Mars Mission Spirit: Image Gallery
 
  This image mosaic taken by the panoramic camera onboard the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rover's landing site, the Columbia Memorial Station, at Gusev Crater, Mars. This image shows Spirit probing its first target rock, Adirondack. The rover is analyzing the rock with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer located on its robotic arm. This instrument uses alpha particles and X-rays to determine the composition of rocks and soil. The pan camera on Spirit shows the region containing the patch of soil scientists examined at Gusev Crater just after Spirit rolled off the Columbia Memorial Station. Using nearly all the science instruments located on Spirit's The yellow box in this image from the panoramic camera outlines the patch of soil scientists examined at Gusev Crater. This is the sample which showed the presence of olivine. This animation, made of images from the microscopic imager instrument on Spirit shows the patch of soil scientists examined at Gusev Crater. The upper left corner of the soil patch in part of this animation is illuminated by direct sunlight and thus appears brighter. The actual size of the patch is about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) across. Scientists initially thought that the soil was dust-like and therefore would collapse as the instrument pressed down on it with approximately 4 ounces (113 grams) of force. But they were surprised when, as the rotating frames show, the soil barely moved under the instrument's weight. Scientists are still determining why this happened.  
 
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  This graph or spectrum taken by the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer onboard Spirit shows the variety of elements present in the soil at the rover's landing site. In agreement with past missions to Mars, iron and silicon make up the majority of the Martian soil. Sulfur and chlorine were also observed as expected. Trace elements detected for the first time include zinc and nickel. These latter observations demonstrate the power of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to pick up the signatures of elements too faint to be seen before. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer uses alpha particles and X-rays to measure the presence and abundance of all major rock-forming elements except hydrogen. This graph or spectrum captured by the Moessbauer spectrometer onboard Spirit shows the presence of three different iron-bearing minerals in the soil at the rover's landing site. One of these minerals has been identified as olivine, a shiny green rock commonly found in lava on Earth. The other two have yet to be pinned down. Scientists were puzzled by the discovery of olivine because it implies the soil consists at least partially of ground up rocks that have not been weathered or chemically altered. The black line in this graph represents the original data; the three colored regions denote individual minerals and add up to equal the black line. The Moessbauer spectrometer uses two pieces of radioactive cobalt-57, each about the size of pencil erasers, to determine with a high degree of accuracy the composition and abundance of iron-bearing minerals in Martian rocks and soil. It is located on the rover's This approximate true color image taken by the pan camera onboard Spirit shows This approximate true color image taken by Spirit shows the rock named Adirondack. The rock is football sized and the first rock examined by Spirit. This 3-D perspective image taken by Spirit shows the rock named Adirondack. Data from the panoramic camera's red, green and blue filters were combined to create this approximate true color image.  
 
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  This near true colour image taken by the panoramic camera onboard Spirit shows This image taken by Spirit before it rolled off the lander shows the rocky surface of Mars. Scientists are eager to begin examining the rocks because, unlike soil, the rocks can tell us about the ancient processes that formed them. This near true colour image taken Spirit while it was still on the lander shows the rocky surface of Mars. The lander's deflated airbags can be seen in the foreground. Scientists have found clues about the nature of Martian soil through analyzing wheel marks from Spirit in this image. The image was taken by Spirit's rear hazard-identification camera just after the rover drove approximately 1 meter (3 feet) northwest off the Columbia Memorial Station (lander platform) early Thursday morning. That the wheel tracks are shallow indicates the soil has plenty of strength to support the moving rover. The well-defined track characteristics suggest the presence of very fine particles in the Martian soil (along with larger particles). Scientists also think the soil may have some cohesive properties JPL engineers played Baha Men's  
 
