Localization and Physical Properties Experiments Conducted by Spirit at Gusev Crater

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1099922
• Publication Date: 2004-08-05T20:18:15Z
• Authors: R. E. Arvidson; R. C. Anderson; P. Bartlett; J. F. Bell; D. Blaney; P. R. Christensen; P. Chu; L. Crumpler; K. Davis; B. L. Ehlmann; R. Fergason; M. P. Golombek; S. Gorevan; J. A. Grant; R. Greeley; E. A. Guinness; A. F. C. Haldemann; K. Herkenhoff; J. Johnson; G. Landis; R. Li; R. Lindemann; H. McSween; D. W. Ming; T. Myrick; L. Richter; F. P. Seelos; S. W. Squyres; R. J. Sullivan; A. Wang; J. Wilson
• Keywords: Geologic Sediments; Extraterrestrial Environment; 500; Mars; Water; Volcanic Eruptions; Wind; 15. Life on land; 530; 01 natural sciences; Spirit; 13. Climate action; Gusev Crater; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

The precise location and relative elevation of Spirit during its traverses from the Columbia Memorial station to Bonneville crater were determined with bundle-adjusted retrievals from rover wheel turns, suspension and tilt angles, and overlapping images. Physical properties experiments show a decrease of 0.2% per Mars solar day in solar cell output resulting from deposition of airborne dust, cohesive soil-like deposits in plains and hollows, bright and dark rock coatings, and relatively weak volcanic rocks of basaltic composition. Volcanic, impact, aeolian, and water-related processes produced the encountered landforms and materials.