McCool Hill

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McCool Hill
McCool Hill, as seen from the summit of Husband Hill.
Location	Columbia Hills
Coordinates	15° S, 175°E
Peak	approx. 130 m
Discoverer	Spirit rover
Eponym	William C. McCool
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McCool Hill is the tallest of the Columbia Hills in Gusev crater, Mars. It was named in honor of William C. McCool, an astronaut of the Space Shuttle Columbia during its final mission where it disintegrated during reentry (see Space Shuttle Columbia disaster).

The hill was to be Spirit rover's next target. She was expect significant north-facing slopes on the hill in mid-April 2006, and spend her second winter on Mars there. However, on the way to slopes on "McCool Hill" between outcrops nicknamed "Oberth" and "Korolev," Spirit ran into an impassable, sandy area. To increase solar power output, Spirit's handlers redirected the rover to a closer north-facing slope in an area known as "Low Ridge" or "Low Ridge Haven," about 20 meters away from the rover's position on sol 802 (April 5, 2006). Spirit is spending the rest of the Martian winter here, operating from a fixed position for long periods of time, attempting to observe very small changes that wouldn't be noticeable otherwise because the rover was moving much more often . Mission directors are undecided on where to go in the spring, either to re-attempt the climb of McCool Hill, go back to Home Plate, or somewhere else.

Husband Hill was originally thought to be the highest of the Columbia Hills as seen from Columbia Memorial Station until recent surveying by Spirit updated elevation levels, placing McCool as the highest.