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  This image from Spirit's rear hazcam shows the rover's hind view of the lander platform, its nest for the past 12 sols, or Martian days. The rover is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the airbag-cushioned lander, facing northwest. Note the tracks left in the Martian soil by the rovers' wheels, all six of which have rolled off the lander. This is the first time the rover has touched Martian soil. Spirit's rear hazcam shows the rover's hind view of the lander platform, its nest for the past 12 sols, or Martian days. The rover is approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in front of the airbag-cushioned lander, facing northwest. This image shows where Earth would set on the Martian horizon from the perspective of Spirit if it were facing northwest atop its lander at Gusev Crater. Earth cannot be seen in this image, but engineers have mapped its location. A view of the sky as observed by the mini-thermal emission spectrometer onboard Spirit. This instrument detects the different wavelengths of infrared light emitted by an object, in this case the sky, producing a graph called a spectrum that reveals the presence of specific chemicals. This spectrum, taken on Sol 7 in the early afternoon (night of January 9/10, 2004), contains the signatures of carbon dioxide (15 microns), atmospheric dust (9 microns) and water vapor (6 microns). Scientists also expect to see water ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere, but did not observe them at the time of this observation. The thermal brightness of carbon dioxide allows the atmospheric temperature as a function of height to be determined. Carbon dioxide makes up 95 percent of the Martian atmosphere. This graph shows the temperature above the the surface of Mars at three different points in time: Sol 5, late afternoon; Sol 6, mid-morning; and Sol 7, early afternoon (Sol 5 occurred on the night of January 7/8, 2004). These temperature profiles were derived from data taken by the mini-thermal emission spectrometer onboard Spirit. By measuring the brightness of the carbon dioxide gas that makes up the Martian atmosphere, scientists can deduce the surface temperature above Mars between 20 meters (65 feet) and 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). The observations show large changes in atmospheric temperature both as a function of time of day, and as a function of height near the surface.  
 
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  The arrows in this 360-degree panoramic view of the Martian surface identify hills and craters on the horizon that scientists can easily find with orbiters Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. This overhead view maps Spirit's approximate location in relation to nearby craters and hills. By combining images from both the camera on Mars Global Surveyor and the descent image motion estimation system camera located on the bottom of the rover's lander, scientists and engineers can tell how far away the hills are from the rover. This information would be more difficult to obtain from the panoramic images. The hills and hill ranges are marked by yellow lines, and the rover is located where the yellow lines intersect. Black arrows locate the east hill complex, a potential rover destination.  
 
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  In the distance stand the east hills, which are closest to Spirit in comparison to other hill ranges seen on the Martian horizon. The top of the east hills are approximately 2 to 3 kilometers (1 to 2 miles) away from the rover's approximate location. This animation shows the view from the front hazard avoidance cameras on Spirit as the rover turns 45 degrees clockwise. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west. The rover must make this turn before rolling off the lander because airbags are blocking it from exiting off the front lander petal. Before this crucial turn could take place, engineers instructed the rover to cut the final cord linking it to the lander. The turn took around 30 minutes to complete. This animation shows the view from the rear hazard avoidance cameras on Spirit as the rover turns 45 degrees clockwise. This maneuver is the first step in a 3-point turn that will rotate the rover 115 degrees to face west. This zoomed-in overhead view of Spirit's estimated landing site and surrounding area shows the rover's potential  
 
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  This map shows the estimated location of Spirit within Gusev Crater, Mars. Engineers targeted Spirit for the center of the blue ellipse. Measurements taken during the rover's descent by the Deep Space Network predicted its landing site to be the spot marked with a black dot. Later measurements taken on the ground by both the Deep Space Network and the orbiter Mars Odyssey narrowed the predicted landing site to a spot marked with a white dot. When initially choosing a landing site for the rover, engineers avoided hazardous terrain outlined here in yellow and red. This map consists of data from Mars Odyssey and Mars Global Surveyor. This map shows a close-up look at the estimated location of Spirit within Gusev Crater, Mars. Measurements taken during the rover's descent by the Deep Space Network predicted its landing site to be the spot marked with a black dot. Later measurements taken on the ground by both the Deep Space Network and the orbiter Mars Odyssey narrowed the predicted landing site to a spot marked with a white dot. This map shows the estimated location of Spirit within Gusev Crater, Mars. Measurements taken during the rover's descent by the Deep Space Network predicted its landing site to be the spot marked with a black cross. Later measurements taken on the ground by both the Deep Space Network and the orbiter Mars Odyssey narrowed the predicted landing site to a spot marked with a white cross.  
 
