[meteorite-list] Mars Rover Opportunity Update: Feb 10-16, 2016

[Ron Baalke]

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

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE:  Rover Begins Contact Science of Rock Target on
'Knudsen Ridge' - sols 4290-4296, February 17, 2016-February 23, 2016:

Opportunity is exploring 'Marathon Valley' on the rim of Endeavour
crater. The rover is up on the very steep slopes of 'Knudsen Ridge.'

Opportunity has begun the in-situ (contact) investigation of the current
site. On Sol 4291 (Feb. 18, 2016), the rover bumped about 27 inches (68
centimeters) towards the first surface target, called 'Charles Caugee'
(named for a member of the Corps of Discovery). After the successful
bump, more documentary imagery was collected using both the Panoramic
Camera (Pancam) and Navigation Camera (Navcam).

Then, on Sol 4295 (Feb. 22, 2016), the robotic arm was used to collect a
detailed Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic. The plan ahead is to place the
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) to collect elemental
information about this target.

As of Sol 4296 (Feb. 23, 2016), the solar array energy production was
543 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.409 and a solar
array dust factor of 0.707.

Total odometry is 26.51 miles (42.66 kilometers), more than a marathon.