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sol 1681-1687, October 15-21, 2008: Farewell, Victoria, and on to Endeavour!
Opportunity took the last images of "Victoria Crater" before beginning the journey to Endeavour Crater. The final focus of the rover's cameras was a cliff at the edge of Victoria nicknamed "Cape Victory." After spending more than two years investigating this spectacular crater, Opportunity took parting images as Victoria disappeared into the distance. The rover first arrived at the rim of Victoria on sol 952 (September 28, 2006), at the top of a sloping alcove known as "Duck Bay."
Opportunity has made good progress, driving more than 314 meters (1,030 feet)! Near the end of that leg of the journey, Opportunity began to see small ripples about 10 centimeters (4 inches) high.
Opportunity completed work on images of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer after the shake test performed on Sol 1680 (Oct. 14, 2008). That's when the rover shook the instrument's pointing mirror for 3 seconds to try to shake dust off the mirror. In the end, images did not show a measurable improvement, but rover planners aim to try again in the near future.
Other remote sensing highlights for the week included panoramic-camera imaging of some boulder tracks within Victoria, along with the usual observations of the sky, clouds, atmospheric dust, and dust accumulation on the rover itself.
Opportunity is healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of Martian day, or sol, 1687 (Oct. 22, 2008). Power has been averaging 589 watt-hours during the past week (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour.) This is a slight decrease from the week before and is the result of slightly elevated dust levels in the atmosphere and a change in the orientation of Opportunity's solar panels.
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to measuring daily, dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera and sending regular updates to Earth by relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1681 (Oct. 15, 2008): Opportunity acquired images of boulder tracks inside Victoria Crater and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera. The rover checked for drift (changes with time) in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, conducted a utility test of the instrument as well as a post-shake test calibration of observations of the ground and sky.
Sol 1682: In the morning, Opportunity used the panoramic camera to take super-resolution images of Cape Victory, a 3-by-1 panel of frames of the area around Cape Victory, and thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes. The rover searched for morning clouds with the navigation camera. Before driving, Opportunity took a 3-by-1 panel of panoramic-camera images of a target known as "Iceland," then moved a short distance for a long-baseline, stereo panorama. Opportunity acquired post-drive images with the panoramic and navigation cameras, including a 7-by-1 panel of rearward-looking images.
Sol 1683: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover then acquired part 2 of the long-baseline, stereo panorama begun the day before. Opportunity acquired post-drive images with the panoramic and navigation cameras.
Sol 1684: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera in the morning. The rover measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1685: Opportunity began the day by surveying the horizon with the panoramic camera and searching for morning clouds with the navigation camera. At midday, Opportunity took images measuring albedo (surface reflectivity) with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1686: Opportunity took morning, spot images of the sky and full-color, systematic, foreground images with the panoramic camera. Opportunity completed the day's drive and performed a "get quick fine attitude" to determine the rover's precise position relative to the Sun. After the drive, Opportunity acquired image mosaics with the navigation and panoramic cameras.
Sol 1687 (Oct. 21, 2008): Opportunity started the day by surveying the horizon with panoramic camera, searching for clouds with the navigation (which involves taking six time-lapse movie frames), and monitoring dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly. The rover then continued driving and acquired images just before and after completing the drive with the navigation and panoramic cameras. Plans for the following day called for Opportunity to take spot images of the sky and make the usual measurements of atmospheric dust.
Odometry
As of sol 1687 (Oct. 21, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 12,677.65 meters (7.88 miles).
sol 1674-1680, October 08-14, 2008: Shake, Rattle, and Ready to Roll
Opportunity got some good vibrations going this week while trying to remove dust from the mirror of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, an instrument that measures temperatures and detects minerals from a distance. Using low-level motor commands on the rover's 1,680th sol, or Martian day of exploration (Oct. 14, 2008), Opportunity created a short vibration to shake the instrument's external scan mirror. It was the first time Opportunity attempted such a feat, and scientists are analyzing the results.
Opportunity also got into position for the final imaging campaign at "Victoria Crater," driving onto a promontory known as "Cape Agulhas." From here, the rover acquired images of rocks exposed in a promontory known as "Cape Victory."
Other remote-sensing highlights of the week included measurements of argon gas in the atmosphere on sols 1675, 1677 and 1680 (Oct. 9, 11, and 14, 2008) and color images of an area of bedrock in front of the rover nickamed "Savu Sea" on sol 1676 (Oct. 10, 2008). Opportunity took images of a weathered rock exposure known as "Dauphin," surveyed the horizon, and took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes. The rover monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly, searched for clouds, and studied the atmosphere.
Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of Martian day, or sol, 1680 (Oct. 14, 2008). Power has been averaging 616 watt-hours during the past week (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour.)
Sol-by-sol summary
Besides measuring daily, dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1674 (Oct. 8, 2008): During the day's drive, Opportunity acquired a 2-by-1 panel of images with the navigation camera. After the drive, Opportunity acquired a 5-by-1 tier of navigation-camera images, a 4-by-1 tier of forward-looking, panoramic-camera images, and a 5-by-1 tier of rearward-looking, navigation-camera images.
Sol 1675: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds by acquiring four time-lapse images with the navigation camera. After relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter to be transmitted to Earth, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1676: Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of Savu Sea. The rover continued driving, acquiring a 2-by-1 panel of forward-looking images along the way with the navigation camera. After the day's drive, Opportunity took a 5-by-1 tier of images with the navigation camera, a 4-by-1 panel of images of the road ahead with the panoramic camera, and a 5-by-1 tier of rearward-looking images with the navigation camera.
Sol 1677: In the morning, Opportunity monitored dust accumulation on the rover mast. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity integrated measurements of atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1678: Opportunity acquired systematic, full-color images of the foreground with the panoramic camera. The rover spent much of the day recharging the battery.
Sol 1679: Opportunity took morning spot images of the sky for calibration purposes and a 2-by-1 panel of pre-drive images of Dauphin with the panoramic camera. The rover drove to the next imaging location on Cape Agulhas, acquiring a 2-by-1 panel of forward-looking images before ending the drive with the navigation camera. After the drive, Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 standard tier and a 7-by-1 rearward-looking tier of images with the navigation camera. The rover transmitted data to Odyssey.
Sol 1680 (Oct. 14, 2008): Opportunity took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and searched for morning clouds with the navigation camera by pointing it skyward and acquiring a six-frame, time-lapse movie. Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 panel of color images of Cape Victory with the panoramic camera and a high-resolution view of the rover deck with the navigation camera. The rover acquired images with the navigation camera to provide context for measurements by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Before shaking the spectrometer's mirror, Opportunity checked for drift (changes with time) in the instrument, conducted an operational test, and surveyed the ground and sky with the instrument for comparison purposes. Finally, Opportunity conducted the shake test, operating the motor in such a way as to vibrate the mirror in an effort to shake off dust. After sending test results and other data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured argon gas in the atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Odometry
As of sol 1679 (Oct. 13, 2008), Opportunity's corrected total odometry was 12,362.95 meters (7.68 miles).
sol 1669-1673, October 03-07, 2008: Preparing for the Road Trip of a Lifetime
Like a motorist preparing for a road trip, NASA's Opportunity rover is studying a "road atlas" of Mars, using details provided by a powerful camera in orbit above the red planet. Opportunity's road crew is poring over every detail of the landscape in images from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Team members will use the data to select a route to "Endeavour Crater" 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) away.
Meanwhile, Opportunity continues traveling south around the rim of "Victoria Crater," stopping for photo shoots at selected locations along the way. During the past week, Opportunity drove a distance of 143 meters -- more than twice the wingspan of two Boeing 747's parked side by side. The rover acquired images of a promontory inside the crater known as "Cape Pillar" and began driving to another vantage point for taking images of a promontory known as "Cape Victory." Opportunity also studied the atmosphere, searched for Martian clouds, and scanned the rover's external dust-collection magnets.
Opportunity is healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of Martian day, or sol, 1673 (Oct. 7, 2008). Power has been superb, averaging 652 watt-hours during the past week (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour.)
Sol-by-sol summary:
Besides measuring daily, dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1669 (Oct. 3, 2008): Opportunity surveyed the sky at high Sun and worked on a systematic survey of the rover's surroundings using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover acquired a six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Before relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity measured atmospheric dust with both the panoramic and navigation cameras.
Sol 1670: Opportunity searched for morning clouds by acquiring a six-frame, time-lapse movie with the navigation camera. The rover took thumbnail images of the morning sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Before starting the day's drive, Opportunity acquired a 4-by-1 panel of images with the panoramic camera. After the drive, the rover acquired a 2-by-1 and a 3-by-1 panel of images with the navigation camera.
Sol 1671: In the morning, Opportunity acquired a 6-by-1 tier of images of the terrain, overlapping the frames to compensate for dust on the lens of the panoramic camera. Using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera, the rover conducted a systematic survey and acquired images of particles on the external magnets. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1672: Opportunity acquired thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and searched for morning clouds by acquiring six, time-lapse movie frames with the navigation camera. Opportunity surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera, made another six-frame movie in search of clouds with the panoramic camera, and took more thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1673 (Oct. 7, 2008): Opportunity took thumbnail images of the morning sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and produced a six-frame movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity continued driving south and completed a "get fine attitude" procedure to determine the rover's exact position relative to the Sun. After the drive and before sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity took a 2-by-1 and 5-by-1 panel of forward-looking images with the navigation camera, a 4-by-1 panel of images with the panoramic camera, and a rearward-looking, 5-by-1 mosaic of images with the navigation camera. Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 and a 7-by-1 post-drive tier of images with the navigation camera as well as a 4-by-1 panel of images with the panoramic camera. Plans for the following day called for the rover to take thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and look for clouds with the navigation camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1673 (Oct. 7, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 12,292.15 meters (7.64 miles).
sol 1661-1668, September 25 - October 02, 2008: Opportunity Takes a Victory Lap
A journey of 7.5 miles began with a partial victory lap around "Victoria Crater," as Opportunity headed south toward enormous "Endeavour Crater." Partway around the circuit, Opportunity passed the 7.5-mile mark of the mission. In metric terms, the rover began a 12,000-meter, cross-country trek by ending a similar 12,000-meter journey across uncharted terrain and in and out of craters.
Opportunity also chalked up the second-longest drive of the mission on sol 1663 (Sept. 27, 2008), advancing 153 meters (500 feet). Three days later, Opportunity drove another 129 meters (423 feet), on sol 1666 (Sept. 30, 2008).
Along the way, the rover took advantage of opportunities to explore rock layers and other features visible from the rim of Victoria Crater. The first drive of the trek on Martian day, or sol, 1661 (Sept. 25, 2008) included a drive-by photo shoot with the camera pointed at a small crater known as "Sputnik Crater" on the edge of Victoria. That drive covered 27 meters (89 feet).
Drive performance has been excellent, with very little wheel slippage on this terrain. As a result, Opportunity is now in position to approach Victoria Crater again. This time, the rover's itinerary will take it onto a promontory called "Cape Victory" for a photo shoot of rock layers visible in a neighboring promontory known as "Cape Pillar."
On its journey to the southeast, Opportunity will have route-planning assistance from super high-resolution images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Rover operators will use the images, which reveal details as small as individual boulders, to plot the safest path.
Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of Martian day, or sol, 1666 (Sept. 30, 2008). Power continues to improve, with sunlight generating 654 watt-hours of solar energy -- enough to light a 100-watt bulb for 6.5 hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour.)
Sol-by-sol summary:
Besides measuring daily, dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1661 (Sept. 25, 2008): Midway through the sol's drive, Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 panel of images of Sputnik using the navigation camera. The rover acquired a 2-by-1 panel of forward-looking images with the navigation camera. Before relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity took several tiers of post-drive images, including a 4-by-1 tier with the panoramic camera as well as 3-by-1 and 7-by-1 tiers with the navigation camera.
Sol 1662: In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1663: Opportunity searched for morning clouds by acquiring six, freeze-frame images to be stitched together into a movie. Before the day's drive, Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 mosaic of images of Sputnik, an image of another small crater nicknamed "Gauss," and a ripple profile with the panoramic camera. Opportunity made the second-longest, single-day drive of the mission, traveling a distance of 152 meters (449 feet). The rover acquired rearward-looking images of the ground near its wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras and relayed data to Odyssey.
Sol 1664: Opportunity searched for morning clouds by acquiring six movie frames with the navigation camera. The rover acquired a 2-by-1 panel of forward-looking images with the navigation camera. After driving another 129 meters (423 feet), Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 tier of navigation-camera images and a 7-by-1 and 6-by-1 tier of panoramic-camera images. Using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed a systematic survey and took images of the external magnets. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover measured atmospheric argon.
Sol 1665: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. The rover surveyed the sky at high Sun and also measured albedo -- surface brightness -- with the panoramic camera. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured argon gas in the atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1666: Opportunity took morning thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. In conjunction with the day's drive, the rover took a 2-by-1 panel of forward-looking images with the navigation camera. Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 and a 7-by-1 post-drive tier of images with the navigation camera as well as a 4-by-1 panel of images with the panoramic camera. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon. Plans for the following day called for the rover to take spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera, monitor dust accumulation on the rover mast, and acquire a six-frame movie in search of Martian clouds.
Sol 1667: Plans called for Opportunity to continue monitoring atmospheric dust, complete a systematic survey with the panoramic camera, and send data to Odyssey.
Sol 1668 (Oct. 2, 2008): Plans called for Opportunity to survey the horizon and acquire forward-looking images with the panoramic camera, drive toward the north end of Cape Victory, acquire a 2-by-1 and two 5-by-1 tiers of post-drive images with the navigation camera, measure atmospheric dust at sunset, and send data to Odyssey. The following morning, the rover was to monitor atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, supplement those measurements with monitoring by the navigation camera, and take thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.Odometry:
As of sol 1666 (Sept. 30, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 12,188.15 meters (7.53 miles).
sol 1655-1660, September 19-24, 2008: Road Trip Gets Under Way
Opportunity has embarked on the next great challenge -- a journey of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southeast to a huge hole in the ground nicknamed "Endeavour Crater." Measuring 22 kilometers (14 miles) from rim to rim and plunging 300 meters (1,000 feet) below the surface, Endeavour Crater is significantly larger than "Victoria Crater," which is 730 meters (almost half a mile) wide and 70 meters (200 feet) deep. Because it is so much deeper, Endeavour promises to expose even more rock layers going further back in time.
Opportunity's trek began on sol 1659 (Sept. 23, 2008), as the rover backed away from a slippery ripple and advanced 10 meters (30 feet) toward its destination. The journey to Endeavour will be long. Opportunity is sure to encounter many interesting science opportunities along the way.
During the previous week, Opportunity's wheels slipped excessively while trying to cross a ripple to reach a patch of dust on the ripple's downwind side. After two tries on sols 1652 (Sept. 16, 2008) and 1654 (Sept. 18, 2008), rover operators decided to resume driving and look for other deposits of Martian dust in more accessible locations.
Opportunity remains healthy. All subsystems are performing as expected as of Martian day, or sol, 1660 (Sept. 24, 2008). Power is on the rise, with sunlight generating 623 watt-hours of solar energy -- enough to light a 100-watt bulb for more than 6 hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour.)
Sol-by-sol summary:
Besides measuring daily, dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1655 (Sept. 19, 2008): Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a target dubbed "Velvet." Opportunity took images of the tracks made by the rover's wheels with the navigation camera.
Sol 1656: Opportunity acquired a 5-by-1 panel of images with the navigation camera and a 10-by-1 panel of images with the panoramic camera. After relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter as it passed overhead for transmission to Earth, Opportunity measured atmospheric dust at sunset with the panoramic camera. The rover measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1657: In the morning, Opportunity monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly. The rover took panoramic-camera images of its tracks and, after sending data to Odyssey, measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1658: Following several measurements of atmospheric dust at different times of day, Opportunity relayed data to Odyssey and used the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer to determine the amount of atmospheric argon.
Sol 1659: In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images as well as spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then began the trek to Endeavour, driving almost 10.5 meters (34 feet). The rover acquired images of the surrounding terrain with the navigation camera just before and just after ending the drive. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover measured atmospheric argon.
Sol 1660 (Sept. 24, 2008): Opportunity surveyed the morning horizon with the panoramic camera and acquired six, time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. At high Sun, Opportunity surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera. Before relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity took images of the rover's wheel tracks with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1659 (Sept. 23, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,808.39 meters (7.34 miles).
sol 1648-1654, September 12-18, 2008: Slipping Like a Dune Buggy
During the past week, Opportunity has been trying to reach a patch of dust between two crests of the ridge surrounding "Victoria Crater." The rover approached the ridge from the west, driving on flat ground, on Martian days, or sols, 1648 and 1650 (Sept. 12 and Sept. 14, 2008). Then, after reaching a staging position, Opportunity began to climb the ridge. That's when the rover's wheels began slipping excessively on the sandy slope.
Rover drivers decided to give Opportunity another chance to make it up the slope by loosening the slip constraints. This allowed Opportunity to keep trying to climb the slope with a higher rate of wheel slippage. If the attempt to do this as planned on sol 1654 (Sept. 18, 2008) is not successful, rover drivers may try a different approach or abandon the effort.
After the dust patch campaign, plans call for Opportunity to drive south toward a 20-kilometer-wide (12-mile-wide) crater 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) away.
Opportunity is healthy, and all subsystems are performing as expected. Based on the latest data from sol 1653 (Sept. 17, 2008), the rover has 582 watt-hours of solar power available each day. (One hundred watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour.)
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to measuring dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity each day with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1648 (Sept. 12, 2008): Opportunity stowed the robotic arm and began driving toward the dust patch. Just before and after ending the drive, Opportunity took images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras, respectively. The rover acquired a 4-by-1 panel of images, called the "Bagnold mosaic," with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1649: Opportunity took full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a target nicknamed "Drummond." After relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1650: In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover continued driving toward the dust patch and documented progress before and after ending the drive by taking images with the engineering cameras. Opportunity acquired another 4-by-1 panel of images for the Bagnold mosaic before sending data to Odyssey.
Sol 1651: Opportunity searched for morning clouds in the Martian sky by taking six time-lapse, movie frames with the navigation camera. The rover took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes, surveyed the horizon, and surveyed the sky at low Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1652: In the morning, Opportunity searched for clouds passing overhead by taking six time-lapse, movie frames with the navigation camera. The rover checked for drift -- changes with time -- in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and also conducted a test of the instrument. Before beginning the day's drive, Opportunity used the spectrometer to study a target dubbed "Velvet" and survey the sky and ground at different elevations. The rover then attempted to drive up the ridge to the dust patch, acquiring images along the way with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. Opportunity sent data to Odyssey for transmission to Earth.
Sol 1653: Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 mosaic of westward-looking images with the navigation camera and took images in total darkness with the panoramic camera for calibration purposes.
Sol 1654 (Sept. 18, 2008): Upon rising, Opportunity took more "dark current" images with the panoramic camera for calibration purposes. The rover tried once more to drive to the dust patch, taking images before and after ending the drive with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. Before proceeding with plans to measure atmospheric argon, Opportunity transmitted data to Odyssey for relay to Earth.
Odometry:
As of sol 1653 (Sept. 17, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,796.22 meters (7.33 miles).
sol 1641-1647, September 04-11, 2008: Playing in the Sand
During the past week, Opportunity performed several tests of the robotic arm to learn how to use it with a disabled shoulder joint. Having successfully completed those tests, Opportunity is moving on to investigate some bright patches of dust. Scientists hope to ascertain if the patches contain material not thoroughly analyzed in the past.
On sol (Martian day) 1641 (Sept. 4, 2008), Opportunity homed in on an area of sand that appeared to contain a high concentration of dust. For the next several days, sols 1642-1647 (Sept. 5-11, 2008), the rover tested the robotic arm's ability to place scientific instruments on specific targets in the sand. These instruments included the Mössbauer spectrometer, microscopic imager, and alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Tests revealed that the robotic arm placed the instruments in position with very little error in spite of the disabled shoulder joint. Because the dust was not pure enough to yield the desired scientific results, engineers decided on sol 1648 (Sept. 12, 2008) to drive the rover north to a more promising area of apparent dust patches.
On sol 1644 (Sept. 7, 2009), Opportunity relayed data at UHF frequencies to NASA's Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter (MRO). Typically, the rover sends data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth. Once a month, Opportunity is relaying data to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in preparation for using it more in the future.
Opportunity is healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of the most recent transfer of information from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol 1647 (Sept. 11, 2008). Power rose to 652 watt-hours (enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for a tad longer than 6.5 hours).
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each Martian day, or sol, Opportunity measured dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera. In addition, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1641 (Sept. 4, 2008): Before driving, Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 panel of panoramic-camera images looking north. The rover then nudged toward a bright patch and, after stopping, acquired images of the ground near its wheels and the area directly ahead with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras, respectively. The rover relayed data to Odyssey.
Sol 1642: In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images and spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Next, the rover tested movement and placement of the Mössbauer spectrometer, taking images near the ground with the hazard-avoidance cameras and images from above with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then used the Mössbauer spectrometer to acquire compositional data from a sand dune on the rim of "Victoria Crater." After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1643: Opportunity acquired six, time-lapse movie frames in search of morning clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity continued to acquire data from the sand dune at the rim of Victoria Crater with the Mössbauer spectrometer. Opportunity took full-color images, using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera, of the rover's tracks. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1644: Opportunity acquired six, time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds. The rover continued to collect data from the dune on the rim of Victoria Crater using the Mössbauer spectrometer. Before communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity relayed data to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter for transmission to Earth. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1645: In the morning, Opportunity acquired six, time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity acquired a 1-by-3-by-15 stack of microscopic images of ripple soil. The rover restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and began collecting data from the soil in the ripples. After transmitting data to Odysssey, Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 panel of images of a target dubbed "Schuchert."
Sol 1646: Opportunity monitored dust accumulation on the panoramic-camera mast assembly and restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer for collecting data on the ripple soil. The rover used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to complete a mini-survey of the sky and ground. Before sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity used the spectrometer to characterize the external calibration target.
Sol 1647 (Sept. 11, 2008): Opportunity acquired more time-lapse, movie frames to document potential clouds passing overhead. The rover took a 3-by-1 panel of images of Schuchert with the panoramic camera and a time-lapse movie in search of clouds. Opportunity placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the ripple soil and, after sending data to Odyssey, acquired compositional data. Plans for the following morning called for the rover to study a cobble field, acquiring a 4-by-1 panel of images with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1647 (Sept. 11, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,782.10 meters (7.32 miles).
sol 1634-1640, August 28-September 03, 2008: Farewell, "Victoria"!
Opportunity has completed one of the most fantastic scientific campaigns of the Mars Exploration Rover mission -- the interior investigation of "Victoria Crater." After spending more than 340 Martian days, known as sols -- almost one Earth year -- inside the crater, Opportunity climbed back out on sol 1634 (Aug. 28, 2008). To do so, Opportunity retraced the wheel tracks the robotic geologist had made while crossing a large sand ripple and entering Victoria on the slopes of an alcove known as "Duck Bay."
From the crater rim, Opportunity gave a final salute to Victoria, raising its robotic arm on sol 1639 (Sept. 2, 2008) and taking a snapshot of its shadow with the front hazard-avoidance cameras. The rover completed the salute by swinging the arm at its elbow joint back to the starting position.
Opportunity then got into position to practice using an ailing shoulder joint on the robotic arm. The shoulder joint had begun showing signs of degradation on sol 1502 (April 15, 2008). Rover operators selected the large sand ripple at the lip of Victoria Crater as an opportune target. There, the rover will practice learning to use the arm again.
Remote sensing highlights of the week included taking images of the tracks Opportunity left behind on the plains more than a year ago as well as color images of a nearby cobble called "Isle Royale." The rover also acquired images of a planned study area known as "Bright Spot" because of the large amount of sunlight reflected from its surface. Along the way, Opportunity continued to study the Martian atmosphere and clouds.
Opportunity is healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of the most recent transfer of information from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol 1640 (Sept. 3, 2008). Power has been excellent throughout this period, averaging about 621 watt-hours (enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for more than 6 hours).
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each Martian day, or sol, Opportunity measured dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera. In addition, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1634 (Aug. 28, 2008): While driving, Opportunity took snapshots of its journey. After the day's drive, the rover acquired images of the surrounding terrain and the surface near its wheels with the navigation and hazard-avoidance cameras. After relaying data to the Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1635: Opportunity searched for morning clouds with the navigation camera, acquiring six, time-lapse frames for a movie.
Sol 1636: Upon awakening, Opportunity acquired another six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover monitored dust accumulation on the panoramic-camera mast assembly and took images of the ripple at the lip of Victoria Crater with the panoramic camera. Opportunity took full-color images of Isle Royale, using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity spent 5 hours and 20 minutes measuring argon gas in the atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1637: After the day's drive, Opportunity completed a "get fine attitude," during which the rover compared its precise location relative to the Sun with the position indicated by the on-board, inertial measurement unit. Following the drive, Opportunity took images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. The rover acquired a full, 360-degree panorama of the area with the navigation camera. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1638: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1639: Before beginning the day's drive, Opportunity took images of "Bright Patch Two" with the panoramic camera. Opportunity approached the large sand ripple on the rim of Victoria and took post-drive images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. After relaying data to Odyssey, the rover measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity then went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1640 (Sept. 3, 2008): Opportunity acquired more images of Bright Patch Two as well as a 360-degree panorama of the area with the navigation camera. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Odometry:
As of sol 1639 (Sept. 2, 2008), Opportunity's estimated total odometry was 11,781.51 meters (7.32 miles).
sol 1627-1633, August 21-27, 2008: Poised to Exit "Victoria"
During the past week, Opportunity traversed almost 15 meters (49 feet) of upward-sloping, alternately rocky and sandy terrain on the way out of "Victoria Crater." The drive put Opportunity in position to make one last push over the final obstacle -- a ripple surrounding the alcove known as "Duck Bay."
Remote-sensing highlights included panoramic-camera images of weathered rock exposures known as "Barghoorn," "Dawson," and "Eugster." Other achievements were two surveys of the sky at high Sun and one survey of the horizon. Opportunity shot several time-lapse movies in search of clouds and rounded out the week's activities with a variety of atmospheric observations.
Opportunity is healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of the latest downlink from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol 1633 (Aug. 27, 2008). Power has been excellent throughout this period, averaging about 613 watt-hours (enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for more than 6 hours).
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each Martian day, or sol, Opportunity measured dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera. Opportunity also completed the following activities:
Sol 1627 (Aug. 21, 2008): Opportunity implemented the "runout" portion of an earlier master sequence of commands following a glitch in transmissions from Earth.
Sol 1628: Opportunity surveyed the sky at high Sun and acquired a 2-by-1 image mosaic of Barghoorn with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1629: After relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity integrated measurements of argon gas in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1630: Opportunity completed a morning survey of the horizon with the panoramic camera. After driving closer to the rim of Victoria Crater, Opportunity took images of the ground near the rover's wheels and the area in front of the rover with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras, respectively. The rover acquired a 5-panel image mosaic of the local scenery with the navigation camera.
Sol 1631: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Opportunity surveyed the sky at high Sun and acquired a 2-by-1 panel of images of Dawson as well as a 2-by-1 panel of Eugster with the panoramic camera. The rover relayed data to Odyssey.
Sol 1632: Upon greeting the rising Sun, Opportunity surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then searched for morning clouds by acquiring six, time-lapse movie frames with the navigation camera. Midway through the day's drive, Opportunity paused to take a navigation-camera image of the terrain ahead. At the end of the drive, the rover took images of the ground near its wheels and the terrain ahead with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras, respectively. Opportunity compiled a 3-by-1, post-drive mosaic of images of the rover's surroundings. Anticipating a large tilt in the rover's new parking space, Opportunity made sure the panoramic camera was not pointed above the horizon. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1633 (Aug. 27, 2008): Opportunity produced another time-lapse movie in search of morning clouds with the navigation camera. The rover completed a systematic survey of the ground in full color with the panoramic camera. Anticipating a large tilt in-between activities, the rover made sure the panoramic camera was not pointed above the horizon. After sharing the latest news from Mars with Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep. Plans for the following sol called for the rover to produce a six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of clouds immediately upon wakening.
Odometry:
As of sol 1632 (Aug. 26, 2008), Opportunity's estimated total odometry was 11,770.38 meters (7.30 miles).
sol 1621-1626, August 15-20, 2008: On the Exit Ramp
Opportunity is now about 12.5 meters (41.0 feet) from the place where engineers plan to drive the rover out of "Victoria Crater." During the past week, Opportunity traveled about 17 meters (56 feet), successfully crossing about 10 meters (30 feet) of sandy terrain and a portion of rocky outcrop. Once the rover reaches the exit point, Opportunity will still need to cross the ripple surrounding the inward-sloping alcove known as "Duck Bay.
Power has been excellent, averaging more than 510 watt-hours (on Earth, that's enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 5 hours and 6 minutes).
Science observations during the past week included taking images of weathered rock exposures nicknamed "du Toit" and "Logan" as well as full-color images of the cobble known as "Jin" with the panoramic camera. Opportunity measured trace amounts of argon gas in the Martian atmosphere on sol 1623 (Aug. 17, 2008) using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and surveyed rock clasts on sol 1626 (Aug. 20, 2008) using the panoramic camera.
Opportunity is healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of the latest downlink from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol 1626 (Aug. 20, 2008).
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each sol, Opportunity measured dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera. In addition, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1621 (Aug. 15, 2008): Just before and after ending the day's drive, Opportunity took images of the Martian surface near the rover's wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras. After the drive, Opportunity took three image mosaics of the surrounding terrain -- two looking ahead and one looking back -- with the navigation camera.
Sol 1622: Upon wakening, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Opportunity next measured atmospheric opacity (known as tau) with both the navigation and panoramic cameras. Then, Opportunity surveyed the sky at high Sun and acquired thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1623: Opportunity started the day by taking six, freeze-frame images with the navigation camera for a movie in search of clouds. After acquiring panoramic-camera images of the rock target nicknamed Logan, Opportunity went for a drive. Just before and after ending the drive, the rover took hazard-avoidance-camera images of the surface next to its wheels. Following the drive, Opportunity also acquired two image mosaics of surrounding terrain with the navigation camera. After relaying data to Odyssey to be transmitted to Earth, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1624: Opportunity surveyed the horizon in the morning and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1625: First thing in the Martian morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and acquired six, time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity then began the day's drive. Upon reaching the end of the drive, Opportunity acquired two image mosaics of the surrounding terrain with the navigation camera. The rover also inspected the surface near its wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras.
Sol 1626 (Aug. 20, 2008): Opportunity was about 12.5 meters (41.0 feet) from the rover's exit point out of Victoria Crater. Early in the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and monitored dust accumulation on the rover mast. Using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed a systematic ground survey, took images of Jin and completed a survey of nearby rock clasts. Plans for the following morning called for Opportunity to survey the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1626 (Aug. 20, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,755.61 meters (7.30 miles).
sol 1614-1620, August 8-14, 2008: Opportunity Eyes Challenges Ahead
Opportunity faces several challenges on the way out of "Victoria Crater" but continues to make steady progress. The first of these is a traverse of approximately 10 meters (30 feet, a little longer than a double-decker bus) across a sandy, 17-degree slope. Opportunity is more than halfway through that part of the journey. The next is a drive across 30 to 50 meters (100 to 160 feet), depending on the route taken, of rocky outcrop. The final leg of the climb will require Opportunity to cross the ripple surrounding the alcove known as "Duck Bay."
Because Opportunity is facing the threat of a drive-motor failure on the left front wheel, the engineering team has been working on pseudo-"Mars time" for the past week to take advantage of extra drive opportunities.
Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of the downlink of information from NASA's Odyssey orbiter on sol 1620 (Aug. 14, 2008).
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to measuring daily, dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1614 (Aug. 8, 2008): Opportunity took offset, thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera for calibration purposes. With the navigation camera, Opportunity acquired images and six, time-lapse, movie frames in search of clouds. Just before and after ending the day's drive, Opportunity took rearward-looking images with the hazard-avoidance cameras. The rover relayed data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth.
Sol 1615: In the morning, Opportunity took six, time-lapse, movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera and monitored dust on the rover mast. Opportunity acquired image mosaics of targets dubbed "Dawson" and "Barrell" using the panoramic camera. The rover relayed data to Odyssey to be transmitted to Earth.
Sol 1616: Opportunity drove 3.05 meters (10.0 feet), stopping mid-drive to acquire images with the navigation camera. The rover acquired images of the surface next to its wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras as well as two post-drive image mosaics -- a 2-by-1 and 5-by-1 panel -- of its surroundings with the navigation camera.
Sol 1617: In the morning, Opportunity completed a survey of rock clasts with the panoramic camera. Before sending data to Odyssey, the rover acquired images with the rear hazard-avoidance cameras.
Sol 1618: Opportunity acquired a 2-by-2 mosaic of images with the panoramic camera before driving another 3.17 meters (10.4 feet). Just before and after ending the drive, Opportunity took images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras.
Sol 1619: Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. After completing the daily assessment of atmospheric dust, Opportunity drove 1.04 meters (3.41 feet). Just before and after ending the drive, the rover took images with the hazard-avoidance cameras of the ground near its wheels. After the drive, Opportunity acquired a 2-by-1 and a 5-by-1 image mosaic of its new location with the navigation camera. The rover communicated with Odyssey before going to sleep.
Sol 1620 (Aug. 14, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity acquired six, time-lapse, movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera as well as spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. Later in the day, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky and completed a sky survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera. Plans for the following morning called for Opportunity to acquire panoramic-camera images of a rock target known as "du Toit."
Odometry:
As of sol 1619 (Aug. 13, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,735.83 meters (7.29 miles).
sol 1607-1613, July 31-August 7, 2008: Heading for the Highway!
As stated in last week's report, rover operators have decided it's time for Opportunity to begin exiting "Victoria Crater." Their decision was motivated by concerns about a spike in electrical current drawn by the rover's left front wheel on Martian day, or sol, 1600 (July 24, 2008). Since then, the wheel has returned to normal operation, but engineers and scientists remain concerned that the wheel might come close to failing. If that happens, they would like to have the rover out of the crater.
Originally, Opportunity was to start driving out of the crater over the weekend, on sols 1608-1610 (Aug. 1-Aug. 4, 2008). In the morning of sol 1608, however, a flight software reset prompted Opportunity to reboot its computer and remain in a state called automode. In automode, the rover halts all activity and waits for new instructions from Earth.
On sols 1611-1612 (Aug. 5-6, 2008), engineers recovered the vehicle and again transmitted instructions for continued driving out of the crater. The drive began with some sharp turns to change Opportunity's heading, but was stymied somewhat by the right front wheel when it became slightly mired in loose material on the surface. The following Martian day, sol 1613 (Aug. 7, 2008), rover drivers took a slightly different tack, directing Opportunity to drive backward to extract the wheel from the small hole it had dug. Early analysis indicated that the strategy worked and Opportunity was on track to resume driving out of the crater.
Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of sol 1613.
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to measuring dust-related changes in atmospheric clarity each day with the panoramic camera and relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1607 (July 31, 2008): While following instructions for the day's drive, Opportunity documented progress by taking images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1608: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the Martian sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera. Following a flight software reset, Opportunity went into automode, ceasing all activity to await new instructions from Earth.
Sol 1609: Opportunity remained in automode.
Sol 1610: Opportunity remained in automode.
Sol 1611: Upon receiving new instructions from Earth, Opportunity recovered from automode and returned to normal operations. Opportunity acquired a 27-frame, panoramic image mosaic of the cliff known as "Cape Verde" at dusk with the right lens of the panoramic camera. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity acquired the other half of the 3-D panorama, a 27-frame image mosaic of the same scene as viewed through the left-hand lens of the panoramic camera.
Sol 1612: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera, as well as a four-frame movie of potential clouds with the navigation camera. Afterward, Opportunity began to change its heading by making sharp, circular turns with its wheels. The rover completed a "get fine attitude" to pinpoint its position relative to the Sun. To document progress, Opportunity acquired images with the hazard-avoidance cameras and a 2-by-1 tier of images with the navigation camera. The rover acquired a 3-by-1 image mosaic of the terrain ahead with the navigation camera.
Sol 1613 (Aug. 7, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity acquired a 5-by-1 image mosaic with the navigation camera. Opportunity then drove backward to extract its right front wheel from a small hole it had dug into the Martian surface. To document progress, the rover took images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. Opportunity also acquired a panoramic mosaic of the drive ahead with the navigation camera. Plans for the following morning called for the rover to acquire a six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera.
Odometry
As of sol 1612 (Aug. 6, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,726.21 meters (7.29 miles).
sol 1600-1613, July 25-30, 2008: Opportunity to Exit "Victoria Crater"
Like a backpacker hiking up a steep grade, Opportunity has been trying to gain elevation using a "switchback" approach inside "Victoria Crater." The rover's goal was to zigzag back and forth across a steep slope toward an outcrop nicknamed "Nevada," where scientists had hoped to do scientific analysis and collect high-resolution, panoramic images of the cliff face known as "Cape Verde."
It was not to be. On Opportunity's 1,600th Martian day (July 24, 2008) of exploration, the motor on the left front wheel suddenly drew an unexpectedly high level of current that exceeded the maximum limit. The incident was unusual, and the rover immediately halted the drive. A similar event had occurred just prior to the failure of the right front wheel on Spirit, Opportunity's twin on the opposite side of Mars.
On Martian day, or sol, 1602 (July 26, 2008), rover engineers conducted tests of electrical resistance to determine if the motor on Opportunity's left front wheel had a short or an open circuit. They also steered the wheel and looked for unseen, natural obstructions near the wheel. Results from both tests indicated no problems. Engineers next performed a more aggressive set of tests on sol 1604 (July 28, 2008) by commanding Opportunity to rotate the wheel using the motor that generated the anomaly. Again, test results showed no issues.
Engineers have not yet determined what caused the anomaly. Though the wheel appears to have gone back to functioning normally, the condition of its drive motor is uncertain. Because of concerns that the rover might not be able to get out of the crater using only five wheels should the left front wheel fail, team members have decided not to continue toward Nevada. Instead, they plan to finish collecting images of Cape Verde from the rover's current position, then leave the crater as quickly as possible.
During the past week, Opportunity also took several panoramic-camera images of targets along the face of Cape Verde and completed two measurements of argon in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Scientists use the measurements of changing argon levels to map seasonal air flows.
Otherwise, Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. The latest available power readings from sol 1605 (July 29, 2008) showed power at 377 watt-hours (400 watt-hours would be enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours).
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to making daily measurements of dust-related changes in visibility with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1600 (July 25, 2008): While driving toward Nevada, Opportunity's left front wheel drew unexpectedly high electrical current. Opportunity acquired images during and after the drive with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. The rover relayed data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth.
Sol 1601: Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of rock exposures dubbed "Playfair," "Eugene Smith," and "King."
Sol 1602: First thing in the morning, Opportunity acquired four, time-lapse, movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity conducted diagnostic tests of the left-front-wheel motor in search of electrical shorts or open circuits. The rover also steered the wheel and then acquired images in search of terrain obstructions with the hazard-avoidance and panoramic cameras. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover integrated measurements of atmospheric argon using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1603: Opportunity took images with the rear hazard-avoidance cameras and a 5-by-1 tier of images with the navigation camera.
Sol 1604: Upon awakening, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Opportunity performed more diagnostic tests, rotating the left front wheel and taking images with the hazard-avoidance cameras. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1605: In the morning, Opportunity acquired panoramic-camera images of a rock exposure called "Bretz," acquired images with the rear hazard-avoidance cameras, and acquired a 3-by-1 tier and a 5-by-1 tier of images with the navigation camera. The rover acquired new, full-color, panoramic-camera images of Eugene Smith.
Sol 1606 (July 30, 2008): Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and monitored dust on the rover's mast. With the panoramic camera, the rover completed a sky survey and acquired overlapping, super-resolution images of a rock exposure known as "Siever" (the overlapping images compensate for dust on the camera lens). Opportunity took panoramic-camera images of an outcrop known as "McKee." Plans for the following morning called for the rover to survey the horizon and take spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera.
Odometry
As of sol 1606 (July 30, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,726.21 meters (7.29 miles).
sol 1593-1599, July 17-23, 2008: Opportunity Fights Uphill Battle
"Victoria Crater" continues to challenge Mars rover drivers as they try to find a location where Opportunity can do scientific studies of rocks near the "Cape Verde" cliff face. They have been trying to drive the rover to a location nicknamed "Nevada" after a rock shaped somewhat like the state of Nevada. Getting there, however, has been challenging.
