06 January 2004
NASA Scientists Delighted with Pictures from Mars Rover
Pictures depict shallow depressions for further exploration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists are delighted by the pictures of small craters and other features on Mars being sent back by a U.S. spacecraft that landed on the Red Planet January 3.
According to a January 5 press release, scientists report that a shallow depression in the Martian surface near the landing site of the spacecraft may become an area for early investigation with the rover's science instruments once the robotic craft is driven off its lander platform in about a week.
"We're like kids in a candy store," said NASA researcher Art Thompson. "We can hardly wait until we get off the lander and start doing fun stuff on the surface."
Scientists report that within sight of the spacecraft, called the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, are several wide, shallow bowls that may be impact craters. They have been especially intrigued by one of these shallow depressions -- about 9 meters across and located about 12 meters from the lander -- which they have named "Sleepy Hollow."
"It's a hole in the ground," said principal investigator Steve Squyres of Cornell University. "It's a window into the interior of Mars."
The Spirit rover has landed in a giant crater that scientists' believe may have held a lake long ago. Spirit will spend the next three months using the scientific instruments on its robotic arm to explore for clues in rocks and soil that might reveal if the past environment in this region of the planet was ever watery and possibly suitable to sustain life.
First the flight team expects to spend several more days checking out the rover's mechanical instruments before it is rolled off its lander platform to get its six wheels onto the ground.
Spirit, launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, arrived on Mars January 3 following a seven-month journey. Spirit's twin Mars Exploration Rover, called Opportunity, is expected to reach a landing site on the opposite side of Mars on January 25 to begin a similar exploration of another region of the Red Planet.
Further details about Spirit's mission are available at http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html
Following is the text of the press release:
(begin text)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
January 5, 2004
MARS TEAM ENERGIZED ABOUT 'SLEEPY HOLLOW' NEAR ROVER
"Sleepy Hollow," a shallow depression in the Mars ground near NASA's Spirit rover, may become an early destination when the rover drives off its lander platform in a week or so.
That possible crater and other features delighted engineers and scientists examining pictures from the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's first look around.
"Reality has surpassed fantasy. We're like kids in a candy store," said Art Thompson, rover tactical activity lead at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "We can hardly wait until we get off the lander and start doing fun stuff on the surface."
A clean bill of health from a checkout of all three science instruments on Spirit's robotic arm fortified scientists' anticipation of beginning to use those tools after the rover gets its six wheels onto the ground.
Also, Spirit succeeded Sunday in finding the Sun with its panoramic camera and calculating how to point its main antenna toward Earth by knowing the Sun's position.
"Just as the ancient mariners used sextants for 'shooting the Sun,' as they called it, we were successfully able to shoot the Sun with our panorama camera, then use that information to point the antenna," said JPL's Matt Wallace, mission manger.
Within sight of Spirit are several wide, shallow bowls that may be impact craters, said Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, principal investigator for the spacecraft's science payload. "It's clear that while we have a generally flat surface, it is pockmarked with these things."
The mission's scientists, who are getting little rest as they examine the pictures from Spirit, chose the name "Sleepy Hollow" for one of these circular depressions. This one is about 9 meters (30 feet) across and about 12 meters (40 feet) north of the lander, Squyres said.
"It's a hole in the ground," he said. "It's a window into the interior of Mars."
One of the next steps in preparing Spirit for rolling onto the soil is to extend the front wheels, which are tucked in for fitting inside a tight space during the flight from Earth.
Spirit arrived at Mars Jan. 3 (EST and PST; Jan. 4 Universal Time) after a seven-month journey. Its task is to spend the next three months exploring for clues in rocks and soil about whether the past environment at this part of Mars was ever watery and possibly suitable to sustain life.
Spirit's twin Mars Exploration Rover, Opportunity, will reach its landing site on the opposite side of Mars on Jan. 25 (EST and Universal Time; Jan. 24 PST) to begin a similar examination of a site on the opposite side of the planet from Gusev Crater.
JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology, manages the Mars Exploration Rover project for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington. Additional information about the project is available from JPL at:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov
and from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., at: http://athena.cornell.edu
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=January&x=20040106162627rellufj0.1688806&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
