NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Update: October 10-17, 2012 (With Photos)

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Opportunity Is On The Move Around ‘Matijevic Hill’ – sols 3098-3104, Oct. 10, 2012-Oct. 17, 2012:

Opportunity is conducting a local area survey around the location where orbital observations show the presence of clay minerals at the inboard edge of Cape York on the rim of Endeavour Crater.

The rover is driving around the area called Matijevic Hill (named in honor of Jake Matijevic). Opportunity performed four survey drives on Sols 3098, 3101, 3103 and 3104 (Oct. 10, 14, 16 and 17, 2012), totaling over 230 feet (70 meters). Each drive was preceded by targeted imagery and followed by 360-degree Navigation camera (Navcam) panoramas. On Sol 3099 (Oct. 11, 2012), an atmospheric argon measurement was collected by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). The plan ahead is to conduct more survey drives around this location.

As of Sol 3104 (Oct. 17, 2012), the solar array energy production was 579 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.604 and a solar array dust factor of 0.624.

Total odometry is (21.82 miles) 35,120.59 meters.