After attempting unsuccessfully to drive the rover on steep slopes that caused the wheels to slip, they are aiming for a new location. They have identified a large flagstone to the left of Nevada that offers solid footing and a low amount of tilt. They hope to drive the rover there, re-evaluate the terrain, and re-assess whether it is possible to reach Nevada.
They are also working on a campaign to have Opportunity document different styles of weathering on local rocks. The rover, meanwhile, continues to measure argon gas in the Martian atmosphere and make other atmospheric observations.
Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected as of the rover's 1,599th Martian day, or sol (July 23, 2008), of exploration. Solar energy on the vehicle has been averaging just under 360 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour).
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to making daily assessments of atmospheric dust based on the darkness of the sky as viewed by the panoramic camera and relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1593 (July 17, 2008): Opportunity drove and took post-drive images of the surrounding terrain with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. After communicating with Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1594: Opportunity spent 4 hours and 15 minutes integrating measurements of atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1595: Opportunity took full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of rock exposures dubbed "Mawson," "Murchison," "Mackay," and "King." After sending data to to Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1596: Opportunity monitored dust on the rover mast, drove, and took post-drive images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. After the day's activities, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1597: Opportunity took full-color images, using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera, of rock exposures nicknamed "Playfair" and "Eugene_Smith." After relaying data to Earth, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1598: In the morning, Opportunity took four freeze-frame images with the navigation camera for a movie to document potential clouds. Following a short drive, Opportunity took images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1599 (July 23, 2008): Opportunity took more full-color, panoramic-camera images of Mackay and Mawson. Plans for the following morning called for Opportunity to take full-color images of Murchison.
Odometry
As of sol 1598 (July 22, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,725.96 meters (7.29 miles).
sol 1586-1592, July 10-16, 2008: Wheels Turn, Rover Slides
Opportunity lost about 30 watt-hours of energy after a short drive on sol 1584 (July 8, 2008) left the solar panels tilted in a slightly less favorable position relative to the Sun. The amount of energy lost is enough to light a 30-watt bulb for one hour.
Another scheduled drive on sol 1586 (July 10, 2008) was postponed to sol 1588 (July 12, 2008), then postponed again to sol 1591 (July 15, 2008) to give rover drivers more time to assess the terrain. Opportunity took camera images in support of the evaluation and measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Also on sol 1591, Opportunity attempted to climb directly up the slope to the left of a flat rock nicknamed "Nevada" because it is shaped somewhat like the state. To gain extra traction, rover planners hoped to use rocks at or near the rover's wheels. Their goal was to have Opportunity advance in three short "steps" of 40 centimeters (16 inches) without changing direction.
The result was disappointing: Opportunity halted the drive after the second step because of excessive wheel slippage of 97.5 percent (meaning the wheels moved only 1 centimeter, or less than half an inch). Instead of advancing, Opportunity slid to the right about 5 centimeters (2 inches), resulting in a change of heading of about 2.5 degrees clockwise. Images showed small mounds of soil churned up by the rover's wheels.
Plans for next week call for Opportunity to continue driving as scientists decide whether to try again to reach Nevada from a different direction or begin driving out of "Victoria Crater."
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected as of sol (Martian day) 1592 (July 16, 2008).
Energy has been averaging around 357 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour). Tau, a measure of atmospheric darkness caused by dust, is at 0.24. The dust factor, representing the proportion of sunlight penetrating dust on the solar arrays, has been averaging 0.796 as of sol 1585 (July 9, 2008).
Since last week, both Tau and the dust factor have improved.
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to measuring atmospheric dust each day based on the darkness of the sky as viewed by the panoramic camera and relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1586 (July 10, 2008): Opportunity acquired backward-looking images with the rear hazard-avoidance cameras and an 8-by-1 panel of images of nearby terrain with the navigation camera. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover spent 4.66 hours measuring atmospheric argon and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1587: After measuring atmospheric dust and relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1588: In the morning, Opportunity acquired a mosaic of images in search of atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity spent 4.5 hours measuring atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover then went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1589: Opportunity acquired a 360-degree panorama of images with the navigation camera as well as full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a target nicknamed "Muller." The rover spent 2.66 hours measuring argon in the atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1590: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1591: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes using the panoramic camera. Before beginning the day's drive, Opportunity took images of Nevada with the panoramic camera. After the drive, Opportunity took images of the surface near the rover's wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras and a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of the terrain ahead with the navigation camera. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1592 (July 16, 2008): Early in the morning, Opportunity acquired four, time-lapse, movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep. The following morning, the rover was to conduct a horizon survey with the panoramic camera.
Odometry
As of sol 1591 (July 15, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,725.21 meters (7.29 miles).
sol 1581-1585, July 05-09, 2008: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Opportunity's drive toward the cliff known as "Cape Verde" inside "Victoria Crater" was stopped on Martian day, or sol, 1582 (July 6, 2008) because of excessive slip in the rover's wheels. The command to the rover was to drive backward 0.33 meter (about a foot), but the actual distance traveled was 0.45 meters (approximately 1.5 feet). The drive was to begin with a backup arc followed by a forward arc (rather than a turn in place) to avoid a rock near the left rear wheel, then continue a short distance uphill and turn toward the cliff. Given the steep slopes and dusty terrain, slips in excess of 60 percent are not unexpected.
Another drive on sol 1584 (July 8, 2008) was also stopped because of excessive slip. As Opportunity slipped to the right, the rover's left front wheel started to scoop up a potato-sized rock. At the same time, the right rear wheel moved closer to a rock that rover drivers had been trying to avoid. Images taken by the rover's rear hazard-avoidance cameras showed the rear wheels starting to dig into the soil.
After the drive, Opportunity successfully calibrated the Z-axis movement of the rock abrasion tool after the device had not fully retracted during a cold-temperature, Z-axis characterization test on sol 1578 (July 2, 2008). (The mechanical parts functioned properly but the sequence of commands controlling them stopped too soon).
Opportunity re-acquired two super-resolution images of rock exposures of interest on the cliff known as "Cape Verde," replacing overexposed images taken the previous week of targets dubbed "Charles" and "Delta." Opportunity also made atmospheric observations.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as predicted, based on data received from the Odyssey orbiter on sol 1585 (July 9, 2008). Energy levels are averaging about 385 watt-hours (almost enough to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours). The Tau measurement of atmospheric darkness caused by suspended dust is 0.3. The dust factor measurement of the amount of sunlight penetrating dust on the solar arrays is averaging about 0.77.
Sol-by-sol summary
During the week, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1581 (July 5, 2008): Opportunity measured atmospheric darkness due to dust with the panoramic camera and re-acquired "dusty," super-resolution images of Charlie and Delta. To acquire "dusty" images, the rover compensates for dust accumulation on the right side of each panoramic-camera lens by taking images with a subset of available pixels. Opportunity completed a survey at low Sun before relaying data to Odyssey for transmission to Earth. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1582: Opportunity greeted the day by assessing atmospheric dust, surveying the horizon, and taking spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. The rover measured atmospheric dust with the navigation camera, then drove 0.45 meters (1.5 feet). Just before and after completing the drive, the rover took images with the hazard-avoidance cameras of the Martian surface next to its wheels, and took post-drive images of the terrain ahead with the navigation camera. Opportunity relayed data to Odyssey.
Sol 1583: Opportunity monitored atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera and acquired a time-lapse, six-frame movie to record the movement of any clouds that might be overhead. The rover relayed data to Odyssey.
Sol 1584: Upon awakening, Opportunity assessed atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras and took offset, thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. The rover calibrated the rock abrasion tool and drove a short distance, taking images just before and after the drive with the hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity acquired a post-drive tier of images with the navigation camera, sent data to Odyssey, and went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1585 (July 9, 2008): First thing in the morning, Opportunity monitored dust accumulation on the panoramic-camera mast assembly and assessed atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then took six, time-lapse movie frames in search of Martian clouds with the navigation camera. Before going into a deep sleep, the rover relayed data to Odyssey. Plans for the following morning called for Opportunity to measure atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera.
Odometry
As of sol 1583 (July 7, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,724.39 meters (7.29 miles).
sol 1574-1580, June 28-July 04, 2008: Rover Takes Photos of Scenic View
Opportunity has completed work on the stand-off portion of the full-color panorama of the layered cliff known as "Cape Verde." It may take a couple of weeks for the entire panorama to arrive on Earth, depending on the volume of data the rover is able to transmit during communications links.
Next, Opportunity will move closer to Cape Verde to take a high-resolution image of a smaller area in front of the rover.
During the past week, engineers characterized the performance of the rover's rock abrasion tool along the z-axis by comparing voltage and the speed of the actuator at different temperatures. In the event that the z-axis encoder lines break, as have the encoder lines for the rotate and revolve axes, this characterization will be essential in developing a functional strategy for operating the rock abrasion tool with full, open-loop control. The z-axis encoder is responsible for moving the cutting head outward into the rock.
Next week's plans call for Opportunity to bump forward to a point only a few meters away from the cliff face to take high-resolution images. If possible, Opportunity will also conduct scientific studies of an outcrop target called "Nevada" (so named because of a rock next to it which has a shape reminiscent of the outline of the state of Nevada) using instruments on the robotic arm.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Energy is around 376 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy required to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour). As of Sol 1578 (July 2, 2008), Tau (a measure of darkness due to atmospheric dust) was at 0.413 and the dust factor (a measure of the proportion of sunlight penetrating dust on the solar arrays) was at 0.771.
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to receiving morning, direct-from-Earth instructions via the rover's high-gain antenna, sending evening UHF data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, surveying the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and monitoring dust accumulation on the rover mast, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1574 (June 28, 2008): Opportunity began acquiring "dusty," super-resolution images of targeted portions of the outcrops exposed in the Cape Verde cliff dubbed "Alpha," "Bravo," "Charlie," "Delta," and "Echo." To do this, the rover compensated for dust accumulation on the right side of each lens by taking images using only a subset of available pixels. On this particular sol, Opportunity acquired dusty, super-resolution images of "Alpha" and "Echo."
Sol 1575: Opportunity acquired dusty, super-resolution images of Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo using the panoramic camera. The rover also acquired six, time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds using the navigation camera.
Sol 1576: Opportunity acquired more dusty, super-resolution images of Echo with the panoramic camera and took images of Cape Verde in shadow at 2:30 p.m. local Mars time and at 3 p.m. local Mars time.
Sol 1577: Opportunity acquired dusty, super-resolution images of a target dubbed "Foxtrot" with the panoramic camera and characterized the performance of the rock-abrasion tool along the z-axis at warm temperatures. The rover reacquired five dusty, super-resolution images of Cape Verde and Bravo.
Sol 1578: Opportunity characterized the ability of the z-axis encoder to move the cutting head of the rock abrasion tool outward at cold temperatures and reacquired dusty, super-resolution images of Alpha.
Sol 1579: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity also acquired a 27-by-1 panel of images of Cape Verde at dusk with the left-hand lens of the panoramic camera.
Sol 1580 (July 4, 2008): Opportunity acquired a 27-by-1 panel of images of Cape Verde at dusk with the right-hand lens of the panoramic camera.
Odometry
As of sol 1580 (July 4, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,723.94 meters (7.28 miles).
sol 1566-1573, June 19-26, 2008: Happy Winter Solstice!
Opportunity has begun work on the much anticipated panorama of the layered promontory known as "Cape Verde" inside "Victoria Crater." The panorama will take several Martian days, or sols, to complete and will be made up of a mosaic of panoramic-camera images. The Cape Verde panorama is expected to be spectacular, "one for the textbooks."
With each move closer to Cape Verde, power to Opportunity's solar arrays has decreased as more of the promontory obscures the sky. Currently, Opportunity is about 7 meters (20 feet) from the Cape Verde cliff face. The rover's next short advance toward the cliff will tilt its solar panels away from the Sun, limiting the amount of solar energy even more. Rover drivers will take great care to ensure that Opportunity stays out of the shadow cast by Cape Verde, which currently extends approximately 3 meters (about 10 feet) from the cliff face. Even with all these constraints, the team is confident Opportunity will have enough power to finish the Cape Verde panorama.
The winter solstice occurred during sols 1570-1571 (June 24-25, 2008). This is the point at which the arc that the Sun traces across the sky reaches its most northerly point. Because Opportunity is south of the equator, the arc that the Sun traces now will move gradually to the south and higher in the sky. In coming months, this will result in more solar power for Opportunity.
Next week, Opportunity is expected to complete the Cape Verde panorama, then roll slightly forward to a point only a few meters away from the cliff face to take additional high-resolution images of the nearest portion of the cliff face.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Solar energy is around 367 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour). As of sol 1572 (June 26, 2008), tau, a measurement of sun-blocking dust suspended in the atmosphere, was 0.409. The dust factor, the proportion of sunlight penetrating the coating of dust on the solar arrays, was 0.771.
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to receiving morning, direct-from-Earth instructions via the rover's high-gain antenna, sending evening UHF data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, surveying the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and monitoring dust accumulation on the rover mast, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1566 (June 19, 2008): Opportunity drove 3.52 meters (11.6 feet) closer to Cape Verde and acquired post-drive images of the surrounding terrain with the navigation and panoramic cameras.
Sol 1567: Opportunity approached Cape Verde another 1.54 meters (5.05 feet), to a position roughly 7 meters (20 feet) away from the cliff face. After the drive, the rover took images of its new locale with the navigation and panoramic cameras.
Sol 1568: Opportunity recharged the battery. Before sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity surveyed the sky at low Sun with the panoramic camera. The rover took images of Cape Verde's shadow with the navigation camera.
Sol 1569: Opportunity recharged the battery and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1570: Opportunity recharged the battery and completed 10 pointings of the panoramic camera at Cape Verde. The rover acquired a mosaic of panoramic-camera images of the atmosphere in search of dust.
Sol 1571: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera and completed 20 pointings of the panoramic camera at Cape Verde.
Sol 1572: Opportunity completed 14 pointings of the panoramic camera at Cape Verde.
Sol 1573 (June 26, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover completed 14 pointings of the panoramic camera at Cape Verde.
Odometry
As of sol 1565 (June 18, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,723.94 meters (7.28 miles).
sol 1558-1565, June 11-18, 2008: On the Move
Opportunity has resumed driving through challenging terrain in "Victoria Crater," making significant progress toward a promontory of layered rocks known as "Cape Verde." On Martian day, or sol, 1565 (June 18, 2008), the rover made it to within 2 meters (6.5 feet) of a staging area dubbed "Safe Haven," where Opportunity will acquire images of the cliff face.
During the drive, Opportunity observed no motion of the robotic arm in its new unstowed position in front of the rover. Additionally, Opportunity experimented with a post-drive "salute," in which the rover swung the robotic arm at the elbow joint out of the field of view of the front hazard-avoidance cameras, took an image, and then returned the arm to its starting position.
Opportunity collected a variety of remote sensing observations, including images of shadows cast by the Cape Verde promontory and images of holes the rover's wheels dug into the terrain. Opportunity also took images of and measured argon gas in the atmosphere.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Solar-array energy has averaged about 447 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour).
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to measuring atmospheric dust one to three times a day with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1558 (June 11, 2008): Opportunity acquired images of a cobble informally named "Wilson" using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera.
Sol 1559: Opportunity acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images with the navigation camera and a 3-by-3 mosaic of images of wheel holes with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired hazard-avoidance camera images of terrain near its wheels just before and after ending the day's drive. Opportunity completed a "Get Quick Fine Attitude" calibration to determine the rover's precise location relative to the Sun and acquired a 3-by-1, post-drive mosaic of images with the navigation camera. The rover also acquired a navigation-camera image mosaic of Cape Verde. After relaying data destined for Earth to NASA's Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1560: Opportunity acquired six, time-lapsed movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1561: Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1562: Opportunity surveyed the horizon and acquired a 4-by-1 mosaic of images of shadows cast by Cape Verde with the panoramic camera. Opportunity drove to a location where the rover was to make scuff marks with its wheels and acquired hazard-avoidance camera images just before and after the end of the drive. Using the navigation camera, Opportunity took a 3-by-1, post-drive mosaic of images with the panoramic camera; post-drive images of old scuff marks made by the rover's wheels; and images of shadows cast by Cape Verde. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured argon gas in the atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and acquired navigation-camera images of shadows cast by Cape Verde.
Sol 1563: In the morning, Opportunity took offset, thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover performed a toe-dip, moving its front wheels forward and then backing up again, and did a salute with the robotic arm, moving it in and out of the field of view of the hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity acquired hazard-avoidance camera images of the surface near its wheels just before and after ending the drive; a 3-by-1, post-drive mosaic of images with the navigation camera; and a 2-by-1, post-drive mosaic of images of the wheel scuffs with the navigation camera. The rover took post-drive images of Cape Verde's shadow using the navigation camera.
Sol 1564: In the morning, Opportunity took more images of Cape Verde's shadow with the navigation camera. The rover drove a little closer to the promontory, took images with the hazard-avoidance cameras just before and after ending the drive, and acquired post-drive image mosaics with the navigation camera.
Sol 1565 (June 18, 2008): Upon waking, Opportunity took images of Cape Verde's shadow with the navigation camera. The rover drove a little closer, acquired images just before and after ending the drive with the hazard-avoidance cameras, and acquired a 5-by-1 tier of images with the navigation camera. The following morning, Opportunity was to acquire four, time-lapsed movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera and take spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
OdometryAs of sol 1565 (June 18, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,718.88 meters (7.28 miles).
sol 1551-1557, June 03-10, 2008: Bustin' Loose!
Opportunity finally escaped the Martian sand and backed up onto solid rock inside "Victoria Crater." Driving backward on Martian day, or sol, 1557 (June 10, 2008), the rover successfully moved the last of its six wheels up over a rocky ledge. The successful maneuver freed Opportunity to follow another route that will bring the rover closer to the cliff known as "Cape Verde." From there, the rover will collect high-resolution, panoramic images of rock layers in the promontory.
Also this week, the rover engineering team had the honor of hosting Houston-area Congressman and Mars exploration enthusiast John Culberson. The congressman participated in the planning of sols 1557 and 1558 (June 10-11, 2008). Culberson even helped design a science observation of the cobble informally named "Barnes" in honor of Virgil E. Barnes, former emeritus professor of geological sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1551 (June 4, 2008): Opportunity acquired a 5-by-1 mosaic of images for a shadow test to determine how well imaging of Cape Verde can proceed in shadowed conditions.
Sol 1552: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. After driving backward, the rover took images of cleat marks made with its wheels using the hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity took post-drive images of the rover mast and a 3-by-1 mosaic of images with the navigation camera. After relaying data to the Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1553: Opportunity completed a morning survey of the horizon and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired a 5-by-1 mosaic of images for the shadow test and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1554: In the morning, Opportunity acquired a six-frame, time-lapse movie of potential clouds passing overhead with the navigation camera. The rover acquired another 5-by-1 mosaic of shadow-test images with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a cobble dubbed "Agassiz." The rover completed a sky survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera and, after sending data to Odyssey, measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1555: Opportunity surveyed the horizon and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired a six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1556: In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. After communicating with Odyssey, the rover measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1557 (June 10, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity acquired a six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera and surveyed surrounding rock clasts with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of Barnes. Opportunity then drove backward and acquired post-drive images of surrounding terrain and of the rover mast with the navigation camera as well as images of cleat imprints made by the rover's wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon. Plans for the following morning called for the rover to monitor dust on the rover mast and take another six-frame movie of potential clouds passing overhead.
Odometry:
As of sol 1557 (June 10, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,691.84 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1545-1550, May 29 - Jun 03, 2008: On the Road Again!
After passing a series of tests to earn a new driver's certificate, Opportunity resumed driving while keeping its robotic arm in a new, "stowed" position that is essentially mostly unstowed. Engineers studied the vehicle's response in a variety of scenarios and determined that the new, unstowed position minimizes joint stresses, provides a clear field of view for driving, provides sufficient clearance between the turret holding the scientific instruments and the surface, and allows the largest possible work volume for in-situ science.
In fact, tests of a surrogate rover on Earth were in some ways an "overtest," because gravitational forces on Earth are greater than on Mars.
Opportunity completed two drives, advancing about 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) on Sol 1547 (May 31, 2008) and 0.22 meters (0.72 feet) on Sol 1550 (June 3, 2008). The robotic arm behaved as expected during both drives.
Prior to the recent electrical anomaly that caused the robotic arm to stall, Opportunity performed a "toe dip," during which the rover drove forward a short distance and then backward to characterize the sandy terrain en route to a promonotory dubbed "Cape Verde." During the procedure, Opportunity experienced significant wheel slippage of more than 90 percent in addition to high tilt while moving backward. After a series of adjustments, rover operators discovered that the rover's front wheels had begun to dig into the terrain. They decided to stop driving forward and focus on driving backward to extract the rover's front wheels from the sand.
During this week's two drives, Opportunity continued to make slow and steady progress toward backing out of the sand. Once the rover's wheels are free, Opportunity will head for a staging area to make more observations of the Cape Verde promontory. The staging area is about 15 meters (49 feet) away, or about the length of two passenger buses lined up end to end.
Opportunity continued to acquire images for the full-color "Garrels panorama" as well as images of the soil target informally named "Williams." The rover remains healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Solar-array energy has averaged about 475 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour).
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1545 (May 29, 2008): Opportunity acquired Part 12 of the Garrels panorama.
Sol 1546: Opportunity took images of Williams, surveyed the sky at high Sun, took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1547: Opportunity drove 0.5 meters (1.6 feet). Before and after the drive, the rover took images of the robotic arm with the navigation camera. The rover took post-drive images of the surface near the wheels with the hazard-avoidance cameras and images of the surrounding terrain with the navigation camera.
Sol 1548: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and six time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1549: After relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity continued to measure atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1550 (June 3, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity produced a six-frame, time-lapse movie in search of Martian clouds with the navigation camera. The rover drove 0.22 meters (0.72 feet) toward Cape Verde and acquired post-drive images with the hazard-avoidance and navigation cameras. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric argon. Plans for the next morning called for Opportunity to acquire panoramic-camera images of the rover's external magnets and survey as well as acquire thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera for calibation purposes.
Odometry:
As of sol 1550 (June 3, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,690.27 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1539-1546, May 23-30, 2008: Getting Ready to Roll
During the past week, Opportunity continued work on a detailed analysis of factors that will affect the driving of the six-wheeled rover and operation of its robotic arm in the future. Among other things, rover operators analyzed the dynamic strength of the robotic arm and its actuators while the rover is driving.
Test results back on Earth, together with observations of robotic arm performance on board the vehicle on Mars, led to the establishment of a new position for stowing the robotic arm that will enable Opportunity to continue driving. Engineers selected the stow position to minimize stress on arm joints, provide a clear field of view while driving, supply adequate clearance between scientific instruments on the arm and the Martian surface, and provide access to the largest possible work volume for scientific observations.
Opportunity acquired additional images for the full-color "Garrels panorama" and studied two piles of loose material known informally as "Harland" and "Williams" next to the rover's wheels. The rover measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere, quantified atmospheric dust and searched for potential clouds.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Energy is currently around 467 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour). The earliest drive opportunity will be Friday.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1539 (May 23, 2008): Opportunity acquired Part 9 of the mosaic of images that will make up the Garrels panorama, using all 13 color filters of the panoramic camera. After relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter for transmission to Earth, Opportunity used the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer to measure argon gas in the Martian atmosphere.
Sol 1540: Following early-morning measurements of atmospheric dust, Opportunity acquired panoramic-camera images of Harland and Williams.
Sol 1541: In the morning, Opportunity acquired six time-lapse movie frames in search of Martian clouds with the navigation camera and made several measurements of atmospheric dust at different times of day.
Sol 1542: Opportunity tested electrical resistance while stowing the robotic arm in its new position in front of the rover and acquired six time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity spent 3.5 hours collecting data on atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1543: In the morning, Opportunity acquired six time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover completed work on Part 10 of the Garrels panorama.
Sol 1544: Opportunity shot another six-frame movie in search of clouds and tested movement of the robotic arm while taking images of the arm.
Sol 1545: In-between acquiring Part 11 and Part 12 of the Garrels panorama, Opportunity took navigation-camera and panoramic-camera images of the rover's arm in its new stowed position.
Sol 1546 (May 30, 2008): Opportunity acquired images of Williams in the morning, surveyed the sky at high Sun, took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon, all with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1546 (May 30, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,689.53 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1533-1538, May 19-22, 2008: Opportunity Waves for the Camera
Like a candidate waving to the crowd, Opportunity has been waving at its spacecraft cameras to document the movement of joints in the rover's robotic arm. The images record the arm's position and can be used to recalibrate the arm if it ever moves unexpectedly during a drive.
On sol 1536 (May 19, 2008), engineers conducted three tests of electrical resistance in joint 1 in the early Martian afternoon, when temperatures were warmest. Joint 1 is the shoulder joint that moves the arm from side to side (also known as the shoulder azimuth joint, because it determines the compass direction in which the arm is pointed). Using Ohm's law, they calculated electrical resistance based on measurements of the amount of electrical current drawn by the motor as they applied different electrical forces (voltages) to it. Out of three tests, resistance values were normal in all but the first. The measured resistances were, in order, 96.9, 68.06, and 65.50 ohms.
Normal resistance in an optimally functioning joint motor would be 32.2 ohms. Ever since the Joint 1 motor lost one of its electrical windings, the motor has had three possible resistance values that are considered normal, depending on the position of the rotor. Those values are 32.2, 56.3, or 75.1 ohms. Some measurements from these tests have registered resistance values above 200 ohms. At that level, the motor cannot move the joint.
On Sol 1538 (May 22, 2008), rover operators repeated an earlier attempt to place science instruments on the arm into position to take measurements. Joint 1 stalled when Opportunity tried to suspend ("hover") the Mö:ssbauer spectrometer above the surface. This precluded remaining planned attempts to hover the science instruments that sol (Martian day). Opportunity had not attempted to move the science instruments since sol 1503 (April 16, 2008). At that time, the electrical anomaly attributed to further degradation of the joint 1 motor interrupted the unstowing of the arm.
Engineers will complete several additional tasks before permitting Opportunity to continue its trek toward the cliff of layered rocks known as "Cape Verde" inside "Victoria Crater." One is a review of all data from the accelerometers of both Mars rovers since they landed on Mars in January 2004. The data will provide a highly detailed record of the "real-world" experience of the rovers while driving, which engineers will use to understand and predict conditions in the future.
Opportunity's operators also have been conducting safety tests of the robotic arm using an engineering model of the rover on Earth. To do this, they drive the vehicle on and off of steps of varying heights and instrument the arm with accelerometers to be able to measure forces imparted to the arm during driving. In some of the tests, engineers allowed a wheel to drop suddenly from a step onto either gravel or bricks to simulate the kind of forces Opportunity might experience while driving with the arm unstowed on Mars. Though the vehicle's movement caused the robotic arm to jiggle fairly dramatically, the arm joints did not shift position. Engineers will incorporate the test results into computer models of the behavior of Opportunity's unstowed robotic arm on Mars.
Meanwhile, Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as expected. Energy is currently around 442 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour). Sun-blocking dust levels have been favorable; wind-related events have even cleared small amounts of dust from the solar arrays. As of Sol 1539 (May 23, 2008), Tau, a measure of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, was 0.581, and the dust factor, a measure of how much sunlight penetrated dust on the solar arrays, was 0.80.
Team members hope to determine next week when to have Opportunity continue the drive to the Cape Verde promontory.
Sol-by-sol summary
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera and monitoring dust accumulation on the panoramic-camera mast, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1533 (May 16, 2008): Activity plans for the day did not make it on board the rover. The plans were to have Opportunity acquire images of robotic arm joints 2 and 3 (the shoulder joint that moves the arm up and down and the elbow joint, respectively), monitor atmospheric dust levels with the navigation camera, and conduct a sky survey with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1534: Opportunity acquired part 7 of the full-color "Garrels panorama" using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover measured argon gas in the atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, monitored atmospheric dust with the navigation camera, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1535: Opportunity completed a sky survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera, assessed atmospheric dust with the navigation camera, and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1536: Opportunity completed the second attempt to take images of joints 2 and 3 (shoulder elevation and wrist joints) for calibration purposes. The rover measured atmospheric dust opacity with the navigation camera, scanned the sky for clouds and acquired time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. After instructions were sent to the rover, a fault occurred in the high-frequency, X-band transmission link.
Sol 1537: The X-band communications link with Opportunity was restored.
Sol 1538 (May 22, 2008): Opportunity continued to characterize the operation of the rover's robotic arm but terminated the work early following another stall in the shoulder azimuth joint (joint 1). The rover acquired part 8 of the Garrels panorama.
Odometry
As of sol 1538 (May 22, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,689.53 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1525-1532, May 08-15, 2008: Injured Shoulder Joint Back in the Game
Like an athlete with a shoulder injury whose arm is folded in a sling, NASA's Mars rover Opportunity has been unable to move its robotic shoulder joint for weeks. Early Wednesday (May 14, 2008), after a regimen of electrical stimulation and heat, the rover finally moved its shoulder joint and swung its robotic arm back to the front. Opportunity accomplished this after surviving four Earth years, two Martian winters, a major dust storm, and more than 1,500 day-to-night temperature cycles on the red planet.
The story of Opportunity's shoulder begins way back on Sol 2 (Jan. 25, 2004), the rover's second day on Mars. That's when engineers discovered that the heater on the shoulder azimuth joint, which controls side-to-side motion of the robotic arm, was stuck in the "on" position. Closer investigation revealed that the on-off switch had probably failed during assembly, test, and launch operations on Earth. Fortunately for Opportunity, the rover was equipped with a built-in safety mechanism called a "T-stat box" (thermostatic switch) that provided protection against overheating. When the shoulder azimuth joint, also known as Joint 1, got too hot, the T-stat switch automatically opened and temporarily disabled the heater. When the joint got cold again, the T-stat closed. As a result, the heater stayed on all night but not all day.
The safety mechanism worked until Opportunity approached the first winter on Mars. As the Sun began to retreat lower in the sky and solar power levels dropped, it became clear that Opportunity would not be able to keep the batteries charged with a heater draining power all night long. On Sol 122 (May 28, 2004), rover operators began using a procedure known as "deep sleep," during which Opportunity disconnected the batteries at night. Deep sleep prevented the stuck heater (and everything else on the rover except the clock and the battery heaters) from drawing power. When the Sun came up the next morning and sunlight began hitting the solar arrays, the batteries automatically reconnected, the robotic arm became operational, the shoulder joint warmed up, and the thermostatic switch opened, disabling the heater. As a result, the shoulder joint was extremely hot during the day and extremely cold at night. Such huge temperature swings, which tend to make electric motors wear out faster, were taking place every sol.
This strategy worked for Opportunity until Sol 654 (Nov. 25, 2005), when the Joint-1 azimuth motor stalled because of increased electrical resistance. Rover operators responded by delivering higher-than-normal current to the motor. This approach also worked, though Joint 1 continued to stall periodically. Typically, the rover's handlers simply tried again the next sol and the joint worked. They determined that the Joint-1 motor stalls were most likely due to damage caused by the extreme temperature cycles the joint experienced during deep sleep. As a precaution, they started keeping the robotic arm out in front of the rover overnight, rather than stowing it underneath the rover deck, where it would be virtually unusable in the event of a Joint-1 motor failure. They stowed the arm only while driving and unstowed it immediately at the end of each drive.
This strategy worked for Opportunity until Sol 1502 (April 15, 2008), when the motor stalled at the beginning of an unstowing operation at the end of a drive, when the arm was still tucked underneath the rover. The motor continued to stall on all subsequent attempts, sol after sol. Engineers performed tests at various times of day to measure electrical resistance. They found that the resistance was lowest (essentially normal) when the joint was at its warmest -- in the morning, following deep sleep, after the heater had been on for several hours, and just before the T-stat opened. They decided to try to unstow the arm one more time under these conditions.
At 08:30 Mars time on Sol 1531 (May 14, 2008), they allowed Opportunity to direct as much current as possible to the warm, joint-1 azimuth motor in order to get the robotic arm into a usable position, in front of the rover. It worked.
Because Opportunity will likely never again stow the robotic arm, engineers are working on a strategy for driving the rover safely with the arm deployed in front. In this way, Opportunity will continue to explore Mars, having weathered yet another challenge!
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1525 (May 8, 2008): Opportunity used the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer to measure argon gas in the Martian atmosphere and used the navigation camera to acquire time-lapse movie frames in search of clouds.
Sol 1526: Opportunity continued to study the Martian atmosphere.
Sol 1527: Opportunity made atmospheric measurements.
Sol 1528: Opportunity contined to make atmospheric measurements.
Sol 1529: Opportunity conducted tests of electrical resistance in the robotic arm and acquired full-color images, with all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of soil. The rover began acquiring parts 3 and 4 of the so-called "Garrels" panorama, a sweeping view of Cape Verde and the slope where the rover will exit Victoria Crater.
Sol 1530: In the morning, Opportunity completed work on parts 3 and 4 of the Garrels panorama. The rover took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and acquired six time-lapse movie frames in search of overhead clouds.
Sol 1531: Opportunity moved Joint 1 to an unstowed position and acquired part 5 of the Garrels panorama. The rover measured argon gas in the atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1532 (May 15, 2008): Opportunity moved robotic arm joints 2 through 5 to an unstowed position and acquired part 6 of the Garrels panorama. The rover monitored atmospheric dust with the navigation camera and monitored dust on the rover mast. Opportunity acquired a movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera and took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1532 (May 15, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,689.53 meters (about 7.25 miles).
sol 1518-1524, May 01-07, 2008: Opportunity Gearing Up for Attempt to Move Robotic Arm
After completing a battery of diagnostic tests, engineers planned to attempt to move Opportunity's shoulder azimuth joint, also known as Joint 1, during the coming week.
Tests during the past week included electrical resistance tests at the warmest and coldest times of day to determine if a persistent stall in the joint was dependent on temperature. Test results indicated that electrical resistance in the shoulder motor at the warmest time of day approached normal levels.
A series of mild dust-cleaning events gave power levels a slight boost. The dust factor -- a measure of the amount of sunlight actually penetrating dust on the solar panels -- was about 73 percent. As recently as Martian day, or sol, 1486 (March 29, 2008), the dust factor was only 69 percent. Average solar-array energy during the past week was nearly 385 watt-hours, almost enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.
Opportunity conducted a variety of remote-sensing activities, including photometric observations at varying times of day, soil observations, horizon surveys, imaging of a cobble known as "Jin" and wheel trenches informally named "Harland" and "Williams," atmospheric observations, and measurements of argon gas in the Martian atmosphere.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are operating as expected, with the exception of the robotic arm.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1518 (May 1, 2008): Opportunity acquired a six-frame movie of navigation-camera images in search of clouds. After sending data to Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1519: Opportunity acquired color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of Jin, a cobble upslope near one edge of the "Lyell" outcrop. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1520: The rover scanned the sky for clouds by acquiring six, time-lapse movie frames with the navigation camera. Later, Opportunity acquired another six-frame, time-lapse movie of potential clouds passing overhead. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity measured atmospheric dust at sunset with the panoramic camera and measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1521: Opportunity acquired a mosaic of images with the panoramic camera, took six movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera, surveyed the early-morning sky with the panoramic camera, and monitored dust accumulation on the rover mast. Opportunity took color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of Harland, followed by a mosaic of images.
Sol 1522: In addition to assessing atmospheric dust at different times of day, Opportunity produced a six-frame movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1523: In the morning, Opportunity took color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of Williams and the surrounding soil. Opportunity ran tests of the shoulder joint at cold and warm temperatures. Using the navigation camera, the rover created a time-lapse movie in search of clouds and took images of the sky, known as "sky flats," for calibration purposes.
Sol 1524 (May 7, 2008): Opportunity surveyed the sky at low sun. The rover measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. Opportunity created a movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1524 (May 7, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,689.53 meters (about 7 and one-quarter miles).
sol 1511-1517, Apr 24-30, 2008: Opportunity Continues to Investigate Robotic-Arm Anomaly
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing normally except the robotic arm, also known as the Instrument Deployment Device (IDD). Power has been favorable during the past week, primarily due to a better state of charge in the rover's batteries. During the investigation of the anomaly in the robotic arm, which has worked far beyond its expected lifetime, other activities have been put on hold, resulting in less use of battery power. For the past week, energy has averaged just over 380 watt-hours (almost enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours). Opportunity has also seen a slight decrease in Tau measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, which was measured at 0.59 on Martian day, or sol, 1517 (April 30, 2008).
As previously reported, on Sol 1502 (April 15, 2008), Opportunity experienced a Joint-1 stall during a routine operation of moving the robotic arm from its stowed position. Every attempt to move Joint 1 since the initial stall has failed, producing at most a single motor revolution. Opportunity's Earthbound handlers have been running tests to determine the cause of the stall.
On Sol 1511 (April 24, 2008) engineers conducted a test intended to rule out the motor controller as a cause of the Joint-1 stall. The results were not consistent with a motor controller issue. The motor controller delivered the programmed voltage to the Joint 1 motor. Engineers also tested the right front wheel, because the controller that operates the Joint-1 motor also controls the right-front drive motor. The drive motor operated normally and showed electrical characteristics consistent with those of a healthy controller.
On Sol 1513 (April 26, 2008), team members tested two other arm joints. Up to this point, they had concentrated only on Joint 1. While it was unlikely, other joints could have had problems as well. To rule out that hypothesis, engineers performed electrical resistance tests on joints 2 and 3 without moving the arm. They applied very low voltages, enough to produce a measurable current but insufficient to generate enough torque to turn the motor. Both joints showed normal resistance.
On Sol 1516 (April 29, 2008), the engineering team performed a motion test, moving joints 2 and 3 slightly, 1 degree away from the rover body. The moves were successful. In both this and the previous sol's resistance tests, rover handlers chose not to move joints 4 and 5 because of potential hazards associated with moving those joints and also because the test could be meaningful without moving them.
The next planned step in the investigation is to conduct another round of low-voltage resistance tests on Joint 1, this time at opposite extremes of temperature. Those tests were planned for sol 1519 (May 2, 2008), at night and in the early morning, at predicted local Mars temperatures of around -70 degrees C (-94 degrees F.) and 40 degrees C (104 degrees F.), respectively. All previous motor diagnostics occurred at around -20 degrees C (-4 degrees F.).
In the event the temperature tests shed no more light on the issue, rover handlers will likely try to move Joint 1 out as much as possible using maximum voltage, which is about 50 percent higher than that used in previous attempts to move the arm. Team members are in agreement that if the arm can move at all, its remaining movability may be limited. The good news is that the rover can still use all four of the science instruments at the end of its arm. Engineers are exploring potential risks to the robotic arm while driving with the arm unstowed.
At this point, the best explanation for the anomalous behavior of the shoulder joint is a fractured or broken motor brush. Measurements of the joint angles on the robotic arm -- both from Mars and from a surrogate rover on Earth -- confirm that the arm's elbow is off its storage hook and the arm is free to move.
Opportunity's handlers have determined that the best course of action is to complete the investigation of the Joint-1 problem before driving approximately 15 meters (50 feet) to a new planned staging area for observations of the "Cape Verde" promontory.
Beyond investigating the robotic-arm anomaly, Opportunity continued to acquire images of future drive paths, photometry (measurements based on images), and calibration images. The rover also measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1511 (April 24, 2008): Opportunity completed diagnostic tests of the Joint-1 drive controller and acquired panoramic-camera image mosaics of potential exit paths out of "Victoria Crater." After communicating with Odyssey, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1512: Opportunity monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast asssembly and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover performed photometry using the panoramic camera. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1513: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and completed diagnostic tests of electrical resistance on robotic-arm joints 1, 2, and 3. The rover acquired images in darkness as well as lossless-compression (highly detailed) images of the sky, called "sky flats," for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1514: Opportunity rested for collection of temperature data, then surveyed the horizon and acquired image mosaics with the panoramic camera. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity measured argon gas in the atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1515: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky looking starboard (to the right) with the panoramic camera. The rover relayed data to Odyssey and went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1516: Opportunity tested the motion of robotic-arm joints 2 and 3, took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera, communicated with Odyssey, and went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1517 (April 30, 2008): Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of soil. The rover relayed data to Odyssey. Plans for the following morning called for Opportunity to take spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1517 (April 30, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,689.53 meters (about 7 and one-quarter miles).
sol 1505-1510, Apr. 18-23, 2008: Opportunity Investigates Arthritic Joint
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected, with the exception of the Instrument Deployment Device (the robotic arm). Power has improved slightly during the last week, primarily as the result of a better state of charge in the batteries. Given the recent difficulties with the robotic arm, the rover hasn't been using the batteries as much as usual. Energy has averaged about 380 watt-hours (almost enough energy to light four 100-watt bulbs for one hour).
