Elaina McCartney, SOWG Documentarian
Jack Farmer, SOWG Chair

August 17, 2002

Resources predicted for Sol 22: 684 WHr, 11.06 Mb DTE, 49.1 Mb UHF, 70 minutes FIDO time, 70m coverage (expect another 34m sol on Sol 24).

Mission Success: 161 meters traversed plus the sol 21 drive (which may bring us very close to the goal of 200 meters), Pancam panorama, three locations, two trenches (one required).

Uplink review:

Sol 21 was planned as a Drive sol. A traverse was planned EndGame, and shortened to 38 meters to buy some science): Atmospheres' Pancam images and Mini-TES series coordinated with TES was retained (at end of sequence). The UHF buffer will be emptied on this sol. No Mini-TES or IPS observations were included for Mineralogy. Navcam slightly to the left of the rover heading was commanded.

Assignments:

We need to confirm that we made the drive. We haven't yet determined the sol type. It will probably be an approach sol, but some issues need to be resolved.

Long Term Planning: work with other groups, look at front and rear Hazcam and Navcam to confirm position at end of traverse, and determine orientation (with Atmospheres). Several options for sol types, need to resolve this as a group.

Mineralogy, Soils, and Atmospheres all want Pancam observations, so should coordinate targeting, and avoid duplication of target names.

Atmospheres should confirm targeting of Mini-TES.

Engineering report on traversability requested.

LTP report: options go to black rock (possible basalt) or white rock (possible capstone). If we do IDD deployment and RAT on black rock, get practice and determine its composition. If we go to white rock, can look at carbonate signature. If this were Mars, choice may be different. Need to pick a target soon (if black rock), as can't RAT past sol 25. Black rock has the altered exterior (varnish). Can look at a white rock without RATting, with remote sensing. The basaltic unit is the missing middle unit to the south.

Science Assessment Meeting

Tactical Downlink Assessments:

Rover state of health: All commands executed nominally. All systems are nominal, all instruments are in good health. There are no changes in resource predicts. Drove 37.7 meters, full sequence took 66 minutes. Drive was predicted to take 65 minutes, performance was better than expected, partly because the drive was in straight line. Engineering may relax terrain index for straight drive (index 2), not may not for more challenging terrain (index 3).

Mission Success report. We are 1.62 meters short of full mission success.

We are to the right of where we wanted to be. Heading error is now +60, but that is consistent with the turn. It has been estimated that the minimal size of a RATtable flat rock is about 10 cm. A rounded rock may need to be larger, but more discussion with the Honeybee engineer will give some guidelines. There's not enough imagery to the left to navigate past the large rock near Camelback. Perhaps more remote sensing could be acquired, but illumination is not optimal for this east-facing shadowed slope. There are four options.

• Stay put, do remote sensing, get as much in DTE as we can, and go tomorrow
• Do some remote sensing, do a short drive, do additional remote sensing and ensure Navcam in DTE, for making subsequent drive and to a have better view of the outcrop and the loose material at its base
• Option requiring Mission Manager ruling: same as first option, but empower the SOWG chair to assess UHF data to in case there is a black rock to the left or to assess possible drive to see up the canyon
• Drive to farther targets (to the left), toward being able to see to the right around the corner up canyon behind the outcrop

Assignments:

Mission Manager is asked about using UHF data to plan mobility in real time. Mission Manager will make that decision in the IST, but recommends having the remote sensing already planned in case the data does not arrive in time for planning. Long Term Planning will designate targets before the IST in case the opportunity to drive or approach evolves and the Chair needs to designate targets. SOWG chair requests that groups go ahead and plan remote sensing.

SOWG Meeting

Tactical Operations Summary:

No changes in rover state of health. Left bogie is up around 9 degrees, indicating that there is something under the wheel. Test Director has said we shall not change the terrain index of 3, remain at .66 meter/minute ground speed.

No changes in resources.

Science Observation Plan:

Pre-move

• Mineralogy: 5 Mini-TES targets: Delta, King Tut, Nile, Memphis, Giza, chosen for illumination for subsequent coincident IPS on same 5 targets (1000 coadds, but do two 1000's if time is available), plus supporting Navcam and halon calibration, plus IPS dark current calibration for instrument health. Priority order is Memphis, King Tut, Nile, Delta, Giza.
• Atmospheres: 1 Mini-TES, 30 degrees elevation, North. Also wants to looks at the moon (waiting for moonrise, 15 minutes into sequence), and survey the horizon behind the rover (5 Pancam wedges joint angle theta -140 (east), each az slew -9 degrees theta, lowest priority first and last, plus Pancal at end of all motion.
• Geology: Pancam mosaic on mineralogy targets, plus Pancam to the left (7x3). Priority: take out upper tier of left set first, then take out Min support, then take out lowest tier. Tiers to the left are the highest priority. Navcam to the left of the gap (DTE) across mouth of Long Valley.
• Need to determine if this is a Drive sol. Otherwise, stay and do remote sensing. There's is no particular drive target in currently visible scene. Could do Pancam to support IPS, then in the morning do the Pancam mosaic in the Camelback area when it is better illuminated. If choice, would rather move than get the planned IPS.
• Soils: Soil photometry, two 2x3 Pancam mosaics, one in front of rover and one at 180 degrees from that, looking for spectral reflections from soil for small-scale surface roughness. Atmospheres will assist in determining diffusivity. Desires to add IPS targets before IST meeting (low priority).

Question was raised whether there was actually Navcam in the UHF as expected in question to Mission Manager. It was determined that no additional Navcam had been commanded in the last uplink, so we're not going to move.

Tactical Uplink Summary:

Note that left front wheel has achieved Mission Success (there are 1.62 meters to go).

Post uplink debrief: IPS double observations (total 2000) were reduced to 1000 coadds. The dark current IPS health check will come down in DTE. Navcam wedge will be in DTE (120 degree wedge starting where left off and to the left). All remaining Navcam will be on UHF. Had to reduce 5 atmospheric observations to 3. Soils got forward Pancam mosaic 3x2 plus mosaic 180 to the rear. Got IPS observations in, but reduced 5 to 3. For Geology's Pancam mosaics, got left Pancam all three tiers (UHF). Camelback left tier will be in UHF next sol, but the right side will come down the sol following.

Last sol, part of 360 navcam was dropped during the IST, but targeting of 120 degree wedge was off, because rover wound up heading farther to the right than expected.

PI notes:

Yesterday whole UHF buffer was dumped to us. A UHF predict is only a predict (your data may vary). It was assumed that data was still in the buffer based on the predicts. Downlink volume has not been reported to the team, and some data have shown up earlier than expected. (Data tracking is a huge issue on MER.) Engineering has been asked to report total bits downlinked, to compare with predicts. SOWG Chair needs to know who the people in the SOWG are and what they know (e.g. Honeybee RAT engineer), as team members come and go. Pancam that came down UHF with the cow pie in it was not sequenced. It's the result of an onboard runout sequence executed when the rover clocked out with time left.

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