[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: July 8-15, 2015

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2015 16:46:41 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201507202346.t6KNkfvY009050_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/status.html#opportunity

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: A Week of Imaging and Driving - sols 4072-4079,
July 08, 2015-July 15, 2015:

Opportunity is on the west rim of Endeavour Crater heading into
'Marathon Valley.'

On Sol 4072 (July 8, 2015), the rover collected some targeted 13-filter
Panoramic Camera (Pancam) images and some Navigation Camera (Navcam)
cloud and dust devil movies (if any were present). On Sol 4073 (July 9,
2015), Opportunity bumped only about 10 inches (25 centimeters) to
position the robotic arm to reach some new targets within the so-called
'Red Zone' along the edge of the 'Spirit of St. Louis.' Also, some
post-drive targeted Pancam observations were made. An atmospheric argon
measurement was collected that night by the Alpha Particle X-ray
Spectrometer (APXS) instrument. On Sol 4074 (July 10, 2015), more
targeted 13-filter Pancam observations were made along with more Navcam
cloud and dust devil movies.

On Sol 4075 (July 11, 2015), the rover began some in-situ (contact)
science investigation of the new 'Red Zone' target, first by collecting
a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic, then by placing the APXS for a
multi-hour integration. On the next sol, more Navcam cloud and dust
devil movies were collected.

On Sol 4077 (July 13, 2015), Opportunity headed around the 'Spirit of
St. Louis' to the east with a 90-foot (27.5-meter) drive. Post-drive
Navcam panoramas were collected from that new vantage point. On Sol 4078
(July 14, 2015), the rover departed the 'Spirit of St. Louis' and headed
northeast towards 'Swan Hill' with a 120-foot (36.7-meter) drive,
collecting post-drive Navcam panoramas. On the next sol, Opportunity
first collected some pre-drive targeted Navcam and Pancam images, then
drove almost 62 feet (19 meters) heading into Marathon Valley. Following
the drive, a 360-degree Navcam panorama was collected.

As of Sol 4079 (July 15, 2015), the solar array energy production was
421 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.634 and a solar
array dust factor of 0.612.

Total odometry is 26.38 miles (42.45 kilometers), more than a marathon.
Received on Mon 20 Jul 2015 07:46:41 PM PDT