Elaina McCartney, SOWG Documentarian
Jack Farmer, SOWG Chair

August 16, 2002

Sol 18 was planned as a trenching sol. Because there was 34m DSN coverage, only the front and rear Hazcams are expected on DTE, to confirm the trenching activity. The images need to be examined for trenching success as well as possible arm placement inside and outside the trench. Data expected on UHF include a sky survey spectral spot, moon photometry, Mini-TES and IPS observations on chantry2 and bonanza3, Pancam wedges to the rear of FIDO, as well as Navcam images. Navcam and Pancam were to be acquired after trenching. UHF downlink allocation was busted for the first time, so some images will be scheduled for Sol 20 UHF downlink.

Resources predicted: 693 WHr, 13.38 Mb DTE, 49.1 Mb UHF, 90 minutes FIDO time, 70m coverage (expect another 34m sol on Sol 24). About 18 Mb of the 41.9 Mb UHF allocation is Pancam already acquired but not yet downlinked.

Mission Success report: FIDO has traversed 142.75 as of beginning of Sol 18 (57.25 m to go), Pancam panorama, 2 of 3 locations, and trench to be confirmed on this DTE.

Science Assessment Meeting

Tactical Downlink Assessments:

• Engineering: Everything was completed successfully, all rover systems are good to go, including arm and mast. 84 minutes out of 90 minutes were used for Sol 18 activities. Engineering has looked at placing the IDD inside and outside of trench, and reachability looks good. Science and engineering have worked together on calibrating the Hazcam range (Malin and Ashitey): more CMI images will be commanded so that the step down starts at a higher position, rather than changing the target height
• Atmospheres: Received three out of three good images, but four MiniTES were corrupt, one Mini-TES was good. Need to plan coordinated observation using TES and mini-TES (as well as new MOC image of landing site, which could occur during that MGS orientation). First and last Mini-TES were good, the ones in between were full of zeroes. Need to retransmit Mini-TES to see if there is an instrument health issue, particularly looking at acquisition order. May request Mini-TES health check. Atmospheric group has been working on correcting rover headings from imaging. Plan to continue to image cal target shadow for this purpose.
• Soils: Trenching took place on hard material. Depth of the trench (or "scratch") is 4-6 mm. Trench (or scratch) is within reachability of arm. Proposing CMI mosaic including inside and outside of trench. Working with Geology group on that.
• Mineralogy: Support spectroscopy: 4x4 IPS over trench area, IPS on offtrench site, MiniTES in and out of trench. Supporting Pancam and Navcam—concern about visibility with mast cameras because of deck geometry.
• LTP: Want Navcam looking toward Camelback to plan drive. Could move over dark polygons after IDD work. Possible touch and go on dark polygons. Eventually move into distance, depending on what Pancam shows coming down on UHF on next sol, and also MOC data. One other option is dark rock nearby. Need to confirm if we already have appropriate Navcam.

Assignments:

• Need theme groups to work on sequences and set priorities, because we may fill the buffer again today.
• Theme groups need to assign a sequence designer.
• Concern about imaging needed for planning targeting and driving.

SOWG Meeting

Tactical Operations Summary:

Rover state of health: All systems are nominal. There are no changes in resource predicts.

Science Observation Plan:

The sol is being planned as a Spectroscopy Sol on the excavated trench and surrounding area.

• No engineering activity requests.
• MiniTES health telemetry request being worked—there is not health status information available, so that is highest priority. Test director has determined that this check involves a small data volume. Mini-TES observations were requested (in priority order) on in-trench, outside-trench, mudflatA (DTE), mudflatB, miniTESsol-19 (also in the mudflat area), and a sky observation 30 el, north az.
• IPS 4x4 observation on mudflat A (2000 coadds) with supporting Navcam was requested, as well as IPS on flatsMiniTES. Uplink lead noted that some of the IPS targets are obscured by the rover deck, so IPS retargeted to Flats MiniTES, mudflatB and one new target.
• CMI mosaic requested by Soils across mosaic1 through mosaic5 (highest priority is mosaic3 through mosaic5), to capture inside and outside the trenched area. Each of these positions should be a stepdown set to ensure focus. The issue of saturation was raised, but not resolved.
• Geology accepted the CMI on mosaic5 as a substitute for their requested CMI on marianasA, the deepest part of the trench.
• Soils proposed APXS full integration in the deepest cut of right-hand trench feature, the target in-trench, and Moessbauer full integration at same target, as well as CMI. Then proposed APXS short integration, CMI, and Moessbauer short integration Touch&Go on target outside-trench. There was a suggestion by Mineralogy of doing short integrations outside the trench first, but the priority was determined to be measurements inside the trench.
• Atmosphere: want another survey soon, doesn't need to be this sol. Request Pancam image of cal target, Pancam spectral spot of sky (compressed 200:1), Navcam image, and retransmit of prior Mini-TES atmosphere observations.
• Long-Term Planning: Desired to acquire data on nearby dark polygons [which may have evidence of more recent aqueous processes]. Pushing for an approach to these targets for IDD work as soon as possible by getting front Hazcam on the DTE. Push to do short integrations both inside and outside trench, then immediately move to dark polygon targets.

Discussion ensued about how to approach dark polygons as soon as possible. The question was raised whether short integrations are sufficient for both inside and outside trench, and whether this could sacrifice science at this mission success location. The question was raised whether driving away from (and over) this trench before confirming data acquisition could occur? If there is an approach to the dark polygons, the front Hazcams and Navcam images will need to come down DTE. The Chair did not have time to recap the list of observations with SOWG prior to IST meeting.

Tactical Uplink Summary:

Decision going into the IST was whether to drive. This is a spectroscopy sol, staying at this location. Pancam was given priority 1, so some science will be delayed to following sol. Wanted to structure downlink to confirm acquisition of data through images of arm placement. Will get CMI confirming position placement and APXS short integration outside the trench, then CMI showing placement, and short integration Moessbauer inside (there will be long sequences in the trench overnight as well). First arm work is outside the trench, then overnight in the trench. Need to discuss next whether this ensures success at this site, and what comes next. Retransmits requests were included, and request for Mini-TES health check (DTE). (Note that additional Mini-TES data that came on UHF was corrupt.) Busted UHF again, so downlink needs to be managed. Uplinked sequence IPS 1000 coadds on Mudflats, dust deposition Pan cal, Pancam sky, five CMI stepdowns (7 steps except for 3 and 4, which were 10 steps), Moessbauer and APXS short integration on outside of trench, Moessbauer and APXS in the trench.

PI notes: We get IDD reachability from SAP, but also need collision avoidance during SOWG meeting. Need more specific assignments to be given to the theme groups before the SOWG.

Back to top