[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: December 14-22, 2011

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:14:20 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <201112231814.pBNIEKe0027430_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Wheel Passes Checkup After Stalled Drive -
sols 2805-2812, December 14-22, 2011:

This period began with a campaign of using the Microscopic Imager (MI)
and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) to examine a target called
"Komati" on the "Saddleback" outcrop.

After two days of collecting APXS data, a drive was planned for Sol 2808
(Dec. 17, 2011) to rotate the rover in a way that would bring a
different target into range of the robotic arm (instrument deployment
device, or IDD). During this turning maneuver the right-front wheel
experienced elevated electrical currents, which tripped a fault response
and stopped the drive. Telemetry suggested that the elevated current was
due to the wheel's orientation with respect to the terrain (causing it
to work harder than expected) and not an actuator failure. To verify
this, diagnostics were performed on Sol 2810 (Dec. 20, 2011). The
diagnostic tests confirmed the actuator's continued good health.

A small drive of about 1.2 inches (3 centimeters) in the opposite
direction was planned for Sol 2812 (Dec. 22, 2011) to clear the wheel
from obstacles, if any existed, that may have hooked the wheel. This
drive was also successful, further confirming the health of the
actuator. With the success of this smaller drive, we are now comfortable
proceeding with a larger arc that should give us additional
wheel-current data and allow us to image the Sol 2808 stall point. This
drive is likely to be of the magnitude of 6 inches (15 centimeters) and
occur on Sol 2816 (Dec. 26, 2011).

As of Sol 2812 (Dec. 22, 2011), solar array energy production is 297
watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.645 and a solar array
dust factor of 0.469. Total odometry is 21.35 miles (34,361.13 meters,
or 34.36 kilometers).
Received on Fri 23 Dec 2011 01:14:20 PM PST