[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rovers Update: April 28 - May 4, 2011

[Ron Baalke]

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

SPIRIT UPDATE:  Spirit Remains Silent at Troy - sols 2602-2607, 
April 29 - May 4, 2011:

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

The project is continuing the recovery effort of both Deep Space Network
X-band and ultra-high frequency (UHF) relay communication attempts.

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

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OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Opportunity Images Small Craters - 
sols 2581-2587, April 28 - May 4, 2011:

Opportunity continues the trek towards Endeavour crater with a brief
sojourn through a small field of young impact craters.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the first American into space, Alan
Shepard, the Mars Exploration Rover project informally named the craters
in this impact field after the spacecraft of the NASA Mercury Program.

On Sol 2581 (April 28, 2011), Opportunity began the approach to the
crater field with a 110-meter (360-foot) drive to the southeast. On Sol
2583 (April 31, 2011), the rover cautiously navigated near the craters
with a drive of just over 120 meters (394 feet). On Sol 2585 (May 2,
2011), Opportunity drove 28 meters (92 feet) due south heading between
the two largest craters, named "Friendship 7" and "Freedom 7." On the
next sol, the rover made a 7-meter (23-foot) approach toward the crater
Freedom 7 to carefully image the interior. On the next sol, Opportunity
performed a cleaver "dog leg" maneuver first due south, then due east to
safely navigate around and out of the crater field, while catching
opportunities for some close-up imaging of the craters.

The rover's right front wheel continues to show only modestly elevated
motor currents. However, the project continues to track this. The plan
ahead is more driving as Opportunity leaves these carters behind and
heads towards Endeavour, some 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) away.

As of Sol 2587 (May 4, 2011), solar array energy production was 367
watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.819 and a solar array
dust factor of 0.510.

Total odometry is 28,708.06 meters (28.71 kilometers, or 17.84 miles).