[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update - September 9-15, 2015

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 2015 21:19:56 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201509250419.t8P4Ju9S008396_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Search for Clay Minerals Continues - sols 4133-4139,
September 09, 2015-September 15, 2015:

Opportunity is within 'Marathon Valley' on the west rim of Endeavour Crater
conducting a walk-about in search of clay minerals.

The rover is operating in persistent RAM mode (not using Flash for data
storage). On Sol 4133 (Sept. 9, 2015), the rover used the robotic arm
to collect a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic of a surface target and then
place the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) on the same. A Navigation
Camera (Navcam) panorama was collected on the morning of the next sol.
The APXS integrated on the surface target through the evening of Sol 4135
(Sept. 11, 2015). On Sol 4136 (Sept. 12, 2015), another MI mosaic was
collected and the APXS placed on a target offset from the previous.

Both Navcam and Pancam panoramas were collected on the morning of Sol
4138 (Sept. 14, 2015). Also on that sol, the project commanded the rover
to switch to using the Flash memory as a 'toe dip' diagnostic test of
the state of Flash. With the exception of a benign amnesia event, the
Flash functioned normally. The project then commanded the rover back into
RAM-only mode on Sol 4139 (Sept. 15, 2015). A long test of Flash memory
is planned for next week. Also on Sol 4139 (Sept. 15, 2015), the rover
completed a 13-foot (4-meter) bumped to a new surface target.

As of Sol 4139 (Sept. 15, 2015), the solar array energy production was
345 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.585 and a solar
array dust factor of 0.552.

Total odometry is 26.43 miles (42.53 kilometers), more than a marathon.
Received on Fri 25 Sep 2015 12:19:56 AM PDT