SPIRIT UPDATE: Waiting Out the Winter

Spirit's battery levels are slowly edging upward, thanks to a slight decrease in atmospheric dust (Tau) and a gradual increase in sunlight as winter gives way to spring.

Early in the week, Spirit spent two Martian days carrying out contingency plans following a temporary delay in data transmission from Earth. Spirit implemented the so-called "runout" portion of an earlier master sequence on sols 1628 and 1629. Subsequent relays of new instructions from Earth on sols 1629 and 1632 went off without a hitch.

Spirit remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of sol 1630.


OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Opportunity Eyes Challenges Ahead

Opportunity faces several challenges on the way out of "Victoria Crater" but continues to make steady progress. The first of these is a traverse of approximately 10 meters (30 feet, a little longer than a double-decker bus) across a sandy, 17-degree slope. Opportunity is more than halfway through that part of the journey. The next is a drive across 30 to 50 meters (100 to 160 feet), depending on the route taken, of rocky outcrop. The final leg of the climb will require Opportunity to cross the ripple surrounding the alcove known as "Duck Bay."

Because Opportunity is facing the threat of a drive-motor failure on the left front wheel, the engineering team has been working on pseudo-"Mars time" for the past week to take advantage of extra drive opportunities.

Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of the downlink of information from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol 1620.

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