

Important quote from Squyres regarding West Spur:<br /><br />"We haven't seen a single unaltered volcanic rock, since we crossed the boundary from the plains into the hills, and I'm beginning to suspect we never will. All the rocks in the hills have been altered significantly by water." So much, it seems, for the Toltecs, which were "believed to be basaltic, or volcanic, because their color and spectral properties resemble those of basaltic rocks studied so far at Gusev Crater."<br /><br />The question is, what is the evidence that these "altered" rocks were ever "volcanic"? Blaney’s abstract from the DPS meeting states: “Rocks with the spectral signature of olivine are rarer in the Columbia Hills. Measurements of outcrops of presumably intact bedrock lack any olivine signature and are consistent with other results indicating that these rocks are highly altered.” So why should we believe any of these rocks are derived from basalts or any other igneous rocks?

 

[jaredgalen]

"Rover engineers are still trying to understand the exact nature of Spirit's steering glitch, which apparently cleared up on its own. <br />While Spirit is again mobile, engineers hope to prepare plan to handle the problem should it occur again."<br /><br />http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/rover_update_041007.html<br /><br />

 

[JonClarke]

Hi Fang<br /><br />Do you have a link to the DPS abstract you quote?<br /><br />Also note that Mossbauer spectra are very difficult to interpret and, even if olivine is reported there are a number of minerals including iron sulphates that have almost identical signatures.<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

I must give Alex Blackwell the credit for providing this and many other valuable links.<br /><br />http://www.aas.org/publications/baas/v36n4/dps2004/SL.htm<br /><br />The link to the specific abstract is:<br /><br />http://www.aas.org/publications/baas/v36n4/dps2004/407.htm

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"So why should we believe any of these rocks are derived from basalts or any other igneous rocks?"</font><br /><br />As JonClark pointed out a while back, Clovis and other targets studied by Sprit are so soft as to beg the question whether they are rocks at all. Could much of the surface of West Spur be broken up hard pan? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

Judging by the speed at which the RAT penetrates these objects, I would classify them as rock, but all of the West Spur rocks that have been RATed, Clovis, Ebenezer, and Sabre, are clearly soft. There have also been sizable rocks that have been broken open merely by the weight of one side the rover. Now that's a soft rock.<br /><br />This graph demonstrates how elementally similar Ebenezer and Clovis are, and how different from the basaltic rocks of the plain. Each point gives the ratio of the amount of a particular element in Ebenezer or Clovis over that in Humphrey. Notice that Potassium, Sulfur, Chlorine, and Bromine are much higher in the West Spur rocks, while Chromium is much lower.

 

[JonClarke]

Eyeballing those analysis suggest very strong that the rock is composed of clays, sulphates, and minor halides. The very low chromite suggests that the rock is not composed of in situ weathered basaltic material, but rather by solution transport and precipitation. I am not sure what to make of the Ti and Ni enrichment.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

The first MI's of Tetl are coming in.

 

[silylene old]

What is that flattened patch of soil up at the top edge of the photo, just left of center? If you look at all the micrographs of Sol272 you can see this flattened triangular piece of soil (broken into three pieces) very centered in some of the other Sol272 pictures.<br /><br />Also there are other interesting "linearized" patterns of soil particles in the picture posted above and in http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/m/272/2M150518178EFF8953P2957M2M1.JPG (which also shows the flattened soil very well). <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[fangsheath]

I noticed that too, I think it may be a bit of compressed soil that fell off the Mossbauer ring.

 

[fangsheath]

Spirit has backed away from Tetl. Apparently they elected not to use the RAT but did deploy the APXS and Mossbauer spectrometers. Now it is examining a patch of ground not far from Tetl that the wheels previously passed over.

 

[marslauncher]

In this image from the exploratorium website, the rock looks very very dark ( I think I checked all the filters used and it all looks the same)<br /><br />Cant wait to find out what the composition of this rock is.<br /><br />Anyone care to guess?

 

[fangsheath]

This is a rock out on the plain between Bonneville and Missoula Craters. It was brushed but apparently not RATed. I don't have an analysis of it but I'm sure it's a basalt.

 

[marslauncher]

Thanks for that Fang, Thought it didnt look right for the terrain at the moment, any more insight into the long term goal for Spirit now? will it continue up the hills, and then where?<br /><br />