Spirit's View from 'Engineering Flats'

July 11, 2012

This 360-degree view from a site dubbed "Engineering Flats" combines several frames taken by the navigation camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit during the rover's 182nd martian day, or sol (July 7, 2004). Spirit had driven to this spot in the "Columbia Hills" for four sols of engineering work on its right front wheel and a recalibration of positioning accuracy for tools on its robotic arm. The wheel tracks just beyond the rover's shadow indicate where Spirit had spent the preceding three weeks examining rocks in and near "Hank's Hollow." The view is presented in a cylindrical projection with geometric seam correction.