The lastest FIDO tests took place July 21 and 22 at the Mars Yard at JPL's facility in Pasadena. Several FIDO scientists took part in the test sending command to the rover using WITS (Web Interface for Telescience), a tool that allows remote users to view raw and processed data, to plan observations, to designate navigational way points for rover traverses, and to run the traverses.

The latest test plan was developed on the basis of sols, or Martian days. Activities were planned for 8 sols, but scaled appropriately to fit within the two days allotted for the tests.

The tests focused on ways of find, travel and prepare for drilling of rock targets in the Mars Yard. Using the mast-mounted Pancam and Navcam data feeds together with body-mounted Hazcam images, the Mini-Corer, and the arm-mounted Color Microscopic Imager were all utilized to support the tests. In addiition small cameras monitored the instrument arm and mini-corer deployments.

According to the FIDO team the recent MarsYard tests were successful on the following points;

• Science targets were selected using Pancam and Infared Point Spectrometer data.

• Approached three rocks using Pancam, Navcam, and Hazcam data.

• Successfully placed the Mini-Corer into position to sample two of the three rocks.

• Simulated acquiring and caching five cores from two rocks, with microscopic images of each core.