LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Mars: Rocks
built 231 days ago
During four months prior to the fourth anniversary of its landing on Mars, Opportunity examined rocks inside an alcove called "Duck Bay" in the western portion of Victoria Crater. Opportunity landed on Jan. 25, 2004, Universal Time, (Jan. 24, Pacific Time).
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In January 2004, the first MER spacecraft will land on Mars near the Gusev Crater. Before landing, three solid propellant gas generators manufactured by ATK will inflate airbags that cocoon the lander and rover assemblies. Three ATK Rocket Assisted Deceleration (RAD) solid rocket motors will subsequently fire to slow the spacecraft's speed of descent to almost zero feet per second. Throughout the descent, three ATK Transverse Impulse Rocket System (TIRS) motors will compensate for lateral drift. The gas generators will continue firing to keep the air bags inflated as the MER bounces and rolls to a stop. The RAD and TIRS motors and gas generators were designed and fabricated by ATK Elkton.
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This image shows a lesser known, but unusual feature on Mars. It is commonly called "White Rock". The white feature is eroded crater fill, but exactly how it was formed has not been satisfactorily explained. White Rock was not formed by polar processes because it lies near to the equator at latitude -8 degrees and longitude 355 degrees. It has been modified through aeolian erosion showing transverse and longitudinal erosional features. (Copyright 1998 by Calvin J. Hamilton)
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