[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update - December 15-21, 2010

[Ron Baalke]

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

SPIRIT UPDATE:  Spirit Remains Silent at Troy - sols 2471-2477,
December 15-21, 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:   Rover Explores Santa Maria Crater - 
sols 2451-2456, December 16-21, 2010:

Opportunity has arrived at the 80-meter (262-foot) diameter Santa Maria
crater, a stop on the way to Endeavour crater. The rover has begun
taking long-baseline stereo imagery.

This is part of a larger campaign that also includes in-situ (contact)
science, which is likely to extend through Solar Conjunction (through
early February 2011). In addition to a sophisticated wide-baseline
stereo imaging survey from several positions halfway around the crater,
the rover will explore minerals located around the southeast portion of
the crater using the instruments on the end of the rover's robotic arm.

Opportunity drove several times in the last week with drives on Sols
2451 (Dec. 16, 2010), 2452 (Dec. 17, 2010), and 2454 (Dec. 19, 2010), to
get into position for imaging. Another morning Ultra-High Frequency
(UHF) relay pass was sequenced and executed successfully on Sol 2456
(Dec. 21, 2010), returning 71 Mbits of data.

As of Sol 2456 (Dec. 21, 2010), solar array energy production was 595
watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.727 and a solar array
dust factor of 0.6407.

Total odometry is 26,467.74 meters (26.47 kilometers, 16.45 miles).