[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - April 18, 2006

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Hoppin' Toward 'Victoria' - sol 785-790, Apr 18, 2006:

Opportunity is in a restricted planning mode this week due to each sol's
downlink coming too late in the Earth day to allow planning of a drive
for the next sol. The team built three drives this week and Opportunity
drove 83.2 meters (273 feet). The general drive direction is southeast
to avoid a large dune field due south. As of sol 788, Opportunity was
estimated to be 1,557 meters (just under one mile) from "Victoria Crater."

Sol-by-sol summaries:

Sol 785 (April 9, 2006): On sol 785 Opportunity drove 58.9 meters (193
feet) south. After the drive, the panoramic camera and navigation camera
made observations in the drive direction. Activities also included
atmospheric remote sensing during the afternoon's communication relay
session with the Mars Odyssey orbiter.

Sol 786: This sol's activities included a panoramic camera systematic
ground survey, panoramic camera imaging of magnets, rearward looking
navigation camera imaging, and two sky-and-ground observations with the
miniature thermal emission spectrometer.

Sol 787: After targeted pre-drive panoramic camera observations of an
outcrop, Opportunity drove 7.5 meters (25 feet) to the top of a dune.
Imaging of the new location and atmospheric sensing during the afternoon
Odyssey pass followed the drive.

Sol 788: The navigation camera took rearward-looking images for a
mosaic. The panoramic camera checked the clarity of the atmosphere and
surveyed the ground systematically. In the afternoon, the miniature
thermal emission spectrometer made sky-and-ground observations.

Sol 789: Opportunity drove 16.8 meters.

Sol 790 (April 14, 2006): Planned activities included untargeted remote
sensing.

As of 789, Opportunity's total odometry was 7,327.53 meters (4.55 miles).