[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: June 27 - July 10, 2013

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 14:18:34 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201307112118.r6BLIYff015321_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: More Progress Toward 'Solander Point' -
sols 3351-3363, Jun. 27, 2013-Jul. 10, 2013:

Opportunity is in good health. On Sol 3351 (June 27, 2013), the rover
drove over 393 feet (over 120 meters), heading toward 'Solander Point'
on the rim of Endeavour Crater. Also on that sol, a set of diagnostics
were performed on the Joint 3 (elbow) potentiometer on the robotic arm.
This potentiometer is a sensor that can indicate if the arm has moved.
Arm movement is not intended during a drive. Preliminary analysis
indicates that the readings from the potentiometer were anomalous and
that the arm did not move. The project is masking those readings in the
rover's flight software so that anomalous readings will not halt a drive.

In a two-sol plan, Opportunity performed a 'touch 'n go,' using the
robotic arm one sol and driving the next sol, on Sols 3352 and 3353,
(June 28 and June 30, 2013, using the Pacific Daylight Time date at noon
of the sol; no sol's noon fell on June 29). On the first sol, the
Microscopic Imager (MI) collected a mosaic of a surface target. The
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) then collected data overnight.
On the second sol of the plan, the rover drove over 98 feet (over 30
meters). On Sol 3355 (July 2, 2013), Opportunity completed another long
drive, over 262 feet (over 118 meters).

In preparation for the long Fourth of July holiday period, two sets of
three-sol plans were developed to keep Opportunity busy while the flight
team had time off. The first plan covered sols 3356 to 3358 (July 3 to
July 5, 2013). A 82-foot (25-meter) drive was sequenced for the first
sol, with a special automatic stop to use rover tilt and achieve maximum
power generation for later activities. On the second sol, the rover made
an atmospheric argon measurement with the Alpha Particle X-ray
Spectrometer (APXS). It conducted routine remote-sensing measurements on
the third sol. With the drive results from Sol 3356 (July 3, 2013)
received in time for planning the next three-sol plan, the flight team
sequenced another drive for Sol 3360 (July 7, 2013) after a special
observation of both of Mars' moons. Opportunity imaged Phobos and Deimos
with the Panoramic Camera (Pancam) very early on the morning of that
sol, using that extra energy from the rover's favorable tilt. After the
observation finished, the rover drove 138 feet (42 meters). It spent the
final sol of this three-sol plan recharging batteries with some light
remote-sensing observations.

After the holiday, Opportunity continued to push closer to Solander
Point with a drive on Sol 3362 (July 9, 2013) that exceeded 291 feet
(88.7 meters) and a drive on Sol 3363 (July 10, 2013) of about 193 feet
(59 meters).

As of Sol 3363 (July 10, 2013), the solar array energy production is 435
watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.786 and a solar array
dust factor of 0.606.

Total odometry is 23.35 miles (37.58 kilometers).
Received on Thu 11 Jul 2013 05:18:34 PM PDT