If I understand correctly, Spirit has the capability of digging holes under the soil so we can take pictures and send them back. How far down can the wheel(s) on Spirit dig down?
Spirit and Opportunity cannot exactly dig holes as you described. They have a tool on a robotic arm called the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT). The RAT can abrade a shallow hole of about 5 millimeters deep into a rock. In addition, a rover wheel can be used to trench (similar to digging) a wheel-sized hole in the soil about 10 cemtimeters deep. In each case, pictures of the hole and spectra of the exposed rock or soil can be acquired by the rovers’ cameras and science instruments.
Related Questions
- If I understand correctly, Spirit has the capability of digging holes under the soil so we can take pictures and send them back. How far down can the wheel(s) on Spirit dig down?
- The pictures on the Disney Mobile Web site do not show up. How do I make them display correctly?
- The pictures on the ESPN Mobile Web site do not show up. How do I make them display correctly?
