[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update - October 15-20, 2015

[Ron Baalke]

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Power Levels Low Due to Winter Setting In -
sols 4168-4173, October 15, 2015-October 20, 2015

Opportunity is within 'Marathon Valley' on the west rim of Endeavour Crater 
conducting a valley floor survey for clay minerals.

Low-elevation orbiter relay passes to the west continue to result in little 
to no data return on some relay passes. This is just a function of orbit 
geometry and the high valley wall to the west within Marathon Valley.

>From a location on the south side of the valley, the rover has been conducting 
a campaign of Panoramic (Pancam) Camera color imaging of Marathon Valley 
with panoramas collected on Sols 4169, 4171 and 4173 (Oct. 16, Oct. 18 
and Oct. 20, 2015). A salute (raise) of the robotic arm on Sol 4173 (Oct. 
20, 2015) was performed so the rover's work volume for the arm could be 
imaged ahead on an in-situ (contact) science activities.

Further readouts of Flash Bank 7 were attempted on Sol 4170 (Oct. 17, 
2015). The rover's activities are being constrained by the winter power 
levels. Opportunity will remain on north-facing slopes for the balance 
of the winter.

As of Sol 4173 (Oct. 20, 2015), the solar array energy production was 
337 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.522 and a solar 
array dust factor of 0.568.

Total odometry is 26.48 miles (42.62 kilometers), more than a marathon.