Tau, a measure of direct sunlight (and thus of dust in the atmosphere) has been fairly steady at 0.62, meaning that about half the sunlight streaming through the atmosphere of Mars reaches the ground. The rest is either absorbed or scattered. Like direct sunlight, scattered light generates power. Absorbed sunlight does not.
Opportunity's dust factor has been fairly steady at 0.7, meaning that about 70 percent of the sunlight hitting the solar arrays penetrates the dust layer to make electricity.
In mid-may (May 12, 2008), Mars will reach aphelion, its farthest point from the Sun. At that time it will be 249 million kilometers (155 million miles) from the Sun, about 1.6 times farther from the Sun than Earth ever gets.
On June 25, 2008, Opportunity will enter the winter solstice. This is the date when the Sun is lowest in the sky that marks the official start of the six-Earth-month Martian winter.
Ever since sol 654 (Nov. 25, 2005), Opportunity has experienced occasional motor stalls in the shoulder joint of the robotic arm known as Joint 1. Joint 1 is the shoulder azimuth joint, the one that swings the arm out from the rover, and left or right in front of the rover. The motor has worked long past its expected lifetime.
Apparently random in occurrence, the stalls have been accompanied by step increases in electrical resistance, which is consistent with a broken winding within the motor. (The rover's motors have bifilar coils, consisting of two parallel windings. If one wire breaks, a second coiled wire provides some torque to turn the motor. Torque is a force that causes rotation about an axis. With one wire broken, there is less torque during part of each rotation.)
Each motor has magnetic detents -- permanent magnets that pull the rotor into a fixed position to prevent it from rotating when necessary. The detents can also prevent the motor from turning when engineers want it to turn. At that point, it takes a bit more torque to start the motor turning. If a broken coil happens to align with a detent, the remaining, unbroken coil has a hard time starting to rotate. This can result in a stall.
Opportunity's handlers have been living with this for nearly 900 Martian days and until now, they have overcome every stall simply by trying the motion again.
To minimize the chance of getting "stuck" in an unfavorable position where Joint 1 is permanently stalled, the rover's handlers keep the robotic arm deployed (that is, unfolded and suspended in front of the rover) except when driving. This approach is known as the "Stow/Go/Unstow" strategy. When rover drivers want to drive, they stow the arm (that is, fold it up with the elbow in horizontal position and the fist against the chest). After the drive, they promptly unstow the arm (move the elbow down and the turret, or fist, up).
On Sol 1502 (April 15, 2008), during a routine post-drive unstow, Opportunity experienced a Joint 1 stall that was quantitatively different from prior stalls. Tests since then have continued to result in stalls with significantly higher electrical resistance five to 10 times greater than previously measured values. Motor currents have been very low, consistent with higher electrical resistance.
Engineers are conducting diagnostic tests of Joint 1 and other components. So far, every attempt to move Joint 1 has failed, producing at most a single motor revolution. The joint seems to stall in the same spot each time. The rover's handlers are pursuing a slow and steady approach of fully understanding the problem and possibly devising strategies for living with or working around the issue. They already know that even if the joint is permanently stalled, Opportunity can still do some science observations with instruments on the robotic arm.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1505 (April 18, 2008): Opportunity ran diagnostic tests of the robotic arm.
Sol 1506: Opportunity acquired six time-lapse movie frames in search of morning clouds with the navigation camera and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. Later, the rover acquired a 3-by-1 panel of images with the navigation camera.
Sol 1507: Opportunity took morning spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. The rover ran more diagnostic tests of the robotic arm.
Sol 1508: Opportunity began work on a 360-degree, two-tier panorama of lossless-compression (highly detailed and precise) images with the navigation camera.
Sol 1509: Opportunity spent most of the day characterizing dust in the atmosphere.
Sol 1510 (April 23, 2008): Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of one of the two trenches made by the rover's wheels, dubbed "Williams." At 11:05 a.m. local Mars time, Opportunity acquired the left-hand view of a mosaic of panoramic-camera images. The rover acquired part 2 of the lossless-compression, 360-degree panorama with the navigation camera and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera. The following morning, Opportunity was to acquire full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of the other wheel trench, dubbed "Harland."
Odometry:
As of sol 1510 (April 10, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,689.53 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1498-1504, Apr. 10-17, 2008: Opportunity Reverses Path
During the past week, Opportunity celebrated another major milestone by reaching 1,500 sols (Martian days) of continuous exploration of the red planet!
Meanwhile, Opportunity continued to execute a "toe dip" stategy of driving forward a short distance and backing up again to characterize the sandy terrain beneath the rover's wheels. While driving toward the promontory known as "Cape Verde" in the rim of "Victoria Crater," Opportunity experienced wheel slippage of more than 90 percent. The rover also experienced high tilt during the backward part of the drive. Following a series of adjustments to both slippage and tilt limits, Opportunity's front wheels had begun to dig into the terrain. At that point, the rover's handlers decided to concentrate on driving backward to extract the rover's front wheels and prevent them from digging further into the sand. Making slow and steady progress, as of sol 1502 (April 15, 2008), Opportunity had driven backward 24 centimeters (9.5 inches) with no errors, giving rover drivers hope that the rover would soon be out of the sand.
Opportunity's handlers implemented a "Stow/Go/Unstow" strategy of unstowing the robotic arm after each day's drive to avoid having the arm in the stow position during thermal cycling (overnight temperature changes). This freed the arm for full use of its scientific tools in the event of a cold-induced motor failure. On sol 1502 (April 15, 2008), while attempting to unstow the arm, Opportunity experienced a stall in the joint that controls shoulder position. The nature of the stall appeared to be different from previous stalls in the same joint (known as Joint 1). On sol 1504 (April 17, 2008), the rover's handlers directed Opportunity to run a diagnostic test of movement in the robotic arm. While moving the joint, Opportunity experienced another stall. Investigation of this anomaly is expected to continue for the remainder of this week.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected, with the exception of the investigation of the robotic arm. Immediate plans call for continued focus on getting out of the sand and resolving the robotic-arm anomaly.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, sending data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1498 (April 10, 2008): Opportunity surveyed the horizon and the sky and measured atmospheric dust at sunset with the panoramic camera. After transmitting data to Odyssey, the rover measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1499: In the early part of the sol, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and shot a 4-frame movie of potential clouds with the navigation camera. The rover stowed the robotic arm, drove toward Cape Verde, acquired post-drive images with the hazard-avoidance cameras, and unstowed the robotic arm.
Sol 1500: Opportunity acquired a full-color, 2-by-1 panel of images of Cape Verde using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera.
Sol 1501: Opportunity recharged the battery.
Sol 1502: Opportunity started the day by monitoring dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly and measuring atmospheric dust. The rover stowed the robotic arm, drove toward Cape Verde, acquired images of the wheel cleats in the rover's tracks to assess traction and other post-drive images with the hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity unstowed the robotic arm before sending data to Odyssey and going to sleep.
Sol 1503: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired microscopic images of the robotic arm to document changes during the diagnostic test of the arm's ability to move.
Sol 1504 (April 17, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of trenches created by the rover's wheels that have been informally named "Williams" and "Harland." The rover took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and ran more diagnostic tests of the robotic arm. Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. After relaying data to Odyssey, the rover used the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer to measure argon gas in the atmosphere. Plans for the next morning called for the rover to take more thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1502 (April 15, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,691.49 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1491-1497, Apr. 03-09, 2008: Driving on Mars Is Hard
This week Opportunity demonstrated the challenges of operating a vehicle on the surface of another planet. The rover is en route to Cape Verde to acquire high-resolution images of the layering in the rocks. To get there, Opportunity must cross some sandy stretches. Before entering the sandy areas, Opportunity will need to stop and take a "toe dip'' -- that is, drive forward a short distance and back out again -- to characterize the terrain.
On Sol 1491 (April 3, 2008), Opportunity performed a 4-wheel toe dip, driving forward until the front four wheels were on the sand and backing up again.
As part of ensuring vehicle safety, rover drivers set conservative limits on what the rover may do. For example, if Opportunity exceeds the maximum amount of wheel slippage or the maximum amount of tilt allowed, the rover must abort the drive. This gives the rover's handlers a chance to further evaluate the situation and make changes to the drive plan on subsequent sols (Martian days). The toe dips provide valuable insight into the nature of the terrain Opportunity is likely to encounter on the way to Cape Verde.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, sending data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1491 (April 3, 2008): Before the day's drive, Opportunity took panoramic-camera and navigation-camera images of a previously made wheel scuff. The rover stowed the robotic arm and drove toward Cape Verde, taking hazard avoidance-camera images before and after ending the drive. Opportunity unstowed the robotic arm and acquired post-drive images with the navigation and panoramic cameras.
Sol 1492: In the early part of the sol, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1493: Opportunity monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly, stowed the robotic arm, and continued driving toward Cape Verde. Just before and after ending the drive, Opportunity took images of the area close to the rover with the hazard-avoidance cameras. The rover unstowed the robotic arm, took post-drive images with the navigation camera, and after communicating with Odyssey, obtained measurements of argon gas in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1494: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and six movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1495: Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera, stowed the robotic arm, and drove toward Cape Verde. Before and after ending the drive, the rover took images with the hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity unstowed the robotic arm (known to engineers as the instrument deployment device) and acquired post-drive images with the navigation camera.
Sol 1496: In the morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and shot a 4-frame movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity stowed the robotic arm and drove backward onto bedrock to extract its wheels from the sand before proceeding toward Cape Verde. Before and after ending the day's drive, the rover took images with the hazard-avoidance cameras. The rover then unstowed the robotic arm.
Sol 1497 (April 9, 2008): In the morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and shot another 4-frame movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover acquired diagnostic images with the hazard-avoidance cameras and a mosaic of images of the work volume reachable by the robotic arm with the panoramic camera. When the evening Sun was low, Opportunity surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera. Plans transmitted to the rover for the following morning called for another 6-frame movie of potential clouds in the Martian sky.
Odometry:
As of sol 1497 (April 9, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,689.21 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1484-1490, Mar 27, 2008 - Apr. 02, 2008: Opportunity Goes Sightseeing
Opportunity has begun the drive toward a spectacular cliff in the wall of "Victoria Crater" known as "Cape Verde," about 30 meters (98 feet) away. The rover is expected to complete the drive in 6 to 7 segments, each covering an average distance of 5 meters (16 feet).
Along the way are several sandy patches. Before entering these sandy areas, Opportunity will stop for a "toe dip" -- a scuff with the front wheels to assess the depth of the sand. Rover planners hope the sandy spots will turn out to be bedrock with only a sandy veneer.
Opportunity executed the first of the toe dips upon arriving at a sandy patch on Sol 1489 (April 1, 2008). The scuff was successful. Electrical currents indicated that despite relatively deep sand on both sides, the wheels had good purchase. The sand was 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) deep on the left and 6 to 8 centimeters (2 to 3 inches) deep on the right. The tilt of the rover indicated that the left wheel encountered rock quickly, experiencing large vibrations after a short, smooth period. The right wheel got into deep sand after only brief contact with rock. Wheel slip and bogie (wheel suspension) angles indicated the rover moved backward about 3 centimeters (1 inch) during the scuffing. Rover planners concluded that the terrain was drivable but required caution.
Opportunity remains healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Energy is around 360 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour). As of sol 1490 (April 2, 2008), Tau measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust stood at 0.65. The dust factor, a measure of the proportion of sunlight penetrating dust on the solar arrays, stood at 0.69.
Power may fluctuate slightly as Opportunity continues the drive toward the Cape Verde promontory, depending on the slopes of the local terrain and the rover's attitude relative to the Sun.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, sending data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, monitoring dust accumulation on the rover mast, and surveying the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1484 (March 27, 2008): Opportunity began the drive to Cape Verde, advancing 5.55 meters (18.2 feet) and pausing midway through the drive to take full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of the hole in the Gilbert rock layer created with the rover's rock abrasion tool. After the drive, Opportunity acquired a 3-by-1 mosaic of images with the navigation camera and a 3-by-2 mosaic of images with the panoramic camera. The rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1485: After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity spent six hours using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer to measure argon gas in the Martian atmosphere and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1486: Opportunity advanced another 5.02 meters (16.5 feet) toward Cape Verde, acquired a post-drive, 3-by-1 tier of navigation-camera images, and went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1487: Opportunity acquired six movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera and a 6-by-3 mosaic of the base of the Cape Verde cliff. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity spent six hours measuring atmospheric argon and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1488: Opportunity acquired six movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera, recharged the battery, and went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1489: Opportunity drove another 4.97 meters (16.3 feet) toward Cape Verde and acquired a 3-by-1 tier of post-drive, navigation-camera images. The rover also acquired post-drive shadow images of Cape Verde and went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1490 (April 2, 2008): Opportunity acquired a 5-by-1 tier of shadow images of Cape Verde, recharged the battery, and went into a deep sleep. Plans for the following morning called for the rover to take thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1489 (April 1, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,686.77 meters (7.26 miles).
sol 1478-1483, Mar. 21-26, 2008: Opportunity Completes Dental Checkup
Opportunity is wrapping up its scientific investigation of the outcrop exposure known as "Gilbert_A" at the bottom of the alcove known as "Duck Bay," the lowest traversable portion of the crater's interior. Duck Bay is a recess in the walls of "Victoria Crater."
Opportunity performed a dental self-examination of teeth in the rover's rock abrasion tool on Sol 1482 (March 25, 2008). Images of the grinding bit, taken with the hazard avoidance cameras, showed no appreciable wear since the last measurement on sol 1443 (Feb. 14, 2008). In fact, the rover's handlers saw a slight increase rather than decrease in bit height, highlighting the uncertainty inherent in the bit measurement technique. Indeed, the calculated 32 percent of grinding material left is subject to a 39-percent relative error, resulting in an absolute error of 12 percent (based on a statistical calculation, 0.32 * 0.39 = 12). Unfortunately, there is no clear way to reduce the error in bit measurement.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are operating as expected. Energy is currently around 360 watt-hours (100 watts is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for 1 hour). Tau measurement of opacity caused by atmospheric dust is 0.68 (a Tau of zero would correspond to a perfectly clear sky). The dust factor is 0.679, meaning that about 68 percent of sunlight reaching the solar arrays penetrates the coating of dust to generate electricity.
Next week, Opportunity is scheduled to drive toward the promontory known as "Cape Verde" for a better look at the rocks exposed in the crater walls.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving morning instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth each evening via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and completing atmospheric observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, monitoring dust accumulation on the rover mast, and scanning the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1478 (March 21, 2008): Opportunity spent 12 hours acquiring data from Gilbert with the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover completed a survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1479: Opportunity spent 12 hours acquiring data from Gilbert with the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover took thumbnail images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1480: Opportunity spent 5 hours acquiring data from Gilbert with the Mössbauer spectrometer and took full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of the backslope to the left of the Gilbert area. The rover acquired images of the rock target dubbed "Lyell Oxford" and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1481: Opportunity spent 7 hours acquiring data from Gilbert with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and took images of Lyell Oxford with the panoramic camera. The rover took six movie frames spaced at regular intervals in search of clouds with the navigation camera and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1482: Opportunity took a microscopic image of the hole ground into Gilbert with the rock abrasion tool and completed a survey of the grinding bit on the tool. Opportunity spent 8 hours integrating data from Gilbert with the Mössbauer spectrometer and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1483 (March 26, 2008): Opportunity spent 7 hours integrating data from Gilbert with the Mössbauer spectrometer and went into a deep sleep.
Odometry:
As of sol 1483 (March 26, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,671.23 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1471-1477, Mar. 14-20, 2008: Opportunity Continues Reading the Story in the Rocks
Opportunity has finished grinding into the surface and acquiring microscopic images of a rock target informally named "Gilbert," at the bottom of the alcove inside "Victoria Crater" known as "Duck Bay." The rover is in the middle of a campaign to study the composition of the exposed interior of the rock using both the Möessbauer and alpha-particle X-ray spectrometers.
Some time next week, Opportunity is expected to begin driving toward the spectacular promontory in the crater rim known as "Cape Verde" for some close-up imaging.
Because of Opportunity's tilt inside the crater relative to the path of the Mars Odyssey orbiter as it travels across the Martian sky, Opportunity has had difficulty relaying data via UHF links to Odyssey. In the afternoon of Martian day, or sol, 1473 (March 16, 2008), sending data at a rate of 128 kilobits per second, Opportunity returned only 9.5 megabytes of data. On sol 1475 (March 18, 2008), transmitting data at a rate of 32 kilobits per second, Opportunity returned only 3.4 megabytes of data. The rover made up for lost time, however, transmitting 129 megabytes and 91 megabytes on sols 1474 (March 17, 2008) and 1476 (March 19, 2008), respectively.
Power levels continue to drop as expected for the winter season.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1471 (March 14, 2008): Opportunity acquired data about iron-bearing minerals in a rock target known as "Dorsal New" using the Möessbauer spectrometer. The rover acquired part 10 of the super-resolution panorama of the rim of Victoria Crater, known as the rimshot, using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1472: Opportunity retracted the robotic arm, acquired full-color images of "Dorsal" using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, and moved the robotic arm back into position to place the rock abrasion tool above Dorsal New. The rover then completed a grind-scan maneuver with the rock abrasion tool to locate the surface of the rock target. Opportunity also surveyed the sky and the horizon with the panoramic camera, acquired parts 11 and 12 of the super-resolution rimshot of Victoria Crater with the panoramic camera, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1473: Opportunity acquired parts 13 and 14 of the super-resolution rimshot of Victoria Crater with the panoramic camera, measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, and took images of the sky (known as "sky flats") for calibration purposes with the navigation camera.
Sol 1474: Opportunity monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly and surved the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1475: Opportunity ground into the surface of Dorsal New with the rock abrasion tool, swung the robotic arm out of the way, and took panoramic-camera images of the freshly ground surface.
Sol 1476: Opportunity acquired movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1477 (March 20, 2008): Opportunity acquired a 2-by-2-by-5 stack of microscopic images, along with eight extra microscopic images, of the freshly abraded rock surface, and placed the Möessbauer spectrometer on the target for further study.
Odometry:
As of sol 1476 (March 19, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,671.23 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1463-1470, Mar. 5-13, 2008: Opportunity Finds More Evidence of Ancient Water
Opportunity has completed scientific studies of the undisturbed surface of a rock target informally named "Dorsal" in the "Gilbert" rock layer inside "Victoria Crater." Dorsal is a protruding fin of rock created by minerals deposited in cracks that remained in place long after the original rock eroded away because they were more resistant to weathering.
Data collected with the Mössbauer and alpha-particle X-ray spectrometers show that the fins in Gilbert contain large quantities of the mineral hematite. This iron-bearing mineral is also abundant in the frequently occurring, round concretions known as "blueberries" that are believed to have formed in water. Scientists have been looking for such pristine fins ever since Opportunity first noticed them back in "Eagle Crater," where the rover landed more than four years ago.
Next, Opportunity will grind into the rock surface at a point informally named "Gilbert_A" to measure the chemical composition of the rock's interior using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Along the way, the rover has been getting close-up views of the fin with the microscopic imager.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1463 (March 5, 2008): Opportunity ran diagnostic tests of the robotic arm and acquired a 1-by-1-by-5 stack of microscopic images, with some extras thrown in for good measure, of Dorsal. The rover placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on a specific target informally named "Dorsal Tail" and spent about 10 hours collecting data with the instrument. Opportunity began work on a super-resolution mosaic of images of the rim of Victoria Crater known as the "rimshot panorama," acquiring part 1 of the mosaic using the panoramic camera. The rover acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a cobble nicknamed "Jin" on the slope above the rover.
Sol 1464: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and continued its investigation of Dorsal Tail. The rover acquired images with the navigation camera as well as part 2 of the super-resolution rimshot panorama, which will encompass the crater rim from "Cape Verde" to "Cabo Frio." Opportunity participated in a UHF relay of data with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as part of a panoramic-camera data compression test. The rover monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly and took super-resolution images of a rock target informally named "Lyell Oxford."
Sol 1465: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer for continued investigation of Dorsal Tail and acquired part 3 of the rimshot pan. Opportunity participated in another UHF relay with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to test compression of panoramic camera data. The rover measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and used the panoramic camera to survey the horizon and take spot images of the sky for calibration purposes.
Sol 1466: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and continued work on Dorsal Tail. The rover acquired full-color frames, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a disturbed slope.
Sol 1467: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and continued its investigation of Dorsal Tail. The rover completed work on part 4 of the super-resolution rimshot pan.
Sol 1468: Opportunity acquired a 1-by-1-by-3 stack of microscopic images of Dorsal Tail and a 1-by-1-by-3 stack of microscopic images of a rock exposure nicknamed "Dorsal New." The rover placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Dorsal New, took calibration images known as "sky flats" with the navigation camera, and acquired part 5 of the super-resolution rimshot panorama. Opportunity acquired data with the Mössbauer spectrometer and acquired part 6 of the super-resolution rimshot panorama.
Sol 1469: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and began to investigate Dorsal Tail with the instrument. The rover acquired parts 7 and 8 of the rimshot panorama.
Sol 1470 (March 13, 2008): Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and resumed studies of Dorsal Tail with the instrument. The rover acquired part 9 of the rimshot panorama and also used the panoramic camera to take spot images and thumbnail images of the sky.
Odometry:
As of sol 1469 (March 12, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,671.23 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1457-1462, Feb. 28 - Mar. 04, 2008: Opportunity Adjusts to Fluctuating Power Levels
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Solar array energy rose slightly (approximately 12 watt-hours) during the past week despite a slight increase in Tau, the measure of dust in the atmosphere. Then, on Sol 1462 (March 4, 2008), energy plunged about 19 watt-hours despite a drop in Tau. The dust factor, a measure of the amount of sunlight penetrating dust on the arrays, remained virtually unchanged at 0.72 (meaning 72 percent of sunlight made it through the layer of dust to generate electricity).
During the same time period, power went up to 432 watt-hours, then dropped to 419 watt-hours. The week before, it had declined from about 440 watt-hours to 415 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour). Nothing in the environment explains this. Mars is in late fall at the Opportunity site and moving toward winter, with the Sun sinking slightly lower each sol (Martian day). The rover hasn't moved or changed orientation. Tau and dust factor have been relatively steady. So why did power increase, then decrease?
During the previous week, Opportunity used its batteries. A lot. As the batteries discharged, their voltage dropped. Because power is just the product of the voltage and the solar array current, for a given amount of sunlight, the power is lower when recharging a discharged battery than a more fully charged battery. Opportunity's batteries were only about half-charged at the start of the week, bringing energy down a bit. The rover then recharged the batteries and energy went up. Opportunity then dipped into the battery again and energy went back down.
One reason for the increase in energy during the week was that Opportunity didn't complete all of the tasks rover handlers had planned because of a transmitter failure in NASA's Deep Space Network. This network is a collection of big dish antennas that talk and listen to spacecraft, including the Mars Exploration Rovers. Engineers send new plans, called sequences, to the rovers using the Deep Space Network. On sol 1458 (Feb. 29, 2008), they attempted to send plans to Opportunity for sols 1458-1460 (Feb. 29-March 2, 2008), giving instructions for work to be done over the weekend. When the transmitter failed and could not be immediately repaired, the rover repeated a section of the plan for sol 1457 (Feb. 28, 2008) called the "runout."
Each plan controls the rover for a single sol. At the end of the plan, the on-board computer tries to "handover" to the next day's plan. If the next day's plan isn't there, the existing plan continues running with a limited and standardized set of generic observations. In this case, the sol 1457 plan executed its runout for sols 1458, 1459 and 1460 (Feb. 29, March 1, and March 2, 2008).
Of course, there isn't room for an infinite runout, so at the end of the third sol, the rover usually executes a sequence known as "drop into automode." Automode means the plan has ended and is no longer controlling the rover. At that point, the rover is on its own and follows instructions programmed into its flight software for staying healthy and listening for further commands. If there's enough sunlight to power its systems, the rover wakes up, honors any preprogrammed communication windows, and shuts down if either the "up-too-long" limit is reached or the solar arrays aren't generating enough power, whichever comes first.
Because the runout didn't require as much power as the originally planned activities, Opportunity's batteries charged a bit more than expected, causing energy levels to rise.
Opportunity successfully tested communications with the European Space Agency's Mars Express Orbiter, which relays data to Earth much like NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, on sol 1461 (March 3, 2008). This and similar demonstrations are aimed at helping NASA's Phoenix mission, now en route to Mars, during entry, descent and landing in late May, 2008.
Opportunity also performed a "quick fine attitude" calibration. This is a procedure to hone the performance of a device called the inertial measurement unit that measures changes in orientation (yaw, pitch and roll). Like all gyroscopes, the unit drifts slightly with time and must be recalibrated every so often. During this procedure, a set of commands tells the panoramic camera to look for the Sun, identify where it is, compute the difference between its predicted and actual position, and update the inertial measurement unit accordingly. The correction from this particular recalibration was about 2.25 degrees, slightly larger than usual but not hugely so.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1457 (Feb. 28, 2008): Opportunity placed the microscopic imager over a rock target known as "Dorsal" and acquired a 2-by-1-by-20 stack of stereo (3-D) microscopic images. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Dorsal and spent about 6 hours acquiring data with the instrument, then went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1458: Opportunity was unable to complete the day's activites after a Deep Space Network transmitter outage. Items not completed included spot images of the sky, navigation camera measurements of atmospheric dust, movie frames in search of clouds, a "quick get fine attitude," acquisition of data with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and transmission of data to Odyssey.
Sol 1459: Following the previous sol's transmitter outage, Opportunity was unable to execute plans to acquire a 2-by-1 mosaic of panoramic camera images of an alcove in the rim of "Victoria Crater" known as"Cabo Frio," a 5-by-1 mosaic of rearward-looking navigation camera images, and Mössbauer spectrometer data. Opportunity was also not yet able to test communications with Mars Express or transmit data to Odyssey.
Sol 1460: Following the transmitter outage on Sol 1458, Opportunity was not able to execute plans to acquire full-color images using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera of a target dubbed "Jin," survey the horizon with the panoramic camera, acquire data with the Mössbauer spectrometer, take full-color images of the hole created with the rock abrasion tool in the rock layer known as "Lyell," or acquire six movie frames in search of clouds.
Sol 1461: With Deep Space Network transmissions restored, Opportunity suspended the Mössbauer spectrometer over Dorsal to set its position before moving the robotic arm out of the field of view of the hazard avoidance cameras, executed a "quick fine attitude," and acquired images for mapping and modeling the terrain with the front hazard avoidance cameras. The rover placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Dorsal and spent approximately 9 hours collecting data with the instrument. Opportunity successfully tested communications with Mars Express.
Sol 1462 (March 4, 2008): Opportunity acquired the previously planned 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Cabo Frio with the panoramic camera and 8-by-1 mosaic of rearward-looking images with the navigation camera. The rover switched tools from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and, after communicating with Odyssey, collected roughly 7 hours worth of compositional data with the instrument. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep. The following morning, Opportunity was scheduled to take the previously planned, full-color, panoramic-camera images of the hole ground into Lyell.
Odometry:
As of sol 1461 (March 3, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,671.23 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1451-1456, Feb. 22-27, 2008: Opportunity Studies Martian Dust and "Victoria Crater" Rocks
Opportunity continues to be healthy with all subsystems performing as expected. Energy has been declining slowly, from 440 watt-hours at the start of the period to 415 watt-hours at the end. Some of that decline is due to the advancing winter season but much of it is due to heavy battery usage. By dipping into the battery, the rover lowers its bus voltage (the bus is the main power distribution cable. All systems get their power through their connection to the bus.) As power is the product of voltage and array current, for a given amount of sunlight, power will be lower when the batteries are discharged compared to when they are more fully charged. This lower power is by design -- the rover uses the batteries to execute the science plan and then recharges the batteries to increase energy.
Tau, a measure of the amount of dust in the atmosphere blocking incoming sunlight, has averaged about 0.74. (A Tau of zero would correspond to a perfectly clear atmosphere.) A Tau of 0.74 means only about 45 percent of the direct sunlight reaches the solar array. (Note that atmospheric dust both absorbs and scatters sunlight. The absorbed light is lost as it turns to heat and warms the atmosphere. Scattered sunlight is not lost. It makes the whole sky "glow" and gives it a pinkish color. It also reaches the solar panels and generates a significant fraction of the rover's total power.)
For example, during the worst of the Martian dust storms some 200 sols ago, Tau hit 5.6, which meant only about 40 percent of the direct sunlight reached Opportunity's solar arrays. Scattered light generated virtually all the rover's power, about 130-160 watt-hours per sol. Currently, scattered light generates as much as half the rover's power depending on the time of day.
The rover measures Tau at various times of day, sometimes using two different cameras. The reason for this is that dust accumulates on the camera lenses, affecting the measurement. By taking Taus at different times, the rover sees the Sun through different depths of the atmosphere. If Tau is constant (and to a first approximation, it is), engineers can estimate how much sunlight is blocked by atmospheric dust and how much by camera dust. Comparing measurements from both the navigation and panoramic cameras, each with different amounts of dust, provides another means of determining how much sunlight is being blocked by the atmosphere or the camera. And as every photographer knows, different lighting conditions require different exposure times. The rover does the same thing by changing the exposure at different times of the Sol. Typically, the rover uses the panoramic camera to measure Tau, taking regular Tau measurements between mid-morning and early afternoon, "new Tau" measurements in mid-afternoon, and a sunset Tau near sunset.
Opportunity's dust factor, which is different from Tau, has been steady at 0.73, meaning that 73 percent of the sunlight reaching the solar arrays penetrates the dust layer to generate electricity.
While studying the various layers of rock in "Victoria Crater," Opportunity has discovered that the "Steno" layer is coarse-grained with well-defined, fine layering called laminae. The "Smith" rock layer is lighter in color and has still finer laminae. "Lyell" is darker again and has slightly coarser layers. "Gilbert," the lowest layer examined so far, appears similar to Lyell but without apparent layering. Scientists are comparing the layers in Victoria Crater to other craters Opportunity has visited to determine whether the processes that produced them were local or regional.
One of the interesting features at Gilbert is a line of "fins." These look like thin, little burrs of rock along one edge of the rock slab. A few have broken off and are lying flat on the surface of Gilbert. One of these, named "Dorsal," will be studied over the next week.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna and relaying data back to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1451 (Feb. 22, 2008): Opportunity acquired 6 movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera in addition to regular Tau, new Tau, and sunset Tau measurements with the panoramic camera. The rover spent about 6.3 hours measuring argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1452: Upon awakening, Opportunity measured Tau with the navigation camera. The rover took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and acquired 6 movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity took a regular Tau measurement, followed by a 2-by-2-by-3 stack of microscopic images of dust on the capture magnet and a 2-by-2-by-3 stack of microscopic images of dust on the filter magnet. Before sending data to Odyssey, the rover took a sunset Tau measurement. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity studied the elemental composition of dust on the filter magnet by integrating data from the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer for 5.5 hours. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1453: Upon solar array wakeup, Opportunity took Tau measurements with the navigation camera and thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired 6 movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity took a regular and a new Tau measurement. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity spent about 6.3 hours studying the elemental chemistry of dust on the filter magnet with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1454: Shortly after sunrise, Opportunity measured Tau and acquired 6 movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity monitored the physical characteristics of dust on the rover mast assembly, surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera, and created 6 more movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover made standard Tau measurements and, after the overpass of Odyssey, a new Tau measurement. Opportunity spent about 7.25 hours collecting data from the filter magnets with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer before going into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1455: Upon solar array wakeup, Opportunity measured Tau with the navigation camera, created two six-frame movies in search of clouds with the navigation camera, and took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired a 4-by-1 panel of panoramic camera images of a target called "Shrock." Opportunity made a regular Tau measurement and took full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a rock exposure dubbed "Gilbert_A." The rover placed the microscopic imager on Gilbert_A and acquired a 2-by-2-by-14 stack of stereo (3-D) microscopic images, then switched tools and placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the target. The rover took a new Tau measurement and, after sending data to Odyssey, spent about 6.25 hours acquiring compositional data from Gilbert_A.
Sol 1456 (Feb. 27, 2008): First thing in the morning, Opportunity took full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of both magnets. The rover made regular Tau measurements with the panoramic camera as well as a Tau measurement with the navigation camera and created a 6-frame movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity took full-color images of Gilbert_A as well as panoramic-camera images of the brush on the rock abrasion tool. The rover ran diagnostic tests related to a stall in Joint 1 (controlling shoulder position), placed the microscopic imager over Gilbert_A, and acquired a 2-by-2-by-12 stack of stereo images of the target. Opportunity then placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Gilbert_A. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity collected compositional data from Gilbert_A for about 4 hours. The following morning, the rover was to acquire regular Tau measurements, navigation-camera Tau measurements, and a 3-by-1 panel of panoramic-camera images of the promontory known as "Cape Verde."
Odometry:
As of sol 1455 (Feb. 26, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,671.23 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1444-1450, Feb. 15-21, 2008: Multi-Tasking Rover Helps Pave the Way for Next Mars Mission
Opportunity completed the first leg of a two-part drive toward an area of scientific interest known as "Gilbert" that involved moving backward in order to continue the drive without running into some unexpectedly deep soil to the rover's right. En route, Opportunity spent two Martian days acquiring compositional data from a rock exposure dubbed "Lyell-Exeter," measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere, and conducted remote-sensing activities.
In addition, Opportunity tested relay communications in support of NASA's Phoenix mission, due to land on Mars in late May. The first test, with the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft, took place on sol 1444 (Feb. 15, 2008) and was primarily a trial of a new command strategy to permit the orbiter to acquire a larger amount of data from the surface of Mars. The second test was a possible relay through the NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on sol 1446 (Feb. 17, 2008). This was an attempt to take advantage of an anomaly on the orbiter that turned off science instruments and placed the orbiter on standby to await instructions from Earth. The recovery timeline ended up not supporting this particular test. The third, with Mars Express on sol 1449 (Feb. 20, 2008), was part of a series of tests to determine differences in performance when the orbiter receives data from directly overhead and when the orbiter receives data when not directly overhead.
Opportunity remains healthy, with all subsystems performing as predicted. On sol 1449 (Feb. 20, 2008), the rover had 447 watt-hours of power (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for 1 hour).
Assuming Opportunity successfully completes a planned drive on sol 1450 (Feb. 21, 2008), the rover will be in position to begin a full complement of scientific investigations of Gilbert.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1444 (Feb. 15, 2008): After sending overnight data to Odyssey as it passed overhead, Opportunity measured the composition of Lyell-Exeter with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1445: Opportunity acquired early-morning, full-color images of a scuff made by the rover's left wheel using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity continued to acquire data from Lyell-Exeter with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1446: Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera and scanned the morning sky for clouds in movie frames taken with the navigation camera. Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, drove toward Gilbert, acquired images just before completing the drive with the hazard avoidance cameras, and acquired a 4-by-1, post-drive mosaic of images with the navigation camera. The rover then unstowed the robotic arm.
Sol 1447: Opportunity surveyed and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and documented potential clouds in movie frames taken with the navigation camera. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1448: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and acquired movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover surveyed the horizon and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1449: Upon awakening, Opportunity made a movie to document potential clouds with the navigation camera. The rover took spot images of the sky and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. Opportunity surveyed the evening sky at low Sun prior to communicating with the Odyssey orbiter.
Sol 1450 (Feb. 21, 2008): Opportunity took early-morning thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover also took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and acquired movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, drove toward Gilbert, acquired images just before completing the drive with the hazard avoidance cameras, unstowed the arm, and acquired a 360-degree mosaic of images with the navigation camera. The rover created 6 movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The following morning, Opportunity was to measure atmospheric dust with both the navigation and panoramic cameras, create another 6-frame movie in search of clouds with the navigation camera, and complete a survey of the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1449 (Feb. 20, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,669.13 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1437-1443, Feb. 8-14, 2008: Opportunity Proceeds with Caution on Sandy Slopes
After recovering from a stall in Joint 1, which controls the compass orientation of the shoulder on the rover's robotic arm, Opportunity is proceeding carefully to its next target, an exposure of layered rocks known as "Gilbert."
Opportunity ran the usual diagnostic tests for this sort of fault, which occurred while the rover was studying a rock target known as "Buckland," and successfully placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on the target on Sol 1437 (Feb. 8, 2008). On Sol 1438 (Feb. 9, 2008), the rover's handlers decided to relinquish further scientific studies of the target and proceed instead with a drive toward Gilbert. As this meant the rover would wander into new terrain, the team created a series of steps to allow Opportunity to characterize the surroundings along the way.
One of these steps involved placing the front two wheels on an area of soil to leave a scuff on the surface and backing up to take images of the exposed area. On Sol 1438, however, prior to reaching the intended soil area, Opportunity aborted the drive. The rover completed the second planned "scuffing" on Sol 1441 (Feb. 12, 2008). This time the scuff was successful, though it revealed an interesting surprise -- Opportunity's right front wheel dug in much more than the rover's handlers had expected, highlighting the need to proceed cautiously toward Gilbert.
Because Opportunity was unable to relay all of the diagnostic data to Earth at one time because the volume of data was more than could be accommodated, the rover's handlers decided that the prudent course of action was to wait one planning cycle before having Opportunity proceed with the drive. On Sol 1443 (Feb. 14, 2008), Opportunity completed a diagnostic examination of the grind bit on the rock abrasion tool and collected a mosaic of microscopic images of a rock target dubbed "Lyell Exeter," commemorating the college attended by geologist Sir Charles Lyell in the early 1800s, as well as compositional data using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. The latest available measurements on Sol 1443 showed a power level of 469 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for 1 hour). Plans for the coming weekend called for the rover to proceed with the first of a two-step drive toward Gilbert.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and assessing atmospheric dust levels with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1437 (Feb. 8, 2008): Opportunity recovered from last week's stall of Joint 1 on the robotic arm, succesfully placing the Mössbauer spectrometer on the surface of the rock target dubbed "Buckland" and spending 12 hours studying iron-bearing minerals with the instrument. The rover acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of dunes with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1438: Opportunity surveyed and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera before rolling a short distance to get into position for a photo session, during which the rover took full-color images of Buckland, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. Opportunity then drove in the direction of Gilbert and acquired a mid-drive, 3-by-1 image mosaic of Gilbert using the panoramic camera. The rover collected a 2-by-2 mosaic of post-drive images with the navigation camera, took images with the hazard avoidance cameras, and unstowed the robotic arm. Opportunity was unable to complete a planned soil scuff followed by a backward drive.
Sol 1439: After awakening, Opportunity took spot images of the sky, surveyed the horizon, and surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then completed a systematic ground survey, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. After relaying data to NASA's Odyssey orbiter as it passed overhead, the rover studied argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1440: Upon receiving enough solar energy to wake up autonomously, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover searched for morning clouds in movie frames taken with the navigation camera, took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera, and monitored dust accumulation on the mast assembly. Opportunity made additional measurements of atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer after transmitting data to Odyssey.
Sol 1441: Upon awakening, the rover surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then acquired movie frames in search of morning clouds with the navigation camera. The rover stowed the robotic arm, scuffed the soil with its wheels while driving toward Gilbert, and acquired a 3-by-1 mosaic of post-drive images of Gilbert with the panoramic camera as well as a 2-by-2 mosaic of navigation camera images and hazard avoidance camera images. Opportunity unstowed the robotic arm.
Sol 1442: Upon awakening, Opportunity took spot images of the sky and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover also surveyed the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1443 (Feb. 14, 2008): Upon awakening, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and acquired movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover surveyed the grinding bit on the rock abrasion tool and acquired a 2-by-2-by-14 stack of stereo microscopic images of Lyell Exeter. Opportunity placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Lyell Exeter, acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Gilbert with the navigation camera, and, after sending data to Odyssey, collected compositional data with the spectrometer. The following morning, Opportunity was to acquire full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of the area exposed by the rover's wheels and survey the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1443 (Feb. 14, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,668.08 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1430-1436, Feb. 1-7, 2008: Opportunity Searches for Martian Frost
During the past week, Opportunity took advantage of fresh rock tailings ground up by the rock abrasion tool to look for any frost accumulation on them on Sol 1435 (Feb. 6, 2008). The rover also used the WATCH sequence of computer commands to hunt for winter clouds above Victoria Crater on Sol 1431 (Feb. 2, 2008).
