Mars Exploration Rover Mission: Features


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Spotlight On Mars - Image

One Dizzying Inch at a Time

November 07, 2008

This animated gif is a combination of two still images. The first image shows the slope in front of Spirit. The rover's previous tracks are off to the left instead of directly in front of the rover. The second image shows the rocky outcrop at the edge of Home Plate stretching away to the rover's right, from the bottom to the top in the middle of the image frame. The top of Home Plate is tilted downward to the left relative to the rover's navigation camera as Spirit tilts in the opposite direction (to the right) while driving upslope.

Never one to quit, Spirit has begun driving again for the first time in more than eight months. Spirit's goal is to make it back up the slope where the rover has been parked for the winter. Now that the Sun is moving higher in the Martian sky, Spirit is adjusting position to keep its solar panels facing the Sun.

Inching uphill is proving to be more difficult than inching downhill. After initially making good progress, Spirit began veering to the right, as shown here. Spirit's inoperative right front wheel came close to slipping off the top of Home Plate.

Rover planners are digging into their seemingly endless bag of tricks to try different strategies for driving upslope. They also have the option of driving downhill. Meanwhile, as Spirit inches upward, the rover's tilt offers a somewhat dizzying view of the surrounding terrain.

Front hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras, Mars Exploration Rover

Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech


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