[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update #2 - September 22, 2006

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun Sep 24 17:38:56 2006
Message-ID: <200609242138.OAA08562_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Nearly There! - sol 941-946, September 22, 2006:

Opportunity is healthy and very near "Victoria Crater." The rover spent
its week completing an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observation of
rock target "Cape Faraday," successfully booting its new flight software
and exercising its mobility functions.

Opportunity is currently a little over 45 meters (148 feet) away from
Victoria Crater's "Duck Bay" - a point on Victoria's vast rim. Once the
team has verified that the new onboard flight software is stable,
Opportunity will drive out to Duck Bay. This location is expected to
provide Opportunity a spectacular view of the crater's interior.

Sol-by-sol summaries:

Sol 941 (Sept. 16, 2006): In the morning, the panoramic camera imaged
areas of the sky and looked for clouds. The miniature thermal emission
spectrometer observed the sky and ground. Opportunity completed several
panoramic camera assessments of the clarity of the atmosphere. The
panoramic camera also surveyed the ground and imaged the soil target
"Dellinbaugh," within the crater dubbed "Emma Dean." Parameters for the
robotic arm were tested with the new flight software. The alpha particle
X-ray spectrometer completed an observation of Cape Faraday.

Sol 942: This morning, the rover's panoramic camera imaged parts of the
Martian sky and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer collected
data from the sky and ground. Opportunity assessed the clarity of the
atmosphere with a panoramic camera "tau" measurement. That camera also
imaged the rover magnets to monitor dust and had a look at the horizon.
The miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed a sky and ground
observation and checked its calibration target. Before the
communications pass with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, the rover
completed another tau measurement. During the pass, the miniature
thermal emission spectrometer was used.

Sol 943: Opportunity drove about 35 meters (115 feet), paused and took a
mid-drive navigation camera mosaic of the crater dubbed "Kitty Clyde's
Sister." The rover then drove another 25 meters (82 feet) and took
images with the hazard avoidance cameras. After the drive, the
navigation camera and panoramic camera took images from the rover's new
location. The panoramic camera was also used this sol to image parts of
the sky and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer took
measurements of the sky and ground.

Sol 944: This sol was dedicated to booting flight software and ensuring
that imaging and data-product parameters were functioning properly with
the new software.

Sol 945: This sol was used to update mobility parameters for the new
flight software. Some remote sensing science was completed.

Sol 946 (Sept. 21, 2006): The rover performed remote sensing science.

As of sol 943 (Sept. 18, 2006) Opportunity's odometry total is 9,192.05
meters (5.71 miles).
Received on Sun 24 Sep 2006 05:38:52 PM PDT