spacetoday.net: Spirit returns first images of landing site

Posted: Sun, Jan 4, 2004, 10:15 AM ET (1515 GMT)
Spirit image of landing site (NASA/JPL)

The Mars rover Spirit has sent back its first images of its landing site, revealing relatively flat terrain with few obstacles for the rover. The black-and-white images of the landing site were transmitted about three hours after the spacecraft safely landed on the planet. The panoramic images of the Gusev Crater landing site show a flat terrain with few boulders, although a small boulder was seen nestled against the spacecraft itself. Scientists are pleased with the images, concluding that the lack of boulders and other obstacles should make it easy for the rover to travel throughout the area. The first color images from Spirit could come later on Sunday. The rover itself is not expected to leave the lander for over a week, however, as controllers methodically work through a series of steps to prepare the rover for operations.