Spirit's "RAT" is Ok! - Sol 893

Caption NASA originale:"During recent soil-brushing experiments, the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) on NASA's MER Spirit became covered with dust, as shown here. An abundance of iron oxide minerals in the dust gave the device a reddish-brown veneer. Investigators were using the RAT to uncover successive layers of soil in an attempt to reveal near-surface stratigraphy. Afterward, remnant dirt clods were visible on both the bit and the brush of the tool. Designers of the RAT at Honeybee Robotics and engineers at the JPL developed a plan to run the brush on the RAT in reverse to dislodge the dirt and return the tool to normal operation. Subsequent communications with the rover revealed that the procedure is working and the RAT remains healthy.

Spirit acquired this approximately true-color image with the PanCam on the Rover's 893rd Sol (July 8, 2006). The image combines exposures taken through 3 of the camera's filters, centered on wavelengths of 750-, 530- and 430 nanometers".