[meteorite-list] Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Update: February 5-12, 2014

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Busy Week of Imaging and Robotic Arm Studies - sols 
3568-3575, Feb. 05, 2014-Feb. 12, 2014:

Opportunity is climbing 'Murray Ridge' up on Solander Point, part of the 
rim of Endeavour Crater.

The rover continues to explore the region called 'Cook Haven.' The rover 
has turned its attention to other rocks within this area. On Sol 3568 
(Feb. 5, 2014), Opportunity lifted her robotic arm so 13-filter Panoramic 
Camera (Pancam) images of the surface target, called 'Green Island' could 
be collected, along with some Navigation (Navcam) images. On the next 
sol, the rover used the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) to brush a spot on Green 
Island and followed that with a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic and a placement 
of the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS).

On Sol 3571 (Feb. 8, 2014), the rover collected a 13-filter Pancam image 
of the brushed spot on Green Island before bumping about 9.8 feet (3 meters) 
to a new rock target, called 'Stuart Island.' Opportunity began the in-situ 
(contact) investigation of Stuart Island on Sol 3573 (Feb. 10, 2014), 
with a MI mosaic and APXS placement for an overnight integration. The 
rover repeated this again on the next sol with more MI mosaics, but with 
an offset placement of the APXS. Continuing the campaign on Sol 3575 (Feb. 
12, 2014), Opportunity collected more MI mosaics and performed a third 
offset of the APXS.

As of Sol 3575 (Feb. 12, 2014), the solar array energy production was 
387 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.548 and a solar 
array dust factor of 0.610.

Total odometry is 24.07 miles (38.74 kilometers).