[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: July 14-21, 2011

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Opportunity Past 20-Mile Mark As it Nears Large Crater - 
sols 2656-2662, July 14-21, 2011:

Opportunity is only about 1.1 kilometers (0.68 miles) from "Spirit Point," 
the first landfall on the rim of Endeavour crater.

The rover continues to make very good progress, driving five times in the 
last week and totaling over 510 meters of drive distance. The right-front 
wheel currents remain behaved. The project continues to use backwards driving 
and actuator heating as mitigation techniques for the elevated drive actuator 
currents.

On Sol 2656 (July 14, 2011), an atmospheric argon measurement was performed 
with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). On Sol 2662 (July 21, 2011), 
a visual odometry experiment was performed to measure the precision in which 
the rover can determine its relative position. This has benefit to future 
radio tracking experiments with the rover. The plan ahead is more driving.

As of Sol 2661 (July 19, 2011), solar array energy production was 417 
watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.945 and a solar array dust 
factor of 0.574.

Total odometry is 32,513.36 meters (32.51 kilometers, or 20.20 miles).