[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update: December 1-8, 2010

[Ron Baalke]

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

SPIRIT UPDATE:  Spirit Remains Silent at Troy - sols 2458-2464,
December 2-8, 2010:

No communication has been received from the rover since Sol 2210 (March
22, 2010).

The project continues to listen for Spirit with the Deep Space Network
and Mars Odyssey orbiter for autonomous recovery communication from the
low-power fault case. The project is also conducting a paging technique
called "Sweep & Beep" to stimulate the rover in the case of a
mission-clock fault. The period of peak solar insolation (energy
production) is not until mid-March 2011.

Total odometry is unchanged at 7,730.50 meters (4.80 miles).

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OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Opportunity Surpasses 16 Miles of Driving! -
sols 2437-2444, December 1-8, 2010:

Opportunity passed 26 kilometers (16 miles) of odometry as she
approaches Santa Maria crater on her way to Endeavour crater. Santa
Maria is an approximately 80-meter (262-foot) diameter crater that
Opportunity will investigate before proceeding toward Endeavour.

Opportunity drove several times in the last week with drives on Sols
2438 (Dec. 2, 2010), 2441 (Dec. 5, 2010), 2442 (Dec. 6, 2010), 2443
(Dec. 7, 2010) and 2444 (Dec. 8, 2010), totaling over 560 meters (1837
feet). Recently, a morning Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) relay pass was
added to the sequence plan for the rover. This will off-load even more
data from the rover, permitting more frequent drives, as driving
generates many data products.

As of Sol 2444 (Dec. 8, 2010), solar array energy production was 617
watt-hours with a slightly elevated atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.736
and a solar array dust factor of 0.660.

Total odometry is 26,120.98 meters (26.12 kilometers, or 16.23 miles).