Meanwhile, Opportunity began wrapping up its campaign of scientific investigations of the outcrop target called "Buckland" at "site B" in the "Lyell" layer of rocks that rings the interior of "Victoria Crater." Plans call for Opportunity to drive deeper into Victoria Crater next week, to the next stratigraphic layer, dubbed "Gilbert."
In support of NASA's Phoenix mission, now en route to the red planet, Opportunity conducted a joint UHF communications test with NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Sol 1436 (Feb. 7, 2008).
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are nominal. Energy is currently around 483 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for 1 hour). On Sol 1437 (Feb. 8, 2008), Tau measurements of atmospheric dust were at 0.757 and dust factor measurements of sunlight penetration to the solar panels at 0.75.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and taking panoramic camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1430 (Feb. 1, 2008): Opportunity swung the robotic arm out of the way and acquired full-color images using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera and a 2-by-2-by-14 stack of stereo (3-D) images of Buckland. The rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1431: Upon receiving enough solar energy to wake up autonomously, Opportunity watched for Martian clouds and acquired movie frames in search of clouds with the navigation camera. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the surface of Buckland and, after relaying data to the Odyssey orbiter, used the spectrometer to gather data about the rock's elemental chemistry.
Sol 1432: Upon awakening, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of an area of layered rock known as "Harland" with the panoramic camera. Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on the surface of Buckland and spent 7 hours studying iron-bearing minerals in the rock with the instrument. The rover acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Harland with the panoramic camera before going into a deep sleep.
Sol 1433: Upon awakening, Opportunity acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Harland with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. The rover restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and acquired 12 hours worth of data with the instrument. Opportunity acquired an afternoon, 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Harland. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1434: Upon awakening, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky and completed a sky survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera. Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer on Buckland and spent 9 hours studying iron-bearing minerals with the instrument. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1435: Upon awakening, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity exchanged tools to the microscopic imager and acquired a 1-by-1-by-1 stack of microscopic images of Buckland prior to acquiring another 1-by-1-by-1 stack for comparison prior to searching for frost. At 3:33 p.m. local Mars time, Opportunity acquired a 1-by-1-by-4 stack of microscopic images in search of frost on the rock tailings exposed at Buckland.
Sol 1436 (Feb. 7, 2008): Upon awakening, Opportunity acquired thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. Additional plans, which included a survey of the bit on the rock abrasion tool, a survey of the rock abrasion tool with the panoramic camera, placement of the Mössbauer spectrometer on Buckland, and continued analysis of iron-bearing minerals, did not take place because of a stall in Joint 1, which controls the orientation of the shoulder on the rover's robotic arm. Opportunity did, however, close the cover of the microscopic imager. The rover went into a deep sleep. Plans for the following morning included surveying the horizon with the panoramic camera, searching the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and surveying the sky at high Sun with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1436 (Feb. 7, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,664.00 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1424-1429, Jan. 25-31, 2008: Opportunity Expands Geologic Studies in "Victoria Crater"
Opportunity has been investigating a rock outcrop nicknamed "Buckland" at "site B," at the deepest part of the ring of rocks known as the "Lyell" layer. For those keeping tabs on Opportunity's location, the rover is inside Victoria Crater, in an alcove known as "Duck Bay."
The planned roster of scientific investigations for the coming week includes taking microscopic images, analyzing elemental composition with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, and studying iron-bearing minerals with the Mössbauer spectrometer.
The rover is healthy and all subsystems are performing as expected. Energy is currently around 505 watt-hours (a little more than the energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for 5 hours). As of the end of January, Tau measurements of atmospheric dust stood at about 0.685 and dust factor measurements of sunlight penetrating dust on the solar panels stood at about 0.74.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, relaying data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and taking panoramic camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1424 (Jan. 25, 2008): The day's plans did not make it on board Opportunity because of an outage in the Deep Space Network of antennas on Earth. Those plans included exchanging tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and collecting data with the instrument, in addition to acquiring a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of an area of dust-covered, possibly layered rocks below the Lyell layer known as "Gilbert," taking spot images of the sky and surveying the horizon with the panoramic camera, and scanning the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1425: Instead of acquiring data about iron-bearing minerals with the Mössbauer spectrometer because of the previous day's communications lapse, Opportunity acquired data with the instrument pointed at the Martian atmosphere. Opportunity acquired a full-color, 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Gilbert using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover surveyed and acquired thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1426: Instead of acquiring data about iron-bearing minerals with the Mössbauer spectrometer because of the communications lapse on Sol 1424, Opportunity acquired data with the instrument pointed at the Martian atmosphere. Opportunity studied iron-bearing minerals with the Mössbauer spectrometer. Using the panoramic camera, the rover acquired a 6-by-2 mosaic of images, took thumbnail images of the sky, and completed a survey at high Sun.
Sol 1427: Opportunity took images with the front hazard avoidance cameras, completed a grind-scan procedure with the rock abrasion tool to locate the surface of Buckland, and acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Gilbert with the panoramic camera. The rover measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1428: Upon generating enough solar energy to wake up automously, Opportunity acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Gilbert with the panoramic camera. The rover monitored dust on the panoramic-camera mast assembly.
Sol 1429: (Jan. 31, 2008): Opportunity awoke autonomously and acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of dust particles captured by the rover's external magnets. Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera and ground into the surface of Buckland with the rock abrasion tool. The rover acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of Gilbert with the panoramic camera. The following morning, Opportunity was to acquire movie frames in search of Martian clouds with the navigation camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1429 (Jan. 31, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,664.00 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1416-1423, Jan. 17-24, 2008: Opportunity Marks Fourth Anniversary on Mars
Like the Spirit rover three weeks earlier, Opportunity achieved a new milestone of four years of exploration on the surface of Mars.
Opportunity drove even deeper into "Victoria Crater" along the slopes of the alcove known as "Duck Bay" to a rock outcrop called "Buckland." On sol 1416 (Jan. 17, 2008) the rover attempted a 5-meter (16-foot) drive. In the middle of the drive, however, Opportunity stopped and drove back uphill to ensure the rover could drive back out again. During this drive the vehicle experienced a slippage rate of 46 percent, exceeding the limit of 40 percent set by rover planners, and stopped driving.
On sol 1418 (Jan. 19, 2008), rover planners decided to increase the limit to 60 percent. While backing up, the rover experienced only 23-percent slip, possibly as a result of making contact with bedrock and getting better traction after the rover's wheels had removed a thin layer of sand. Following the successful slip check, the rover continued downslope to Buckland. On sol 1421 (Jan. 22, 2008) Opportunity commenced a campaign of scientific investigations of the outcrop by amassing 60 microscopic images. Weekend plans call for Opportunity to spend approximately 46 hours studying iron-bearing minerals using the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Opportunity is healthy, with all systems performing as expected.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna. returning data to Earth via the UHF antenna on the Mars Odyssey orbiter, and taking panoramic camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1416 (Jan. 17, 2008): Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, which carries many of the rover's scientific instruments, and drove 5 meters downslope toward Buckland. The rover unstowed the robotic arm and acquired a 5-by-1 mosaic of images of surrounding terrain and a 1-by-1 mosaic of a target area known as "site C" with the navigation camera. Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds above Victoria Crater with the navigation camera.
Sol 1417: Opportunity measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera, monitored dust on the rover mast, and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1418: Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, drove to Buckland, unstowed the robotic arm, and acquired a post-drive, 5-by-1 mosaic of images of surrounding terrain as well as a rearward-looking, 5-by-1 mosaic of images with the navigation camera. The rover scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1419: Opportunity acquired a 3-by-5 mosaic of images with the panoramic camera, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and took spot images and thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1420: Opportunity took spot images and thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1421: Opportunity acquired a 2-by-2-by-5 stack of microscopic images plus 36 extras and a full-color view of the work volume reachable by the robotic arm using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Buckland and collected compositional data with the instrument. Oppportunity took spot images of the sky and completed a sky survey at high Sun using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1422: Opportunity placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Buckland and acquired more compositional data. The rover took spot images of the sky and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. Opportunity searched for clouds using the navigation camera.
Sol 1423 (Jan. 24, 2008): Opportunity acquired a 2-by-5 mosaic of images. The rover completed a sky survey and took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1423 (Jan. 24, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,664.00 meters (7.25 miles).
sol 1411-1415, Jan. 12-16, 2008: Plans Call for Opportunity to Drive Deeper into "Victoria Crater"
Opportunity has experienced no further stalls in the shoulder joint that recently stalled two times in a row. Engineers have identified at least four variables that may have contributed to the stall, including very small movements, very slow movements, movements that exert torque (a twisting force) on the shoulder joint while the robotic arm is extended far away from the vehicle, and movements in an uphill direction that go against the force of Martian gravity.
The team is employing techniques to avoid moving the robotic arm under these conditions.
After completing investigation of the contact between the "Smith" and "Lyell" rock layers inside "Victoria Crater," Opportunity continues its exploration of "Duck Bay," an alcove in the crater's rim. Plans call for Opportunity to drive about 5 meters (16 feet) deeper into the crater on sol 1416 (Jan. 17, 2008) and take images of the terrain.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to receiving instructions directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna and taking panoramic camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1411 (Jan. 12, 2008): Opportunity acquired a 4-by-1-by-5 mosaic of stereo microscopic images on the Lyell side of the Smith-Lyell contact, placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on target, and searched the Martian sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1412: Opportunity searched the sky above Victoria Crater for clouds with the navigation camera and collected compositional data from the surface with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1413: Opportunity continued to watch the Martian sky for clouds and acquire compositional data with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1414: Opportunity acquired a 1-by-1-by-5 stack of images on the Lyell side of the Smith-Lyell contact with the microscopic imager. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the Lyell layer and acquired compositional data about the rock. Opportunity relayed data to Odyssey during the orbiter's overnight pass.
Sol 1415 (Jan. 16, 2008): Opportunity completed measurements of the Lyell rock layer with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Odometry:
As of sol 1415 (Jan. 16, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,653.18 meters (7.24 miles).
sol 1402-1410, Jan. 3-11, 2008: Opportunity Continues Exploration Despite Stall in Robotic Arm
On sol 1404 (Jan. 5, 2008), as Opportunity was in the process of moving the robotic arm out of the field of view of the hazard avoidance cameras, the rover experienced a stall in joint 1, which has stalled before and controls shoulder orientation. Rover handlers directed Opportunity to perform a set of diagnostic tests on sol 1407 (Jan. 8, 2008) to determine what happened. Opportunity successfully completed the first part of the diagnostic test but experienced another stall in the joint during the second part of the test, when the rover attempted to repeat the move it had been making during the first stall.
In the activity plan for sol 1409 (Jan. 10, 2008), rover drivers directed Opportunity to again execute the same motion. This time, Opportunity retracted the robotic arm, reducing the load on joint 1.
The rover science team will continue to closely monitor and evaluate use of the joint as Opportunity explores Victoria Crater. This week, Opportunity drove a short distance to get into position study the contact area between two rock layers inside "Victoria Crater" known as "Lyell" and "Smith."
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna and panoramic camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1402 (Jan. 3, 2008): Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, drove to a new position, acquired images of the new location with the hazard avoidance cameras, unstowed the robotic arm, and acquired a 360-degree view of the surrounding terrain with the navigation camera.
Sol 1403: Upon receiving enough solar energy to wake up autonomously, Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover surveyed the sky at high Sun and acquired a 4-by-2 mosaic of images with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1404: After swinging the robotic arm out of the way, Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of surfaces reachable by instruments on the robotic arm. In particular, Opportunity examined "Tijuana," a rock exposure in the contact zone between the rock layers known as "Smith" and "Lyell." Opportunity also took images of the target area with the rover's front hazard avoidance cameras and acquired a 5-by-1 tier of images with the navigation camera. After communicating with the Odysssey orbiter, Opportunity spent 5.5 hours measuring atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1405: Upon awakening, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired a mosaic of images with the panoramic camera in search of dust. After relaying data to Odyssey, Opportunity spent 6.5 hours measuring atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover then went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1406: After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity continued to assess atmospheric argon, spending 7.5 hours integrating data with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into another mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1407: Opportunity conducted diagnostic tests in an effort to recover from a stall in joint 1 that occurred on sol 1404.
Sol 1408: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1409: Opportunity scanned the sky for morning clouds using the navigation camera. Opportunity conducted additional diagnostic tests of the robotic arm, acquired a 4-by-1-by-5 mosaic of microscopic images of Smith, and placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Smith to collect compositional data. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity collected data with the instrument until 11:30 p.m. Mars time.
Sol 1410 (Jan. 11, 2008): Opportunity acquired spot images of the sky for calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. After transmitting data to Odyssey, Opportunity resumed collecting data with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Plans for the following morning called for the rover to assess dust accumulation on the rover mast.
Odometry:
As of sol 1409 (Jan. 10, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,653.18 meters (7.24 miles).
Opportunity has seen almost no change in atmospheric dust levels or dust accumulation on the solar panels. Even so, energy has varied as Opportunity's activity levels have varied. In particular, the timing of those activities changes the state of charge of the batteries as well as the bus voltage.
The bus is the main electrical conductor in the rover's power distribution system. It connects directly to the battery and distributes energy to all the rover's instruments. The rover monitors the bus voltage, which is usually within a few millivolts of the battery voltage. When the rover uses battery power -- that is, when energy is transferred from the battery to the bus to rover instruments -- the bus voltage goes down. When the battery recharges, the bus voltage goes up.
In a sense, the bus voltage is an indicator of energy efficiency -- solar arrays generate more energy for a given amount of sunlight when bus voltage is up than when bus voltage is down. This is because the total amount of electrical power available, measured in watts, depends not only on the amount of sunlight reaching the solar panels (which generates electrical current) but also the bus voltage. Voltage is analogous to water pressure; electrical current is analogous to water flow measured in gallons per minute. For a given water pressure, a large pipe transfers more gallons per minute than does a small pipe. For a given pipe size, high water pressure sends more water per minute gushing through the pipe than does low water pressure.
During the past week, Opportunity completed some evening and overnight activities that drew heavily on the batteries. As a result, bus voltage was relatively low when the rover began recharging the battery the following day, resulting in somewhat lower total energy.
Energy has hovered in the range of 575 to 590 watt-hours, averaging about 580 watt-hours (almost enough to light a 100-watt bulb for six hours) per Martian day. Tau measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust have been remarkably steady, averaging about 0.71. The dust factor has also been steady, averaging 0.787.
Opportunity continued to investigate the chemistry of the "Lyell" layer inside "Victoria Crater." Lyell is the third and lowest layer of a light-colored band of material that rings the crater. The rover conducted compositional analysis with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Afterward, Opportunity took measurements with the Mössbauer spectrometer to characterize iron-bearing minerals beneath the surface of Lyell, inside a hole the rover drilled last week.
These days, it takes longer to acquire data with the Mössbauer spectrometer than it did at the beginning of the mission. The Mössbauer spectrometer uses a radioactive source containing cobalt-57 to irradiate the rocks. Because the half-life of the source is about 271.8 days and more than 1,640 days have passed since the spacecraft left Earth, a little more than six half-lives have elapsed. The source now has only about 1.5 percent of its original strength. With the source so depleted, Opportunity must spend tens of hours (60 hours is more or less the minimum) collecting enough data to "see" fine details of the iron chemistry.
Comparisons between observations of two targets in the rock surface, known as "Lyell_3" and "Lyell_1," will enable scientists to assess variability within the rock layer. Comparisons with the two higher rock layers, "Smith" and "Steno," and with observations from other craters will help scientists determine the geologic histories along with local and regional similarities and differences.
Mid-week, Opportunity took images of the grind bit on the rock abrasion tool to assess wear and the condition of the wire brush -- wear is about the same and the brush remains bent but usable. Opportunity also took images of the Mössbauer spectrometer, where a small clod of dirt is clinging to the contact sensor. This has happened before and is not a concern.
Finally, Opportunity took images looking downslope in search of new drive destinations and science targets.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are operating as expected.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and panoramic camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1396 (Dec. 28, 2007): Opportunity placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Lyell_3, and after communicating with the Odyssey orbiter, went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1397: Upon collecting enough sunlight to wake up, Opportunity took a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of a spot known as "drive target 1" and acquired a full-color mosaic of images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a target dubbed "Walcott," a rough exposure of the Steno rock layer. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity spent approximately 17 hours integrating data from Lyell_3 with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1398: Opportunity acquired a 2-by-1 mosaic of images of a destination referred to as "drive target 2." After sending data to the Odyssey orbiter, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1399: Opportunity took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover observed the ondition of the grind bit and brush on the rock abrasion tool using the hazard avoidance cameras. Similarly, the rover surveyed the overall condition of the rock abrasion tool with the panoramic camera. Opportunity surveyed the dirt clod clinging to the Mössbauer spectrometer, placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on the hole previously ground into Lyell_1, and spent about 11.25 hours acquiring data from the rock with the instrument. After communicating with Odyssey, the rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1400: Opportunity spent approximately 12 hours acquiring data from Lyell_1 with the Mössbauer spectrometer and took full-color images from the rover's current position of a hole previously ground into the surface of Smith. The rover took full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a nearby rock target known as "Grabau." After transmitting data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1401 (Jan. 2, 2008): Opportunity characterized dust accumulation on the rover mast and spent approximately 12 hours collecting data from Lyell_1 with the Mössbauer spectrometer. Following the overhead pass of the Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity went into a mini-deep sleep.
Odometry:
As of sol 1401 (Jan. 2, 2008), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,591.21 meters (7.2 miles).
sol 1389-1395, Dec 27, 2007: Still Grinding After All These Years
With only about a month remaining before Opportunity's fourth anniversary (in Earth years) of Mars exploration, NASA's robotic geologist is still grinding into the surface of rocks to unlock the secrets of their interior chemistry. Meanwhile, fall arrived in the southern hemisphere of Mars on Dec. 9, 2007, Opportunity's 1,378th Martian day, or sol, of exploration of the Red Planet. Ten days later, Earth made its closest approach to Mars, coming within 88 million kilometers (54.8 million miles).
Opportunity used the rock abrasion tool to bore a shallow hole into a rock target known as "Lyell_1" and then spent about 70 hours integrating data about iron minerals inside the rock using the Mössbauer spectrometer.
During integration with the Mössbauer spectrometer, the rover adds measurements in a running total, sort of like exposing film. A longer exposure builds up the light areas, improves contrast, and results in a clearer, more distinct image, whereas a shorter exposure produces an image that is somewhat underexposed, darker, and less well defined. Similarly, longer integrations with the Mössbauer spectrometer yield more distinct signatures of iron content and the chemical state of the iron.
At the end of the Mössbauer campaign, Opportunity re-positioned the robotic arm to take images of the grind hole. The rover's handlers postponed acquiring images until after the holidays. On sol 1395 (Dec. 27, 2007), Opportunity acquired a mosaic of microscopic images of the ground rock surface before placing the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on a new rock target known as "Lyell_2." The resulting 2-by-2-by-14 mosaic was a collection of microscopic images arranged side-by-side like the four windowpanes in a square window. Within each of the four panes, Opportunity took 14 microscopic images at various distances from the rock surface. Because the microscopic imager is a fixed-focus camera, this process of acquiring images at different heights enables the rover to obtain images with different focal points. Because engineers don't always know where the best focus point will be, they start high, move closer, and finish low. Ideally, the middle pictures will be perfectly focused and higher and lower images will be slightly fuzzy.
Usually, the rover takes a stack of five microscopic images. This time, however, Opportunity took one image up high, one image down low, and four images at each of the three intervening heights. The multiple images will allow image processing experts to determine a digital average and cancel out unwanted data, known as "noise" to engineers.
In addition to studies using the Mössbauer and alpha-particle X-ray spectrometers, Opportunity conducted routine atmospheric tests, acquiring so-called Tau measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera. The rover took additional panoramic camera images of the immediate area using multiple filters. By combining images taken with different filters, engineers can create both true- and false-color views.
Following is a typical sol in the life of the Opportunity rover: Each Martian day is divided into blocks of activities separated by naps. The first block, known as the "engineering block," begins when sunlight is strongest and temperatures are warmest. This is when the rover performs the bulk of the day's activities, including drives and housekeeping activities such as arm movements. After this, Opportunity takes a "nap" with no activities to allow the early afternoon sun to recharge the rover batteries.
In the late afternoon, the rover wakes up for a communication session with the orbiting Odyssey spacecraft. This period is known as the "Odyssey block" and involves "pre-Odyssey," "Odyssey," and "post-Odyssey" activities. Afterward, the rover naps or goes into a deep sleep. During deep sleep, the rover shuts off power to almost everything on board. The following morning, the rover may wake up autonomously if there is enough solar power -- this time period is called "solar array wakeup." During this block, engineers usually schedule one or two small activities, followed by another nap to recharge the batteries. If there isn't enough solar power, the rover omits the solar array wakeup block.
Finally, the rover wakes up for the daily X-band communication session with Earth. This is known as the "AM block." At this time, the rover generally does imaging activities in parallel with communications. This block ends with a so-called "handover" from the previous sol's plan to the new sol's plan.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and panoramic camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1389 (Dec. 20, 2007): Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of the turret, placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Lyell_1, and acquired approximately 12 hours worth of data with the instrument.
Sol 1390: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and spent approximately 12 hours integrating data with the instrument. Opportunity acquired a 13-by-1 mosaic of panoramic camera images of Lyell_1 and used the navigation camera to pinpoint the Sun's location in support of the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory mission. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1391: Upon solar array wakeup, Opportunity monitored atmospheric dust and then monitored dust on the rover mast assembly. The rover restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and spent about 12 hours integrating data from Lyell_1 with the instrument. Opportunity acquired a 5-by-1 tier of navigation camera images and, after communicating with Odyssey, went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1392: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer integration of Lyell_1 and spent about 12 hours collecting data with the instrument. Opportunity acquired a 4-by-1 mosaic of images looking downslope at a target known as "Gilbert." The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1393: Upon solar array wakeup, Opportunity measured atmospheric dust and acquired Part 1 of a panoramic camera mosaic of foreground images. Opportunity spent another 12 hours engaged in Mössbauer spectrometer analysis of Lyell_1 and, after communicating with Odyssey, went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1394: Following solar array wakeup, Opportunity monitored atmospheric dust and acquired Part 2 of the panoramic camera mosaic of foreground images. The rover conducted a survey at high Sun with the panoramic camera, restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer, and spent about 12 hours integrating data from the instrument. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1395 (Dec. 27, 2007): Upon solar array wakeup, Opportunity measured atmospheric dust and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity swung the robotic arm out of the way of the hazard avoidance camera, acquired full-color images of Lyell_1 using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, and swung the robotic arm back into place over Lyell_1. The rover acquired stereo microscopic images of Lyell_1 and placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Lyell_2. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity spent approximately 17 hours integrating Mössbauer spectrometer data from Lyell_2. The following morning, after communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity was scheduled to measure atmospheric dust and take thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1395 (Dec. 27, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,591.21 meters (7.2 miles).
sol 1382-1388, Dec 19, 2007: Opportunity Enjoys Ample Power ... for Now
As Martian winter deepens at Opportunity's location, solar power will slowly decrease, now that the Sun has begun to drop toward the northern horizon. The sub-solar point -- where the Sun's rays are exactly perpendicular to the rover -- passed the Opportunity site on Nov. 30, 2007 (Sol 1368). Since then, the Sun has been north of Opportunity, making the preferred tilt of the rover's solar array toward the north for maximum power production.
For the time being, Opportunity has been generating a little more than 600 watt-hours of solar power each Martian day (enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for more than six hours). Measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, known as Tau, have hovered between 7.0 and 8.0, and the solar arrays have been relatively clean, with dust factors of around 0.8 (a dust factor of 1.0 corresponds to a perfectly clean array).
Martian autumn in the southern hemisphere, where Opportunity is located, began on Dec. 9th, 2007 (Sol 1378). Martian winter officially begins June 25, 2008 (Sol 1571).
Opportunity continues to study the so-called "bathtub ring," a lighter-colored layer of rock inside "Victoria Crater." The ring is believed to be the original martian surface before it was buried beneath material thrown out when a meteor crashed into the surface and formed the crater. Most of the ejecta blanket fell nearby and created a ramp that rises from the original surface to a lip around the rim. Below the lip lies the "bathtub ring." Rover science team members have subdivided this ring of rocks into three layers and nicknamed them "Steno," "Smith," and "Lyell" -- in honor of famous geologists of the 17th through 19th centuries.
Investigation of Steno, the top layer, and Smith, the middle layer, is now complete. Opportunity then drove 6.89 meters (22.6 feet) from an exposure known as "Smith_1" to a feature on the Lyell layer called "Newell." Within Newell, Opportunity has selected a new target position nicknamed "Lyell_1." It is this target that consumed most of Opportunity's attention during the past week.
Opportunity began its investigation of "Lyell_1" by taking a stereo (three-dimensional) mosaic of microscopic images. Because the terrain is rough, the rover collected more microscopic images than usual to ensure that some would be at the best focus. Opportunity then collected data from the undisturbed rock surface using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. This spectrometer provides information about the elements in the rock, from which scientists can infer the rock's chemical composition.
After that, Opportunity prepared to bore into the target with the rock abrasion tool. Because an encoder on the tool has failed, Opportunity uses a special, two-part sequence. During the first part, known as a "grind scan," Opportunity gently extends the grinding bit onto the rock. Electrical currents and switch contacts allow a fairly accurate determination of where the rock surface actually is relative to the rover. During the second part, Opportunity applies a small preload of 10 newtons (or about 2 1/4 pounds of force) to slowly push the grind bit into the rock. As the surface is worn away, the bit travels deeper into the rock.
This time, however, Opportunity had a problem with the grind scan. The grind bit seemed to come into contact with the rock several millimeters (about 1/8th inch) before it was expected to do so. Measurements indicated the bit wasn't exactly perpendicular to the rock and the side tilted toward the surface had made contact a little early.
Following further analysis, the science team decided the tool's orientation was acceptable and proceeded with the grind the following sol (Martian day). As there wasn't enough time in a single day to bore as deeply as scientists had hoped, they continued the grind the next sol. At the end of the second grind, the rover moved the robotic arm out of the way to take images of the hole with the panoramic camera. Opportunity then placed the arm back over the hole, inserted the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer in the hole, and began collecting compositional data about the interior of the rock, beneath the dust and weathered surface. Comparison of the results before and after the grind should indicate how the rock has been altered over geologic time.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are operating as expected.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and standard measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust using the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1382 (Dec. 13, 2007): Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, drove to Lyell, and acquired hazard avoidance camera images before and after finishing the drive. The rover used the panoramic camera to complete a quick fine attitude, in which the rover corrects for changes over time in the inertial measurement unit by checking the rover's precise position relative to the Sun. Opportunity unstowed the robotic arm and acquired a 360-degree panorama of images with the navigation camera. After relaying data during the overpass of the Odyssey orbiter, the rover went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1383: Opportunity took images of the sky for calibration purposes with the panoramic camera. After the overhead pass of the Odyssey orbiter, the rover went into a deep sleep. When the Sun's rays energized the solar array the next morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1384: Opportunity acquired stereo microscopic images of Lyell_1 and placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the target. After communicating with Odyssey, Opportunity spent 16 1/2 hours collecting data with the spectrometer.
Sol 1385: Opportunity acquired a mosaic of images of Lyell_1 with the panoramic camera and, after communicating with the Odyssey orbiter as it passed overhead, spent 7 1/4 hours collecting data from Lyell_1 with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1386: Opportunity completed a grind scan on Lyell_1 with the rock abrasion tool and acquired a mosaic of images of the target using the panoramic camera. After sending data to Odysssey, Opportunity spent 6 hours measuring atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep. The following morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1387: Opportunity ground into Lyell_1 with the rock abrasion tool. After sending data to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep. The next morning, Opportunity completed "sunfind" activities -- a process of searching for the Sun to determine the rover's precise heading -- in support of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, scheduled for launch in 2009. The rover took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1388 (Dec. 19, 2007): Opportunity continued the grind into Lyell_1, swung the robotic arm out of view of the panoramic camera, and acquired images of Lyell_1 with the panoramic camera and the front hazard avoidance camera. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer back on the target and, after sending data to Odyssey while the orbiter passed overhead, acquired 16 1/2 hours worth of data with the spectrometer. The next morning, Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1388 (Dec. 19, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,591.21 meters (7.2 miles).
sol 1375-1381, Dec 17, 2007: Opportunity Maneuvers Around Steeper Slopes in "Victoria Crater"
Opportunity is now in the process of driving to the third band of light-colored rocks that circumscribe "Victoria Crater" beneath the rim. Scientists had initially planned to have the rover head directly downhill to a rock target nicknamed "Ronov," within the band known as "Lyell." They selected an alternate rock exposure, dubbed "Newell," when engineers determined that the original drive route would tilt the rover 25 degrees, somewhat higher than desired. The estimated tilt along the new route is a much gentler 20 degrees but the drive is somewhat more complex and required two days of planning.
During the past week, Opportunity completed scientific investigation of the second band of rocks, known as "Smith," with an analysis of elemental chemistry and iron-bearing minerals beneath the surface of a rock exposure labeled "Smith2." To do this, the rover collected data with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer Mössbauer spectrometer, respectively.
If next week's planned drive goes as anticipated and closer inspection of Newell deems it to be an acceptable target, Opportunity is likely to stay at the new location for several weeks collecting data. Scientists plan to have the rover conduct a complete campaign of studies with the alpha-particle X-ray and Mössbauer spectrometers, microscopic imager, rock abrasion tool, and on-board cameras.
During the planned drive, Opportunity will complete a "Get Quick Fine Attitude," a procedure for determining the rover's position relative to the changing position of the Sun. This activity recalibrates the inertial measurement unit and eliminates tiny errors that accumulate over time in pointing the antenna.
Opportunity is healthy and all subsystems are operating as expected. The latest available power readings, taken on Martian day, or sol, 1379 (Dec. 10, 2007), show solar energy levels at a robust 601 watt-hours, enough to light a 100-watt bulb for 6 hours.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and standard measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust using the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1375 (Dec. 6, 2007): Opportunity placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Smith2 and, after the overpass of the Odyssey orbiter, collected data with the instrument. The next morning, when the Sun powered the solar arrays, Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1376: Opportunity conducted extensive measurements of atmospheric dust and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1377: Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Smith 2 and collected data with the instrument. Opportunity acquired calibration images and part 1 of a panoramic view of the rover deck that involved 23 pointings with the panoramic camera. The rover surveyed the sky at high sun with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1378: Opportunity re-started the Mössbauer spectrometer and continued data collection from Smith2. The rover acquired part 2 of a panoramic view of the rover deck, completing 24 pointings of the panoramic camera. Opportunity surveyed and took spot images of the sky for calibration purposes using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1379: Opportunity re-started the Mössbauer spectrometer and resumed data collection from Smith2. The rover then acquired part 3 of the panoramic view of the spacecraft deck, a series that entailed 29 pointings of the panoramic camera. In the morning, Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera and monitored dust on the rover mast assembly.
Sol 1380: Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1381 (Dec. 12, 2007): Opportunity surveyed the sky at low sun with the panoramic camera and measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover searched for clouds in the morning sky with the navigation camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1379 (Dec. 5, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,584.32 meters (7.2 miles), where the rover has been stationed since the last drive on Sol 1329 (Oct. 20, 2007).
sol 1368-1374, Dec 10, 2007: Opportunity Grinds into Rock in "Victoria Crater"
Opportunity spent part of the past week carefully grinding a hole into the surface of a light-colored ring of rock inside "Victoria Crater" known as "Smith," despite the previous loss of encoders that enabled two of the motors of the rock abrasion tool to operate under control of the tool's flight software. The endeavor was successful, with the rover grinding to a depth of about 1 millimeter - about the thickness of a dime - deep enough to allow measurement of the rock chemistry beneath the surface. The rover is healthy and all systems are normal.
Rover engineers devised and tested a novel approach for operating the rock abrasion tool that enabled it to locate the surface independent of the encoders on the grind and revolve motors. Opportunity implemented a "Grind Scan" procedure to find the surface on sol 1368 (Nov. 29, 2007). Two days later, on sol 1370 (Dec. 1, 2007), Opportunity ground into the surface. Though the science team originally planned to have the tool grind 2 millimeters into the surface, the contact switches that engaged when the tool was placed on the rock released, likely due to vibration under a light pre-load of the RAT against the target. This release caused the grinding to halt at half the planned depth. Images sent to Earth showed that even though the hole was somewhat unusual in appearance as the result of a bent wire brush, it was suitable for analysis using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Images of the sky taken on sol 1373 (Dec. 4, 2007) showed that some of the dust had cleared from the lens of Opportunity's microscopic imager.
Working with NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Opportunity completed the second of two communications tests verifying the relay capability of the orbiter in preparation for the Phoenix mission, now en route to Mars. The second round of testing involved the use of the Electra telecommunications package on the orbiter to measure the distance and speed of incoming spacecraft relative to Mars based on UHF radio signals and to measure the location of a landed spacecraft on the surface of Mars. Opportunity provided useful data for both measurements - using the "relative window" mode and the "fixed window" mode.
Opportunity continued to generate abundant solar power levels of 638 watt-hours, enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for more than 6 hours, measured on Martian day, or sol, 1373 (Dec. 4, 2007). Scientists planned to have the rover finish up work on Smith and then descend to the last of three light-colored rings of rock. This final ring is known as "Lyell."
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and standard measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust using the panoramic and navigation cameras, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1368 (Nov. 29, 2007): Opportunity completed the "Grind Scan" procedure to find the rock surface to be ground, tested UHF communications with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and acquired panoramic camera images, including part 5 of a panorama of a light-toned exposure of rock known as "Pettijohn." Upon awakening the next morning, Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds using the navigation camera.
Sol 1369: Opportunity took extensive measurements of atmospheric dust and searched for clouds using the navigation camera.
Sol 1370: Opportunity ground into the surface of the rock target known as "Smith2," acquired images of the sky with the microscopic imager to monitor dust on the instrument lens, and measured argon gas in the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The next morning, the rover scanned the sky for clouds using the navigation camera.
Sol 1371: Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of Smith2. The rover acquired additional images with the panoramic camera, including part 6 of the Pettijohn panorama.
Sol 1372: Opportunity surveyed the sky at high sun with the panoramic camera, took extensive measurements of atmospheric dust, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and took spot images of the sky to calibrate the panoramic camera.
Sol 1373: Opportunity acquired stereo, microscopic images of Smith2, surveyed the rock abrasion tool and the grinding bit with the panoramic camera, and took more full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of Smith2. Opportunity took images of the sky with the microscopic imager to characterize dust on the lens and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1374 (Dec. 5, 2007): In addition to measuring atmospheric dust, Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds using the navigation camera, surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera, and took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1374 (Dec. 5, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,584.32 meters (7.2 miles), where the rover has been stationed since the last drive on Sol 1329 (Oct. 20, 2007).
sol 1361-1367, Nov 30, 2007: Multi-Tasking Rover Supports Multiple Missions
Opportunity continues to investigate the rock exposure known as "Smith2" in the second of three bathtub ring-like layers of rock inside "Victoria Crater" as well as test communications for Phoenix, NASA's next mission to Mars. The rover is healthy and all subsystems are normal.
On Sol 1361 (Nov. 22, 2007), Opportunity performed diagnostic tests of the shoulder joint that controls side-to-side movement of the robotic arm, known as Joint 1. The joint had stalled on Sol 1359 (Nov. 20, 2007) while the rover was taking measurements with the microscopic imager. The tests revealed no anomalous readings. Opportunity acquired the rest of the microscopic images of Smith 2 on Sol 1366 (Nov. 27, 2007).
After the diagnostic tests, Opportunity studied the elemental chemistry of Smith2 with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and the composition and abundance of iron-bearing minerals in the outcrop with the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Working with NASA's Reconnaissance Orbiter, Opportunity successfully tested UHF radio transmissions in support of entry, descent, landing, and surface operations of the Phoenix mission, now en route to the red planet. On Sol 1367 (Nov. 28, 2007), the rover and the orbiter used the international standard known as the Proximity-1 protocol for spacecraft data transfers.
Phoenix is expected to arrive at Mars on May 25, 2008. Radio signals from Phoenix may also be receivable directly via the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in Virginia, the world's largest, fully steerable radio telescope.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and standard measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust using the panoramic and navigation cameras, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1361 (Nov. 22, 2007): Opportunity performed diagnostic tests of the robotic arm, placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the target known as Smith2, and collected 6 hours of data with the instrument. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep and upon awakening the next morning, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1362: Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Smith2 and spent 10 hours collecting data with the instrument. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep and the next morning, searched for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1363: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and collected 12 hours of compositional data with the instrument. The rover acquired a mosaic of images that are part of a panoramic view of a light-toned exposure of sedimentary rock known as "Pettijohn." The next morning, the rover scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1364: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and collected an additional 11 hours of compositional data from Smith2 with the instrument. The rover scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1365: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and collected 12 hours of compositional data from Smith2 with the instrument. The rover acquired "Part 3" of the panoramic-camera mosaic of Pettijohn.
Sol 1366: Opportunity switched tools from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the microscopic imager and acquired microscopic images looking up at the sky for calibration purposes. The rover also took external images of the microscopic imager with the hazard avoidance cameras. Opportunity then acquired stereo microscopic images of Smith2. Opportunity switched tools from the microscopic imager to the rock abrasion tool and acquired "Part 4" of the Pettijohn panorama. The next morning, Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera, and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1367 (Nov. 28, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to scan the sky for clouds with the navigation camera and take thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1366 (Nov. 27, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,584.32 meters (7.2 miles), where the rover has been stationed since the last drive on Sol 1329 (Oct. 20, 2007).
sol 1355-1360, Nov 29, 2007: Rover Perseveres Despite Stall in Robotic Arm
Opportunity spent much of the week conducting ongoing studies of a layer of rock known as "Smith," part of a "bathtub ring" of rocks that circumvent "Victoria Crater" beneath the rim. Opportunity acquired images and studied the composition and abundance of iron-bearing minerals in the rock.
During tests of the rock abrasion tool on the Earthbound engineering rover similar to the rover on Mars, engineers discovered that unbending the brush on Opportunity's rock abrasion tool may not be possible. Instead of brushing the surface of a new rock target known as "Smith2," rover handlers opted to proceed directly to grinding the rock surface during the coming weekend, on sol 1368 (Nov. 29, 2007).
On Sol 1359 (Nov. 20, 2007), a joint in Opportunity's robotic arm (Joint 1) that controls azimuth (left-right motion) stalled during the acquisition of microscopic images of the unground surface of Smith2. Plans called for the rover to acquire the rest of the microscopic images on sol 1366 (Nov. 27, 2007). After the stall, the rover acquired information about the atmosphere rather than the rock target with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and standard panoramic-camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1355 (Nov. 16, 2007): Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer back on the rock target known as "Smith" and acquired data for 11 hours with the instrument. Opportunity used the navigation camera to determine the rover's attitude by looking at the sun, searched the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1356: Opportunity spent 12 hours collecting data from Smith with the Mössbauer spectrometer and acquired super-resolution images of "Cape Verde," a promontory on the rim of Victoria Crater. The rover used the navigation camera to search the sky for clouds and estimate the rover's attitude relative to the sun. Opportunity acquired super-resolution images of "Cabo Frio," another promontory on the rim of Victoria Crater, and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1357: Opportunity spent 12 hours collecting data from Smith with the Mössbauer spectrometer and used the navigation camera to search the sky for clouds and measure the rover's attitude by looking at the sun. The rover took more super-resolution images of Cabo Frio and thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1358: Opportunity spent 12 hours collecting data from Smith with the Mössbauer spectrometer and used the navigation camera to search the sky for clouds and measure the rover's attitude by looking at the sun. The rover acquired super-resolution images of Cape Verde and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1359: Opportunity switched to a different target of study, a nearby clean spot of rock surface nicknamed Smith2. While the rover was acquiring image mosaics of the rock target with the microscopic imager, the shoulder joint of the robotic arm stalled. The rover acquired 12 hours worth of compositional data from the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The next morning, the rover calibrated the panoramic camera by taking images in darkness, scanned the sky for clouds using the navigation camera, monitored dust on the rover mast, and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1360 (Nov. 21, 2007): Opportunity acquired a mosaic of images of a target called "Paolo's Pan" with the panoramic camera and calibrated the panoramic camera by taking images in darkness. The rover scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. The next morning, Opportunity was slated to use the navigation camera to estimate the rover's attitude by looking at the sun.
