Opportunity Studies ‘Bounce’ While Spirit Leaves Bonneville
Jet Propulsion Lab — Opportunity’s rock abrasion tool ground into “Bounce” for just over two hours, producing a 6.44-millimeter (0.25 inch) hole that will allow the rover’s spectrometer’s to analyze the rock’s chemical composition.
Bon Jovi’s “Bounce” woke Opportunity on its 66th sol, which ended at 2:41 a.m. PST on April 1. The martian morning began with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observing a target called “Glanz2″ on Bounce. Miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements of the ground and sky followed.
The rock abrasion tool was then placed on the target dubbed “Case.” After the grind, the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the hole for an overnight integration.
In the afternoon, the rover also had time to complete more atmospheric science with its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
In recognition of changing the instruments on its arm nine times, David Bowie’s “Changes” woke Opportunity on its 67th sol on Mars, which ended at 3:21 a.m. PST on April 2.
The rover continued to examine “Bounce” with the microscopic imager and the Moessbauer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometers.
During the martian morning, the Moessbauer spectrometer was turned off before atmospheric science was conducted with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera.
The afternoon hours were dedicated to intensive study of a handful of targets on Bounce, including the impression ground by the rock abrasion tool on sol 66.
Opportunity will continue to investigate Bounce for the next two sols and then begin its journey toward “Endurance Crater.”
Spirit Says Bye-Bye ‘Bonneville’
Spirit began sol 87, which ended at 3:00 p.m. PST on April 1, with some morning atmospheric science, and then took a last look at the rock “Mazatzal” with the panoramic and navigation cameras. Then the rover was off, traveling 36.5 meters (119.8 feet) down the side of “Bonneville” Crater headed south toward the “Columbia Hills.”
The drive was a combination of “blind” and autonomous navigation roving. The blind segments of the drive are used when rover planners can see all possible hazards and command the rover to just “go.” The autonomous navigation portion allows the rover to make decisions based on the terrain presented.
While the blind segments of the sol 87 drive were successful, the second to the last autonomous navigation sequence did not complete in the allotted time, causing a drive “goal” error. As a result, Spirit was not able to execute the complete commanded drive, and roved 36.5 meters (119.8 feet) of the 65-meter (213.3 feet) planned drive.
Following the drive, Spirit took navigation and panoramic camera pictures in her drive direction and performed atmospheric and soil science with the panoramic camera and mini thermal emission spectrometer.
Spirit will spend most of sol 88, which ends at 3:39 p.m. PST on April 2, driving toward the Columbia Hills.
Spirit spent most of Sol 88, which ended at 3:39 p.m. PST on April 2, driving toward the “Columbia Hills.” Before beginning the drive, Spirit acquired some pre-drive remote sensing, which included panoramic camera photometry and a mini thermal emission spectrometer stare of the rock called “Carlsbad.”
Spirit then began the 35-meter (114.8 feet) combination directed and autonomous navigation drive down the rocky, ejecta-covered side of “Bonneville Crater.”
Fifteen meters (49.2 feet) of the drive were directed by rover planners and did not require the rover to use its hazard avoidance software. The remaining 20 meters (65.6 feet) were navigated by Spirit autonomously and did cause the rover to make some back and forth adjustments as it avoided what it perceived to be a depression hazard in its path. Rover controllers will look at hazard avoidance camera images tomorrow to confirm the details of Spirit’s behavior.
Spirit will begin Sol 89, which ends at 4:19 p.m. PST on April 3, using the instrument deployment device on a rock target in front of it, followed by another drive toward the Columbia Hills.
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