[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: March 31 - April 7, 2015

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2015 14:06:49 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201504162106.t3GL6n3w012788_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Examining Rock Outcrop at 'The Spirit of St. Louis'
Crater - sols 3976-3982, March 31, 2015-April 7, 2015:

Opportunity is on the west rim of Endeavour Crater near the entrance of
"Marathon Valley," a putative location for abundant clay minerals.

The rover is positioned on a light-toned outcrop next to the feature called
"The Spirit of St. Louis" crater. The rover is continuing a campaign to
investigate surface targets in this light-toned outcrop.

On Sol 3977 (April 1, 2015), the rover began two sols of Alpha Particle
X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) measurements with offset placements between
sols. On Sol 3979 (April 3, 2015), the rover bumped to a new surface target,
moving almost 20 feet (6 meters). For the next two evenings, atmospheric
argon was measured using the APXS. Additional in-situ (contact) science
with the robotic arm instruments was planned for Sol 3982 (April 7, 2015),
but a DSN problem prevented the sequence plan from being transmitted to
the rover. Opportunity instead executed on-board run-out sequences. The
missed plan will be repeated in the next uplink planning opportunity.
Two more amnesia events occurred in the evenings of Sols 3979 and 3980
(April 3 and April 5, 2015). Both events were benign with no loss of science
data.

As of Sol 3982 (April 7, 2015), the solar array energy production was
559 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0971 and a solar array
dust factor of 0.732.

Total odometry is 26.24 miles (42.24 kilometers).
Received on Thu 16 Apr 2015 05:06:49 PM PDT