NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Update 4 February 2007

Opportunity Making Its Way to Final Position on ‘Cape Desire’

Opportunity Status for sol 1070-1076

Opportunity spent the last week moving around the end of “Cape Desire” to three different imaging locations, each about 2 to 3 meters (6.6 to 9.8 feet) apart. Right now, Opportunity is driving about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) to the final position to finish collecting long-baseline stereo images in the direction of “Cabo Corrientes” (to the east) and “Cabo Anonimo” (to the west).

Sol-by-sol summary:

Each sol there is a panoramic camera tau at the beginning of the plan and before the afternoon Mars Odyssey pass. There is a miniature thermal emission spectrometer elevation sky and ground observation during the Odyssey pass. There is also a mini-miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation in the morning of each sol, just prior to handing over to the next sol’s master sequence. In addition to these regular activities, Opportunity also completed the following:

Sol 1070 (Jan. 27, 2007): Opportunity’s panoramic camera conducted a 13-filter observation on the target “Ceuta.” The panoramic camera also took an image of a target that was photographed by the microscopic imager a week earlier during testing of a new capability to autonomously place the tools of the robotic arm onto a target. Another image by the panoramic camera is for use in a long-baseline stereo pair. The rover then conducted a miniature thermal emission spectrometer stare at Ceuta. After a communication-relay session with NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity performed an argon experiment during an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration.

Sol 1071: The rover drove 2.19 meters (7.2 feet) farther out on Cape Desire. Post-drive imaging included front and rear hazard avoidance camera images and a 360-degree navigation camera image.

Sol 1072: Opportunity took panoramic camera images of the magnets and conducted a miniature thermal emission spectrometer seven-point sky and ground observation.

Sol 1073: Opportunity took a panoramic camera long-baseline stereo image mosaic of target Cabo Corrientes.

Sol 1074: The rover used its panoramic camera to get a mosaic image of Cabo Anonimo then conducted a miniature thermal emission spectrometer vertical scan on target Cabo Corrientes during the Odyssey pass instead of the usual sky and ground observation. The rover also monitored dust on its mast.

Sol 1075: A mini-miniature thermal emission sky and ground observation was conducted in the morning of sol 1075. Opportunity bumped about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) and did post-drive imaging.

Sol 1076 (Feb. 2, 2007): Plans call for Opportunity to use its panoramic camera for sky spot and mini-miniature thermal emission sky and ground observations. The rover is then to use the same camera to shoot an image mosaic in the direction of target Cabo Anonimo. A mini-miniature thermal emission spectrometer elevation sky and ground observation is also planned.

Opportunity’s total odometry as of sol 1071 (Jan. 28, 2007) is 9,927.11 meters (6.2 miles).