[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Update: February 5-12, 2014

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 13:58:20 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <201402162158.s1GLwKhp014645_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Busy Week of Imaging and Robotic Arm Studies - sols
3568-3575, Feb. 05, 2014-Feb. 12, 2014:

Opportunity is climbing 'Murray Ridge' up on Solander Point, part of the
rim of Endeavour Crater.

The rover continues to explore the region called 'Cook Haven.' The rover
has turned its attention to other rocks within this area. On Sol 3568
(Feb. 5, 2014), Opportunity lifted her robotic arm so 13-filter Panoramic
Camera (Pancam) images of the surface target, called 'Green Island' could
be collected, along with some Navigation (Navcam) images. On the next
sol, the rover used the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) to brush a spot on Green
Island and followed that with a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic and a placement
of the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS).

On Sol 3571 (Feb. 8, 2014), the rover collected a 13-filter Pancam image
of the brushed spot on Green Island before bumping about 9.8 feet (3 meters)
to a new rock target, called 'Stuart Island.' Opportunity began the in-situ
(contact) investigation of Stuart Island on Sol 3573 (Feb. 10, 2014),
with a MI mosaic and APXS placement for an overnight integration. The
rover repeated this again on the next sol with more MI mosaics, but with
an offset placement of the APXS. Continuing the campaign on Sol 3575 (Feb.
12, 2014), Opportunity collected more MI mosaics and performed a third
offset of the APXS.

As of Sol 3575 (Feb. 12, 2014), the solar array energy production was
387 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.548 and a solar
array dust factor of 0.610.

Total odometry is 24.07 miles (38.74 kilometers).
Received on Sun 16 Feb 2014 04:58:20 PM PST