Mars Exploration Rover Update - February 28, 2004

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: sol 34, Feb 28, 2004: Scratch and Sniff

Opportunity remains healthy and active. During its 34th sol on Mars,
which ended at 5:34 a.m. Saturday, PST, the rover used its rock
abrasion tool for the second time. It ground the surface off a
patch of rock at a site called "Guadalupe" in the outcrop the
rover has been examining. The rover looked at the patch with its
microscope both before and after the grinding session. Then it
placed its Moessbauer spectrometer against the newly exposed
interior material of the rock for a long reading of data that
scientists use to identify what iron-containing minerals are
present in the target.

Opportunity also used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer
during the sol to assess the composition of an outcrop feature
dubbed "Shoemaker Wall." It took images of "Guadalupe" with its
panoramic camera before and after the use of the rock abrasion tool.

Wake-up music played in the mission support area at JPL for sol 34
was "Dig In," by Lenny Kravitz.

For sol 35, ending at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, PST, plans call for
continuing use of tools on the robotic arm to examine the rock
interior exposed by the "Guadalupe" grind.