[X] My Assistant

[OWW]

Hello, this is Bill Nelson with the Mars Exploration Rover Flight Director’s Report for Tuesday June 7th.

On Spirit today is the morning of sol 508. We will be bumping forward about six inches to position ourselves to study a small rock known as Backstay. Yestersol on 507 we were studying the composition of an area known as Larry’s Outcrop and checking the composition of the rocks, looking for dust devils, studying the atmosphere and looking for clouds.

Over on the other side of the planet, Opportunity is enjoying the evening of sol 487. We have just finished imaging the general area and trying to determine why this particular sand dune that trapped us for forty sols is different from all the other sand dunes that we have successfully crossed in our trek across Meridiani Planum toward a small crater known as Erebus. Opportunity was mired in the sand dune for about forty sols. She successfully backed out three sols ago and has been imaging the area and will continue to do so for about another three or four sols.

Mars is entering its global dust storm season and both rovers have seen an increase in atmospheric dust and a corresponding decrease in solar array power. While this has led to a somewhat less ambitious science plan, especially on Opportunity, it is no threat to the rovers’ health an safety.

And that’s what’s happening on Mars today.