[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - August 8-14, 2008

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 16:49:08 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200809022349.QAA00488_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Opportunity Eyes Challenges Ahead - sol 1614-1620,
August 8-14, 2008:

Opportunity faces several challenges on the way out of "Victoria Crater"
but continues to make steady progress. The first of these is a traverse
of approximately 10 meters (30 feet, a little longer than a
double-decker bus) across a sandy, 17-degree slope. Opportunity is more
than halfway through that part of the journey. The next is a drive
across 30 to 50 meters (100 to 160 feet), depending on the route taken,
of rocky outcrop. The final leg of the climb will require Opportunity to
cross the ripple surrounding the alcove known as "Duck Bay."

Because Opportunity is facing the threat of a drive-motor failure on the
left front wheel, the engineering team has been working on pseudo-"Mars
time" for the past week to take advantage of extra drive opportunities.

Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected
as of the downlink of information from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol
1620 (Aug. 14, 2008).

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to measuring daily, dust-related changes in atmospheric
clarity with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following
activities:

Sol 1614 (Aug. 8, 2008): Opportunity took offset, thumbnail images of
the sky with the panoramic camera for calibration purposes. With the
navigation camera, Opportunity acquired images and six, time-lapse,
movie frames in search of clouds. Just before and after ending the day's
drive, Opportunity took rearward-looking images with the
hazard-avoidance cameras. The rover relayed data to NASA's Odyssey
orbiter for transmission to Earth.

Sol 1615: In the morning, Opportunity took six, time-lapse, movie frames
in search of clouds with the navigation camera and monitored dust on the
rover mast. Opportunity acquired image mosaics of targets dubbed
"Dawson" and "Barrell" using the panoramic camera. The rover relayed
data to Odyssey to be transmitted to Earth.

Sol 1616: Opportunity drove 3.05 meters (10.0 feet), stopping mid-drive
to acquire images with the navigation camera. The rover acquired images
of the surface next to its wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras as
well as two post-drive image mosaics -- a 2-by-1 and 5-by-1 panel -- of
its surroundings with the navigation camera.

Sol 1617: In the morning, Opportunity completed a survey of rock clasts
with the panoramic camera. Before sending data to Odyssey, the rover
acquired images with the rear hazard-avoidance cameras.

Sol 1618: Opportunity acquired a 2-by-2 mosaic of images with the
panoramic camera before driving another 3.17 meters (10.4 feet). Just
before and after ending the drive, Opportunity took images with the
hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras.

Sol 1619: Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration
purposes with the panoramic camera. After completing the daily
assessment of atmospheric dust, Opportunity drove 1.04 meters (3.41
feet). Just before and after ending the drive, the rover took images
with the hazard-avoidance cameras of the ground near its wheels. After
the drive, Opportunity acquired a 2-by-1 and a 5-by-1 image mosaic of
its new location with the navigation camera. The rover communicated with
Odyssey before going to sleep.

Sol 1620 (Aug. 14, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity acquired six,
time-lapse, movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera
as well as spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. Later in
the day, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky and completed a
sky survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera. Plans for the
following morning called for Opportunity to acquire panoramic-camera
images of a rock target known as "du Toit."

Odometry:

As of sol 1619 (Aug. 13, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was
11,735.83 meters (7.29 miles).
Received on Tue 02 Sep 2008 07:49:08 PM PDT