NASA Mars Rover Opportunity Update: May 16-22, 2013

OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Departing ‘Cape York’ – sols 3310-3316, May. 16, 2013-May. 22, 2013:

Opportunity has begun the departure from ‘Cape York’ and started the push to reach ‘Solander Point’ over 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) away.

The rover drove five out of the last seven days (sols). Opportunity drove on Sols 3310, 3312, 3314, 3315 and 3316 (May 16, 18, 20, 21 and May 22, 2013), totaling over 0.23 miles (376 meters), mostly in the southeasterly direction.

Atmospheric opacity (tau) has been decreasing after it spiked from the passing of a regional dust storm. Opportunity benefitted from a modest solar array dust cleaning event between Sol 3311 and 3315 (May 17 and 21, 2013). The plan ahead is more to drive as the rover pushes towards Solander Point.

As of Sol 3316 (May 22, 2013), the solar array energy production was 541 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.903 and a solar array dust factor of 0.649.

Total odometry is 22.45 miles (36.14 kilometers).