Spirit - 2010 Winter@Troy, The first stationary science campaign Options

[Astro0]

Well, with perhaps a few more weeks of tilt-enhancing drives to go and then settling in for the winter, I thought it might be a good time to have a thread dedicated to ideas and observations that will come. It's likely that we won't hear much from Spirit during the coldest part of winter (April-June) possibly longer. There'll hopefully be beeps to tell us that she's still alive.

Already there are plans for radio science and determining the fluidity or otherwise of the Martian core, plus weather observations, surface changes etc.
What else could you think of that Spirit could do? Remember that she's not going anywhere (vonBraun is out)

In the meantime, have you sent your postcard to Spirit yet?! It's a great idea from the Mars outreach team.
http://beamartian.jpl.nasa.gov/spiritpostcards
What would you say to Spirit?

[James Sorenson]

Here is the IDD work volume pan taken between sol's 2163-2176 with L257. Lots of color variations in the soil

[abbath]

Here is the IDD work volume pan taken between sol's 2163-2176 with L257. Lots of color variations in the soil

The fine lamination of the rock in the center of the pic is quite interesting. seems like a clay deposit (deep water???). I hope there'll be some future detailed analysis of that.