[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: August 5-11, 2015

[Ron Baalke]

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: The Challenges of RAM Mode, sols 4099-4105, August 
05, 2015-August 11, 2015

Opportunity is in Marathon Valley on the west rim of Endeavour Crater 
exploring for clay minerals. The rover is operating in persistent RAM 
mode (not using Flash memory for data storage). In RAM mode, it is sometimes 
challenging to collect images at the right time of day to send them back 
to Earth via the orbital relay passes. 

On Sol 4099 (August 5, 2015), Pancam images were taken of the North Wall 
within Marathon Valley. On Sol 4100 (August 6, 2015) the robotic arm was 
used to conduct contact science on a surface target. The Microscopic Imager 
(MI) collected a mosaic and then the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer 
(APXS) was placed for a multi-hour integration. Navcam panoramas are also 
being collected from this site. 

On Sol 4102 (August 8, 2015), another set of MI images along with an offset 
placement of the APXS were performed. The APXS integration was sequenced 
on the next sol. On Sol 4104 (August 10, 2015), more Pancam images of 
the North Wall were taken. Then on Sol 4105 (August 11, 2015), Opportunity 
turned just slightly more than 1.5 degrees using a tank turn to allow 
the robotic arm to reach an exposed outcrop that will be brushed by the 
Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) on a subsequent sol. 

Other than the Flash, Opportunity is in good health. As of Sol 4105 (August 
11, 2015), the solar array energy production was 420 watt-hours with an 
atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.736 and a solar array dust factor of 0.608.

Total odometry is 26.41 miles (42.51 kilometers) more than a marathon.