[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - July 11, 2006

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Jul 13 11:34:27 2006
Message-ID: <200607131532.IAA19529_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Getting Closer to 'Victoria Crater' - sol 867-871,
July 11, 2006:

Opportunity is healthy. This week, Opportunity continued uplinking its
new flight software load and driving toward "Victoria Crater."
Opportunity completed three more drives toward the large crater on sols
869 (July 4, 2006), 870 and 871.

As of Sol 870, Opportunity is approximately 115 meters (377 feet) from
"Beagle Crater" and about 600 meters (just over one-third of a mile)
from Victoria Crater.

Sol-by-sol summaries:

Sol 867 (July 2, 2006): Opportunity took a panoramic camera tau, which
is a measurement of opacity, and then a panoramic camera image of the
target referred to as "Austin." The miniature thermal emission
spectrometer was used for a sky and ground observation and to
investigate the target "McKinney."

Sol 868: The panoramic camera aboard Opportunity was busy this sol,
imaging targets McKinney, "Baxter Springs" and "Fort Gibson." The
miniature thermal emission spectrometer looked at McKinney, the sky and
ground, as well as the calibration target on the rover. The panoramic
camera also took a tau before communicating with the Mars Odyssey
spacecraft. In the morning, a miniature thermal emission spectrometer
drift check was conducted to calibrate the instrument's elevation
actuator (to remove any drift).

Sol 869: This sol saw Opportunity on the move again. The rover first
took a tau with its panoramic camera, stowed its robotic arm and then
drove. After the drive, the rover unstowed its arm and completed
post-drive imaging with its panoramic and navigational cameras. The
miniature thermal emission spectrometer examined the sky and ground.

Sol 870: Opportunity essentially repeated the previous sol's activities,
completing a panoramic camera tau, robotic arm stow, drive, unstow,
post-drive imaging and use of the miniature thermal emission
spectrometer to examine the sky and ground. A drift check was also
conducted on the miniature thermal emission spectrometer's elevation
actuator.

Sol 871: The morning of this sol involved using the rover's panoramic
camera to do an intensive systematic ground survey. Opportunity also
drove again this sol after taking a panoramic camera tau. After the
drive was completed, the rover took images with its navigation camera
and a tau with the panoramic camera. The miniature thermal emission
spectrometer examined the sky and ground. In the morning, the panoramic
camera was used to quantify sky brightness in the west and, in the
afternoon, another drift check was conducted on the miniature thermal
emission spectrometer's elevation actuator.

Odometry total as of Sol 870 (July 5, 2006): 8,421.65 meters (5.23 miles).
Received on Thu 13 Jul 2006 11:31:59 AM PDT