[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Update - June 4-10, 2008

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Bustin' Loose! - sol 1551-1557, Jun 04-10, 2008:

Opportunity finally escaped the Martian sand and backed up onto solid
rock inside "Victoria Crater." Driving backward on Martian day, or sol,
1557 (June 10, 2008), the rover successfully moved the last of its six
wheels up over a rocky ledge. The successful maneuver freed Opportunity
to follow another route that will bring the rover closer to the cliff
known as "Cape Verde." From there, the rover will collect
high-resolution, panoramic images of rock layers in the promontory.

Also this week, the rover engineering team had the honor of hosting
Houston-area Congressman and Mars exploration enthusiast John Culberson.
The congressman participated in the planning of sols 1557 and 1558 (June
10-11, 2008). Culberson even helped design a science observation of the
cobble informally named "Barnes" in honor of Virgil E. Barnes, former
emeritus professor of geological sciences at The University of Texas at
Austin.

Sol-by-sol summary:

In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via
the rover's high-gain antenna and measuring atmospheric dust with the
panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:

Sol 1551 (June 4, 2008): Opportunity acquired a 5-by-1 mosaic of images
for a shadow test to determine how well imaging of Cape Verde can
proceed in shadowed conditions.

Sol 1552: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for
calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
After driving backward, the rover took images of cleat marks made with
its wheels using the hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity took
post-drive images of the rover mast and a 3-by-1 mosaic of images with
the navigation camera. After relaying data to the Odyssey orbiter for
transmission to Earth, Opportunity measured argon gas in the Martian
atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.

Sol 1553: Opportunity completed a morning survey of the horizon and took
spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired a
5-by-1 mosaic of images for the shadow test and surveyed the sky at high
Sun with the panoramic camera.

Sol 1554: In the morning, Opportunity acquired a six-frame, time-lapse
movie of potential clouds passing overhead with the navigation camera.
The rover acquired another 5-by-1 mosaic of shadow-test images with the
panoramic camera. Opportunity then acquired full-color images, using all
13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a cobble dubbed "Agassiz." The
rover completed a sky survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera and,
after sending data to Odyssey, measured atmospheric argon with the
alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.

Sol 1555: Opportunity surveyed the horizon and took spot images of the
sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired a six-frame,
time-lapse movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. After
communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with
the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.

Sol 1556: In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky
with the panoramic camera. After communicating with Odyssey, the rover
measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.

Sol 1557 (June 10, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity acquired a
six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of clouds with the navigation
camera and surveyed surrounding rock clasts with the panoramic camera.
The rover acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the
panoramic camera, of Barnes. Opportunity then drove backward and
acquired post-drive images of surrounding terrain and of the rover mast
with the navigation camera as well as images of cleat imprints made by
the rover's wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras. After sending data
to Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon. Plans for the
following morning called for the rover to monitor dust on the rover mast
and take another six-frame movie of potential clouds passing overhead.

Odometry:

As of sol 1557 (June 10, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was
11,691.84 meters (7.26 miles).