Post on 24-Feb-2016
description
MARS EXPLORATION
ROVERS
Mars Exploration Rovers 90-day mission Landed in early 2004 One lasted six years The other is still exploring!
Spirit Landing site picked
from geomorphology Crater with channel
running into it
Spirit Plain covered in basalt
rocks Some basalts similar to
Martian meteorites
Spirit Saw dust devils!
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20050819a/dd_enhanced_525b-B558R1.gif
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20050819a/dd_enhanced_532a-A579R1.gif
Spirit Traveled to the Columbia Hills
Spirit Rocks look like
they’ve been hydrothermally altered!
Evidence of water!
Lava flow covered rocks altered by water
Spirit Got stuck in the sand in the Columbia
Hills Couldn’t turn so solar panels faced
south in winter Haven’t been able to raise it since
March 2010 Gave up trying to talk to Spirit last month
Opportunity Interplanetary hole in one! Rolled into a small crater called Eagle
Crater Sulfate-rich BEDROCK(!!!) right in front
of the rover
Opportunity Landing site chosen by mineralogy High concentration of hematite
Opportunity Embedded in sulfate-rich bedrock –
blueberries! Hematite spherules Evidence of water
Opportunity Found
meteorites on Mars!
Opportunity Traveled to Victoria
Crater Many layers of bedrock
Opportunity On its way to Endeavor
Crater – just surpassed 30 km!
22 km (14 miles) in diameter