NASA Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity Status 22 December 2006
OPPORTUNITY UPDATE: Opportunity Continues to Look for Entry Point into ‘Victoria Crater’ – sol 1029-1037, December 22, 2006:
Opportunity is healthy and continues to gather data in search of a potential future entry point into “Victoria Crater.” The rover is traversing the crater rim near an alcove known as “Bottomless Bay,” assessing whether it might eventually serve as an entry point, and collecting images of the crater’s interior cliffs.
On Dec. 17, 2006, the rover’s 1030th sol, or Martian day on Mars, Opportunity began testing software to enable autonomous placement of the robotic arm and scientific instruments on targets of scientific interest. Between sols 1029 (Dec. 16, 2006) and 1034 (Dec. 21, 2006), Opportunity drove 41 meters (135 feet).
Sol-by-sol summary:
Sol 1029 (Dec. 16, 2006): Opportunity measured atmospheric dust, acquired navigation camera and panoramic camera images of Bottomless Bay, scanned the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and acquired panoramic images of points of scientific interest known as “Malua,” “Timor” and “Cebu.”
Sol 1030: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust, performed step No. 3 of the autonomous placement sequence for the robotic arm, acquired forward-looking images following the day’s drive, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and surveyed the sky, ground, and external calibration target using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1031: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust, scanned the sky for clouds, and surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1032: Following the day’s drive, Opportunity acquired images of the surrounding area, including rearward-looking views, using the navigation camera. Opportunity measured atmospheric dust and surveyed the horizon with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1033: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust, performed step No. 2 of the sequence for autonomous placement of the robotic arm, surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and acquired panoramic camera images looking southwest at Bottomless Bay.
Sol 1034: Following another day’s drive, Opportunity acquired rearward-looking and forward-looking images of surrounding terrain using the navigation camera. Opportunity measured atmospheric dust, surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and acquired images of the sky using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1035: Plans call for Opportunity to measure atmospheric dust, use the rock abrasion tool to brush the surface of a rock target known as “Rio de Janeiro,” and acquire post-brush microscopic images of the dust-free surface. The rover is then to collect data about the rock using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, survey the sky at high sun using the panoramic camera, and scan the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1036: Plans call for Opportunity to measure atmospheric dust and acquire a full-color, 13-filter mosaic of Rio de Janeiro using the panoramic camera and to study the outcrop with the Moessbauer spectrometer. The rover is instructed to scan the sky, ground, and points of scientific interest known as “Catalonia,” “Valencia,” Andalucia,” “Aragon,” “Asturia,” “Cantabria” and “Basque,” as well as the rover’s external calibration target, using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1037 (Dec. 24, 2006): Plans call for Opportunity to measure atmospheric dust and acquire a full-color, 13-filter mosaic of Bottomless Bay using the panoramic camera. Opportunity is to survey the sky, ground, external calibration target, and scientific targets nicknamed “Murcia,” “Navarra,” “Catalonia” and “Valencia” using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and to scan the sky for clouds.
Odometry:
As of sol 1034 (Dec. 21, 2006), Opportunity’s total odometry was 9,758 meters (6.1 miles).
