[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - May 13, 2004

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu May 13 21:32:06 2004
Message-ID: <200405140132.SAA10770_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Crater Cruise - sol 103-106, May 13, 2004

On Sol 103, Opportunity traversed approximately 13 meters
(about 43 feet) farther south along the eastern rim of
"Endurance Crater," reaching the beginning of the "Karatepe"
area. On sol 104, the rover approached "Lion Stone," a rock
at the crater's edge that stands about 10 centimeters tall
(about 4 inches) and is about 30 centimeters long (12 inches).
This brought Opportunity's total mission odometry to 1,054
meters (3,458 feet)!

On Sol 105, Opportunity acquired a series of microscopic
images of Lion Stone and the surrounding soil.

The rover then went on to collect a short M?ssbauer
integration on the rock during the day, performed a tool
change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in late
afternoon, and acquired that integration in the early
morning of Sol 106. That sol also included additional
microscopic images and a successful "bump" maneuver to
reposition the rover so the top of Lion Stone was in
position for the rock abrasion tool on Sol 107. Remote
sensing was also acquired during the two sols, including
panoramic camera images of the heatshield that protected
Opportunity during its toasty trip through the martian
atmosphere. The heatshield impacted approximately 250 meters
(about 820 feet) south of Endurance Crater.

Plans for Sol 107 are to perform a rock abrasion tool grind
on Lion Stone with subsequent microscopic images and alpha
particle X-ray spectrometer overnight integration. The
tentative plan for Sol 108 is to leave Lion Stone and
begin traverse to observation position 2 on the southeastern
rim of Endurance Crater.
Received on Thu 13 May 2004 09:31:54 PM PDT