[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: March 31 - April 7, 2015

[Ron Baalke]

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Examining Rock Outcrop at 'The Spirit of St. Louis' 
Crater - sols 3976-3982, March 31, 2015-April 7, 2015:

Opportunity is on the west rim of Endeavour Crater near the entrance of 
"Marathon Valley," a putative location for abundant clay minerals. 

The rover is positioned on a light-toned outcrop next to the feature called 
"The Spirit of St. Louis" crater. The rover is continuing a campaign to 
investigate surface targets in this light-toned outcrop. 

On Sol 3977 (April 1, 2015), the rover began two sols of Alpha Particle 
X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) measurements with offset placements between 
sols. On Sol 3979 (April 3, 2015), the rover bumped to a new surface target, 
moving almost 20 feet (6 meters). For the next two evenings, atmospheric 
argon was measured using the APXS. Additional in-situ (contact) science 
with the robotic arm instruments was planned for Sol 3982 (April 7, 2015), 
but a DSN problem prevented the sequence plan from being transmitted to 
the rover. Opportunity instead executed on-board run-out sequences. The 
missed plan will be repeated in the next uplink planning opportunity. 
Two more amnesia events occurred in the evenings of Sols 3979 and 3980 
(April 3 and April 5, 2015). Both events were benign with no loss of science 
data. 

As of Sol 3982 (April 7, 2015), the solar array energy production was 
559 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0971 and a solar array 
dust factor of 0.732. 

Total odometry is 26.24 miles (42.24 kilometers).