[X] My Assistant

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Made this colour composite from L3, L5 and L6 taken on Sol 68

Tthe colours seem to look OK, but whats with the white dust from the RAT grind? Anyone else want to try and see if they get a similar result.

This image from the microscopic imager shows the surfavce covered in tiny white/bright partciles from the grind too:

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all...AQP2956M2M1.JPG

[Pete B.]

The track width used above sounded too large so I checked in a recent article in JGR - Planets by Joy Crisp et al. and they give 1.22 m for the wheelbase in that direction; it is 1.41 m between the front and back wheels on one side. The 2.25 m is the maximum width of the deck.

Regarding projected lifetimes, there was this comment in the CNN version of a new AP report about the rovers:

"NASA has extended the mission through September. If the rovers continue to function, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will apply for money to extend the project again, Adler said."

Nick Hoffman did say on another board (HBZ) that he heard informally at LPSC perhaps 400+ Sols! Of course, an actuator or circuit board could go out at any time, but based on environmental constraints maybe these things really are that robust.