[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: January 23-30, 2013

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2013 11:58:28 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <201302011958.r11JwSsT022698_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Sampling Several Rock Targets - sols 3200-3207,
Jan. 23, 2013-Jan. 30, 2013:

Opportunity is moving around the inboard edge of "Cape York" on the rim
of Endeavour Crater, performing in-situ (contact) science investigations.

On Sol 3200 (Jan. 23, 2013), the rover completed its study of the
"Whitewater Lake" outcrop with a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic of
target "Ortiz2b" and a subsequent Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer
(APXS) placement on the same for an overnight integration. On Sol 3203
(Jan. 26, 2013), Opportunity left the Whitewater outcrop and headed for
the "Flack Lake" area with a 71 feet (21.5-meter) drive to the north. On
Sol 3205 (Jan. 28, 2013), the rover performed a slight turn for
communications to improve relay downlink and performed a Rock Abrasion
Tool (RAT) bit imaging survey to assess the bit usage. On Sol 3206 (Jan.
29, 2013), Opportunity approached a "Newberry"-rich target to the west
with a 16 feet (4.8-meter) bump, to investigate the small spherules. On
the next sol, a MI mosaic was performed on the Newberry-rich target,
named "Fullerton1," followed by an overnight APXS placement. No
"amnesia" events with the Flash file system have occurred since Sol 3183
(Jan. 6, 2013) and the rover is otherwise in good health.

As of Sol 3206 (Jan. 29, 2013), the solar array energy production was
534 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.974 and a solar
array dust factor of 0.644.

Total odometry is 22.05 miles (35,481.74 meters).
Received on Fri 01 Feb 2013 02:58:28 PM PST