Jen10122
03-17-2004, 05:48 PM
PASADENA, Calif. (March 17) - NASA's Spirit rover rolled 59 feet around the rim of a crater Tuesday to begin inspecting firsthand a drift of windblown material that puzzles scientists
Scientists sent the six-wheeled robot geologist to the dune, nicknamed ''Serpent,'' to analyze its composition. They are unsure whether it is a pile of sand or dust.
NASA planned for Spirit to analyze the material Wednesday before driving over the dune to a site from which it can take panoramic pictures of the surrounding terrain.
Halfway around Mars, Spirit's twin rover, Opportunity, began to wrap up analysis of a rock outcrop at its landing site.
Opportunity was expected to scuff up the outcrop with one of its wheels Wednesday, allowing scientists to assess the rock's hardness.
The space agency sent the two rovers to Mars on a $820 million mission to search for evidence the planet once was a wetter world. Opportunity already has found geologic clues that was the case.
AP-NY-03-16-04 2211EST
Scientists sent the six-wheeled robot geologist to the dune, nicknamed ''Serpent,'' to analyze its composition. They are unsure whether it is a pile of sand or dust.
NASA planned for Spirit to analyze the material Wednesday before driving over the dune to a site from which it can take panoramic pictures of the surrounding terrain.
Halfway around Mars, Spirit's twin rover, Opportunity, began to wrap up analysis of a rock outcrop at its landing site.
Opportunity was expected to scuff up the outcrop with one of its wheels Wednesday, allowing scientists to assess the rock's hardness.
The space agency sent the two rovers to Mars on a $820 million mission to search for evidence the planet once was a wetter world. Opportunity already has found geologic clues that was the case.
AP-NY-03-16-04 2211EST