[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: April 10-15, 2014

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Driving Up To Crater Rim - sols 3630-3635,
April 10, 2014-April 15, 2014:

Opportunity is exploring 'Murray Ridge,' part of the west rim of
Endeavour Crater.

The near-term plan is to drive up to the crater rim's ridgeline and
image the interior of Endeavour. On Sol 3630 (April 10, 204),
Opportunity moved 28 feet (8.6 meters) to a local highpoint to catch a
dramatic sweeping view into the crater. Over the next few sols, the
rover collected a large Panoramic Camera (Pancam) panorama. Because the
right-front wheel currents have persistently elevated, the project is
also performing conditioning heating of the right-front drive actuator,
while the rover is stationary to image the crater.

On Sol 3635 (April 15, 2014), the rover moved about 66 feet (20 meters)
further south to complete the view into the crater and make progress
towards the clay minerals still several hundred feet (meters) away.

As of Sol 3635 (April 15, 2014), the solar array energy production was
622 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.413 and a solar
array dust factor of 0.831.

Total odometry is 24.20 miles (38.94 kilometers).