Opportunity Grinds Bedrock; Spirit Ready to Grind “Humphrey”

Left: Spirit rover approaches big Martian rock called "Humphrey" to dust off in triad pattern and analyze before grinding. Right: Triad pattern after Spirit's dusting shows dark rock beneath lighter dust. Images by Front Hazard Camera Non-linearized Full frame EDR acquired on Sol 55 of Spirit's mission to Gusev Crater at approximately 13:48:37 Mars local solar time. Image credit: NASA/JPL. — **Left**: Spirit rover approaches big Martian rock called "Humphrey" to dust off in triad pattern and analyze before grinding. **Right**: Triad pattern after Spirit's dusting shows dark rock beneath lighter dust. Images by Front Hazard Camera Non-linearized Full frame EDR acquired on Sol 55 of Spirit's mission to Gusev Crater at approximately 13:48:37 Mars local solar time. Image credit: NASA/JPL.

March 1, 2004 Pasadena, California - Nasa reports that the Spirit rover: "...used its rock abrasion tool for brushing the dust off three patches of a rock named "Humphrey," during its 55th sol on Mars, ending at 5:53 p.m. Saturday, PST. Before applying the wire-bristled brush, the rover inspected the surface of the rock with its microscope and with its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, which identifies elements that are present. Brushing three different places on a rock one right after another was an unprecedented use of the rock abrasion tool, designed to provide a larger cleaned area for examining.

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