Spirit Sol 64 Daily Image Caption
Release Date:  
March 9, 2004
Image File Name:  
x_pubeng_approved_030804_REAR.jpg
x_pubeng_approved_030804_REAR.tif
Source File Name:  
sol-62/NAVCAM/2N131871919FFL1300P1883L0M1
sol-62/NAVCAM/2N131871881FFL1300P1878L0M1
Summary Information:
Rear Navcam taken by Spirit on Sol 62 displaying track marks.  This image is composed of two Rear Navcam images.  Larry Crumpler put them together.
Submitter:
Dave Des Marais, Larry Crumpler, Stephenie Lievense
Institution:
 Theme/Team/Group:
Sol of Observation:
062
Earth Date of Observation:
03-06-04
Title of Image
"A Long Way From Home"
Caption:

This pair of pieced together images was taken by the Mars Exploration
Rover Spirit's rear navigation camera on sol 62.  It reveals the long
and rocky path of nearly 240 meters (787 feet) that Spirit had
traveled since safely arriving at Gusev crater on January 3, 2004.
The lander can still be seen in the far distance, but will never be
"home" again for the journeying rover.  This image is also a tribute
to the effectiveness of the autonomous navigation system that the Mars
Exploration Rovers use during parts of their martian drives.  Instead
of driving directly through the "hollow" seen in the middle right of
the image, the autonomous navigation system guided Spirit around the
high ridge bordering the hollow to safely bring the rover to its
current location.  Since these images were taken, Spirit has traveled
another roughly 60 meters (197 feet) toward its destination at
Bonneville crater.

NASA/JPL
______________________________________________________________________________
Email:   david.j.desmarais@nasa.gov
Cell:   650-996-1431

<br> USERNAME: shlieven