Great news is that the high winds
removed dust from Spirit’s solar panels,
causing the rover’s daily power supply to double!
Pre-dust storm
Post-dust storm
causing causing
March 5, 2005
March 15, 2005
Approximate “true color” panoramic camera images of the calibration target on Spirit.
The high-perch drive also maximized
Spirit’s view of dust devil season (Spring/Summer)!
Navigation camera, July 13, 2005 (sol 537). NASA/JPL-Caltech/Texas A&M
Meanwhile, Opportunity entered into a new adventure
with a sand dune.
Hazard-avoidance camera images of the left front and right rear wheels,
May 10, 2005 (sol 460).
The rover accidentally dug itself wheel-hub-deep
into a ripple about one foot (one-third of a meter) tall
and 8 feet (2.5 meters) wide.
On the opposite side of Mars,
Spirit captured the Sun setting
against the rim of Gusev Crater!
Panoramic camera, May 19, 2005 (sol 489).
NASA/JPL/Cornell/Texas A&M
Silica discovered in soil (a sign of past H2O),
thanks to driving backwards and dragging a
“gimpy” wheel!
Spirit took some pics under her belly…we’re
doing everything we can to get her free!
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
HiRES image of Victoria Crater, with
Opportunity’s tracks clearly visible!
After Opportunity left Victoria Crater, we
drove by a really cool iron meteorite and
just had to backtrack a bit!
MRO wide-angle view…Opportunity is
setting off on the journey of a lifetime, to
enormous Endeavor crater—wish us luck!