[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: July 19-24, 2012

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Opportunity Picks Up the Pace With Several Drives
This Week - sols 3017-3022, July 19-24, 2012:

Opportunity is roving at the north end of Cape York on the rim of
Endeavour Crater.

Progress was again impacted by a second safe mode entry by the Mars
Odyssey orbiter. With normal Ultra-High Frequency relay with Odyssey
restored, Opportunity was able to drive on Sol 3019 (July 21, 2012).

That drive, of over 138 feet (42 meters), was a "V" trajectory with the
rover first driving toward the small impact crater named "Sao Gabriel"
for mid-drive imaging, then a near reverse drive away toward the
geologic cut called "Whim Creek."

On Sol 3021 (July 23, 2012), Opportunity drove across Whim Creek with a
33 foot (10 meter) drive toward some surface targets. On the next Sol,
the rover collected a Microscopic Imager mosaic of the target "Mons
Cupri" before placing the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer down on the
same. The plan ahead is some more driving before the operational
stand-down around the time of the landing for Curiosity.

As of Sol 3022 (July 24, 2012), the solar array energy production was
507 watt-hours with an elevated atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.772 and
an improved solar array dust factor of 0.727.

Total odometry is 21.52 miles (34,633.40 meters).