Odometry:
As of sol 1359 (Nov. 20, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,584.32 meters (7.2 miles).
sol 1349-1354, Nov 19, 2007: Opportunity Peers Beneath Surface of "Bathtub Ring"
Opportunity remains parked at the rock layer known as "Smith" -- part of the "bathtub ring" of rock layers beneath the edge of "Victoria Crater -- at "Duck Bay," the alcove where the rover entered the crater. During a test of the wire brush on the rock abrasion tool in a new mode of operation developed to work around recent encoder failures, Opportunity was mistakenly commanded to rotate the brush in the wrong direction. As a result, the brush appears to have been bent outward, perpendicular to the plane of rotation. The engineering team is currently testing strategies for mitigating the bent brush.
The science team's top priority is to grind deeper into Smith and collect compositional data about the rock using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Opportunity is otherwise healthy, with solar array energy levels around 660 watt-hours and atmospheric dust measurements, known as Tau, at 0.9 (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour).
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, and standard panoramic-camera measurements of atmospheric opacity caused by dust, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1349 (Nov. 9, 2007): Opportunity acquired a mosaic of images of "Cape Verde" from below and a mosaic of images of Smith using the panoramic camera. The rover relayed data to Odyssey during an overnight pass of the orbiter.
Sol 1350: Opportunity completed diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool, measured argon in the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, and acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of the freshly brushed surface of Smith.
Sol 1351: Opportunity acquired an image mosaic of Smith with the panoramic camera and relayed data to the Odyssey orbiter overnight.
Sol 1352: Opportunity took images of "Cabo Frio" with the panoramic camera and ran diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool. The rover acquired images of the rock abrasion tool with the panoramic camera and placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Smith in preparation for measuring the abundance and composition of iron-bearing minerals. Opportunity then acquired data using the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover took additional images of Cabo Frio and Cape Verde -- both promontories of the scalloped rim of Victoria Crater -- with the panoramic camera. Opportunity also acquired a mosaic of images of the rock layer known as "Lyell" using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1353: Opportunity continued to collect data from Smith with the Mössbauer spectrometer. Opportunity took panoramic-camera images of Cape Verde and Cabo Frio at different times of day and took spot images of the sky.
Sol 1354 (Nov. 15, 2007): Opportunity completed diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool with the panoramic camera and placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the external capture magnet. The rover tested UHF communications with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in preparation for next year's arrival of the Phoenix lander. Opportunity took panoramic-camera images of Cape Verde, acquired compositional data about dust particles on the capture magnet using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, and took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1354 (Nov. 15, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,584.32 meters (7.2 miles).
sol 1343-1348, Nov 13, 2007: Rover Finds Way to Brush Rock Surfaces Despite Setbacks
Opportunity is still parked in front of the rock layer known as "Smith" inside Victoria Crater. The rover has now lost two encoders that operate motors on the rock abrasion tool during the grinding and brushing of surfaces. Science team members and engineers have been working in test beds and computer sequencing rooms to devise creative ways of using the rock abrasion tool without the grind and revolve encoders.
On sol 1347 (Oct. 7, 2007), they achieved their goal when Opportunity successfully completed a new, seek-scan procedure. Using this technique, the rover locates a rock surface by simultaneously spinning its grind teeth and wire brush while also extending toward the rock surface. Normally, the rock abrasion tool software monitors the safe operation of the grind or brush using the two encoders, which detect stalls that can occur during grinding and encoding. In the event of a stall, the encoders measure the z-axis position (the point where the rock abrasion tool contacts the rock surface). Without the encoders, engineers must rely on current limits and contact switches to know when grind teeth come into contact with a rock surface.
Opportunity followed a command to run both the grind and revolve motors along with a parallel command to move in toward the rock surface. When the rock abrasion tool made contact with the surface, contact switches disengaged, ending the activity. The following day, sol 1348 (Oct. 8, 2007), the science team directed the rover to retract the rock abrasion tool 1 millimeter and brush the surface. The brushing proceeded as planned!
Grind testing will continue next week using a rock abrasion tool with new grind bits on a surrogate rover on Earth in preparation for grinding new targets on Smith.
Opportunity is also scheduled to test communications next week with NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This test, along with other tests conducted recently with the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter, are demonstrations of the capability to conduct UHF communications in preparation for next year's arrival of the Phoenix lander.
Opportunity's solar array energy has been approximately 670 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour) per sol with atmospheric dust opacity, known as tau, of 0.87.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to morning uplinks directly from Earth via the rover's high-gain antenna, evening downlinks to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter at UHF frequencies, standard measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras, and surveys of the horizon with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1343 (Nov. 3, 2007): Opportunity ran diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool and collected compositional data from Smith using the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover relayed data overnight to Odyssey.
Sol 1344: Opportunity continued to acquire compositional data from Smith with the Mössbauer spectrometer and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera. Opportunity took full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a rock target known as "Jin," and took panoramic camera images of Smith and the rock layer known as "Lyell."
Sol 1345: Opportunity continued the compositional analysis of Smith with the Mössbauer spectrometer and monitored dust on the camera mast. The rover acquired color images using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera of a rock target dubbed "Gressly," scanned the sky for clouds, and took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1346: Opportunity ran more diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool, placed the Mössbauer spectrometer back on Smith, and collected 11 hours' worth of compositional data with the instrument. The rover acquired a mosaic of images of Lyell as well as spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1347: Opportunity completed a seek-scan procedure with the rock abrasion tool (during which the rover locates a rock surface by simultaneously spinning its grind teeth and wire brush while extending toward the rock surface). In addition, Opportunity took panoramic camera images of Lyell, measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, relayed data to the Odyssey orbiter overnight, and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1348 (Nov. 8, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to complete an encoder-less brush of the surface of Smith, acquire microscopic images of Smith, place the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Smith, and study composition of Smith with the spectrometer. The rover was to take panoramic camera images of "Cabo Frio," a promontory at the rim of Victoria Crater. Opportunity was to acquire full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a layered rock target known as "Brongniart."
Odometry:
As of sol 1348 (Nov. 8, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,584.32 meters (7.2 miles).
sol 1336-1342, Nov 12, 2007: Rock Abrasion Tool Shows Anomalous Behavior
During the past week, Opportunity continued to investigate the rock layer known as "Smith," the second of three "bathtub-ring" layers of rock inside "Victoria Crater." The vehicle is mostly healthy, except for a recent anomaly involving the rock abrasion tool.
Planned operations with the rock abrasion tool failed on Martian day, or sol, 1334 (Oct. 25, 2007), during both the calibration and grind-scan (the procedure for placing the instrument on the target). Data from the vehicle indicated unusual behavior in the encoder of the revolve motor.
On sols 1336 (Oct. 27, 2007) and 1339 (Oct. 30, 2007), the rover conducted diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool. Data from the actuator that makes the rock abrasion tool revolve indicated that the encoder was functioning as expected. However, the encoder for the actuator that causes the rock abrasion tool to grind has not been functioning since it failed on sol 1045 (Jan. 1, 2007). Based on the test results, the team decided to go ahead and retry the grind-scan procedure on sol 1341 (Nov. 1, 2007).
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to standard observations that included measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras, surveys of the horizon with the panoramic camera, and transfers of data to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1336 (Oct. 27, 2007): Opportunity conducted diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool, placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Smith, and acquired full-color images of a rock target known as "Walther" using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover acquired panoramic camera images of the band of rock known as "Lyell" and acquired data from Smith using the Mössbauer spectrometer. The next morning, the rover took a mosaic of images of the lower part of Lyell.
Sol 1337: Opportunity re-started the Mössbauer spectrometer for continued analysis of Smith, completed a survey of the sky at high sun with the panoramic camera, and acquired images of a rock target known as "Ronov" with the panoramic camera. The next morning, Opportunity surveyed and took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1338: Opportunity conducted diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool and looked for iron-bearing minerals with the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover acquired panoramic camera images of targets called Lyell, "Lyell NorthPart2," and "Lyell SouthPart2," as well as full-color images of a rock target known as "Sorby" with all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The following morning, Opportunity surveyed and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1339: Opportunity ran more diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool and resumed analysis of iron-bearing minerals in Smith with the Mössbauer spectrometer. Opportunity acquired additional panoramic camera images of Lyell. After communicating with the Odyssey orbiter during its overhead pass, Opportunity surveyed the sky at low sun with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1340: Opportunity re-started the Mössbauer spectrometer for continued studies of Smith and acquired additional image mosaics of Lyell using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1341: Plans called for Opportunity to again follow the grind-scan procedure for placing the rock abrasion tool on the target. The rover was to acquire full-color images of a rock target known as "Oppel" and watch the sky for clouds. After communicating with Odyssey, the rover was to turn the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer skyward and measure atmospheric argon and watch for clouds in the sky.
Sol 1342 (Nov. 2, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to acquire panoramic camera images of "Cape Verde," on the rim of Victoria Crater. Opportunity was then to go into a deep sleep and not conduct any science activities on the morning of sol 1343 (Nov. 3, 2007).
Odometry:
As of sol 1340 (Oct. 31, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,584.32 meters (7.2 miles).
Opportunity is healthy and receiving an average of 685 watt-hours of energy from the solar arrays (that's enough energy to run a 100-watt lightbulb for almost 7 hours). On sol (Martian day) 1327 (Oct. 18, 2007), the rover backed away from the "Steno" rock layer inside "Victoria Crater" to move within reach of the "Smith" rock layer a few meters deeper into the crater. However, the rover terminated the drive earlier than planned when stereo images in the visual odometry system, which enables the rover to use computer smarts to compare stereo images and accurately determine the rover's location, failed to line up properly. Opportunity re-pointed the cameras, acquired new stereo images for visual odometry, and completed the drive to Smith on sol 1329 (Oct. 20, 2007).
On Sol 1330 (Oct. 21, 2007), Opportunity supported a communications test on behalf of the Phoenix mission that demonstrated that large data sequences could be sent from Earth via the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The test involved multiple transmissions that were reassembled successfully on board by Opportunity. The rover recognized and received all four data sequences.
On sol 1332 (Oct. 23, 2007), Opportunity began a campaign that included acquiring a stereo (3D) microscopic image mosaic of Smith as well as compositional data about the rock outcrop. The following day, Sol 1333 (Oct. 24, 2007), Opportunity took panoramic camera images of a target known as "Sharp" -- a sequence of fine rock layers -- at different times of day to determine how the images were affected by changes in illumination. The day after that, sol 1334 (Oct. 25, 2007), Opportunity completed the first of a two-step process for brushing the surface of Smith. Plans called for Opportunity to finish the brushing sequence over the weekend, on sol 1336 (Oct. 27, 2007).
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to standard observations that included measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras, surveys of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and transfers of data to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1329 (Oct. 20, 2007): Opportunity took pre-drive, full-color, panoramic camera images of a two-toned rock target known as "Sedgwick" as well as images of "Cape Verde," a rock promontory. The rover stowed the robotic arm and drove to Smith. Opportunity then acquired post-drive images with the hazard avoidance cameras, rearward - and forward-looking images with the navigation camera, and unstowed the robotic arm. The next morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1330: Opportunity used the navigation camera to survey surfaces in the rover's shadow to characterize the brightness of the sky as well as dust on the camera itself. After the overhead pass of the Odyssey spacecraft, the rover spent 7 hours measuring atmospheric argon using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. In the evening, Opportunity communicated with Mars Express at UHF frequencies. The next morning, the rover surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1331: After measuring atmospheric dust, Opportunity took a nap until 2:30 p.m. local Mars time. The rover surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera while continuing to monitor atmospheric dust. In the morning, Opportunity acquired full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of iron-bearing particles accumulated on the rover's external magnets. The rover also monitored dust accumulation on the mast.
Sol 1332: Opportunity acquired a panel of stereo microscopic images of Smith, including extra images to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (eliminate random interference) resulting from dust accumulation on the microscopic imager. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Smith, acquired panoramic camera images of a rock layer called "Lyell," and, after communicating with Odyssey, acquired data from Smith with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The next morning, the rover surveyed the sky, took spot images of the sky, and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1333: Opportunity took panoramic camera images of both Sharp and Lyell. After transmitting data to Odyssey, the rover resumed collecting data from Smith with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The next morning, the rover took thumbnail images of the sky, spot images of the sky, and surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1334: Opportunity positioned the rock abrasion tool on Smith (the first step of the process for brushing the surface) and acquired panoramic camera images of rock targets known as "Kuenen" and "Lapworth." The next morning, the rover surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera, monitored dust accumulation on the rover mast assembly, and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1335 (Oct. 26, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to acquire panoramic camera image mosaics of Lyell, including specific targets known as "Lyell South" and a custom mosaic of a target called "Lyell Top." The rover was also to acquire panoramic camera images of a rock target known as "Conybeare." The following morning, the rover was to take thumbnail images of the sky and survey the horizon with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1332 (Oct. 23, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,584 meters (7.2 miles).
sol 1322-1328, Nov 05, 2007: Opportunity Descends Deeper into "Victoria Crater"
After successfully maneuvering into position and collecting additional scientific data from the top layer of the ring of light-colored rocks inside "Victoria Crater," Opportunity drove even farther into the crater's interior. Both "Steno," which the rover has been studying, and the next-lowest layer of light-colored rock, nicknamed "Smith," are part of a light-colored band of material that circumvents the interior of Victoria Crater partway below the surface.
Opportunity is in excellent health and has been receiving an average of 655 watt-hours per Martian day from the rover's solar arrays (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy needed to light a 100-watt bulb for 1 hour).
On sol 1321 (Oct. 12, 2007), Opportunity successfully stowed the robotic arm and "bumped" a short distance to a second target on Steno. At the new target, nicknamed "Hall," Opportunity acquired an extra-large mosaic of stereo (3D) microscopic images. A typical microscopic image mosaic consists of 5 to 7 frames. In this case, Opportunity acquired 18 frames at multiple focal distances to help eliminate dust in the images. Opportunity also spent 17 hours and 45 minutes collecting compositional data about Hall with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
On Monday and Tuesday, Opportunity did not have coverage from NASA's Deep Space Network of antennas and spent the time collecting remote sensing data from science targets. The rover executed two sols of "run-out," when the rover follows the same control sequence but does not conduct any new science investigations. On such occasions, the rover transmits data as usual and attempts to activate a new master sequence of instructions the following sol.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to standard observations that included measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras, surveys of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and transfers of data to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1322 (Oct. 13, 2007): Opportunity surveyed the grinding bit on the rock abrasion tool and acquired a 1-by-1-by-18 stereo, microscopic image mosaic of the rock target known as Hall. Opportunity collected 17 hours and 45 minutes worth of compositional data from Hall using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The next morning, the rover surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1323: Opportunity completed another survey of the sky at high sun using the panoramic camera, then scanned the sky for clouds using the navigation camera. After taking thorough measurements of atmospheric dust, the rover went into a deep sleep. The next morning, Opportunity took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1324: Opportunity did not conduct new science activities because the rover did not have coverage from the Deep Space Network.
Sol 1325: Opportunity did not conduct new science activities because the rover did not have coverage from the Deep Space Network.
Sol 1326: Opportunity did not conduct new science activities because the rover did not have coverage from the Deep Space Network.
Sol 1327: Opportunity acquired a mosaic of images looking up toward "Cape Verde," a promontory on the rim of Victoria Crater, using the panoramic camera. The rover acquired full-color images of Smith using all 13 filters of the camera. Opportunity stowed the robotic arm and acquired full-color images of Hall, then drove toward the layer known as Smith. Following the drive, Opportunity took images of the surrounding terrain with the hazard avoidance and navigation cameras and unstowed the robotic arm. After communicating with the Odyssey orbiter, the rover went into a deep sleep. The next morning, the rover took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and searched for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1328 (Oct. 19, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to acquire thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera, scan the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and acquire data from the external calibration target with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover was scheduled to take a nap until 2 p.m. local Mars time and acquire a mosaic of atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera. The following morning, Opportunity was to survey the sky with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1327 (Oct. 18, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,577.99 meters (7.19 miles).
sol 1316-1321, Nov 05, 2007: Opportunity Studies Rock Composition and Changes in Atmosphere
Though atmospheric dust has returned to nearly pre-dust storm levels, Opportunity's solar arrays are still dustier than before the storm, keeping power levels about 200 watt-hours lower than pre-storm levels. Opportunity continues to generate solar power levels of more than 600 watt-hours per Martian day, or sol (100 watt-hours is the amount of energy required to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour), with the help of wind-related cleaning of the solar panels. The spacecraft is healthy.
Opportunity has been studying the so-called "bathtub ring," a light band of rock that appears to circle Victoria Crater partway below the surface. Scientists think the band may be the remains of the original surface of Meridiani Planum before a meteor blasted out the crater. The ring itself appears to have three layers, originally dubbed "alpha," "beta" and "gamma" after the first three letters of the Greek alphabet, but now renamed "Steno," "Smith" and "Lyell," in honor of pioneering geologists of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Opportunity is to complete studies of Steno after grinding a hole into the rock surface with the rock abrasion tool and acquire a final set of observations that include measurements with the Mössbauer spectrometer.
The two spectrometers on Opportunity provide different kinds of information. The alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer is a general-purpose spectrometer that helps determine the chemical composition of the rocks. The Mössbauer spectrometer is specifically designed to study iron-bearing minerals, which are abundant on Mars and give the planet its red-orange color. Both spectrometers rely on radioactive energy sources but the one in the Mössbauer spectrometer has a shorter half-life. That means it gets weaker faster. As a result, Mössbauer integrations now take longer, typically as many as 60 hours to acquire useful data. The rover acquires the observations over several sols.
To conserve battery power, which relies on sunlight as a source of energy, Opportunity sleeps at night. Opportunity happens to have a heater stuck in the "on" position that draws additional power. Mechanical thermostats added to the mission just before it was launched in 2003 prevent the heater from running during the daytime. But the heater continues to draw power at night.
Scientists plan to move Opportunity to a second spot on Steno for continued investigation. Before moving, Opportunity must stow the robotic arm. If the stow is successful, plans call for the rover to back uphill and aim high to compensate for potential slip on the steep slope of Victoria Crater before driving forward.
Plans also call for the rover to measure atmospheric argon. Argon is a trace gas in the Martian atmosphere, comprising about 1.6 percent (the bulk of the Martian atmosphere is carbon dioxide, the same gas that gives soft drinks their fizz). Argon is one of the noble gases, so named because they don't react chemically with other substances. It is always a gas. Water, on the other hand, can be a gas (water vapor), a liquid (cloud, mists, and rain), or a solid (ice, snow, sleet, and hail). Water can also bind physically or chemically to other substances in the air, such as dusts and soots, smog, and acid rain.
Because argon is always in one physical state (a gas) that is unadulterated by other substances, it can be used as a barometer. When atmospheric pressure is high, there's more argon in the field of view. When it's low, there's less argon. Measurements of the gas with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer track changes in Mar's atmospheric pressure as a result of changes in global energy flows, dust storms, and Mars' position relative to the Sun.
On sol 1320 (Oct. 11, 2007), Opportunity is scheduled to take a series of nine microscopic images within a minute or two at exactly the same spot. By adding the pixels (picture elements), engineers can reduce the amount of "noise" -- random, microscopic overexposures or underexposures -- within the image. Such noise is a constant in nature. By combining the pixels, engineers can average out the noise to reveal details and fine texture that would otherwise be obscured.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras, surveys of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and transfers of data to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1316 (Oct. 6, 2007): Opportunity acquired stereo microscopic images of Steno, studied the rock's composition with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, and checked for drift (changes with time) in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1317: Opportunity acquired data from Steno using the Mössbauer spectrometer, went into a mini-deep sleep, and checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1318: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer for continued observation of Steno for 24 hours. The rover took thumbnail images of the sky and a mosaic of images of a target known as "Dolomieu" using the panoramic camera. The rover checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1319: Plans called for Opportunity to restart the Mössbauer spectrometer for 11 hours of observation of Steno and acquire images with the panoramic camera as well as check for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover was to wake up at 11:20 p.m. local Mars time to turn off the Mössbauer spectrometer before returning to a mini-deep sleep. The following morning, Opportunity was to take thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera and scan the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1320: Plans called for Opportunity to take microscopic images of a hole ground into the surface of Steno with the rock abrasion tool and spend 23 hours observing the same surface with the Mössbauer spectrometer. Opportunity was also slated to acquire full-color images, using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, of a target known as "Arduino" and survey the horizon and take thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1321 (Oct. 12, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to stow the robotic arm, bump backward a short distance, take images with the hazard avoidance camera along the way as well as navigation camera images after the drive, and acquire panoramic camera images of the work volume reachable by the robotic arm. The rover was to acquire post-drive images with the navigation camera, unstow the robotic arm, measure atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, monitor dust on the rover mast, and check for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Odometry:
As of sol 1321 (Oct. 12, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,572.94 meters (7.19 miles).
sol 1309-1315, Nov 05, 2007: Rover Gets Energy Boost, Compensates for Stalled Joint
During the past week, wind-cleaning events have increased Opportunity's solar power levels to more than 600 watt-hours per sol, or Martian day (that's enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for six hours).
Opportunity is perched on the edge of "Victoria Crater" at a tilt of almost 25 degrees. The rover's handlers have been very careful about moving the robotic arm so as to avoid potentially causing the rover to slip or slide. So far, tests have shown that Opportunity is stable enough to continue using the arm, though operation was thwarted temporarily by failures of the shoulder joint motor. Engineers overcame that difficulty by increasing the electrical current to increase the torque. One theory they are investigating is that the extra load of moving the arm upslope in addition to moving the arm upward and laterally caused it to stall. Subsequent motions have been successful with the higher current.
The third try was the charm when engineers increased the current to the shoulder joint motor on sol 1311 (Oct. 1, 2007), after two stalls of the motor on sols 1307 and 1309 (Sept. 27 and Sept. 29, 2007). Opportunity was then able to complete all planned activities, particularly studies of a rock target known as "Steno," named after Danish geologist Nicholas Steno, who lived from 1638 to 1686. Steno is in the uppermost of the three rock layers that make up the so-called "bathtub ring" of light-colored rock inside "Victoria Crater."
After acquiring microscopic images and compositional data with the alpha article X-ray spectrometer, Opportunity brushed the surface with the rock abrasion tool and collected more microscopic images and compositional data using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on sol 1313 (Oct. 3, 2007).
Opportunity follows two steps for using use the rock abrasion tool to avoid potential damage to the tool. The first is initial placement; the second is operation. Opportunity completed the first step, known as a scan, on Sol 1312 (Oct. 2, 2007), and the second step, the actual brushing, on sol 1313 (Oct. 3, 2007). Scientists plan additional studies of the rock in coming sols.
Microscopic images and data from the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer enable scientists to investigate the texture and composition of the rock. Brushing enables them to clear away dust and loose material to expose the underlying surface. Grinding enables them to examine the interior of the rock before it was eroded by wind, water, heat, and cold.
When taking microscopic images, the rover generally takes stacks of pictures. To do this, Opportunity places the camera just above the target at a position predicted to have the best focus. The rover then moves the camera down slightly (typically 3 millimeters, or about 0.12 inch) to take another picture. Opportunity completes this task five times, taking images one above the other. Successive snapshots provide a sharp focus of all parts of a surface if it is uneven. Sometimes Opportunity tilts the camera slightly to change the viewpoint and create a stereo (3-D) image.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras and surveys of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1309 (Sept. 29, 2007): Opportunity conducted safety tests of the robotic arm, acquired images of the bit (grinding surface) of the rock abrasion tool, acquired stereo microscopic images of Steno, and collected 6 hours of compositional data about the target using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep. The next morning, the rover took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1310: Opportunity checked for drift (changes with time) in the miniature thermal emission spectromeer and recalibrated the panoramic camera. The rover went into a deep sleep. The following morning, Opportunity again checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1311: Opportunity completed another safety test of the robotic arm and acquired images of the bit on the rock abrasion tool. The rover spent 6 hours collecting compositional data from Steno with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The following morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera and monitored dust on the rover mast.
Sol 1312: Opportunity placed the rock abrasion tool on the surface of Steno and after transmitting data as usual to Odyssey, went into a deep sleep. The following morning, the rover acquired rearward-looking views with the navigation camera and checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1313: Opportunity brushed the surface of Steno with the rock abrasion tool and acquired stereo microscopic images of the brushed surface. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on the brushed surface, recalibrated the panoramic camera, and spent 6 1/2 hours collecting compositional data with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity went into a mini-deep sleep and the following morning, acquired a forward-looking mosaic of images with the navigation camera. The rover checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1314: Plans called for Opportunity to again place the rock abrasion tool on the surface of Steno and conduct remote sensing.
Sol 1315 (Oct. 5, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to continue remote sensing activities.
Odometry:
As of sol 1315 (Oct. 5, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 11,572.94 meters (7.19 miles).
sol 1301-1308, Nov 01, 2007: Opportunity Studies "Bathtub Ring" In "Victoria Crater"
Opportunity is healthy, with energy levels ranging from about 450 watt-hours to 475 watt-hours (100 watt-hours is the amount of electricity needed to light a 100-watt bulb for one hour).
Recently, Opportunity was temporarily unable to send scientific data to Earth because the Odyssey orbiter experienced a computer crash and went into "safing" mode. While in safing mode, the spacecraft shuts off unnecessary power loads, orients itself for maximum sunlight to the solar arrays, switches to communication modes most likely to receive commands from Earth, and basically stops all unnecessary activity while waiting for the folks back home to fix it and put it back in service.
While in safing mode, Odyssey did not send communications from either Mars rover. Opportunity continued to collect as much science as possible while waiting for Odyssey to be fixed.
After Odyssey was back in service, Opportunity began making up for lost time. Following a series of "toe dips," during which the rover drove a short way into "Victoria Crater" and backed out again, then drove a little farther and backed out again, Opportunity began examining the crater's interior.
Victoria Crater is interesting because it affords a chance to study rock layers down to a depth of about 70 meters (230 feet) below the surrounding surface. The modern surface isn't the original surface -- it has been altered by an incoming meteor. When a meteor strikes, it throws up a huge amount of debris that falls back around the crater and creates an "ejecta blanket." This blanket is thickest near the crater rim and thinnest farther away from the crater.
Below Victoria's raised rim is a light-colored band nicknamed the "bathtub ring." Scientists hypothesize that this band is the dividing line between the original surface and the ejecta blanket above it. Opportunity has now reached this area -- but not without difficulty.
To reach the ring, Opportunity drove across a slope of about 25 degrees, nearly the maximum allowable tilt for the rover. The rover approached the ring on sol 1302 (Sept. 22, 2007) and then partially drove and partially slipped into closer position. On sol 1305 (Sept. 25, 2007), the rover unstowed the robotic arm and began studying the rocks that make up the top, or "Alpha," layer of the ring. Below that are two more layers, known as "Beta" and "Gamma," respectively.
Halfway through the last short drive of about 20 centimeters (8 inches), Opportunity automatically stopped when the rover violated the tilt limit. As a result, the rover drove laterally about 10 centimeters (4 inches) and then slid downslope 10 centimeters (4 inches). Subsequent analysis suggested that one of the downslope wheels rolled off a slight curb, producing a jolt that caused the rover to slip. Images showed that the rover had stopped on a hard outcrop of rock rather than sand or soil and was unlikely to slip farther.
Given the steep slope, Opportunity was extremely careful about moving the robotic arm. Before placing it on Alpha Layer, Opportunity moved the arm out, to the left, and to the right, while also checking for any vehicle motion with both the inertial measurement unit and cameras. The first rock target was dubbed "Steno."
Opportunity continued to conduct untargeted remote sensing by, among other things, measuring Tau, or atmospheric opacity, several times each Martian day, or sol. Now that the dust storms are over, the dust is settling. How fast it settles is of both scientific and engineering interest because it affects solar energy levels. Opportunity also periodically checked deposition and movement of dust on the panoramic camera mast assembly and solar arrays. This provides data for estimating wind directions and speeds, dust particle sizes, and dust composition.
Opportunity performed two "Quick Fine Attitude" checks. These are calibration activities that compensate for drift, or changes in time, in the inertial measurement unit. The unit uses gyroscopes and accelerometers to estimate the rover's motion, from which its position can be calculated. However, the gyroscopes show a slight change in attitude while the rover is still. (Older, mechanical gyroscopes drifted because of friction; newer, electronic gyroscopes drift for more complex reasons.)
The attitude checks compute where the sun should be based on the current time and the rover's movement and then compares this to the actual location of the sun in images from the panoramic camera. The difference forms the basis of the attitude correction for the rover.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included frequent measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras, surveys of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and checks for drift (changes with time) in the miniature thermal emission spectromeer, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1301 (Sept. 21, 2007): Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of the foreground, checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, checked the operation of the spectrometer, and surveyed the rover's external calibration target with the spectrometer. Before going into a deep sleep, the rover surveyed the horizon at low sun with the panoramic camera. The next morning, Opportunity monitored dust on the rover mast.
Sol 1302: Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, drove toward Alpha Layer, acquired images with the hazard avoidance cameras just prior to and after completing the drive, and completed a "quick fine attitude" update to confirm the rover's exact location. The rover unstowed the robotic arm, acquired post-drive images with the navigation camera, and acquired panoramic camera images of the work volume (the area reachable by instruments on the robotic arm). After that, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1303: Opportunity assessed the external calibration target with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, recalibrated the panoramic camera, and spent six hours measuring atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover went into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1304: Opportunity surveyed the external calibration target with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, recalibrated the panoramic camera, and went into a deep sleep. The next morning, the rover took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1305: Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, bumped (drove a short distance) to Alpha Layer, and acquired penultimate and ultimate images with the hazard avoidance cameras. The rover completed a "quick fine attitude" check, acquired panoramic camera images of the work volume, unstowed the robotic arm, and acquired post-drive navigation camera images. Opportunity recalibrated the panoramic camera and went into a deep sleep.
Sol 1306: Opportunity acquired data from the external calibration target with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and recalibrated the panoramic camera.
Sol 1307: Opportunity completed a "quick fine attitude" check, conducted a safety test with the robotic arm, acquired left-eye images of the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer with the panoramic camera, and acquired stereo images of Steno with the microscopic imager. The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Steno and, after relaying data to Odyssey and recalibrating the panoramic camera, collected data from Steno with the spectrometer for 12 1/2 hours.
Sol 1308 (Sept. 28, 2007): After the usual dust monitoring and imaging activities as well as data relays to Odyssey, Opportunity went into a deep sleep.
Odometry:
As of sol 1308 (Sept. 28, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,572.94 meters (7.19 miles).
sol 1282-1300, Nov 01, 2007: Opportunity Enters Biggest Crater Yet Explored on Mars
Opportunity took the first tentative steps into "Victoria Crater" after several days of maneuvering carefully to get to the crater's rim. Scientists hope to study a stratigraphic target known as the "Alpha Layer" after the rover enters the crater at "Duck Bay."
Opportunity also took stock of the effects of the severe dust storms on the rover's instruments and solar arrays. As part of a detailed self-examination, Opportunity used the hazard avoidance and panoramic cameras to take images of dust that had accumulated on the camera of the microscopic imager.
Opportunity tried to eject some of the dust from the eye of the microscopic imager on sol 1287 (Sept. 7, 2007). To do this, the rover held the robotic arm carrying the microscopic imager in front of the navigation camera, opened and closed the cover of the microscopic imager, and shook the wrist of the robotic arm. The rover then took images with the microscopic imager itself with the cover both open and closed. This exercise was similar to looking through a camera viewfinder to see if the lens has cleared. Opportunity also took diagnostic images using the navigation camera. The rover then moved the microscopic imager in front of the panoramic camera for another look at the lens from the outside. Then the rover took images of the microscopic imager with the hazard avoidance cameras. Finally, the rover returned the microscopic imager to its usual ready position.
Data sent to Earth showed the maneuvers had minimal effect.
On sol 1288 (Sept. 8, 2007), Opportunity created an unusual self-portrait using the camera of the microscopic imager. The goal of this maneuver was to get a look at the mirror inside the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to figure out why the spectrometer had been returning anomalous readings of late. Images showed that the shroud protecting the mirror of the spectrometer opened and closed as expected, eliminating mechanical failure as the likely cause of the anomalous readings. It appeared likely that the mirror itself had become coated with dust.
On Sol 1294 (Sept. 14, 2007), Opportunity's hot line to Earth, the Odyssey spacecraft, used for relaying data, went into safe mode after suffering an anomaly. Without the Odyssey downlink, Opportunity had to scale back plans temporarily. Five days later, on sol 1299 (Sept. 19, 2007), after the Odyssey flight team had determined the cause of the problem, transmissions resumed at UHF frequencies via Odyssey. Meanwhile, Opportunity maintained limited communications with Earth via X-band radio frequencies.
On Sol 1300 (Sept. 20, 2007), Opportunity's human handlers reset the rover's fault protection parameters to normal levels. Previously, they had changed the settings to reduce power consumption in the event of two kinds of anomalies known as "uplink loss" and "low power." While the dust storms were still raging on Mars, the pre-dust storm power settings would have allowed Opportunity to consume much more power than the solar arrays could produce.
Opportunity and the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft successfully tested UHF communications in support of the Phoenix lander, currently en route to Mars. Phoenix and Opportunity use the same kind of UHF radio, and Mars Express will provide backup relay services for Phoenix.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included frequent measurements of atmospheric dust with the panoramic and navigation cameras and surveys of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1282 (Sept. 2, 2007): Opportunity acquired part 1 of a panoramic view (self-portrait) of the rover's deck and, after the overpass of the Odyssey spacecraft, recalibrated the panoramic camera. The rover conducted a survey of the horizon and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The following morning, the rover took images with the microscopic imager while the dust cover was closed.
Sol 1283: Opportunity moved the robotic arm to place the microscopic imager in view of the hazard avoidance and panoramic cameras and took snapshots of the boresight of the microscopic imager. The rover also acquired a side view of the microscopic imager using the panoramic camera. The rover took images of the surroundings with the rear hazard avoidance cameras and recalibrated the panoramic camera. The following morning, the rover took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1284: Opportunity acquired part 2 of the self-portrait with the panoramic camera. The rover recalibrated the panoramic camera, took images with the microscopic imager with the dust cover still closed, and took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1285: Opportunity drove west away from Victoria Crater, then south along the rim to the ingress point. The rover acquired image mosaics with the navigation and panoramic cameras and recalibrated the panoramic camera. The next morning, Opportunity completed a horizon survey and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover monitored dust on the rover mast assembly.
Sol 1286: Opportunity drove about 25 meters (80 feet) to a stand-off position near the ingress point into Victoria Crater. After measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, the rover drove south about 25 more meters (80 feet) and acquired image mosaics with the navigation and panoramic cameras. The rover recalibrated the panoramic camera. The next morning, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1287: Opportunity performed a dust dump with the microscopic imager and then returned the instrument to a modified ready position. The following morning, the rover conducted a horizon survey and took spot images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1288: Opportunity took images of the shroud on the microscopic imager, checked for drift (changes with time) in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and acquired microscopic images of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to find out if the shroud protecting the spectrometer was in fact opening. The rover recalibrated the panoramic camera and acquired thumbnail images of the sky.
Sol 1289: Opportunity drove to the lip of Victoria Crater, to a place known as "Paolo's Perch." There, the rover acquired image mosaics with the navigation and panoramic cameras and, after the overpass of the Odyssey orbiter, recalibrated the panoramic camera. In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon and took spot images of the sky.
Sol 1290: Opportunity measured albedo (surface reflectivity), took thumbnail images of the sky, and completed a survey at high sun with the panoramic camera. The rover recalibrated the panoramic camera. In the morning, Opportunity monitored dust on the panoramic camera mast assembly.
Sol 1291: Opportunity completed a "toe-dip" into Victoria Crater, driving forward a short distance and then backing out again. Opportunity took post-drive images with the panoramic camera and recalibrated the panoramic camera. The next morning, the rover took thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1292: Opportunity spent the day doing remote sensing. The rover completed a survey at high sun with the panoramic camera, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, took thumbnail images of the sky and mid-day measurements of dust with the panoramic camera, recalilbrated the panoramic camera, and measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The next morning, the rover surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera.
Sol 1293: Opportunity drove into Victoria Crater and took post-drive images with both the navigation and panoramic cameras. The rover recalibrated the panoramic camera. The following morning, the rover took thumbnail images of the sky.
Sol 1294: The rover spent most of the day engaged in remote sensing activities. These included surveys of the ingress point into Victoria Crater, measurements of the external calibration target, acquisition of panoramic camera images of the foreground, and acquisition of an image mosaic with the navigation camera. Opportunity was unable to communicate with Odyssey when the orbiter went into safe mode. Opportunity recalibrated dust measurements by the panoramic camera.
Sol 1295: Opportunity acquired full-color images in search of clouds using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover was still unable to communicate with Odyssey. Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The next morning, Opportunity acquired an image mosaic with the navigation camera, monitored dust on the rover mast, and acquired measurements of a sand patch with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1296: The rover did not complete a planned drive because of disrupted data downlinks to Earth via Odyssey. Instead, the rover collected more remote sensing data. In the morning, the rover took thumbnail images of the sky while continuing to monitor atmospheric dust as usual with on-board cameras.
Sol 1297: In addition to remote sensing activities, Opportunity measured the spectral characteristics of the external calibration target. The rover recalibrated the panoramic camera and took thumbnail images of the sky.
Sol 1298: Opportunity drove toward the bright layer known as Alpha Layer within Victoria Crater. After measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, Opportunity drove farther into Victoria Crater. The rover acquired a mosaic of post-drive images with the navigation camera and a mosaic with the panoramic camera. Opportunity recalibrated the panoramic camera. The next morning, Opportunity checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1299: Opportunity completed a right-eye survey of the ingress path into Victoria Crater with the panoramic camera and took panoramic camera images of the foreground. The rover meaasured the external calibration target with the thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity then completed a left-eye survey of the ingress path with the panoramic camera. The Odyssey orbiter resumed communications. Opportunity recalibrated the panoramic camera and checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1300 (Sept. 20, 2007): Opportunity and Mars Express successfully tested communications in support of the Phoenix mission. The rover reset fault protection parameters at normal levels and surveyed the external calibration target with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity recalibrated the panoramic camera and took spot images of the sky.
Odometry:
As of sol 1298 (Sept. 18, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 11,568.22 meters (7.19 miles).
sol 1274-1281, Sep 20, 2007: 'Shaking' Off the Dust and Getting Back to Work
The skies continue to clear over the Opportunity site, and the dust is falling from both the sky and the rover. The last week was dedicated to evaluating the payload and assessing dust accumulation on the instruments. Fortunately, the solar array energy has improved to over 350 Watt-hours for the last four sols. This has given the vehicle enough power to support two alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integrations and two Mars Express UHF overflights.
The team began a campaign to recalibrate the panoramic camera tau observations used to measure the level of atmospheric opacity. The recalibration sequences are designed to run at various times of day to get the sun at different angles in the sky. Each sequence has custom exposure durations and color filters tailored to the intended time of execution.
As the team saw last week, the instruments on the robotic arm turret collected a substantial amount of dust during the storm. There are two main concerns: dust inside the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and dust under the microscopic imager dust cover. On Spirit, dust managed to somehow find its way under the microscopic imager dust cover, so engineers are handling the dust-covered turret on Opportunity with care.
Twice in six sols, the team used the front hazard avoidance camera (and the panoramic and navigation cameras) to image the microscopic imager with the dust cover closed. There were two drives between each set of imaging and there is noticeable cleaning between the two. The first of several sky flats images taken with the microscopic imager (dust cover closed) came down today. Preliminary analysis indicates little to no dust on the lens or dust cover. Next week, the team will determine if it is safe to open the dust cover and take images to see if any dust is on the lens itself.
The first of two alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integrations was received on the ground today and the initial analysis shows little to no dust contamination. Argon peaks are just as large as before, but additional integrations are necessary to complete the analysis. In the meantime, the team modified the robotic arm ready position to face the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in towards the vehicle's warm electronics box. The hope is that this will prevent any dust from collecting inside.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each sol contained: navigation camera tau at the start of the plan and a Mars Odyssey downlink in the afternoon.
