Mars rover’s pictures reveal layers of rock

Mars rover’s pictures reveal layers of rock, possibly formed by water

Associated Press, Washington Post

Thursday, January 29, 2004

Pasadena, Calif. — NASA on Wednesday released the first color photographs taken by the rover Opportunity of layers of Martian rock that could have been formed by water.

“Some of the detail you can see in here is pretty phenomenal,” said Jim Bell, lead scientist for the panoramic camera on the rover, while displaying several of the photos at a news conference at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The horizontally striped and fractured slabs of bedrock are just a short drive from where the six-wheeled robot sits atop its lander. Each layer represents an event in the geologic history of the Red Planet and could indicate whether water was present at one time.

Opportunity should be able to reconstruct the geologic events that created the fine layers with its complement of scientific instruments.

Bell said scientists have no direct information on the composition of the rocks. But the photos will help them decide where to send the rover, which is on track to roll onto Mars as early as Sunday.

Opportunity unfolded its front wheels and locked them into position, leaving just a few more tasks before being ready to travel the final 10 feet from its lander and onto the surface of Mars, mission members said.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration still wants to adjust the forward tilt of Opportunity’s lander, pitching it down 5 degrees to smooth the six-wheeled robot’s path. Engineers hoped to complete that work in time for a late Sunday roll-off, rover activity lead scientist Rick Welch said.

Meanwhile, engineers worked to regain full control of the ailing Spirit rover.

Depending on the outcome, Spirit could return to its science work early next week.

The public can see images taken by the Mars rovers in the greatest detail by downloading full-resolution versions from a special Internet site, said Eric De Jong, an imaging specialist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

That site is: http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov.