[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - May 13, 2004

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Crater Cruise - sol 103-106, May 13, 2004

On Sol 103, Opportunity traversed approximately 13 meters 
(about 43 feet) farther south along the eastern rim of 
"Endurance Crater," reaching the beginning of the "Karatepe" 
area. On sol 104, the rover approached "Lion Stone," a rock 
at the crater's edge that stands about 10 centimeters tall 
(about 4 inches) and is about 30 centimeters long (12 inches). 
This brought Opportunity's total mission odometry to 1,054
meters (3,458 feet)!

On Sol 105, Opportunity acquired a series of microscopic 
images of Lion Stone and the surrounding soil.

The rover then went on to collect a short Mössbauer 
integration on the rock during the day, performed a tool 
change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in late 
afternoon, and acquired that integration in the early 
morning of Sol 106. That sol also included additional 
microscopic images and a successful "bump" maneuver to 
reposition the rover so the top of Lion Stone was in 
position for the rock abrasion tool on Sol 107. Remote 
sensing was also acquired during the two sols, including 
panoramic camera images of the heatshield that protected 
Opportunity during its toasty trip through the martian 
atmosphere. The heatshield impacted approximately 250 meters 
(about 820 feet) south of Endurance Crater.

Plans for Sol 107 are to perform a rock abrasion tool grind 
on Lion Stone with subsequent microscopic images and alpha 
particle X-ray spectrometer overnight integration. The 
tentative plan for Sol 108 is to leave Lion Stone and 
begin traverse to observation position 2 on the southeastern 
rim of Endurance Crater.