Sol 1274: On this sol, the panoramic camera tau measurements were recalibrated. The team moved the robotic arm to place the microscopic imager in view of appropriate cameras for the following images: front hazard avoidance camera of the microscopic imager bore-sight, panoramic camera of MI bore-sight, panoramic camera of microscopic imager side view. Opportunity then finished work with the arm to move to modified ready position with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer pointed towards the rover. More recalibrations of panoramic camera tau measurements were done before and after the Mars Odyssey pass. Finally, a panoramic camera image of rock target 'Mango' was shot.
Sol 1275: The vehicle remained in place due to a sequencing error that precluded the robotic arm from stowing before the planned drive. The uplink team corrected the logic error, and the rover resumed driving at the next opportunity on sol 1278. After the Odyssey pass, more tau recalibrations were conducted. The panoramic camera was also used to survey the horizon and image the sky.
Sol 1276: This sol was used to recharge. Some panoramic camera recalibrations were conducted.
Sol 1277: More panoramic camera tau measurement recalibrations began this sol. Afterwards, the robotic arm was moved into position to take a panoramic camera image of the microscopic imager from a side view. The panoramic camera took images of the sky. After the Odyssey pass, a tau measurement was taken and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was integrated for four hours. There was a Mars Express UHF pass and then Opportunity took a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 1278: The first part of this sol was used for more panoramic camera tau recalibrations and panoramic camera mast assembly ("head" and "neck") dust monitoring. The panoramic camera was also used to image the sky. Another recalibration took place before the rover stowed its arm and drove 1.43 meters (4.7 feet) using visodom (visual odometry software) on its closest approach toward the crater rim. Opportunity then conducted post-drive navigation camera images. After the Odyssey pass, more panoramic camera recalibrations were conducted.
Sol 1279: On this sol, the microscopic imager, navigation camera and panoramic cameras were all used to image the sky. More recalibrations were conducted before and after the Odyssey pass. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was integrated for 5.5 hours.
Sol 1280: A panoramic camera tau recalibration was conducted in addition to a panoramic camera tau measurement. The navigation camera took an image. The panoramic camera used its 13 filters to image a bright ripple. Before and after the Odyssey pass, more recalibrations took place.
Sol 1281: The first part of this sol was used to conduct a panoramic camera tau recalibration, to monitor dust on the panoramic camera mast assembly and to image the sky with the panoramic camera. The panoramic camera then imaged "Duck Bay." Before and after the Odyssey pass, more recalibrations were conducted.
Odometry:
As of sol 1279, Opportunity's total odometry is 11,483.39 meters (7.14 miles).
sol 1256-1265, Aug 23, 2007: Brightening Skies Bolster Opportunity
Opportunity is healthy and remains perched near the rim of "Victoria Crater." The rover was on a low-power schedule that alternated between a 3-sol plan and a 4-sol plan.
Tau (atmospheric opacity) has begun to stabilize this week at around 3.7, resulting in solar array energy between 230-240 watt hours. Therefore in the upcoming week, the team will return to nominal planning.
The rover conducted a lot of what engineers call "runout science." This includes: panoramic camera wide-range tau measurements, navigation camera tau measurements, navigation camera cloud measurements, panoramic camera soria (imaging a rough, rocky area near the rover), front hazard avoidance camera images, rear hazard avoidance camera images, navigation camera images, panoramic camera sky spot, panoramic camera dust monitoring on the mast, miniature thermal emission spectrometer target calibration and panoramic camera high-sun surveys.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Sol 1256: Opportunity conducted one hour of runout science.
Sol 1257: On this sol, the rover's activities included the following: uplinked on high-gain antenna, panoramic camera wide-range tau, navigation camera tau, navigation camera bitty cloud, panoramic camera soria, front hazard avoidance camera images, rear hazard avoidance camera images, navigation camera images, panoramic camera wide-range tau, panoramic camera horizon survey, panoramic camera calibration target, mast dust monitoring, miniature thermal emission spectrometer calibration target and panamoric camera high-sun survey.
Sol 1258: Opportunity conducted 45 minutes of of runout science.
Sol 1259: On this sol, the rover did 30 minutes of runout science and completed a UHF data downlink.
Sol 1260: Opportunity conducted 45 minutes of runout science.
Sol 1261: Opportunity's activities included the following: uplink on high-gain antenna, engineering navigation camera tau, panoramic camera wide range tau, panoramic camera soria calibration target, front hazard avoidance camera images, rear hazard avoidance camera images, navigation camera images, panoramic camera high-sun sky survey, pancam wide range tau and UHF downlink.
Sol 1262: The rover did 30 minutes of runout science and completed a UHF downlink.
Sol 1263: Opportunity conducted 45 minutes of runout science.
Sol 1264: On this sol, the rover's activities included the following: uplink on the high-gain antenna, engineering navigation camera tau, panoramic camera wide-range tau, panoramic camera soria calibration target, front hazard avoidance camera images, rear hazard avoidance camera images, panoramic camera sky thumbs and panoramic camera wide-range tau.
Sol 1265: 45 minutes of runout science and UHF downlink.
Odometry:
Opportunity's odometery is 11,462.94 meters (7.12 miles) as of the last drive on sol 1232.
sol 1220-1225, July 13, 2007: Opportunity Waiting for Dust to Settle
Due to extensive dust storms in Mars' southern hemisphere causing record atmospheric opacity levels, Opportunity is currently experiencing its lowest power levels to date. The tau measurement as of sol 1225 is 4.12, resulting in a mere 280 watt-hours of array energy. A tau measurement of 5.0 would result in approximately 150 watt-hours. If tau begins to approach 5.0, the team will have to begin deleting communications windows in order to conserve energy and keep from draining the batteries.
On sol 1223 Opportunity successfully recovered from the robotic arm joint stall that occurred on sol 1217.
When the dust settles, Opportunity will drive approximately 30 meters (98.4 feet) south along the edge of "Duck Bay" to position itself at its "Victoria Crater" entry point!
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's daily communications activities, the rover conducts: morning direct-from-Earth uplink over high-gain antenna, evening downlink relay with Mars Odyssey over UHF...
Sol 1220: The rover conducted atmospheric dust monitoring observations with the panoramic camera and then conserved power.
Sol 1221: The rover conducted atmospheric dust monitoring observations with the panoramic camera and then conserved power.
Sol 1222: The rover conducted atmospheric dust monitoring observations with the panoramic camera and then conserved power.
Sol 1223: On this sol, Opportunity used its microscopic imager, then retracted its robotic arm. This action was confirmed with the rover's navigation camera. The rover then closed the microscopic imager dust cover and confirmed this step with the navigation camera. Diagnostic testing on the arm stall were conducted.
Sol 1224: The rover conducted atmospheric dust monitoring observations with the panoramic camera and then conserved power.
Sol 1225: The rover conducted atmospheric dust monitoring observations with the panoramic camera and then conserved power.
Opportunity's total odometry is 11,424.67 meters (7.1 miles) as of sol 1225.
sol 1200-1205, June 15, 2007: Observing 'Duck Bay'
Right now, Opportunity is safely perched on "Cape Verde" and is observing "Duck Bay" from above. The rover drove four out of the last five sols, covering 196.44 meters (644 feet). The fifth and final D-star (drive software) checkout step ran successfully on Opportunity on sol 1200. The dynamic path planner added in the latest flight software version is now ready for use.
On sol 1204, the post-drive robotic arm unstow stopped short of completion due to an excess attitude change. The actual attitude change fell well within the 5-degree limit and is consistent with a robotic arm unstow activity. The engineering team traced the miscalculation to a possible bug in the flight software and a full investigation is underway.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each sol contains: panoramic camera tau measurement and miniature thermal emission spectrometer mini sky observation and long ground calibration during the engineering block; pre-Odyssey panoramic camera tau and miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and long ground calibration during the Odyssey pass. Drive sols contain robotic arm stow and unstow before and after the drive.
Sol 1200: On this sol, Opportunity drove about 60 meters (197 feet), then executed the fifth and final D-star checkout. After the drive, the rover took a post-drive panoramic camera tau measurement.
Sol 1201: After solar array wakeup, Opportunity's panoramic camera conducted a sky survey. The rover then drove 12.36 meters (41 feet) using autonav. After the drive, Opportunity took images with its navigation and panoramic cameras. After the Odyssey pass, the rover conducted an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration as part of an Argon experiment.
Sol 1202: In the morning of this sol, Opportunity's panoramic camera took thumbnail images of the sky. The rover then drove 41.56 meters (136 feet) toward Cape Verde, conducted a quick fine attitude update (to confirm its exact location) and did post-drive imaging.
Sol 1203: On the morning of this sol, the rover took navigation camera images in the rearward direction and conducted a miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation. The navigation camera then had a look for clouds and the panoramic camera also surveyed the sky. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer did a sky and ground observation in the morning as well. The rover then drove 66.23 meters (convert) to a stand-off point near Cape Verde. After the drive, Opportunity took post-drive images with its panoramic, hazard avoidance and navigation cameras.
Sol 1204: After solar array wakeup, the rover's panoramic camera conducted a 13-filter systematic foreground survey. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer performed a sky and ground observation. The rover then drove south 7.84 meters (26 feet) onto Cape Verde to image the first eye of a stereo image of an area in the middle of Duck Bay. After the drive, Opportunity took images with its panoramic, hazard avoidance and navigation cameras.
Sol 1205: In the morning of this sol, Opportunity's miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a sky and ground observation. The panoramic camera surveyed the horizon. The rover also took images with its hazard avoidance camera and finished up the long baseline stereo image it began the sol before.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 1204 is 11,369.33 meters (7.06 miles).
sol 1194-1199, June 7, 2007: Checking Out New Driving Capabilities
Opportunity is healthy and continues to circumnavigate "Victoria Crater" back toward "Duck Bay."
On sol 1194, Opportunity performed a Visual Target Tracking (VTT) technology checkout (drive software) on a target called "Paloma." This VTT checkout tested VTT in combination with other drive software, Autonav and Visodom. The first segment was a blind (no Autonav or Visodom) VTT drive to back away from the target. The second segment combined VTT and Visodom to drive towards the target. The third segment combined VTT and Autonav to continue driving towards the target.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Sol 1194: Opportunity took a tau measurement then had a look at the sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then stowed its arm and conducted a test of its new drive software, VTT (visual target tracking). The VTT drive checkout was about 6.8 meters (22 feet). Post-VTT drive, the rover took navigation camera images of its tracks then drove about 30 meters (98 feet) and unstowed its arm. After that drive, the rover took navigation camera images and a post-drive panoramic camera image in the drive direction. Before the Mars Odyssey pass, the rover took another tau measurement. During Odyssey's pass, the rover again used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to look at the sky and ground
Sol 1195: On the morning of this sol, Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky with its panoramic camera. The rover then did a tau measurement and followed that with an observation of the sky and ground by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1196: Opportunity took a morning panoramic camera image of the horizon. The rover then took a tau measurement and used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe the local sky. Opportunity then stowed its arm, drove and then unstowed its arm. After the drive, the rover took navigation and panoramic camera images. Before the Odyssey pass, the rover took a panoramic camera image. During the Odyssey pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer had a look at the sky and ground.
Sol 1197: In the morning of this sol, Opportunity monitored for dust. Some regular checks were completed on the much-used miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Opportunity took a tau measurement and then used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to look at the sky. The panoramic camera then looked at the local foreground using all 13 of its filters. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer also had a look at the foreground and, again, at the sky. The panoramic camera did a sky survey at midday.
Sol 1198: On this sol, Opportunity took a tau measurement, then calibrated its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then stowed its arm, drove and took images with its hazard avoidance cameras. Opportunity then unstowed its arm and took post-drive navigation and panoramic camera images. During the Odyssey pass, Opportunity conducted a routine utility test on its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1199: Opportunity's miniature thermal emission spectrometer took a sky and ground observation. The panoramic camera took a tau measurement. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer continued a day of hard work, completing a systematic ground stare and a 7-point sky and ground observation. The panoramic camera also conducted a systematic ground survey of the local area using its 13 filters.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 1197 is 11,108 meters (6.90 miles).
sol 1171-1177, May 25, 2007: Opportunity Studies Rocks Representative of Crater Wall
Opportunity is healthy and continues to circumnavigate "Victoria Crater" back toward "Duck Bay." While stationed at the "Madrid/Guadarrama" outcrop on the "Cape of Good Hope," Opportunity has been studying a cobble with unusual spectral characteristics as measured by the panoramic camera.
The cobbles appear to be similar to two rock faces, nicknamed "Madrid" and "Guadarrama," exposed in the wall of the crater. Because the crater walls are hard to reach, scientists hope to get an idea of their composition by examining similar cobbles nearby. These rocks have different color properties from other materials seen at Victoria Crater and are believed to be crater ejecta. They are chock full of "big blueberries" -- small, round rocks.
On the rover's 1,172nd sol, or Martian day (May 11, 2007), Opportunity performed a thermal inertia experiment on a soil target to complete measurements inside and outside of the dark streaks on the northern side of the crater. This experiment measured temperature-related properties of the soil.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera and surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1171 (May 10, 2007): Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of Guadarrama and Madrid and stowed the robotic arm. The planned drive to a cobble called "Pedriza" ended prematurely after about 0.86 meters (2.8 feet) when Opportunity's left middle wheel snagged a rock. The rover unstowed the robotic arm, acquired post-drive navigation camera images, and measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1172: In the morning, Opportunity surveyed the horizon with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired panoramic camera images of targets known as "Cercedilla" and "Fuenfria" as well as Guadarrama. The rover studied Cercedilla as well as the rover's own external calibration target and another target known as "Navacerrda" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of Guadarrama, searched for clouds with the navigation camera, and studied thermal inertia of soil during the day and overnight.
Sol 1173: Opportunity started the day with continued studies of thermal properties of the soil. Then Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, completed the previously planned drive, and unstowed the robotic arm. The rover acquired navigation camera images to the front and to the rear following the drive. Opportunity measured atmospheric dust levels at sunset and scanned the sky for clouds using the navigation camera.
Sol 1174: Opportunity spent the day acquiring detailed scans of the sky, ground, and rover mast with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and measuring atmospheric dust. The rover also scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1175: In the morning, Opportunity took panoramic camera images of the sky. The rover stowed the robotic arm, inched backward toward Cercedilla, acquired panoramic camera images of Cercedilla, and unstowed the robotic arm. Opportunity acquired navigation camera images after the drive and surveyed targets known as "Cardosillas," "Quintanar," the rover's external calibration target, "Machotas," and "Hierro" using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover surveyed the sky at low sun and acquired thumbnail images of the sky using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1176: Opportunity searched for morning clouds with the navigation camera and acquired stereo microscopic images of a particular exposure of Cercedilla known as "Penota." The rover placed the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer on Penota, surveyed Hierro with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and acquired post-drive images with the navigation camera in support of observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover surveyed targets known as "Matabueyes," "Morcuera," "Carpetanos," and "Somosietta" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity then proceeded with alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer observations of Penota.
Sol 1177 (May 17, 2007): Opportunity monitored dust on the rover mast, conducted a seek/grind procedure with the rock abrasion tool, and acquired post-drive images as well as images of Mataueyes, Morcuera, Carpetanos, Somosierra, and Pedriza with the panoramic camera. The following morning, the rover was to acquire thumbnail images of the sky using the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1177 (May 17, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 10,791 meters (6.71 miles).
sol 1164-1170, May 24, 2007: Opportunity Turns Up the Amps
Opportunity's electrical supply returned to levels not seen since the rover first arrived on Mars. Peak electrical current from the rover's solar arrays climbed above 4.0 amps and remained there for most of the week as a result of three recent dust-cleaning events. The last time electrical current reached similar levels was on sol 18 (Feb. 10, 2004)!
Meanwhile, Opportunity is healthy and continues to circumnavigate "Victoria Crater" back toward "Duck Bay." On the rover's 1,163rd sol, or Martian day of exploration (May 2, 2007), Opportunity drove 90 meters (296 feet). The following sol the rover drove toward the rim of "Cape of Good Hope" to acquire high-quality, super-resolution images of the western face of "Cape St. Vincent." These images will enable scientists to better characterize detailed cross-bedding in the lower stratigraphic unit.
Opportunity also successfully tested a new procedure for using the rock abrasion tool to grind and seek a surface of scientific interest. At a rock target known as "Viva La Rata" ("Long Live the Rat"), the rover used software to bypass a check that was causing the grind encoder to fail. Because the RAT can no longer find the rock surface by seek/scan, the rover used the grinding motion to do a "grind/scan." On sol 1166 (May 4, 2007), Opportunity performed a successful grind/scan to find the target surface. Then, on sol 1168 (May 7, 2007), the rover used the rock abrasion tool to brush Viva la Ratta.
On sol 1169 (May 8, 2007), Opportunity postponed a planned drive to study some cobbles because of a joint 1 stall that occurred while stowing the robotic arm before the drive. This stall was similar to previous joint 1 stalls. On sol 1170 (May 9, 2007), Opportunity reached its destination, an outcrop known as "Madrid/Guadarrama."
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera and surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1164 (May 3, 2007): Opportunity stowed the robotic arm, drove approximately 15 meters (49 feet) onto "Cape of Good Hope," acquired hazard avoidance camera images just before and after the end of the drive, and unstowed the robotic arm. The rover acquired a 3-by-1 mosaic of "Cape of Good Hope" as well as other images of the terrain with the navigation camera after the drive.
Sol 1165: Opportunity began the sol by acquiring a timed movie in search of clouds, with successive images taken after a two-minute delay. The rover completed a sky survey at high sun using the panoramic camera and measured dark current (signals received when not exposed to light) while both hot and warm. The rover enjoyed a deep sleep.
Sol 1166: Upon awakening, Opportunity surveyed the sky with the panoramic camera and acquired panoramic camera images of Cape St. Vincent. While acquiring stereo microscopic images of Viva la Rata prior to grinding the rock surface, Joint 1 stalled. The rover conducted a touch test on Viva La Rata with the rock abrasion tool and searched for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1167: In the morning, Opportunity monitored dust on the rover mast and acquired thumbnail images of the sky with the panoramic camera. The rover acquired super-resolution images of Cape St. Vincent with the panoramic camera and searched for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1168: Opportunity completed a morning survey of the horizon with the panoramic camera and brushed Viva La Rata with the rock abrasion tool. Following that, the rover acquired stereo microscopic images of the brushed surface and studied it with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity also surveyed a target known as "Rodrigues" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and acquired panoramic camera images of the terrain ahead. Opportunity scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1169: Opportunity acquired sky images with the panoramic camera and checked for drift (changes with time) in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover did not stow the robotic arm as planned after having moved it into ready position because of the Joint 1 stall. Also as a result of the stall, the rover did not drive backward to adjust its position and proceed to "Madrid" as planned. Opportunity acquired images of Viva La Rata with the panoramic camera and post-drive images with both the panoramic and navigation cameras. The rover searched for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1170 (May 8, 2007): Opportunity acquired post-drive images with the navigation camera, conducted a diagnostic test of the robotic arm, stowed the robotic arm, acquired panoramic camera images of "Madrid," unstowed the robotic arm, and acquired images with the navigation and panoramic cameras. The rover scanned the sky for clouds and conducted a survey of rock clasts with the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1170 (May 8, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 10,784.94 meters (6.7 miles).
Opportunity drove 224 meters (735 feet) this week.
The sol 1160 checkout of the D-star hazard avoidance path planner (drive planning software) was a resounding success. In order to make the test as safe as possible, D-star was told that rocks in its path were hazards, when actually Opportunity is capable of safely driving over them. The rover planners set a waypoint on the opposite side of "Granada" such that a straight path would have taken the rover directly over these non-hazardous hazards.
On sols 1162 and 1163 Opportunity drove towards the "Cape of Good Hope." On sol 1164 the rover will creep several meters closer to the edge of the crater to position itself for panoramic camera imaging of "Cape St. Vincent" over the weekend. Also this weekend Opportunity will perform another test of RAT grinding.
On sol 1159 Opportunity experienced yet another dust cleaning event. Solar array energy production is now over 800 watt-hours.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's daily science observations which include a panoramic camera tau measurement and miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares, the rover also did the following:
Sol 1157 (April 26, 2007): Opportunity took the panoramic camera right-eye side of a long baseline stereo imaging of Cape St. Vincent, stowed its robotic arm and drove 38 meters (125 feet) toward Granada. The rover then unstowed its arm, took post-drive navigation and panoramic camera images and conducted an overnight data relay with Mars Odyssey.
Sol 1158: On this sol, the rover's navigation camera looked for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera studied the foreground.
Sol 1159: Opportunity used its panoramic camera to take thumbnail images of the sky and its panoramic camera to survey the horizon. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a 7-point sky and ground survey.
Sol 1160: On this sol, the rover used its panoramic camera to image the target Granada. Opportunity then stowed its arm and drove 15 meters (49 feet) around Granada for a D-star checkout. The rover then unstowed its arm and conducted post-drive imaging of the path it took to get there.
Sol 1161: On this sol, the rover used its panoramic camera to complete a foreground survey. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer had a look at the sky and then the target "Malaga." The panoramic camera imaged Granada and then the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer conducted an integration for the ongoing atmospheric Argon study.
Sol 1162: Opportunity's panoramic camera took a color mosaic of the Granada D-star drive. The rover then stowed its arm and drove 74 meters (243 feet) toward the Cape of Good Hope. Opportunity then unstowed its arm and used both its navigation and panoramic cameras to do more imaging. There was also an overnight data relay with Mars Odyssey.
Sol 1163: On this sol, Opportunity used its navigation camera to image its own tracks. The rover then stowed its arm and drove 97 meters (318 feet) towards the Cape of Good Hope. After the drive, the rover tool images with its navigation and panoramic cameras. The navigation camera also looked for clouds.
Current Odometry:
As of sol 1163, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,736.12 (6.67 miles).
sol 1152-1156, May 01, 2007: Opportunity Gets a Boost of Energy and Continues Imaging
Scientists and engineers are still deciding on when and if Opportunity will enter "Victoria Crater." In the meantime, Opportunity has a lot to accomplish, such as driving back to the area of its original arrival at Victoria, approximately 600 meters away (over one-third of a mile).
In addition, Opportunity must complete checkouts of its new technologies such as the D-star hazard avoidance path planner, Visual Target Tracking, and IDD (robotic arm) auto-place. Also, on the way to "Duck Bay," several imaging campaigns require completion at the "Cape of Good Hope" and "Cape St. Mary."
Currently Opportunity is conducting long-baseline stereo imaging of "Cape St. Vincent" from a perch on the edge of "Tierra del Fuego." On sol 1157 the rover will drive north approximately 35 meters (115 feet) to a collection of rocks called "Granada" for a D-star test.
On sols 1151 and 1152 Opportunity experienced a modest dust-cleaning event. The wind cleared the solar arrays of enough dust to result in approximately 75 Watt-hours more energy per sol.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's daily science observations, the rover completes routine panoramic camera tau measurements and miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares.
Sol 1152 (April 21, 2007): On this sol, Opportunity's panoramic camera took images, including a 13-filter image of target "Jaen." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer stared at targets: "Badajoz," "Castellon," "Coruna," "Rioja" and Jaen. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer checked for atmospheric argon. The panoramic camera then looked to the sky and the navigation camera looked for clouds.
Sol 1153: Opportunity stowed its robotic arm and then drove to the first-eye position for long baseline. The rover took post-drive images with its panoramic and navigation cameras. Overnight the rover sent data through Mars Odyssey.
Sol 1154: This sol involved a handful of miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky & ground stares. The panoramic camera looked at the sky and the navigation camera searched for clouds.
Sol 1155: Opportunity began to take the first eye of long-baseline stereo image of Cape St. Vincent. The robotic arm was then stowed and the rover drove 6 meters (19.7 feet) northwest to second eye position. The rover then unstowed its arm and took post-drive images with its navigation and panoramic cameras. The navigation camera also looked for clouds and monitored for dust on the rovers panoramic mast assembly (the "head" and "neck"). Overnight, the rover sent data through Mars Odyssey.
Sol 1156: On this sol, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer stared at its external calibration target and then conducted a long sky stare. The instrument also completed stares on targets "Melilla" and "Canarias." The rover's panoramic camera took a pre-sunset image and then surveyed the sky. The navigation camera looked for clouds.
Current Odometry:
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 1155 is 10,509.41 meters (6.53 miles).
sol 1145-1151, April 24, 2007: Imaging 'Alicante'
Over the last week, Opportunity investigated the second of two "dark streak" soil targets named "Alicante." The sol 1145 Mössbauer touch sequence that was commanded did not make contact with the soil because of a minor targeting discrepancy. Since the Mössbauer touch is used as a reference point for determining where to start taking the microscopic images, the lack of contact caused the images taken sol 1145 to be out of focus. As a result, the team decided to stay another two sols and reacquire the in-situ observations on Alicante. Now, Opportunity is headed southeast towards "Tierra del Fuego" to begin another remote sensing campaign.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each sol includes a mini-miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation in the morning, right before transitioning to the next sol's master sequence.
Sol 1145 (April 14, 2007): On this sol, the rover was scheduled to touch the ground with its Mössbauer spectrometer. After the touch, microscopic images were taken and then the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed on the soil target Alicante. The rover's panoramic camera imaged targets "Huesca" and "Granada." Before the Mars Odyssey pass, the panoramic camera took a tau measurement. During the Odyssey pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer took a sky and ground measurement. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was integrated for about six hours. Also, there were four miniature thermal emission spectrometer thermal inertia observations at various times of day.
Sol 1146: The rover changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and integrated for 12 hours. The panoramic camera completed a high-sun survey while the navigation camera supported the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The panoramic camera imaged "Cordoba" and "Colmenero." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a 7-pt sky and ground observation and the panoramic camera took a tau measurement.
Sol 1147: During the morning of this sol, the panoramic camera examined the sky and the horizon. The rover then restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and integrated for 12 hours. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer then got busy by taking a low-angle sky measurement, then completing a sky and ground observation and then, ultimately, staring at its calibration target. Before the Odyssey pass, the rover took a tau measurement with its panoramic camera.
Sol 1148: In the morning of this sol, the panoramic camera took thumbnail images of the sky. Again the Mössbauer spectrometer was commanded to touch the soil and the microscopic imager took pictures. The rover then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on Alicante. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer took a sky and ground measurement and the panoramic camera took a tau measurement. Before the Odyssey pass a tau measurement was taken and, during the pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed the sky and ground. After the Odyssey pass, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was integrated on Alicante for about six hours.
Sol 1149: Opportunity looked for clouds with its navigation camera this morning. The rover then placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on Alicante and integrated for about 12 hours. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted thermal inertia stares as well as a sky and ground measurement. The panoramic camera took a 13-filter image of target "Granada." Before the Odyssey pass, the rover took a tau measurement and, during the pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a sky and ground observation.
Sol 1150: Opportunity woke up this sol and had a look at the sky with its panoramic and navigation cameras. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer also conducted a thermal inertia stare in the morning. The rover bumped back 1 meter (3.3 feet) and took a panoramic camera 13-filter image of Alicante. Opportunity then drove 42.79 meters (140.39 feet) towards Tierra del Fuego. After the drive, the rover took images with its hazard avoidance, navigation and panoramic cameras. Before the Odyssey pass, the rover took a tau measurement and, during the pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a sky and ground observation.
Sol 1151: The rover woke up and conducted a sky survey (including a high-sun survey). The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was busy with a 7-point sky and ground observation and a stare at the ground immediately in front of the rover. The panoramic camera also imaged the ground in front of the rover with its 13 filters.
Current Odometry:
As of sol 1150, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,486.20 meters (6.52 miles).
sol 1139-1144, April 17, 2007: Investigating a Dark Streak
Opportunity is healthy and spent the last week investigating the dark material trailing north from "Victoria Crater." The plan this week included two brief robotic arm campaigns at different areas roughly 33 meters (108 feet) apart. Opportunity will collect a series of microscopic images and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integrations on the soil along with other remote science observations.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each sol starts with a panoramic camera tau and miniature thermal emission spectrometer mini sky and ground stare right after handing over from the previous sol's master sequence. At the end of each sol's plan, right before transitioning to the following sol, there is a navigation camera bitty cloud observation and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer mini sky and ground stare.
Sol 1139 (April 8, 2007): Opportunity conducted remote sensing on the dark streak. The rover then took stereo microscopic images of "Palencia" and "Pontevedra." Opportunity then moved its robotic arm out of the way to prepare for argon integration position. The panoramic camera was then used to image the rover tracks. The rover began alpha particle X-ray spectromter argon integration. Opportunity then had a mini deep sleep. After waking, the rover looked for clouds with its navigation camera. The panoramic camera was used to image the sky.
Sol 1140: On this sol, Opportunity continued to conduct remote sensing on the dark streak. The rover then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the soil. The panoramic camera conducted some photometry, then took a 13-filter image of track target "Zamora." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer examined Zamora and then the undisturbed soil behind it. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was then placed on the soil. The rover then went into deep sleep.
Sol 1141: Opportunity continued remote sensing on the dark streak. The panoramic camera took a panoramic image to test for albedo (light reflectivity). The miniature thermal emission spectrometer did a 7-point sky & ground stare. Before the Mars Odyssey pass, the panoramic camera was used for photometry experiments. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted an elevation sky & ground stare and then it stared at the calibration target. After a deep sleep, the navigation camera looked for clouds in the sky.
Sol 1142: On the morning of this sol, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a mini sky & ground stare. The rover then drove 31.23 meters (102.5 feet) to a second location in the dark streak. The navigation camera imaged a future robotic arm target and the panoramic camera imaged a future drive direction and then took a tau measurement.
Sol 1143: Opportunity bumped 2.21 meters (7.3 feet). The panoramic camera took a tau measurement and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer did a sky and ground stare. Before it moved again, Opportunity took a 13-filter panoramic camera image of target "Alicante." The rover then stowed its arm and drove about 3 meters (9.8 feet) to Alicante. Opportunity then unstowed its arm and autoplace software put it on Alicante. A microscopic image mosaic of Alicante was taken. The Mössbauer spectrometer did a quick touch of Alicante before the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed on the target. Before the Odyssey pass, the panoramic camera took a tau measurement. During the orbiter's pass, Opportunity's miniature thermal emission spectrometer did a sky and ground stare. After the Odyssey pass, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was integrated on target Alicante.
Sol 1144: This sol saw more remote sensing on the dark streak. The panoramic camera took a tau measurement, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer did a sky and ground stare. The panoramic camera took a 13-filter image of "Avila," and then the miniature thermal emission spectrometer stared at the same target. Before the Odyssey pass, the panoramic camera took another tau measurement. During the pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted an elevation sky and ground stare. The rover then went into deep sleep.
Current Odometry:
As of sol 1143, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,443.41 meters (6.5 miles).
sol 1131-1138, April 10, 2007: Characterizing Wind Streaks
Opportunity is healthy and is attempting to characterize the dark wind streak material which emanates from Victoria Crater as seen from orbital images.
On Sol 1132 the team planned a four-hour alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration to measure atmospheric Argon. The purpose of this measurement is to determine the atmospheric mixing processes and track their changes with time.
Sol 1137 included a test of a fix for a steering bias bug in the mobility flight software. This is the fix for the problem the team saw on sol 1114, when the software selected an arc that was 13 degrees off course from the goal.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's usual observations of panoramic camera tau, navigation camera cloud captures, miniature thermal emission sky and ground stares, and panoramic camera sky spots, the rover did the following:
Sol 1131 (March 30, 2007): On this sol, Opportunity's panoramic camera began to take the first half of a long baseline stereo image of "Valley Without Peril." The navigation camera was used to fill gaps in the previous sol's panorama. The panoramic camera was then used again to image target "Almeria." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer also observed Almeria.
Sol 1132: Opportunity bumped 5.6 meters (18.4 feet) to the second eye location of the stereo panorama of Valley Without Peril. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed target "Barcelona." The alpha particle X-ray spectromter completed a four-hour atmospheric Argon measurement.
Sol 1133: On this sol, the rover continued the long baseline stereo second eye image of Valley Without Peril and also conducted remote sensing.
Sol 1134: Opportunity drove to a bright spot between wind streaks to set up for microscopic imaging and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurements on sol 1135. The rover took panoramic camera images at three different times during the sol as part of a photometry experiment.
Sol 1135: On this sol, Opportunity used the microscopic imager to examine the soil target "Salamanca," in the bright spot area between wind streaks.
Sol 1136: Opportunity used the microscopic imager and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on soil target "Sevilla." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer did a foreground survey and the panoramic camera was used to image the rover tracks.
Sol 1137: The rover drove about 35 meters (115 feet) to middle of a wind streak and then took images with its panoramic camera as part of a photometry experiment.
Sol 1138: On this sol, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed a foreground survey. The panoramic camera conducted a 13-filter foreground survey and took more images for the photometry experiment.
Current Odometry:
As of sol 1134, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,373.19 meters (6.45 miles).
sol 1126-1130, April 03, 2007: Looking For an 'In'
Opportunity is healthy and working on obtaining a long baseline stereo image of the bay "Valley without Peril."
On Sol 1128 a test of a work around for the failed RAT (rock abrasion tool) grind encoder was successful. A temporary software addition allows the rover to bypass a check that was causing it to fail.
The remainder of the week was spent driving toward a lookout point above the Valley without Peril. From this vantage point, Opportunity will acquire a long baseline stereo image of the vicinity. Valley Without Peril is being considered as a possible ingress location into "Victoria Crater."
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to specific daily activities, Opportunity's routine observations include: panoramic camera tau, navigation camera bitty cloud, miniature thermal emission sky and ground stares and panoramic camera sky spots.
Sol 1126 (March 25, 2007): Opportunity took a pre-drive navigation camera long baseline stereo image before it drove 39 meters (128 feet) toward the Valley without Peril. After the drive, the rover took navigation and panoramic camera images and took an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurement of atmospheric Argon.
Sol 1127: On this sol, the rover approached the Valley without Peril. The drive stopped prematurely after 2.11 meters (7 feet) because the rover's antennas obstructed the view from the onboard navigation software. The rover did a location check and then began post-drive imaging. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was then used for navigation camera support and to assess the ground in front of the rover.
Sol 1128: This sol consisted of RAT (rock abrasion tool) grind diagnostics tests. The tests were successful! The panoramic camera took a 13-filter image of "Gerona." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer stared at "Burgos" and Gerona. The panoramic camera took a 13-filter of Burgos.
Sol 1129: On this sol, Opportunity drove about 8.71 meters (29 feet) on the approach to the first-eye position of long baseline stereo panoramic camera image of the Valley without Peril area. The rover then took a set of post-drive navigation camera images.
Sol 1130: Opportunity took a panoramic camera 13-filter image of "Albacete," a panoramic camera image of "Toledo,"and several panoramic camera images of "Cadiz." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was then used to stare at Toledo and the area around it. The rover then bumped about 2.5 meters (8 feet) to the first-eye position for stereo imaging of the Valley without Peril. After the drive, the navigation camera took images.
Current Odometry:
As of sol 1129, Opportunity's total odometry was 10,349.70 meters (6.43 miles).
sol 1118-1125, March 27, 2007: Opportunity Begins Imaging of 'Cape of Good Hope'
Opportunity is healthy and making progress on the imaging campaign of "Cape St. Vincent."
On Sol 1116, Opportunity experienced a fault due to a known but rare race condition in the flight software. This race condition fault has now occurred three times in 1,122 sols for Opportunity and three times in 1,143 sols for Spirit. Essentially, while the rover was booting up in the morning, two sequences were competing to complete first. The lower priority task was stopped by the higher priority task and when the former attempted to complete, it was locked out of the rover's memory. The software did as it is supposed to and threw up a red flag to programmers and awaited its next commands.
On Sols 1117 and 1118 were spent recovering the rover from the fault. Opportunity spent sols 1119 and 1120 resting since these sols fell on an Earth weekend (the project no longer has the resources to bring in a weekend sequencing team).
On Sol 1121, Opportunity drove to a position on the "Cape of Good Hope" to image the first half of a long baseline stereo image of Cape St. Vincent. On Sol 1123, Opportunity will bump 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) to image the second half of the Cape St. Vincent stereo image.
The remainder of the sols were spent obtaining remote sensing science.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's usual observations of panoramic camera tau measurements, navigation camera bitty cloud scans (looking to the sky for clouds), miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares, and panoramic camera sky spots, the rover also did the following:
Sol 1118 (March 17, 2007): On this sol, Opportunity recovered from the race condition fault.
Sol 1119: Opportunity rested this sol (weekend in Pasadena).
Sol 1120: Opportunity rested this sol (weekend in Pasadena).
Sol 1121: On this sol, the rover drove to the first eye position of long baseline stereo image of Cape St. Vincent (9.97 meters or 33 feet) and began imaging.
Sol 1122: The rover conducted remote sensing of atmosphere and soil properties on this sol.
Sol 1123: Opportunity bumped to the second eye position of long baseline stereo image of Cape St. Vincent (about 2.5 meters or 8.2 feet) and began imaging.
Sol 1124: On this sol the rover conducted a panoramic camera systematic soil and ground survey. The navigation camera was used in support of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The panoramic camera had a look at the horizon and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer assessed the foreground.
Sol 1125: Opportunity used this sol to look at the sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission. That instrument was also used to monitor for dust.
Current Odometry:
As of sol 1121, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,295.50 meters (6.4 miles).
sol 1112-1117, March 20, 2007: Opportunity Conducts Imaging and Diagnostics
Opportunity is healthy and is positioning itself for long baseline stereo imaging of "Cape St. Vincent," across the "Valley Without Peril." Subsequently, the rover will drive northeast to the mouth of the Valley Without Peril for long baseline stereo imaging of the valley floor. On sol 1112 Opportunity performed another test of RAT (rock abrasion tool) grind operations. The test indicated the need to circumvent a portion of the flight software which is still trying to use the RAT's failed encoder. The "patch" will be up-linked and tested this weekend.
On sol 1114 Opportunity attempted an 8-meter (26 feet) drive to a position on the west bank of the Valley Without Peril in order to image Cape St. Vincent to the east. The drive stopped after only a half a meter of progress because the rover failed to stay within limits placed on its heading by the rover drivers. A similar drive is planned for sol 1116.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's daily science observations, which include a panoramic camera tau measurement and miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares, the rover did the following:
Sol 1112 (March 11, 2007): On this sol, Opportunity conducted another RAT grind test, miniature thermal emission spectrometer 7-point sky and ground stares, panoramic camera high sun observation, an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration to look for Argon and panoramic camera sky thumbnail images.
Sol 1113: Opportunity used the instruments on its "head" (or panoramic camera mast assembly) to scan the sky and then used the panoramic camera to image the local foreground in 13-filters. The navigation camera was then used to prepare for miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations and to look for clouds.
Sol 1114: The rover began to drive south-southwest to the imaging position for Cape St. Vincent. The drive stalled due to Opportunity exceeding heading limitations set by rover drivers. A post-drive navigation camera image was shot for next drive.
Sol 1115: On this sol, Opportunity completed miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares, navigation camera search for clouds, panoramic camera sky thumbnail images and panoramic camera mast assembly dust monitoring.
Sol 1116: Opportunity drove south-southwest to the imaging position for Cape St. Vincent and then completed a post-drive navigation camera mosaic for the next drive.
Sol 1117: On this sol, Opportunity calibrated the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and then used it to assess the local sky and ground. The navigation camera was used to look for clouds.
As of sol 1114, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,285.53 meters (6.39 miles).
sol 1104-1111, March 12, 2007: Onward to the 'Valley Without Peril'
Opportunity is healthy and continues its long baseline stereo survey of "Victoria Crater." The rover is currently perched atop the "Cape of Good Hope," making its way northeast to the mouth of the "Valley Without Peril."
On sol 1104 Opportunity performed an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the martian atmosphere. This is a long-term monitoring of the density of Argon in the atmosphere, looking at how the Argon/Carbon dioxide mixing ratio changes as the polar caps acquire and sublimate carbon dioxide.
On Sol 1109 the rover performed a preliminary test of a new method for rock abrasion tool grinds which does not rely on a failed encoder. Another test is scheduled for sol 1112.
Next week Opportunity will conduct an extensive long baseline stereo survey of the Valley Without Peril and "Cape St. Vincent." This will allow the team to perform a comparative analysis of other bays in order to continue characterization of possible ingress and egress points in Victoria Crater.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's daily science observations, the rover also performs panoramic camera tau measurements and miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares.
Sol 1104 (March 3, 2007): The rover took a color postcard panoramic camera image of "Cabo Corrientes," navigation camera imaging of the tracks, miniature thermal emission spectrometer 7-point sky & ground observation and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the atmosphere to look for Argon.