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  This is a medium-resolution version of the first 360-degree panoramic view of the Martian surface, taken on Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit's panoramic camera. Part of the spacecraft can be seen in the lower corner regions.  
 
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  This section of the first color image from Spirit has been further processed to produce a sharper look at a trail left by the one of rover's airbags. The drag mark was made after the rover landed and its airbags were deflated and retracted. Scientists have dubbed the region the This section of the first color image from Spirit has been further processed to produce a sharper look at a trail left by the one of rover's airbags. The drag mark was made after the rover landed and its airbags were deflated and retracted. Scientists have dubbed the region the This extreme close-up image highlights the Martian feature that scientists have named This animation links two images taken by the front hazard avoidance camera on Spirit. The rover is stowing and unstowing its robotic arm, or instrument deployment device. The device is designed to hold and maneuver the various instruments on board that will help scientists get up-close and personal with Martian rocks and soil. This mosaic image taken by the navigation camera Spirit represents an overhead view of the rover as it prepares to roll from its current position on the lander down to the Martian surface.  
 
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  This 3-D stereo image taken by Spirit's navigation camera shows the rover's lander and, in the background, the surrounding Martian terrain. This mosaic taken by Spirit's pan camera shows a new slice of Martian real estate southwest of the rover's landing site. The landscape shows little variation in local topography, though a narrow peak only seven to eight kilometers away is visible on the horizon. A circular depression, similar to the one dubbed Sleepy Hollow, can be seen in the foreground. Compared to the Viking and Pathfinder landing sites, (images <a href=PIA02405-A8R1.html>PIA02405</a>, <a href=PIA00563-A8R1.html>PIA00563</a>, <a href=PIA00568-A8R1.html>PIA00568</a>), the terrain at Gusev Crater, Spirit's landing site, is flat and speckled with a sparse array of rocks. This mosaic taken by Spirit's pan camera shows the hills southeast of Spirit's landing site. Like a smoggy day in Los Angeles, dusty Martian skies limit how much detail can be seen. This lack in visibility is demonstrated by comparing hills on the left to those on the right, located nearly two times farther away. The left panel of this image was captured in the late morning hours, looking toward the Sun. The right image was taken in the early afternoon, when the Sun was higher and the skies appeared darker. This animation flips back and forth between images taken before and after deployment of the Spirit's bogie, a part of the rover's suspension system that extends the wheel base. These images were taken by Spirit's rear hazard avoidance camera.  
 
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  This animation strings together images from the rover's front hazard avoidance camera taken during the stand-up process of Spirit. The first frame shows the rover's wheels tucked under in pre-stand-up position. The following frames show the stages of the stand-up process. The rover first elevates itself and unfolds the wheels. It then lowers, lifts and lowers again into its final position. Note the changing camera perspectives of the Martian landscape, indicating the rover's heightened and lowered positions. This image taken by the navigation camera on Spirit has been reprocessed to project a clear overhead view of the rover on the surface of Mars. This image shows the Sun as it appears on Mars throughout the day. Scientists monitor the dimming of the setting Sun to assess how much dust is in the Martian atmosphere. This plot shows the estimated change in dust levels from December 2003 to early January 2004 at Gusev Crater (red curve) and Meridiani Planum (black curve), the two Mars Rover landings sites. The measurements, retrieved from Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer, indicate that a large regional dust storm beginning in mid-December raised significant dust near Meridiani. Smaller amounts of dust were spread globally by winds, the effects of which were seen at Gusev Crater. For comparison, a dust optical depth value of 1.0 would correspond to a very smoggy day in Los Angeles or Houston, and a value of 0.1 to a relatively clear day in Los Angeles. This image taken on Mars by the panoramic camera on Spirit show the rover's colour calibration target, also known as the MarsDial. The target's mirror and the shadows cast on it by the Sun help scientists determine the degree to which dusty Martian skies alter the pan camera's perception of colour. By adjusting for this effect, Mars can be seen in all its true colours.  
 
