Mars rover goes for a drive as NASA wraps up repairs on its twin

[Ediacara]

Posted on Fri, Feb. 06, 2004
Mars rover goes for a drive as NASA wraps up repairs on its twin

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) - NASA has sent Opportunity on a roll across a pebbly patch of Mars, moving the rover closer to a rock outcrop that scientists want it to spend several days studying in detail.

The 11-foot drive put the wheeled rover within striking distance of the rocky portion of the rim of the 72-foot wide crater in which it landed late last month. The move was Opportunity's first since it rolled off its lander Saturday.

Opportunity needed to roll at least five more feet to put the slabs of bedrock within reach of its robotic arm, and a final ``scoot'' might be necessary to move the rover even closer, said scientist Larry Soderblom, of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Scientists skipped plans for the rover to dig into and analyze the martian soil on the way, opting instead to reach as quickly as possible a feature on the outcrop they have nicknamed ``Snout.''

More at the San Jose Mercury News

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Thanks for the update, DinoBoy!

The news about Mars is always interesting and exciting! O8)

[aquart]

2. Hematite, Hematite, Rah! Rah! Rah!

Those little wheels are rolling thru hematite. La, la, la, la!