[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - June 22, 2004

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Jun 22 19:57:39 2004
Message-ID: <200406222357.QAA06518_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Edging Down 'Endurance' - sol 141-143,
June 22, 2004

Opportunity is showing no signs of middle age as it
continues to work in "Endurance Crater." The rover has
spent the last few sols inching farther down into the
crater, making observations and pushing the limits.
Managing resources as the rover's tilt angle changes
is challenging and keeps the rover planning team very
busy.

On sol 141 Opportunity completed post-rock abrasion tool
Mossbauer spectrometer observations on the rock called
"Tennessee." Having spent the last four sols
investigating Tennessee, Opportunity stowed its arm and
moved deeper into Endurance Crater. A 0.70-meter (2.3 feet)
drive positioned the vehicle to begin observations on the
first contact point, a transition between two different
geologic layers. As it turns out, after arriving at the
rover's new location and taking images, there appears to
be not one contact point, but three contact points all
within reach of the arm. Opportunity then performed 2.5
hours of remote observations using the panoramic camera
and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover
then went into deep sleep mode for the night.

On sol 142 Opportunity begin another series of microscopic
imager observations on three different targets:
"Bluegrass," "Siula Grande" and "Churchill." The rover
then performed alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and
Mossbauer spectrometer integrations overnight.

On sol 143 Opportunity again used its rock abrasion tool,
but not without some consternation from the uplink team.
In order to grind using the rock abrasion tool, a minimum
of force must be used to push the tool onto the target.
With the vehicle tilted 23.2 degrees, there was concern
that applying too much force could cause the vehicle to
lose traction on the slope and slide farther into the
crater, possibly damaging the arm. Concerns were
pacified when the rock abrasion tool operation worked
flawlessly, abrading approximately 3 millimeters (about
0.12 inches) into the rock called "Cobble Hill."
Received on Tue 22 Jun 2004 07:57:25 PM PDT