[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update - September 9-15, 2015

[Ron Baalke]

http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/mission/status.html#opportunity

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Search for Clay Minerals Continues - sols 4133-4139, 
September 09, 2015-September 15, 2015:

Opportunity is within 'Marathon Valley' on the west rim of Endeavour Crater 
conducting a walk-about in search of clay minerals.

The rover is operating in persistent RAM mode (not using Flash for data 
storage). On Sol 4133 (Sept. 9, 2015), the rover used the robotic arm 
to collect a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic of a surface target and then 
place the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) on the same. A Navigation 
Camera (Navcam) panorama was collected on the morning of the next sol. 
The APXS integrated on the surface target through the evening of Sol 4135 
(Sept. 11, 2015). On Sol 4136 (Sept. 12, 2015), another MI mosaic was 
collected and the APXS placed on a target offset from the previous.

Both Navcam and Pancam panoramas were collected on the morning of Sol 
4138 (Sept. 14, 2015). Also on that sol, the project commanded the rover 
to switch to using the Flash memory as a 'toe dip' diagnostic test of 
the state of Flash. With the exception of a benign amnesia event, the 
Flash functioned normally. The project then commanded the rover back into 
RAM-only mode on Sol 4139 (Sept. 15, 2015). A long test of Flash memory 
is planned for next week. Also on Sol 4139 (Sept. 15, 2015), the rover 
completed a 13-foot (4-meter) bumped to a new surface target.

As of Sol 4139 (Sept. 15, 2015), the solar array energy production was 
345 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.585 and a solar 
array dust factor of 0.552.

Total odometry is 26.43 miles (42.53 kilometers), more than a marathon.