Sol 1105: On this sol, Opportunity drove 8 meters (26 feet) southwest toward the edge of the Cape of Good Hope. The rover then began the first half of a long baseline stereo panoramic camera image of Cabo Corrientes across "Golfo (Gulf) San Matias." The rover then completed navigation camera imaging for next drive.
Sol 1106: Opportunity conducted a panoramic camera horizon survey, looked for clouds with its navigation camera and monitored for dust. The rover also did a miniature thermal emission spectrometer 7-point sky & ground observation and a panoramic camera sky survey.
Sol 1107: On this sol, the rover drove 4 meters (13 feet) south-southwest and completed navigation and panoramic camera imaging for next drive. Opportunity then began the second half of a long baseline stereo panoramic camera image of Cabo Corrientes across Golfo San Matias. The panoramic camera then had a look at the sky.
Sol 1108: Opportunity drove 8 meters (26 feet) toward the Valley Without Peril, then used its navigation and panoramic cameras to image for the next drive. The panoramic camera looked at the sky.
Sol 1109: Opportunity conducted a rock abrasion tool (RAT) grind test, then the panoramic camera did a 13-filter foreground survey and took a mosaic of the rover tracks. The navigation camera imaged the tracks and then the miniature thermal emission spectrometer assessed the foreground.
Sol 1110: On this sol, the panoramic camera completed a 13-filter foreground survey and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed a 7-point sky and ground observation and foreground stare.
Sol 1111 (March 10, 2007): The rover drove 40 meters (131 feet) northeast to the mouth of the Valley Without Peril. Opportunity then did navigation and panoramic camera imaging for next drive. The panoramic camera also had a look at the sky.
As of sol 1108, Opportunity's odometery is 10,238.95 meters (6.36 miles).
sol 1097-1103, March 07, 2007: Opportunity Checks Out 'Cape of Good Hope'
Opportunity is healthy and is currently driving on the promontory called "Cape of Good Hope." The rover performed some miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements and took panoramic camera images of "Madrid" and "Alava," which are outcrops on the western side of Cape of Good Hope. Opportunity also performed some miniature thermal emission spectrometer and long baseline stereo of dunes at the base of the next promontory.
On sol 1100, Opportunity executed step two of the Visual Target Tracking technology checkout.
On sol 1102, Opportunity had a joint 1 (shoulder azimuth) stall during the instrument deployment device (rover "arm") sequence. It was determined that this stall was similar to past stalls, so on sol 1103 a diagnostic test will be performed. If this is successful, the rover will take a confirmation microscopic image, then drive towards the rim of Cape of Good Hope.
Opportunity drove about 84 meters (276 feet) between sols 1097 and 1102.
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 during the Odyssey pass. There is also a mini- miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground in the morning of each sol, just prior to handing over to the next sol's master sequence.
Sol 1097 (February 23, 2007): On this sol, the rover used its panoramic camera to image "Madrid" and "Alava" (outcrop on the west side of Cape of Good Hope). The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used to examine dunes at the base of the next promontory, a long baseline image of the dunes was taken and a panoramic camera image of Cape of Good Hope. A pre-Odyssey tau measurement was taken and during the Odyssey pass, miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements of Madrid and "Coslada" were completed. A post-Odyssey argon measurement was taken.
Sol 1098: In the morning of this sol the rover looked at the sky with its panoramic camera and conducted mini-miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground measurements. Opportunity then stowed its arm, drove to Cape of Good Hope, unstowed its arm, took post-drive navigation camera "end of drive" images, post-drive panoramic camera images in the drive direction and a post-drive panoramic camera tau;
Sol 1099: Opportunity used its panoramic camera to take images of the sky this morning. The cameras (on the rover's "head") and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a mini-sky azimuth measurement and a and sky and ground observation. The panoramic camera then conducted a soil survey and then examined the ground in front of the rover. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a systematic soil observation.
Sol 1100: In the morning of this sol, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a mini sky and ground observation. The rover then stowed its "arm," checked out its visual target tracking sequence and drove toward Cape of Good Hope. The rover then unstowed its "arm," took post-drive navigation and panoramic camera images in the drive direction. A panoramic camera tau measurement was taken.
Sol 1101: Opportunity used this morning to get thumbnail images of the sky with its panoramic camera and to assess the sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then stowed its "arm," used its front hazard avoidance cameras to image the area in front of it. The "arm" was then unstowed and Opportunity took a 13-filter panoramic camera image. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a 7-point sky and ground observation. Before the Odyssey pass, the panoramic camera conducted a sky survey.
Sol 1102: On this sol, the panoramic camera took a 13-filter calibration for dust on the low-gain antenna, the camera was then used to image "Cabo Corrientes." Before an attempt to use the microscopic imager, there was a joint failure. A tau measurement was taken and then a miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation.
Sol 1103 (March 2, 2007): Opportunity completed a miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation in the morning of this sol. A diagnostic test was run on the rover's instrument deployment device ("arm"). Depending on the results of the test, another attempt will be made to take a microscopic stereo image of target "Donut." The plan then calls for the "arm" to be stowed, the rover to bump back and take a panoramic camera image of Donut. Opportunity will then be set to drive toward the rim of Cape of Good Hope.
As of sol 1102, Opportunity's odometry is 10,202 meters (6.34 miles).
sol 1091-1096, February 23, 2007: The View from 'Cabo Corrientes'
Opportunity is healthy and is currently driving on the promontory "Cabo Corrientes." The rover completed the long baseline stereo imaging of "Cape Desire" and is currently imaging the promontory on the other side of Cabo Corrientes called "Cape of Good Hope."
On Earth, Cape Desire is at the western (Pacific) end of the Strait of Magellan, marking the end of a hazardous passage through the strait. Magellan supposedly "wept for joy" when he discovered it, and so named it because he had been "desiring to see it for a long time."
Opportunity also performed an argon measurement on sol 1092.
Opportunity drove about 36 meters (118 feet) between sols 1088 and 1095.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each sol there is a panoramic camera tau measurement at the beginning of the plan and before the afternoon Mars Odyssey pass. There is a miniature thermal emission spectrometer elevation sky and ground during the Odyssey pass. There is also a mini-miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground in the morning of each sol, just prior to handing over to the next sol's master sequence.
Sol 1091 (February 17, 2007): On this sol, the rover took a panoramic camera long baseline stereo and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer 7-point sky & ground measurement.
Sol 1092: Opportunity used its panoramic camera to do a 13-filter soil survey and then a 13-filter stare at the foreground. The navigation camera was used in support of a miniature thermal emission spectrometer foreground stare. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was used after the Odyssey pass.
Sol 1093: In the morning of this sol, the rover's cameras monitored for dust. Opportunity then took a miniature thermal emission spectrometer 7-point sky & ground measurement. The cameras on the rover's "head" then scanned the sky and ground.
Sol 1094: The rover stowed its instrument deployment device ("arm") and bumped about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) for left eye of stereo imaging. The arm was then unstowed, a post-drive navcam was taken, a post-drive panoramic camera image in the drive direction and a post-drive panoramic camera image of "Extrema Dura" (the outcrop behind the rover). The panoramic camera also began a long baseline stereo image.
Sol 1095: Before Opportunity drove this sol, the navigation camera took images. The panoramic camera continued the long baseline stereo image. A mini-miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky & ground measurement was taken. The rover then stowed its arm and drove eastward to image the cliff face of Cape Hope. After the drive, the rover unstowed its arm and took post-drive navigation camera images. The panoramic camera took a sky survey during solar array wakeup. In the morning, the rover looked for clouds and then took a mini- miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky & ground measurement.
Sol 1096: In the morning of this sol, Opportunity took a miniature thermal emission spectrometer 5-point sky and ground measurement. A panoramic camera image was taken of the Cape of Good Hope and nearby dunes. The rover's arm was then stowed, then Opportunity bumped about 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) for the left eye of stereo image. The rover then unstowed its arm and took post-drive navigation camera images, end of drive images and a post-drive panoramic camera image in the drive direction.
As of sol 1095 (February 21, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry is 10,113 meters (6.28 miles).
sol 1084-1090, February 20, 2007: Opportunity Continues to Characterize Crater
Opportunity is healthy and is currently driving on the promontory "Cabo Corrientes" where its cameras imaged the north face of "Bahia Blanca" cliff walls. The rover is currently driving to another spot in order to image "Cape Desire."
February 9th, 2007, was the first day of spring in the southern hemisphere of Mars.
Alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integrations were also performed to measure atmospheric Argon. The purpose of this experiment is to determine the atmospheric mixing processes and track their changes with time.
Opportunity drove about 20 meters (66 feet) between sols 1084 and 1087.
The theme of the names of the bays and capes of "Victoria Crater" come from the places visited by Magellan and his crew onboard the sailing ship Victoria during their circumnavigation of the world. Cape Corrientes is on the eastern coast of South America and was a useful landmark for Magellan's fleet. Bahia Blanca (White Bay) is a huge bay in Argentina. Magellan explored it looking for the Strait, but was not successful.
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 in the morning of each sol, just prior to handing over to the next sol's master sequence.
Sol 1084 (February 10, 2007): On this sol, the panoramic camera took a 13-filter image of the target "Santiago." The rover then stowed its arm and drove 27 meters (89 feet) out onto Cabo Corrientes. After the drive, images were taken with the navigation and hazard avoidance cameras. After the Odyssey pass, the rover completed a sunset tau and a nearly four-hour alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration.
Sol 1085: During the morning of this sol, the rover monitored for dust on its panoramic camera mast assembly, or "neck" and "head." The navigation camera looked for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a 7-point sky and ground observation. The panoramic camera then imaged the sun at midday. The navigation camera then looked for clouds and another miniature thermal emission spectrometer 7-point sky and ground observation was conducted.
Sol 1086: On this sol, the rover's navigation camera looked for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a 7-point sky and ground observation and assessed the atmosphere. The panoramic camera took thumbnail images of the sky, the navigation camera looked for clouds again and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted another 7-point sky and ground observation.
Sol 1087: The rover drove this sol, then took images with its navigation and panoramic cameras. The rover then conducted a tau measurement. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used during the afternoon Odyssey pass. The final commands of this sol involved the panoramic camera surveying the horizon and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer completing a mini observation of the sky and ground.
Sol 1088: On this sol, the navigation camera looked for clouds, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed a 7-point sky and ground observation and the panoramic camera took a 13-filter image.
Sol 1089: The morning of this sol began with a mini-miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation. A pre-drive navigation camera image was taken in support of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then stowed its arm and drove about 15 meters (49 feet) to get into position to image the other side of Cape Desire. After the drive, the rover unstowed its arm and took post-drive navigation camera images and completed a post-drive tau measurement.
Sol 1090 (February 16, 2007): On this sol, the navigation camera looked for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a 7-point sky & ground observation. A pre-Odyssey tau measurement was also taken.
Odometry:
As of sol 1087, Opportunity's total odometry is 10,077 meters (6.26 miles).
sol 1077-1083, February 09, 2007: Opportunity Flips 10 Kilometers and Tests New Drive Software
Opportunity has completed a remote sensing campaign at "Cape Desire" and is on the move to the next promontory, called "Cabo Corrientes." Opportunity's odometer rolled past 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) during the 50.51-meter (166 feet) drive on sol 1080. By contrast, the NASA Level 1 requirements for the mission called for achieving at least 600 meters (1,969 feet) with one rover, and the mission design requirement was for 1,000 meters (3,281 feet). This is another significant milestone for Opportunity, and yet another testimony to the outstanding work done by the development and operations teams.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Each sol, the panoramic camera assesses atmospheric opacity ("tau") at the beginning of the sol's sequence of activities and again before the afternoon Mars Odyssey pass. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer scans sky and ground during the Odyssey pass. That instrument also observes sky and ground each morning as part of the preceding sol's activity plan, just prior to Spirit beginning the current sol's sequence. In addition to these regular activities, Opportunity also completed the following:
Sol 1077: Opportunity conducted panoramic camera 13-filter targeting on "Cabo Anonimo." The rover then used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to stare at: rover tracks, at scuffed soil, at the area near the tracks and at Cabo Anonimo. The navigation camera took images to support the work by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer on and near the tracks. The panoramic camera also did a 13-filter examination of Cabo Corrientes. After the Odyssey pass, the rover conducted an argon experiment during six hours of collecting data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1078: Opportunity drove 42.81 meters (140 feet) away from Cape Desire and then performed an update of its orientation. Post-drive imaging included navigation and panoramic camera mosaics. There was no science activity around the afternoon Odyssey pass on this sol because the team decided to use the energy to support an overnight UHF pass.
Sol 1079: The miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed a seven-point sky and ground analysis, the navigation camera looked for clouds, and then the rover completed two miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares.
Sol 1080: The rover drove 50.51 meters (166 feet), then collected images for mosaics with the navigation and panoramic cameras. There was another morning UHF pass in the 1080 plan, so no science activity was conducted around the afternoon Odyssey pass.
Sol 1081: In the morning of this sol, a panoramic camera horizon survey was conducted. The navigation camera looked for clouds and then the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a seven-point analysis of sky and ground. During the afternoon Odyssey pass, that instrument completed a five-point sky and ground analysis.
Sol 1082: The plan included a checkout of new autonomous navigation software during a drive toward Cabo Corrientes. Planned imaging after the drive included mosaics by the navigation and panoramic cameras. The rover's panoramic camera was instructed to view the Martian moon Phobos.
Sol 1083 (Feb. 9, 2007): The plan for this sol calls for the panoramic camera to have a look at the sky in the morning. The navigation camera will then look for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer will conduct a seven-point sky and ground analysis. In the afternoon, the rover will have another chance to see Phobos in the sky.
Odometry:
As of sol 1080 (Feb. 6, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 10,023.19 meters (6.23 miles).
sol 1070-1076, February 01, 2007: Opportunity Making Its Way to Final Position on 'Cape Desire'
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).
sol 1063-1069, January 26, 2007: Opportunity Hones Reckoning Skills, Tests Computer Smarts
After driving around the "Bay of Toil" onto "Cape Desire," a promontory overlooking "Victoria Crater," Opportunity began testing various techniques for visually determining the rover's precise location after moving across sandy, somewhat slippery terrain. Because the sandy surface is largely flat and featureless (except for the dropoff into "Victoria Crater"), the rover's primary reference points are the long rows of repeating ridges and holes in its own tracks. They all look pretty much the same, repeating the same pattern every 80 centimeters (2.6 feet). The rover is working on ways to make its tracks look different at every step, which will remove any ambiguities in the images of the tracks.
Opportunity continued to test new computer smarts to enable automated placement of instruments on a target of scientific interest.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, searching for clouds with the navigation camera, surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and imaging the sky with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1063 (Jan. 19, 2007): Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and acquired part of a panoramic postcard of Victoria Crater using the panoramic camera. Opportunity surveyed rock targets known as "Gomes," "Gomes Background" (the surface area around Gomes), "Santandres," "Deseado," "Narrows," "Sardines," and "Trabajo" using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1064: Opportunity drove 4.21 meters (13.8 feet) around the Bay of Toil toward Cape Desire. The drive included a test to allow the rover to make unique track patterns for better determination of its position. The drive test had two legs: one in which the rover dragged the right front wheel for 5 centimeters (2 inches) and then drove on all 6 wheels for 55 centimeters (1.8 feet), and a second in which the rover drove 60 centimeters (24 inches) and then spun both front wheels 23 degrees, or approximately 5 centimeters (2 inches).
Sol 1065: Opportunity acquired a full-color image using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera of the foreground area, then surveyed the foreground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover monitored dust on the mast and acquired panoramic camera images of the sky at sunset.
Sol 1066: Opportunity drove 25.38 meters (83.27 feet) away from the rim of Victoria Crater to continue testing and determining the best method for visual odometry -- determining the precise position by imaging the rover's tracks. The rover did a series of 5 tests, each covering 5 centimeters (2 inches) and each designed to produce a different pattern in the tracks. All of the driving was backward. During the first test, the rover created scuffs with both front wheels. During the second test, the rover wiggled the left wheel and scuffed with the right wheel. The third test was a "drunken sailor" test in which the rover drove in small curves. During the fourth test, the rover turned in place 10 degrees at specific intervals, or "steps." The fifth test was a combination of the previous four tests.
Sol 1067: Opportunity drove 40.43 meters (132.6 feet) to set up for the approach to the edge of Cape Desire. The rover acquired panoramic camera images of "Guam," a chevron-shaped rock outcrop.
Sol 1068: Opportunity drove backward 7.8 meters (26 feet) toward the tip of Cape Desire.
Sol 1069 (Jan. 26, 2007): Plans called for Opportunity to drive a short distance of 7 meters (23 feet) to an imaging position about 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) away from the left edge of Cape Desire. From this vantage point, Opportunity was to acquire images of "Bahia Blanca," the next bay to the north. The rover was also slated to survey the horizon with the panoramic camera and complete Step 4 of the automatic placement test, the first attempt at actually reaching and touching a target autonomously. During the test, the rover was to acquire images with the hazard avoidance camera, swing back the robotic arm, touch the target with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and acquire microscopic images.
Odometry:
As of sol 1068 (Jan. 25, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 9,918 meters (6.2 miles).
Opportunity continues to make progress in acquiring long-baseline stereo images of "Victoria Crater." To do this, the rover moves laterally from one point to another between taking images with the left and right eyes of the panoramic camera. The path separating the images is known as a baseline and increases the apparent visual depth of features in the terrain.
During the past week, Opportunity drove across "Cabo Anonimo," a promontory on the northwest edge of Victoria Crater. From there, Opportunity took images of a face of "Cape Desire," the next promontory clockwise around the crater rim, on the other side of the "Bay of Toil." Opportunity then proceeded around the Bay of Toil on the way to Cape Desire.
Opportunity was scheduled to take a picture of comet McNaught on the morning of the rover's 1,063rd sol, or Martian day, of Mars exploration (Jan. 20, 2007).
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, searching for clouds with the navigation camera, surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and imaging the sky with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1057 (Jan. 13, 2007): Opportunity measured atmospheric argon with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and surveyed surface targets known as "Pacific," "Pacifico," and "Straight" using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1058: Opportunity drove across Cabo Anonimo to the rim overlooking the Bay of Toil.
Sol 1059: Opportunity completed standard remote sensing activities.
Sol 1060: Opportunity acquired the first half of the long-baseline stereo pair of the Bay of Toil using the panoramic camera. The rover then drove 2 meters (7 feet) to get into position to acquire the second half of the baseline stereo pair.
Sol 1061: Opportunity acquired the second half of the baseline stereo pair of panoramic camera images, then proceeded driving around the Bay of Toil.
Sol 1062 (Jan. 18, 2007): Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of a rock outcrop known as "Guam," exposed on the plains above the rim of Victoria Crater. The camera also photographed cobbles "Gallego," "Vasco" and "Gomes" along the rim. Opportunity acquired miniature thermal emission spectrometer data on Gallego, the soil next to Gallego, and Vasco. Plans called for Opportunity to take snapshots of comet McNaught the next morning.
Odometry:
As of sol 1061 (Jan. 17, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry was 9,840 meters (6.1 miles).
sol 1049-1056, January 12, 2007: Opportunity Finds Another Meteorite
After wrapping up scientific studies of a rock called "Santa Catarina" on the rim of "Victoria Crater," Opportunity determined, based on analysis of the iron content, that the rock is probably a meteorite. Nearby cobbles appear to have similar composition, based on data from the Mössbauer spectrometer, panoramic camera, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity's itinerary will now take the rover in a northeasterly direction toward the crater's edge for a better look at the west face of "Cape Desire," on the other side of the "Bay of Toil."
On the morning of Opportunity's 1,048th sol, or Martian day, the rover entered auto mode, meaning that, in order to protect itself from a sequencing error, the rover cancelled all scheduled activities. Rover planners re-established control of all operating sequences on sol 1049 (Jan. 5, 2007).
Also on sol 1049, Opportunity performed additional diagnostic tests of the grinding motor that operates the rock abrasion tool. All signs point to a failed encoder. Rover handlers must now invent a new strategy for using the brush and grinder that does not rely on the encoder to sense when the device comes into contact with a rock surface. Team members anticipate they will be able to use the rock abrasion tool again in a few weeks.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, searching for clouds with the navigation camera, surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and imaging the sky with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1049 (Jan. 5, 2007): Opportunity conducted diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool, studied Santa Catarina using the Mössbauer spectrometer, acquired full-color, 13-filter panoramic images of cobbles known as "Ibirama" and "Xaxim," and studied a blue cobble known as "Igreja" using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1050: Opportunity acquired full-color panoramic camera images of cobbles known as "Lajes" and "Pelotas," studied Lajes with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, took images of Lajes with the navigation camera, and analyzed Santa Catarina with the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Sol 1051: Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of the area where the rover is scheduled to drive, acquired data from a cobble known as "Mafra" using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and collected additional data about Santa Catarina with the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Sol 1052: Using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, Opportunity acquired images of Mafra and a cobble nicknamed "Peixe," scanned the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and continued to analyze Santa Catarina using the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Sol 1053: Opportunity acquired full-color images using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera of cobbles known as "Videira" and "Chapeco," scanned Videira and the background behind it using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and conducted analysis of Santa Catarina using the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Sol 1054: Opportunity monitored dust accumulation on the rover's mast, surveyed the sky with the sun low on the horizon using the panoramic camera, and surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1055: Plans called for Opportunity to back up and acquire panoramic camera images of Santa Catarina along with Mössbauer spectrometer data, turn northeast and drive toward Bay of Toil, take stereo images using the navigation camera, and acquire panoramic mosaics using the panoramic camera for help in planning the next drive to the edge of Victoria Crater.
Sol 1056 (Jan. 12, 2007): Opportunity was scheduled to conduct a sky survey using the panoramic camera.
Odometry:
As of sol 1053 (Jan. 9, 2007), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 9,790 meters (6.1 miles).
sol 1043-1048, January 05, 2007: Opportunity Studies Unusual Rocks on Rim of 'Victoria Crater'
Opportunity continued scientific studies of a rock called "Santa Catarina" on the rim of "Victoria Crater." Scientists suspect that Santa Catarina may be a meteorite or a rock blasted out from beneath the surface of Victoria. Opportunity collected extensive measurements to determine the iron content of the rock using the Mössbauer spectrometer and will continue to do so during the coming week.
Other activities included analysis of cobbles nearby that may be similar to Santa Catarina. Based on the results, members of the science team will either decide to stay and continue investigating the rocks or drive toward the next promontory of Victoria Crater.
Opportunity also conducted tests in support of the Phoenix mission to Mars scheduled for launch later this year. On the rover's 1,037th and 1,047th Martian days, or sols, of exploration (Dec. 24, 2006 and Jan. 3, 2007), Opportunity sent UHF-band transmissions to NASA's Odyssey spacecraft as it passed overhead. These communications mimicked those to be used by Phoenix.
During a routine imaging session on New Year's Day (sol 1045), Opportunity detected a stall in the grind motor of the rock abrasion tool. Subsequent diagnostic tests found no obstructions. More diagnostics were planned for sol 1049 (Jan. 5, 2007).
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to daily observations that included measuring atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, searching for clouds with the navigation camera, surveying the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and imaging the sky with the panoramic camera, Opportunity completed the following activities:
Sol 1043 (Dec. 30, 2006): Opportunity studied the elemental composition of the Martian atmosphere with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover surveyed the surrounding plains, dust on the horizon, and the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1044: Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images to survey the soil, measure surface brightness, and scan the horizon. The rover scanned the plains, sky, and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1045: Opportunity acquired images of the grinding bit on the rock abrasion tool and microscopic images of Santa Catarina. The rover acquired elemental data about Santa Catarina using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1046: Using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera along with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, Opportunity studied nearby cobbles nicknamed "Joacaba," "Tubarao," and "Igreja." The rover studied Santa Catarina using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 1047: Opportunity conducted diagnostic tests of the rock abrasion tool, analyzed the iron composition of Santa Catarina using the Mössbauer spectrometer, and used all 13 filters of the panoramic camera along with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to acquire data from nearby cobbles nicknamed "Florianopolis" and "Xanxer." The rover conducted a communications demonstration for the Phoenix mission.
Sol 1048 (Jan. 4, 2006): Opportunity continued analysis of Santa Catarina with the Mössbauer spectrometer and used all 13 filters of the panoramic camera along with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to study nearby cobbles dubbed "Videira" and "Chapeco."
Odometry:
As of sol 1047 (Jan. 3, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry remained at 9,790 meters (6.1 miles).
sol 1038-1042, January 02, 2007: Opportunity Continues Survey from Rim of 'Victoria Crater'
Opportunity remains healthy after completing a drive to a cobble nicknamed "Santa Catarina" on the way to the "Bay of Toil" at "Victoria Crater." During the holiday break on Earth, Opportunity completed a campaign of scientific study of a rock target called "Rio De Janeiro" before driving away on Sol 1039 (Dec. 26, 2006). Opportunity's next activity was to begin the drive around the Bay of Toil toward "Cape Desire," the next promontory clockwise around Victoria's rim.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Sol 1038 (Dec. 25, 2006): Opportunity acquired data from Rio de Janeiro using the Mössbauer spectrometer, acquired images of cobbles in the vicinity using the panoramic camera, and monitored the rover mast for dust accumulation.
Sol 1039: Opportunity drove about 20 meters (66 feet) to the east toward the Bay of Toil.
Sol 1040: Opportunity studied the Martian atmosphere using the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer and scanned the sky with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1041: Opportunity drove approximately 10 meters (33 feet) east to Santa Catarina, then updated measurements of the rover's current position.
Sol 1042 (Dec. 29, 2006): Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images and miniature thermal emission spectrometer scans of the area immediately in front of the rover and then surveyed a broader portion of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Odometry:
As of sol 1042 (Dec. 29, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 9,793 meters (6.09 miles).
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 Mössbauer 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).
sol 1022-1028, December 18, 2006: Opportunity Looks for Entry Point into Crater
Opportunity is healthy and driving toward "Bottomless Bay" to gather data on whether this would be a suitable future entry point into "Victoria Crater." The rover will continue traversing the crater rim and collecting images of the cliff walls.
On Dec. 6, 2006, corresponding to the 1020th sol, or Martian day, of Opportunity's mission on the surface of Mars, NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter entered safe mode, a protective state during which only those systems vital to the orbiter's health continue to operate. Odyssey provides the relay communications link for most data received from the Opportunity and Spirit rovers. Rover handlers responded to the temporary unavailability of Odyssey by planning only one sol of driving and limiting remote sensing activities until the orbiter returned to normal relay mode on Opportunity's sol 1026 (Dec. 12, 2006).
Between sols 1021 (Dec. 7, 2006) and 1027 (Dec. 13, 2006), Opportunity drove 84 meters (276 feet).
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 1022 (Dec. 8, 2006): Opportunity took backward-looking panoramic images, monitored the rover mast for dust, acquired thumbnail panoramic images of the sky, and measured atmospheric dust.
Sol 1023: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust and acquired forward-looking images using the panoramic camera, acquired images to accompany surveys by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer using the navigation camera, and scanned the sky and ground using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover monitored atmospheric dust at sunset, measured atmospheric density of argon gas with the alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer, and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1024: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, scanned the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and acquired panoramic camera images of the work volume to be examined using the instruments on the rover's robotic arm.
Sol 1025: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and acquired thumbnail images of the sky using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1026: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, surveyed the horizon with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera, and acquired thumbnail images of the sky using the panoramic camera.
Sol 1027: Opportunity measured atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, drove 30 meters (98 feet), acquired navigation camera images of the area ahead, and acquired post-drive panoramic camera images and atmospheric dust measurements. The rover surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and scanned the sky for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 1028 (Dec. 14, 2006): Opportunity measured atmospheric dust with the panoramic camera, drove 40 meters (131 feet), took post-drive navigation camera images, monitored the rover mast for dust, and surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Odometry:
As of sol 1027 (Dec. 13, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 9,669 meters (6.01 miles).
sol 1016-1021, December 07, 2006: Opportunity's Odometer Reaches Six-Mile Mark at 'Bottomless Bay'
Opportunity is healthy and wrapping up imaging of "Bottomless Bay" (Bahia sin Fondo) at "Victoria Crater."
On Sol 1016, Opportunity arrived at Bottomless Bay and began making science observations. Opportunity also performed step one of a series of checkouts of its new capability for more autonomous assessment of where it is safe to place its robotic arm. This test did not involve any arm motion.
On Sol 1018, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measured the atmosphere's argon density. While pointed at the atmosphere, the instrument was turned on and left integrating for almost three hours. With the temperature and argon density in hand, scientists can calculate what percentage of the atmosphere at the rover site is argon. By doing measurements of this nature, scientists can get a better understanding of how atmospheric gases mix between the poles and the equator.
On Sols 1019, 1020 and 1021 Opportunity was busy completing photography of Bottomless Bay.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Daily, Opportunity completes science observations that include: tau (atmospheric clarity) measurements with the panoramic camera, cloud searches with the navigation camera, and stares at the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 1016 (Dec. 2, 2006): Opportunity drove for two hours, adding 30 meters (98 feet) onto its drive toward Bottomless Bay. The rover then took a navigation camera mosaic in the drive direction and completed step one of checking the capability for autonomous placement of the robotic arm.
Sol 1017: Opportunity used part of this sol to conduct the daily science observations and then used the rest of the sol to recharge.
Sol 1018: The rover examined the ground in front of it with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Those instruments were also used to monitor dust accumulation on the solar panels. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer began a 2.5-hour argon density measurement.
Sol 1019: The panoramic camera took images for the first half of a stereo mosaic of Bottomless Bay. Opportunity then turned so it would be in a better position for communication.
Sol 1020: Opportunity used part of this sol to conduct the daily science observations and then used the rest of the sol to recharge.
Sol 1021 (Dec. 7, 2006): The rover took a 2-meter (6.6 feet) drive along Bottomless Bay and the panoramic camera took the second half of the stereo mosaic of Bottomless Bay.
As of sol 1016's drive, Opportunity's total odometry is 9,584.69 meters (6 miles)!
Opportunity is healthy and making progress imaging "Victoria Crater." Sol 1002 began with a short drive to the edge of "Cape St. Mary" in order to take better images of the northeast side of "Cape Verde."
On Sols 1005 and 1006 (Nov. 21 and 22, 2006), Opportunity participated in efforts to recover communications with NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter, which had not communicated with Earth for more than two weeks at that point. Mars Global Surveyor was sent a command in the blind to try to communicate with Opportunity via their UHF radios on each of these two sols. Alas, Opportunity never received any signal from the orbiter on either attempt.
On Sol 1009, Opportunity departed Cape St. Mary and headed toward a point overlooking "Bottomless Bay" (Bahia sin Fondo) more than 100 meters (328 feet) away. Drives on sols 1009, 1012 and 1014 added about 80 meters (262 feet) in the direction of Bottomless Bay.
On Sol 1013, Opportunity added to the rapidly growing list of simultaneous, multi-spacecraft science observations with a coordinated overflight by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter of the area around Opportunity. At a predetermined time, that orbiter's remote sensing instruments took measurements in the vicinity of Opportunity while Opportunity took "ground truth" measurements of the atmosphere and ground.
Sol 1014's drive included the first step in a series of checkouts of the rover's new "D-star" drive capability. This was added to create a more capable autonomous navigation system. The benefits include better hazard-avoidance capability, less user intervention and longer hazard-avoidance traverses per sol.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 1002 (Nov. 18, 2006): The rover drove 1.04 meters (3.41 feet), then conducted remote sensing of Cape Verde.
Sol 1003: Opportunity conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 1004: Opportunity conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 1005: The rover used its panoramic camera to collect images for a mosaic of Cape Verde. This was the first sol during which Opportunity attempted to hear from Mars Global Surveyor.
Sol 1006: This sol was the second attempt to use Opportunity to receive a signal from Mars Global Surveyor. The rover also did targeted remote sensing.
Sol 1007: Opportunity conducted targeted remote sensing.
Sol 1008: Opportunity conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 1009: The rover drove 43.7 meters (143.4 feet) away from Cape St. Mary toward Bottomless Bay.
Sol 1010: Opportunity conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 1011: Opportunity conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 1012: The rover drove 14.5 meters (48 feet) toward Bottomless Bay.
Sol 1013: The rover conducted remote sensing and did coordinated science observations with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Sol 1014: Opportunity drove about 22 meters (72 feet) toward Bottomless Bay. The new "D-star" driving software was tested.
Sol 1015 (Dec. 1, 2006): Opportunity did untargeted remote science.
After the drive on sol 1014, Opportunity's total odometery is 9,555 meters (5.94 miles).
sol 996-1001, December 01, 2006: Passing the 1,000-Sol Mark
Opportunity is healthy and is driving to the promontory called "Cape St. Mary." From that vantage point, Opportunity will photograph the sedimentary layers in the northeast-facing cliff of "Cape Verde," thus completing the imaging of both sides of the promontory in order to see the continuity of the layers. Opportunity continues to take long-baseline stereo images around the crater approximately every 10 meters (33 feet) in order to eventually acquire a detailed three-dimensional map of the crater. Opportunity drove about 33 meters (108 feet) on sol 994.
This week Opportunity is also celebrating its 1,000th sol anniversary of landing!
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 996 (Nov. 12, 2006): Opportunity took a tau (atmospheric clarity) measurement before its communication window with NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. The rover also took a tau measurement at sunset. Since a lot of data were onboard Opportunity, several sols during this period were light on science in order to free up some of the rover's flash memory.
Sol 997: The rover took two tau measurements this sol.
Sol 998: The rover took two tau measurements this sol.
Sol 999: Opportunity took a tau measurement, then headed toward the Cape St. Mary promontory. In the middle of that 7.5-meter (25-foot) drive, the rover conducted a panoramic camera baseline test. After the drive, the rover took images with its navigation camera. During the Odyssey pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed an examination of the area in front of the rover.
Sol 1000: In the morning, the rover's panoramic camera took thumbnail images of the sky. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed sky and ground. Opportunity also took a tau measurement and used its panoramic camera to survey the sun.
Sol 1001: In the morning, Opportunity looked for clouds and looked down at its solar panels to monitor dust accumulation. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was busy assessing the ground and sky while the panoramic camera surveyed the ground in front of the rover. Several tau measurements were taken.
As of sol 1,000 (Nov. 16, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry is 9,473 meters (5.89 miles).
sol 968-995, November 13, 2006: Opportunity on the Move after Solar Conjunction
Opportunity is healthy and has driven away from the "Cape Verde" promontory for further exploration around the rim of "Victoria Crater." Over the course of the next week, the rover will make its way clockwise around Victoria Crater to the next promontory, "Cape St. Mary." Opportunity will then image the northeast-facing cliff of Cape Verde to characterize lateral changes in layers of the crater wall. Along the way, Opportunity will be using the panoramic camera to scout a safe place to drive into the crater.
During the drive on Sol 992, rover planners performed the first step of the in-flight checkout of one of the rover's new technologies: visual target tracking (VTT). This first checkout included picking a target to track, driving, and testing the rover's knowledge of how its position changed relative to the target. The rover performed this activity as planned. The next step will be to execute a drive to a VTT target.
During the solar conjunction period from sol 970 to sol 984 (Oct. 16 to 30), Opportunity used its panoramic camera to image Victoria Crater from the Cape Verde promontory, collected 3.5 hours of Mössbauer spectrometer data each sol on the hole that the rock abrasion tool drilled at target "Cha," and performed its standard sol-to-sol atmospheric and remote sensing observations. Opportunity collected more than 50 hours of Mössbauer data on Cha.
Sol-by-sol summary:
In addition to Opportunity's daily science observations (checking atmospheric clarity with the panoramic camera, monitoring for clouds with the navigation camera, and observing sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer), the rover performed the following activities:
Sol 968 (Oct. 14, 2006): The rover planning team made room in flash memory for data to be collected during solar conjunction.
Sol 969: More room in the flash memory was freed during this sol.
Sols 970 to 984 (conjunction): The rover took images for a panorama of the view from Cape Verde and conducted Mössbauer spectrometer integration on target Cha.
Sol 985: The rover took images for the Cape Verde panorama.
Sol 986: Opportunity continued to work on the Cape Verde panorama and used the Mössbauer spectrometer on target Cha.
Sol 987: Opportunity retransmitted and deleted data left from solar conjunction.
Sol 988: There was more Mössbauer activity on Cha, use of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and retransmission and deletion of data from conjunction.
Sol 989: Opportunity did more Mössbauer spectrometer observations on Cha and used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 990: Opportunity did more Mössbauer spectrometer observations on Cha and used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 991: On this sol, Opportunity finished acquiring the Cape Verde panoramic image.
Sol 992: The rover drove toward Cape St. Mary and tested its visual target tracking function.
Sol 993: Opportunity took images of the crater with its panoramic camera.
Sol 994: The rover drove toward Cape St. Mary.
Sol 995 (Nov. 11, 2006): Opportunity used its panoramic camera to image the crater.
Odometry:
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 992 (Nov. 8, 2006) is 9,432 meters (5.86 miles).
sol 954-960, October 16, 2006: On the Promontory
Opportunity is healthy and perched at the tip of the promontory "Cape Verde," 3.1 meters (10.2 feet) from the edge of a sharp drop off on the rim of "Victoria Crater." Soon after arriving at Victoria Crater's "Duck Bay" last week, Opportunity was sent on its way to Cape Verde. Six sols, four drives and 127.61 meters (419 feet) later, Opportunity arrived at the rock target "Fogo" near the tip of Cape Verde.
Along the way, Opportunity made remote-sensing observations including a panorama from Duck Bay, imagery of Cape Verde and atmospheric science.
On Sol 957 (Oct. 3, 2006) Opportunity performed a coordinated observation with NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). MRO imagery included a picture of Opportunity itself! The image was taken with MRO's HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera, the highest-resolution camera ever to orbit Mars.
Sol-by-sol summary:
Sol 954 (Sept. 30, 2006): The navigation camera had a look at the skies, searching for clouds. The panoramic camera gauged atmospheric clarity (a "tau" measurement). The panoramic camera was then used to take a mosaic image of "Duck Bay 2." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was put to work to scan the target "Cape Verde Maio". The afternoon included another panoramic camera tau measurement.
Sol 955: The morning of this sol saw the panoramic camera imaging target Cape Verde Maio. The rover also assessed the clarity of the atmosphere. The robotic arm was then stowed and the rover drove 55.71 meters (183 feet) toward Cape Verde. After the drive, the rover took images with its hazard avoidance cameras, panoramic camera and navigation camera, and unstowed its arm.
Sol 956: In the morning, Opportunity used its panoramic camera to survey the sky. A measurement of atmospheric clarity was taken by the panoramic camera, and the navigation camera spied for clouds. More remote sensing was conducted before the Mars Odyssey communication window. During that window, the rover examined points in the sky and on the ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 957: The rover was busy this morning, using its navigation and panoramic cameras to survey the sky. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was also used to scan the sky and ground. Opportunity assessed the clarity of the atmosphere with a tau measurement and then stowed its robotic arm. The rover drove 42.17 meters (138 feet) toward Cape Verde, took hazard avoidance camera images, then unstowed its arm and took navigation and panoramic camera images. A tau measurement was taken with the panoramic camera before an overflight by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. In coordination with observations by that orbiter, Opportunity's cameras were busy imaging and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer assessed the sky and ground. To end the sol, the panoramic camera made another tau measurement.
Sol 958: The rover monitored its dust level this morning and looked for clouds with its navigation camera. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was then used to assess the sky and ground. A tau measurement was taken and then a 23.01 meter (75.5 feet) drive commenced, toward Cape Verde. The rover then did post-drive imaging. In coordination with observations by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Opportunity took another tau measurement and did albedo measurements.
Sol 959: On this sol, Opportunity began the day by scanning for clouds with its navigation camera and taking thumbnail images with its panoramic camera. A panoramic camera tau measurement was taken and then the rover drove 6.72 meters (22 feet) to the target Fogo at Cape Verde. Post-drive imaging was done and a tau measurement taken. During the communication window with Mars Odyssey, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed the sky and ground.
Sol 960 (Oct. 6, 2006): In the morning of this sol, the navigation camera looked for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed the sky and ground. Opportunity then took a tau measurement and used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to assess dunes, the sky and the ground. Another panoramic camera tau measurement was taken. During the communication window with Mars Odyssey, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used again to assess the dunes.
Odometry:
As of sol 959 (Oct. 5, 2006), Opportunity's total odometery was 9,406.95 meters (5.85 miles).
sol 947-953, September 29, 2006: A View Worth Waiting For!