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  JPL engineers played the Bob Marley tune This animation strings together images from the rover's front hazard avoidance camera taken during the stand-up process of Spirit. The first frame shows the rover's wheels tucked under in pre-stand-up position. The following frames show the stages of the stand-up process. The rover first elevates itself and unfolds the wheels. It then lowers, lifts and lowers again into its final position. Note the changing camera perspectives of the Martian landscape, indicating the rover's heightened and lowered positions. This graph, consisting of data acquired on Mars from the Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of an as-of-yet unidentified mineral that contains bound water in its crystal structure. Minerals such as gypsum and zeolites are possible candidates. This graph, consisting of data from Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signatures of carbonates - organic molecules common to Earth that form only in water. The detection of trace amounts of carbonates on Mars may be due to an interaction between the water vapor in the atmosphere and minerals on the surface. This graph, consisting of data acquired from Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide makes up the bulk of the thin Martian atmosphere  
 
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  This graph, consisting of data acquired from Spirit's mini-thermal emission spectrometer, shows the light, or spectral, signature of silicates - a group of minerals that form the majority of Earth's crust. Minerals called feldspars and zeolites are likely candidates responsible for this feature. This latest color This image of the Martian sundial onboard Spirit was processed by the Student Astronauts to impose hour markings on the face of the dial. The position of the shadow of the sundial's post within the markings indicates the time of day and the season, which in this image is 12:17 p.m. local solar time, late summer. The Student Astronauts are a team of 16 students from 12 countries selected by the Planetary Society to participate in the Mars Exploration Rover program. This image shows the Martian terrain in 3-D. Spirit captured the image with its two high-resolution stereo panoramic cameras Dust-covered rocks can be seen in this portion of the 3-D image taken by the pan camera on Spirit. Scientists plan to use the rover's rock abrasion tool to grind away dusty and weathered rock, exposing fresh rock underneath.  
 
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  This segment of the first color image from the pan camera on Spirit shows the rover's airbag trails. These depressions in the soil were made when the airbags were deflated and retracted after landing. This segment of the first color image from the pan camera on Spirit shows the rover's airbag trails (upper left). These depressions in the soil were made when the airbags were deflated and retracted after landing. A plaque commemorating the astronauts who died in the tragic accident of the Space Shuttle Columbia is mounted on the back of Spirit's high-gain antenna. The plaque was designed by Mars Exploration Rover engineers. The astronauts are also honored by the new name of the rover landing site, the Columbia Memorial Station. This is the first color image of Mars taken by the pan camera on Spirit. It is the highest resolution image ever taken on the surface of another planet. This image highlights streaks or tails of loose debris in the Martian soil, which reveal the direction of prevailing winds. The picture was taken by the pan camera on Spirit.  
 
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  The smooth surfaces of angular and rounded rocks seen in this image of the Martian terrain may have been polished by wind-blown debris. This image shows marks in the Martian soil (upper right) made by Spirit's airbags during their final deflation and retraction. This is a portion of the first color image captured by the pan camera on Spirit. This image, taken by the descent image motion estimation system camera located on the bottom of Spirit's lander, shows a view of Gusev Crater as the lander descends to Mars. The picture is taken at an altitude of 1690 meters. Numerous small impact craters can be seen on the surface of the planet. These images help the onboard software to minimize the lander's horizontal velocity before its bridle is cut, and it falls freely to the surface of Mars. Compared to the Viking and Pathfinder landing sites  
 
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  Compared to the Viking and Pathfinder landing sites Compared to the Viking and Pathfinder landing sites  
 
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