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Press Release Images: Spirit
14-Oct-2005
  
This image shows a rough-edged boulder several inches high with multiple cracks and tiny holes in its surface. Below that, framing the bottom of the image, are the two front, metal wheels and the leading edge of the rover. Between the rover and the outcrop is a rock-strewn, sandy surface. Beyond the rock outcrop, taking up approximately the top two-thirds of the image, is a clear martian sky.
This animated image shows a rough-edged boulder several inches high with multiple cracks and tiny holes in its surface. Below that, framing the bottom of the image, are the two front, metal wheels and the leading edge of the rover. Between the rover and the outcrop is a rock-strewn, sandy surface. Beyond the rock outcrop, taking up approximately the top two-thirds of the image, is a clear martian sky.
Wiggles into Position

NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit completed a difficult, rocky ascent en route to reaching a captivating rock outcrop nicknamed 'Hillary' at the summit of 'Husband Hill.' At the end of the climb the robotic geologist was tilted almost 30 degrees. To get the rover on more solid footing for deploying the instrument arm, rover drivers told Spirit to wiggle its wheels one at a time. This animation shows Spirit's position before and after completing the wheel wiggle, during which the rover slid approximately 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) downhill. Rover drivers decided this position was too hazardous for deploying the instrument arm and subsequently directed Spirit to a more stable position before conducting analyses with instruments on the rover's arm.

Spirit took these images with its front hazard-avoidance camera on martian day, or sol, 625 (Oct. 6, 2005).

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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