Opportunity is healthy and sitting at the rim of "Victoria Crater"! After traveling 9,279.34 meters (5.77 miles) in 952 sols the team is rewarded by some of the most spectacular views seen on this mission. The week began with a checkout of basic mobility functions using the new flight software: arc, turn, go-to-waypoint and visual odometry. Also checked were a few of the mobility test criteria such as the time-of-day limits, suspension limits and a new capability for keep-out zones (areas deemed too dangerous to rove). Later in the week, Opportunity drove 60.1 meters (197 feet) over three sols to our current location at the top of "Duck Bay."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 947 (Sept. 22, 2006): Opportunity's panoramic camera took 13-filter, quarter-frame images of the targets "Macaroni" and "Rockhopper," and a mosaic of images of "Kitty Clyde's Sister." During the afternoon communication-relay pass by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used to evaluate Macaroni and Rockhopper. The navigation camera checked for clouds and the panoramic camera assessed the clarity of the atmosphere with a tau measurement.
Sol 948: The morning of this sol, the rover monitored dust buildup and targeted the sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity executed a series of mobility tests to check out the new version of its flight software. Post-drive imaging included 360-degree view by the navigation camera and an image mosaic by the panoramic camera.
Sol 949: In the morning of this sol, the panoramic camera imaged the sky and measured for atmospheric clarity. The navigation camera looked for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer did a sky and ground measurement. This sol contained un-targeted remote sensing because it was the third of a three-sol plan. The panoramic camera continued to be busy, taking another tau measurement and sky images. Before the Odyssey pass, the navigation camera took images of the sky (called "sky flats") for calibration purposes. During the Odyssey pass, Opportunity used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 950: Opportunity used part of the morning block of this sol to take a panoramic camera tau measurement and to look for clouds with its navigation camera. It also shot images of the sky with the panoramic camera and observed the sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover completed another panoramic camera tau measurement before it drove 30.2 meters (99 feet) toward Victoria Crater's rim. Post-drive imaging included hazard avoidance camera imaging, a panoramic camera mosaic and a navigation camera 360-degree image.
Sol 951: This morning, Opportunity used its panoramic camera to survey the sky. The rover then took a panoramic camera tau measurement, drove 26.4 meters (87 feet) toward Duck Bay and completed post-drive imaging, including navigation and panoramic camera mosaics. The navigation camera looked for clouds and the panoramic camera imaged the sky.
Sol 952: Opportunity used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to measure the sky and ground. The rover took pre-drive panoramic camera and navigation camera images. Opportunity drove 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) toward the rim's edge, then took a navigation camera mosaic. There was a post-drive navigation camera cloud observation before the rover shut down for the afternoon. Before the Odyssey pass, the panoramic camera made a tau measurement and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer measured the sky and ground during the orbiter's pass. The panoramic camera took a sunset tau measurement.
Sol 953 (Sept. 29, 2006): In the morning of this sol, the panoramic camera imaged the sky, the navigation camera looked for clouds and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer measured the sky and ground. This sol is the first of two sols of targeted remote sensing in Duck Bay before Opportunity will drive off to "Cape Verde." The rover is at its closest approach to Victoria Crater and it has an incredible view! The plan for the remainder of this sol is to: take a panoramic camera tau measurement, look for clouds with the navigation camera, take a navigation camera mosaic in the drive direction, and take part one of a large panoramic camera panorama. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer will take a vertical scan of "Cabo Frio" during the Odyssey pass. The plan also calls for another navigation camera scan for clouds and a panoramic camera 13-filter examination of Cabo Frio to support the miniature thermal emission spectrometer in the morning of sol 954.
As of sol 952 (Sept. 27, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry is 9,279.34 meters (5.77 miles).
sol 941-946, September 22, 2006: Nearly There!
Opportunity is healthy and very near "Victoria Crater." The rover spent its week completing an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observation of rock target "Cape Faraday," successfully booting its new flight software and exercising its mobility functions.
Opportunity is currently a little over 45 meters (148 feet) away from Victoria Crater's "Duck Bay" - a point on Victoria's vast rim. Once the team has verified that the new onboard flight software is stable, Opportunity will drive out to Duck Bay. This location is expected to provide Opportunity a spectacular view of the crater's interior.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 941 (Sept. 16, 2006): In the morning, the panoramic camera imaged areas of the sky and looked for clouds. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed the sky and ground. Opportunity completed several panoramic camera assessments of the clarity of the atmosphere. The panoramic camera also surveyed the ground and imaged the soil target "Dellinbaugh," within the crater dubbed "Emma Dean." Parameters for the robotic arm were tested with the new flight software. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer completed an observation of Cape Faraday.
Sol 942: This morning, the rover's panoramic camera imaged parts of the Martian sky and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer collected data from the sky and ground. Opportunity assessed the clarity of the atmosphere with a panoramic camera "tau" measurement. That camera also imaged the rover magnets to monitor dust and had a look at the horizon. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed a sky and ground observation and checked its calibration target. Before the communications pass with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, the rover completed another tau measurement. During the pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used.
Sol 943: Opportunity drove about 35 meters (115 feet), paused and took a mid-drive navigation camera mosaic of the crater dubbed "Kitty Clyde's Sister." The rover then drove another 25 meters (82 feet) and took images with the hazard avoidance cameras. After the drive, the navigation camera and panoramic camera took images from the rover's new location. The panoramic camera was also used this sol to image parts of the sky and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer took measurements of the sky and ground.
Sol 944: This sol was dedicated to booting flight software and ensuring that imaging and data-product parameters were functioning properly with the new software.
Sol 945: This sol was used to update mobility parameters for the new flight software. Some remote sensing science was completed.
Sol 946 (Sept. 21, 2006): The rover performed remote sensing science.
As of sol 943 (Sept. 18, 2006) Opportunity's odometry total is 9,192.05 meters (5.71 miles).
sol 936-940, September 15, 2006: Grinding into 'Cape Faraday'
Opportunity is healthy and is currently driving toward "Victoria Crater," which is a little over 100 meters (328 feet) away. On sol 936 (Sept. 11, 2006), a short bump was made to a robotic arm rock target called "Cape Faraday" near the crater "Emma Dean." Opportunity drove 1.45 meters (4.8 feet) between sols 936-940.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 936 (Sept. 11, 2006): The morning of this sol saw the rover monitoring the amount of dust on itself using the panoramic mast assembly. Opportunity completed a panoramic camera tau, assessing the clarity of the sky. The rover then bumped to the robotic arm target at Emma Dean Crater and took a panoramic camera image of the arm's work area. Another measurement was done before the Mars Odyssey pass. During the pass, Opportunity used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and had a look at that instrument's calibration target.
Sol 937: Opportunity used the morning to examine certain points in the sky with its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer took measurements of the sky and ground, and the instrument's calibration targets were examined.
Sol 938: Opportunity completed another assessment of the clarity of the sky. The rover used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to measure points on the sky and ground and used its navigation camera to search for clouds. The rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer had a look at targets "Thompson" and "Jones."
Sol 939: The rover did another assessment of the sky, a tau measurement. The rover used its microscopic imager to snap a photo of Cape Faraday before grinding. The rock abrasion tool ground into the target and the microscopic imager took the "after" shot. The panoramic camera took images in the rover's driving direction. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was used after the Odyssey pass.
Sol 940 (Sept. 15, 2005): On this morning, Opportunity used its panoramic camera to examine targets in the sky and used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to look at the sky and ground. The rover examined Cape Faraday with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and took a look at the rock "Beaman" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. During the Odyssey pass, the rover investigated the miniature thermal emission spectrometer calibration target.
As of sol 936, (Sept. 11, 2006) Opportunity's total odometry was 9130.29 meters (5.67 miles)
sol 928-935, September 12, 2006: Finishing Up Scuff Work and Heading for 'Emma Dean'
Opportunity is healthy and just over 100 meters (328 feet) from "Victoria Crater." The rover completed robotic arm work on a scuff mark it made on sol 919. On sol 929 (Sept. 4, 2006), Opportunity almost got a hole-in-one by driving 100.31 meters (329 feet) to the small crater "Emma Dean." The rover arrived just 5 meters (16 feet) short of Emma Dean. On sol 931 the rover photographed the bit of the rock abrasion tool (RAT) to help engineers estimate how many more grinds might be possible with the tool. The hazard avoidance camera took several high-resolution images at different angles. The RAT engineers are examining them to see how much "bite" is left in the RAT. Also on sol 931, a short bump to an ejecta rock was attempted in the hopes of grinding it. Another bump (tentatively scheduled for sol 937) will have to be attempted before the rover can actually grind it. The remainder of the week had Opportunity acquiring remote-sensing science at Emma Dean.
Following the robotic arm campaign at Emma Dean, Opportunity will continue its drive to Victoria Crater.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 928 (Sept. 3, 2006): Opportunity used the microscopic imager on the robotic arm to look at scuff-mark targets "Powell" and "Powell's Brother." The rover also used the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on Powell's Brother. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was also used on this sol.
Sol 929: The rover bumped back this sol and used its panoramic camera. It also drove forward toward the small crater referred to as Emma Dean. The rover also took some post-drive images.
Sol 930: This sol consisted of untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 931: Opportunity bumped to a rover arm target at Emma Dean and conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 932: The rover conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 933: Opportunity conducted targeted remote sensing.
Sol 934: Opportunity conducted targeted remote sensing.
Sol 935 (Sept. 10, 2006): Opportunity conducted targeted remote sensing.
As of sol 931 (Sept. 6, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 9,128.84 meters (5.67 miles).
sol 920-927, September 1, 2006: Inching Closer to 'Victoria'
Opportunity is healthy and still 218 meters (715 feet) from "Victoria Crater." Over the weekend, the rover's shoulder azimuth joint stalled as Opportunity was trying to start measurements on a trench it dug on Sol 919 (Aug. 25, 2006). Consequently, all weekend arm activities were aborted, but remote science activities were executed as planned.
Beginning on Sol 923, rover arm diagnostic measurements were taken as well as some remote sensing science. Results from the diagnostics revealed neither cause nor any damage to the stalled joint. On Sol 924, the arm performed flawlessly as Opportunity successfully completed the activities originally planned for Sol 920. On Sols 925, 926 and 927 Opportunity collected more arm diagnostics (to ensure the stow before drive would go smoothly) as well as completing all arm activities originally planned over the weekend.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 920 (Aug. 26, 2006): Opportunity did a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation and other activities were aborted due to the arm stall.
Sol 921: The rover took a panoramic camera image.
Sol 922: Opportunity used its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 923: The rover conducted arm diagnostics and took panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations.
Sol 924: Completing the activities originally planned for sol 920, Opportunity took a microscopic image and did an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observation.
Sol 925: The rover continued to do arm diagnostics and completed a Mössbauer spectrometer observation - a completion of sol 921's originally planned activities.
Sol 926: Opportunity continued to do arm diagnostics and completed activities originally planned for sol 922 by taking microscopic images and using the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Sol 927: On this sol, the rover used its Mössbauer spectrometer.
As of sol 925 (August 31, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 9,023.70 meters (5.61 miles).
sol 913-919, August 25, 2006: Closer and Closer to 'Victoria'
Opportunity is healthy and located only 218 meters (715 feet) from the rim of "Victoria Crater." Opportunity's odometer clicked past the 9-kilometer (5.5-mile) mark as it drove 237.81 meters (780 feet) during the week. The terrain within the annulus, or ring, of material surrounding Victoria is homogeneous and flat, which is favorable for long drives. The team planned a trenching activity for sol 919 (Aug. 25, 2006) to prepare for a robotic arm campaign during the weekend.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 913 (Aug. 18, 2006): Opportunity used its panoramic camera to conduct a 13-filter systematic foreground observation, gathered a systematic foreground raster with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and used the navigation camera in support of that spectrometer. The rover measured the atmosphere's clarity (a measurement called "tau") with the panoramic camera and used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for observations of targets "Tenerife" (a boulder) and "Tenerife BG" (soil near the boulder).
Sol 914: Opportunity drove 71.72 meters (235 feet) then took images from its new position with the navigation camera and the panoramic camera. The rover also conducted a test to aid the design effort for NASA's 2009 Mars Science Laboratory. Opportunity's navigation camera took an image of the sunset. The image was designed to help in development of an algorithm for determining the rover's position using the sun and the time of day. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed sky and ground during the afternoon communication-relay pass of NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Sol 915: The rover conducted monitoring of dust on the panoramic mast assembly (the rover's "neck" and "head"), used the panoramic camera to survey clasts (rock fragments) and used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe sky and ground.
Sol 916: The rover drove backwards for 88.82 meters (291 feet).
Sol 917: Opportunity drove backwards 77.27 meters (254 feet) and took mosaics of images with the navigation camera. Before the Mars Odyssey pass, the rover took a panoramic camera tau measurement. During the orbiter's pass, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer conducted a foreground stare. The rover also took a panoramic camera 13-filter foreground image.
Sol 918: Opportunity did untargeted remote sensing, including: a panoramic camera albedo measurement, a navigation camera rear-looking mosaic, a front hazard avoidance camera image for potential robotic-arm work, and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer seven-point sky and ground observation. The rover also took a panoramic camera tau measurement before the first of two Odyssey passes and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation during the first Odyssey pass.
Sol 919: Plans call for Opportunity to take a panoramic camera image of the location selected for trenching, then to advance 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) and use a wheel to dig the trench, pausing to take images. Next in the plan are navigation camera mosaics in the forward and rear directions, then observations of sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer during the Odyssey pass.
As of sol 918 (August 24, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 9,015.19 meters (5.60 miles).
sol 907-912, August 18, 2006: Opportunity Observes 'Isabela'
Opportunity is healthy and on the road to "Victoria Crater." Opportunity drove 35.67 meters (117 feet) from "Beagle Crater" to a small sand dune, or ripple, to examine the dune with the robotic arm. The ripple study included observations with the microscopic imager, two alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integrations, and two observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 907 (Aug. 12, 2006): Opportunity drove 31.4 meters (103 feet) away from Beagle Crater toward a ripple.
Sol 908: Opportunity performed a navigation camera experiment and made observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 909: Opportunity drove 4.27 meters (14 feet) and used the robotic arm on the ripple. It also took images with the panoramic camera, navigation camera and hazard-avoidance cameras.
Sol 910: Opportunity took pictures of targets informally named "Isabela" and "Marchena" with the microscopic imager. The rover also took measurements of Marchena with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 911: Opportunity moved the robotic arm out of the way and took pictures of the area where it would later use the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity made observations of targets informally named "Pinzon" and "Pinta" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity did a reading of Isabela with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer after the Odyssey communications pass.
Sol 912 (Aug. 17, 2006): The plan is for Opportunity to stow the robotic arm and drive toward Victoria Crater at a heading of 163 degrees.
Odometry:
As of sol 911 (Aug. 16, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 8723.38 meters (5.42 miles).
sol 900-906, August 11, 2006: Opportunity Recovers from Brief Operational Anomaly
While Opportunity was collecting images with the panoramic camera on the rover's 902nd Martian day, or sol (Aug. 7, 2006), a spacecraft anomaly at 11:19 a.m. local solar time caused the rover's fault protection software to interrupt operations, place the rover in a safe state, and reboot the flight software. Upon waking up after the reset, Opportunity flagged the positions of the high-gain antenna and pancam mast assembly as unknown. Opportunity then remained in automode (meaning the rover did not attempt to execute a master sequence of activities for the day).
The rover's handlers transmitted instructions to Opportunity to re-establish the position of the high-gain antenna on sol 903 (Aug. 8, 2006) and the position of the pancam mast assembly on sol 904 (Aug. 9, 2006). Sols 903 and 904 were primarily dedicated to retrieving diagnostic information. On sol 904, Opportunity successfully reacquired the sequence of panoramic camera images that had been terminated by the fault and collected scientific data. As of sol 905 (Aug. 10, 2006), Opportunity was completely restored to normal operations. Opportunity remains healthy and engineers have not found a credible explanation for what caused the anomaly.
Before the fault, Opportunity had been working on a campaign of science observations of the area around "Beagle Crater," including an analysis of laminated ripples using instruments on the rover's robotic arm. Opportunity has resumed work on those observations.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 900 (Aug. 5, 2006): Opportunity made tau observations (measurements of dust opacity in the atmosphere) using the panoramic camera and completed two image mosaics of Beagle Crater with the panorama camera: a four-by-four mosaic known as "Beagle Pan B" and a two-by-four mosaic known as "Beagle Pan D." Opportunity acquired images of a target known as "Fernandina" using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera and made observations of a target known as "Darwin" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover acquired morning panoramic camera images of targets "Camarhynchus" and "Cactospiza" and a portion of the sky. Opportunity checked for drift (changes with time) in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and surveyed the sky and ground with the same instrument.
Sol 901: Opportunity made tau observations using the panoramic camera and completed two image mosaics of Beagle Crater with the panorama camera: a four-by-four mosaic called "Beagle Pan A" and a four-by-four mosaic called "Beagle Pan C." Opportunity acquired images of a target known as "Floreana" using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover acquired miniature thermal emission spectrometer data from Camarhynchus and a target called "Geospiza." Opportunity acquired panoramic images of a target known as "Platyspiza."
Sol 902: Opportunity made tau observations with the panoramic camera. At 11:19 a.m. local solar time, a spacecraft fault put the rover in a safe state.
Sol 903: Opportunity ran engineering sequences to recover from the previous day's fault responses and retrieve diagnostic data.
Sol 904: Opportunity acquired stereo images with the navigation camera without activating the pancam mast assembly and ran engineering sequences to complete the rover's recovery from the fault that occurred on sol 902. Opportunity took images of the calibration target for the panoramic camera and re-acquired "Beagle Part 5," the sequence of images that was terminated by the fault on sol 902.
Sol 905: Opportunity made tau observations using the panoramic camera, acquired a two-by-one mosaic of Darwin with the panoramic camera, and acquired images of Geospiza using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera. The rover scanned for clouds using the navigation camera's wide field of view. Opportunity also checked for drift in the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and surveyed the sky and ground with the same instrument.
Sol 906 (Aug. 11, 2006): Plans called for Opportunity to take tau measurements with the panoramic camera, monitor dust on the pancam mast assembly using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, survey the ground and sky at various elevations using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and collect reference data from the calibration target for the thermal emission spectrometer. During this procedure, the rover was to check for drift (changes over time) in measurements from the instrument.
Odometry:
As of sol 897 (Aug. 2, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 8,687.56 meters (5.4 miles).
sol 893-899, August 04, 2006: Opportunity Examines Crater Ejecta, Grinds into Rock
After traversing the sandy plains of Meridiani to "Beagle Crater," Opportunity investigated a patch of outcrop pavement thought to be representative of the Martian surface beyond the reach of materials excavated by the impacts that dug Beagle and the nearby, much larger Victoria Crater. Opportunity used its rock abrasion tool to grind away the surface of rock for the first time since the rover's 691st sol, or Martian day (Jan. 3, 2006).
Both before and after grinding beneath the surface of the rock target known as "Baltra," Opportunity took microscopic images and collected data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover remains healthy. This weekend, the science team plans to launch a three-day imaging campaign of Beagle Crater and the surrounding area.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 893 (July 29, 2006): Opportunity took microscopic images of Baltra and the grinding bit on the rock abrasion tool, ground 3 millimeters (0.12 inch) beneath the surface of Baltra, and took images of the magnets on the rock abrasion tool both before and after the grind. After communicating with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, the rover began a study of Baltra with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover turned off the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at 11:13 p.m., local Mars time, before going into a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 894: Opportunity took stereo microscopic images of Baltra following the grind. The rover spent 12 hours collecting data from the freshly ground surface with the Mössbauer spectrometer. Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of the rim of Beagle Crater and a transitional area around Beagle Crater known as "Española."
Sol 895: Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of a flat rock target known as "Bartolomé" and conducted Mössbauer analysis of Baltra. Opportunity completed a very long survey of atmospheric dust, known as a tau measurement, with the panoramic camera and surveyed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover went into deep sleep to recharge the batteries.
Sol 896: Opportunity rolled back 1 meter (3.3 feet) and acquired color images of Baltra using all 13 filters of the panoramic camera, then drove 21 meters (69 feet) toward the edge of Beagle Crater. At the end of the drive, the rover acquired images of the terrain using the navigation and panoramic cameras.
Sol 897: Opportunity recharged the batteries and conducted untargeted remote sensing of infrared energy and dust using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer (beginning with looking at the calibration target) and the panoramic camera. The rover surveyed the ground and sky with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer while communicating with the Odyssey orbiter.
Sol 898: Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images before driving 5 meters (16 feet) toward the rim of Beagle Crater. After the drive, Opportunity acquired images with the navigation camera and data with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 899 (Aug. 4, 2006): Plans called for a deep sleep followed by turning on the miniature thermal emission spectrometer heaters at 7 a.m., surveying the sky with the panoramic camera, and collecting data from the sky and ground using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Odometry
As of sol 897 (Aug. 2, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 8,681.96 meters (5.39 miles).
sol 886-892, July 29, 2006: Cleaning Event Gives Opportunity Renewed Energy
Opportunity spent five sols this week at a target called "Joseph McCoy." At this location, the rover acquired about 41 hours of Mössbauer spectrometer integration, almost seven hours of alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration, and a mosaic from the microscopic imager. Then Opportunity rolled back, scuffed the soil, and drove 55 meters (180 feet) closer to "Beagle Crater." The scuff helps scientists and engineers analyze how the wheels interact with the soil. After the most recent drive, Opportunity is sitting about 25 meters (82 feet) from the rim of Beagle Crater.
Over the past 50 sols the team noticed a gradual cleaning of the solar panels similar to a more-sudden cleaning event experienced one Mars-year ago in "Endurance Crater." Removal of some of the accumulated dust on the panels allows greater production of electricity from sunlight. Opportunity's solar panels are now producing just over 500 watt-hours per sol.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 886 (July 22, 2006): Opportunity took microscopic images and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading of the target Joseph McCoy. During the afternoon communication-relay session with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, the rover observed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to profile temperatures of the atmosphere and surface. This sol also included a 13-filter panoramic image of a feature called "Jesse Chisholm" and an abbreviated morning observation of the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 887: Opportunity took a Mössbauer reading of Joseph McCoy and a panoramic camera image of "Sand Sheet" (shot to the south to determine a path to Beagle). In the morning, the rover looked for clouds and made atmospheric measurements.
Sol 888: Opportunity continued the Mössbauer examination of Joseph McCoy and conducted a miniature thermal emission spectrometer stare at Jesse Chisholm. The rover checked for clouds and assessed a temperature profile of the atmosphere.
Sol 889: The rover restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer, used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for a seven-point sky and ground observation, and checked for clouds with the navigation camera.
Sol 890: Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer spectrometer and did two stares at soil with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then stopped the Mössbauer observation and changed tools to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer before the Odyssey pass. The rover began collecting X-ray spectrometer data on a target called "Ignatius."
Sol 891: Opportunity rolled back 1.5 meters (5 feet) and scuffed soil with its left-front wheel. The rover then conducted mid-drive imaging, completing a 13-filter panoramic camera image of the robotic arm's work area and the scuff. The rover drove 55 meters (180 feet) towards Beagle Crater. Post-drive imaging included a panoramic camera mosaic and navigation camera image mosaics in the forward and rear directions.
Sol 892 (July 28, 2006): Plans call for Opportunity to aim the navigation camera in the direction of the calibration target and take pictures of the sky, checking for clouds. Also, the rover is to use the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to profile near-surface and atmospheric temperatures.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 892 is 8,660.44 meters (5.38 miles).
sol 879-885, July 21, 2006: Bounding Toward 'Beagle Crater'
Opportunity is healthy and is driving toward "Beagle Crater," which is about 50 meters (164 feet) away as of sol 884 (July 20). "Victoria Crater" is about 510 meters (just over a quarter of a mile) away. The rover used its panoramic camera, microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on soil target "Westport," (soil without spherules in a wheel scuff) in order to provide the science team with a soil sample outside the vast, outlying rim of Victoria Crater. A step in upgrading the flight software was successfully completed on sol 881. Opportunity drove about 106 meters (348 feet) between sols 878 and 884.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 879 (July 14, 2006): Opportunity examined the soil target Westport with its panoramic camera, microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover also completed a panoramic camera observation of "Dallas," a disturbed patch in the tracks intended to be similar to the spots examined with the contact instruments. A target referred to as "Waco," a raised patch of outcrop that may be a crater, was also examined with the panoramic camera. Work was completed for the flight software build, which is the assembling and validating of many files of new software transmitted to the rover in preceding weeks.
Sol 880: The rover took a microscopic image of an undisturbed soil target, "Fort Graham," and completed a Mössbauer spectrometer integration on Westport. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed a block of ejecta (material ejected from a crater) called "Preston." The panoramic camera checked the clarity of the atmosphere. Part of the flight software build took place this sol.
Sol 881: The Mössbauer integration continued this sol on Westport. A 13-filter panoramic camera image was taken of Preston and "Red Rock," another ejecta block. Opportunity profiled the atmosphere and near-surface temperature with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. That instrument was also used to analyze Dallas.
Sol 882: Due to the planned loss of use of the Deep Space Network on this sol, some data was left onboard: a panoramic camera mosaic of the area behind the rover, dust monitoring data, sky thumbnail images and a measurement of atmospheric clarity.
Sol 883: Opportunity took a pre-drive panoramic camera image of Fort Graham and a ripple band. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used to profile the atmosphere in the morning. The rover then drove about 37 meters (121 feet).
Sol 884: The rover drove about 40 meters (131 feet). A navigation camera picture was taken of "Jesse Chisholm," a dark mound about 35 meters (115 feet) from the location the rover reached on sol 883. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed an observation of the area around the rover. The panoramic camera was also used to characterize the location.
Sol 885 (July 21): The rover drove back and forth to create a scuff in the surface material to examine the soil underneath. It was then commanded to approach Jesse Chisholm, the next target for examining with the instruments on the robotic arm.
Opportunity's total odometry as of the end of the drive on sol 884 (July 20) was 8,599.14 meters (5.34 miles).
sol 872-878, July 20, 2006: Next Stop: 'Beagle Crater'
Opportunity is healthy and continued driving towards "Beagle Crater," which is about 140 meters (459 feet) away as of sol 877 (July 12, 2006). The upload of the flight software files was completed on sol 876, and the flight software build process is currently planned for sols 879-881. Opportunity supported a coordinated overflight with the Mars Express orbiter on sol 877 and drove a total of about 46 meters (151 feet) between sols 872-877.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 872 (July 7, 2006): Opportunity used its panoramic camera for some targeted investigations this sol, then had a communication session with the Mars Odyssey orbiter. The rover also completed a miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground observation.
Sol 873: On this sol, an attempt to cross a ripple to the southeast (in order to head towards Beagle Crater) was prematurely halted because the rover appropriately determined that it was making too little progress over the ripple. The rover also did some dust monitoring with its panoramic camera mast assembly (the rover's "head" and "neck"), and conducted some morning atmospheric science, including a sky and ground observation with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity also did a calibration of that instrument on this sol.
Sol 874: Opportunity used its panoramic camera to survey the ground, then took a picture with its navigation camera to determine where to point the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was also used to observe the sky and ground. The panoramic camera took thumbnail images of the sky.
Sol 875: On this sol, the rover successfully backed away from the ripple that saw 80 percent slip on sol 873. Opportunity used its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer on a distant potential meteorite; those instruments also completed an observation of the sky and ground.
Sol 876: The rover drove southwesterly towards the edge of a ripple about 15 meters (49 feet) away to evaluate whether the outcrop adjacent to the ripple is reachable, and whether there is a path from the outcrop towards Beagle Crater. The rover also searched for clouds with its navigation camera and observed the sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 877: Opportunity drove about 25 meters (82 feet) on an outcrop path towards Beagle Crater. The rover did a "quick find attitude" at the end of the drive, which updates its physical position. The rover supported a Mars Express overflight, and did remote sensing with its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 878: The rover drove about 25 meters (82 feet) towards Beagle Crater. Opportunity performed elevation sky and ground surveys during the Mars Odyssey pass and miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky and ground stares in the morning. A panoramic camera survey in front of the rover will be conducted to help pick a soil target for this weekend's robotic arm activity.
Odometry total as of Sol 877's drive: 8,493.72 meters (5.28 miles).
sol 867-871, July 11, 2006: Getting Closer to 'Victoria Crater'
Opportunity is healthy. This week, Opportunity continued uplinking its new flight software load and driving toward "Victoria Crater." Opportunity completed three more drives toward the large crater on sols 869 (July 4, 2006), 870 and 871.
As of Sol 870, Opportunity is approximately 115 meters (377 feet) from "Beagle Crater" and about 600 meters (just over one-third of a mile) from Victoria Crater.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 867 (July 2, 2006): Opportunity took a panoramic camera tau, which is a measurement of opacity, and then a panoramic camera image of the target referred to as "Austin." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used for a sky and ground observation and to investigate the target "McKinney."
Sol 868: The panoramic camera aboard Opportunity was busy this sol, imaging targets McKinney, "Baxter Springs" and "Fort Gibson." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer looked at McKinney, the sky and ground, as well as the calibration target on the rover. The panoramic camera also took a tau before communicating with the Mars Odyssey spacecraft. In the morning, a miniature thermal emission spectrometer drift check was conducted to calibrate the instrument's elevation actuator (to remove any drift).
Sol 869: This sol saw Opportunity on the move again. The rover first took a tau with its panoramic camera, stowed its robotic arm and then drove. After the drive, the rover unstowed its arm and completed post-drive imaging with its panoramic and navigational cameras. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer examined the sky and ground.
Sol 870: Opportunity essentially repeated the previous sol's activities, completing a panoramic camera tau, robotic arm stow, drive, unstow, post-drive imaging and use of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to examine the sky and ground. A drift check was also conducted on the miniature thermal emission spectrometer's elevation actuator.
Sol 871: The morning of this sol involved using the rover's panoramic camera to do an intensive systematic ground survey. Opportunity also drove again this sol after taking a panoramic camera tau. After the drive was completed, the rover took images with its navigation camera and a tau with the panoramic camera. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer examined the sky and ground. In the morning, the panoramic camera was used to quantify sky brightness in the west and, in the afternoon, another drift check was conducted on the miniature thermal emission spectrometer's elevation actuator.
Odometry total as of Sol 870 (July 5, 2006): 8,421.65 meters (5.23 miles).
sol 859-866, June 30, 2006: Full Plate for Opportunity
Opportunity is healthy. Opportunity has had a full plate with a new flight software load being uplinked and the rover driving towards "Victoria Crater." Despite this busy schedule, Opportunity has been taking advantage of every remote sensing window to acquire good science.
Opportunity is continuing the uplink of its new flight software load with almost half of the required files already onboard. Starting with Sol 865, flight software load files are being sent through the Mars Odyssey forward link path in addition to the X-band high-gain antenna path.
Opportunity has completed three more drives towards "Victoria Crater." As of Sol 862 (June 27, 2006), the river was 202 meters (663 feet) from "Beagle Crater" and 705 meters (0.44 mile) from Victoria Crater.
The Mössbauer spectrometer instrument has begun to show some minor anomalies although no degradation is noted in the actual measurement channels. As time permits, the team has been conducting diagnostics to troubleshoot the issue.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 859 (June 24, 2006): Opportunity used the panoramic camera to take images and check the clarity of the atmosphere ("tau"). It completed a cloud observation with the navigation camera and used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 860: The rover assessed tau with the panoramic camera then drove. After the drive, Opportunity took images with the navigation camera and panoramic camera. The rover then used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe the sky and ground. After a communication-relay session with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter passing over, the rover observed the sky with the panoramic camera and used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 861: The panoramic camera assessed tau and surveyed the horizon. The rover then conducted observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 862: The rover assessed tau with the panoramic camera, drove, then took pictures from its new location. During communication with Odyssey, Opportunity used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. After communicating with Odyssey, the rover did some diagnostic testing and looked at dust accumulation. After that, the rover looked at the sky with its panoramic camera and gathered data with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 863: Opportunity assessed tau with the panoramic camera and conducted observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 864: The rover assessed tau with the panoramic camera, drove, and took post-drive images and another tau measurement. It also used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 865: Opportunity's panoramic camera assessed tau and scanned the horizon. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used to observe the sky and ground.
Sol 866 (July 1, 2006): Plans included assessing tau with the panoramic camera and using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Odometry total as of sol 862 (June 27, 2006): 8,312.92 meters (5.17 miles).
sol 852-858, June 23, 2006: Three Sols of Driving Gain 138 Meters
Opportunity is healthy. The rover has started receiving a new flight software load. It also advanced 138.1 meters (453 feet) toward "Victoria Crater" in three sols of driving and observed outcrop targets. As of sol 855 (June 20) Opportunity was 780 meters (just under half a mile) from Victoria Crater and about 300 meters (984 feet) from "Beagle Crater."
Engineers are uploading new flight software to both Opportunity and Spirit. The upload process is expected to take several weeks before the new software is installed and used. To expedite this process, the team is gradually increasing the duration of Opportunity's high-gain antenna uplink sessions. No files of the new flight software were uplinked via UHF this week. However, beginning with sol 864 (June 29, 2006), Opportunity will begin receiving flight software files via its daily UHF-band communication window as well as via the X-band high-gain antenna.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 852 (June 17): Files were loaded for the new flight software via a 20-minute window of communication via the high-gain antenna. Targeted remote sensing with the panoramic camera included an assessment of the clarity of the atmosphere ("tau") and imaging of targets called "Holberg" and "Blixen." The miniature thermal emission spectrometer was used for observations of Holberg, Blixen, sky and ground.
Sol 853: A flight software upload used a 20-minute high-gain antenna window. The rover drove 42.1 meters (138 feet). Untargeted remote sensing included post-drive imaging by the navigation camera and the panoramic camera, an assessment of tau by the panoramic camera, a check for clouds with the navigation camera, and sky and ground observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 854: Another flight software upload was accomplished during a 20-minute high-gain antenna communication window. The panoramic camera checked tau. The navigation camera looked back in the direction toward where sol 853's drive began.
Sol 855: During a 30-minute high-gain antenna session, more of the new flight software was transmitted. Opportunity drove 39.4 meters (129 feet). The navigation camera and panoramic camera made observations from the new location. The panoramic camera checked tau. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer completed a sky and ground observation.
Sol 856: During a one-hour window, another flight software upload was accomplished. Untargeted remote sensing included a panoramic camera observation of the ground's brightness, a panoramic camera assessment of tau, and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation of sky and ground.
Sol 857: More flight software files were uploaded during a 30-minute high-gain antenna window. The rover drove 56.6 meters (186 feet). Opportunity also conducted a panoramic camera assessment of tau, a panoramic camera calibration, and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation of sky and ground.
Sol 858 (June 23, 2006): A two-hour high-gain antenna session allowed for the upload of more flight software updates. The navigation camera looked back in the direction toward where sol 857's drive began. The panoramic camera checked tau and made a calibration observation. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed sky and ground.
Opportunity's total odometry as of the end of the drive on sol 855 (June 20, 2006) was 8,190.89 meters (5.09 miles).
sol 844-851, June 15, 2006: Opportunity Hits Five-Mile Mark
After the previous week's successful extraction from "Jammerbugt," Opportunity resumed its drive south. Approximately 95 meters (312 feet) was covered this week, and Opportunity reached the five-mile mark for total odometry! Next week the rover will be on restricted sols, meaning the end-of-sol data from the rover does not get to Earth until late in the day, so the team plans every other day without it. The plan will be for Opportunity to drive every other day. On the days off, the team will plan light remote sensing and downlink some of the unsent data that is building up in memory.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 844 (June 9, 2006): A 20-meter (66-foot) drive was planned for this sol. Planners intended for the drive to take Opportunity south, down the next trough over from the previous drive. The drive stopped after 4.8 meters (16 feet), when the first slip check detected 42 percent slip. Forty percent was the maximum allowed.
Sol 845: The rover conducted targeted remote sensing, including panoramic camera imaging of targets called "Jylland" and "Gorm," and an observation of Gorm with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The team is informally naming targets in honor of Danish Constitution Day (June 5). Jylland is the main island of the Danish peninsula, and Gorm was the first king of Denmark.
Sol 846: After little progress in two adjacent troughs, Opportunity moved one more trough to the west. Slip checks were used to prevent driving with over 40 percent slip. The soil was relatively firm, and the rover made 9 meters (30 feet) of progress.
Sol 847: Opportunity conducted atmospheric science and took rear-looking images with its navigation camera.
Sol 848: The drive today took Opportunity down a trough. The team turned the rover around on a piece of outcrop so that it could drive backwards (to improve UHF data return). The drive proceeded down the trough and made 20.6 meters (68 feet) of progress. Before the drive, the panoramic camera took an image of a small crater, nicknamed "Sjaelland" for the biggest island of Denmark and the site of the capital.
Sol 849: Continuing south, Opportunity made 24 meters (79 feet) of progress. Slip checks were done approximately every 5 meters (16 feet) while on sand. The drive ended on a patch of outcrop
Sol 850: To start the day, Opportunity took a panoramic camera image of target "Steno" (informally named for Niels Steensen, or Nicholas Steno, a 17th century Danish anatomist and geologist). The drive was entirely over outcrop, and approximately 36 meters (118 feet) of progress was made. Opportunity performed one bonus slip check, on an area with a little more sand than the rest. As expected, very little slip was detected.
Sol 851 (June 16, 2006): Plans call for driving farther south.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 850 (June 15, 2006) is 8,080.38 meters (5.02 miles).
sol 837-844, June 09, 2006: Opportunity on the Road Again
Opportunity is less than a kilometer (just over half a mile) from "Victoria Crater." During the last planned drive on sol 833, the rover became embedded in a soft dune. As designed, the drive was stopped by a slip check. The extraction process began on sol 836, with 5 meters (16 feet) of commanded motion, and 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) of actual forward progress. The results are encouraging, and extraction will continue on Friday (June 2, 2006) and over the weekend if necessary. Opportunity is otherwise healthy and continues to conduct atmospheric and targeted remote sensing on the path south.
Opportunity is healthy, and the team has successfully extracted the rover from the dune called "Jammerbugt." The rover first backed into this dune on sol 830 (May 24, 2006) to increase its northerly tilt. On sol 833's drive, the wheels became partially embedded and Opportunity did not make significant progress. The extraction started on sol 836, when the rover was commanded to drive forward over its previous tracks. On sol 841 the extraction was complete. Later in the week Opportunity resumed the drive toward "Victoria Crater."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Opportunity is healthy, and the team has successfully extracted the rover from the dune called "Jammerbugt." The rover first backed into this dune on sol 830 (May 24, 2006) to increase its northerly tilt. On sol 833's drive, the wheels became partially embedded and Opportunity did not make significant progress. The extraction started on sol 836, when the rover was commanded to drive forward over its previous tracks. On sol 841 the extraction was complete. Later in the week Opportunity resumed the drive toward "Victoria Crater."
Sol 837 (June 1, 2006): This was the second sol of the extraction effort. Ten steps of one-meter (3.3 feet) each were commanded. To prevent the rover from moving too far or in a way that the team did not expect, the drive commands included checks on tilt, yaw, suspension angles, and distance traveled. Several safety checks, some redundant, were employed to stop the rover after it had safely reached outcrop. Forward motion of approximately 8 centimeters (3.1 inches) was recorded.
Sol 838: Sol 838 was the first sol of a three-sol weekend plan with three identical drives planned. At first, only the sol 838 drive was uplinked to the rover. "Go/no-go" meetings were held over the weekend to review the rover's progress and decide whether the next drive sequence was safe to uplink. The first sol of the three-sol plan was the third sol of the extraction effort. The drive plan was identical to sol 837's, except that the wheels were steered slightly down-slope. In 10 meters (33 feet) of commanded motion, only 4.2 centimeters (1.7 inches) of progress was made, with progress decreasing as the drive continued. The wheels were more caked after the drive than before it. Progress seen in this drive was on par with what was observed when Opportunity was embedded in "Purgatory Dune."
Sol 839: This was the fourth sol of the extraction effort. The sequence was identical to the previous sol's. Approximately 5 centimeters (2 inches) of progress was made, which was slightly better than in the preceding sol, but with a similar trend of less progress towards the end of the drive. The wheels appeared cleaner.
Sol 840: This was the fifth sol of the extraction effort. The sequence was identical to the previous sol's. Downlink for this came in about 3 a.m. Monday (June 5, 2006) morning, and it was a great way to start the week. Twenty-eight centimeters (11 inches) of progress was made! The front wheels were significantly less buried and they were cleaner. Based on the Purgatory experience, these were taken as signs that the rover was about to break free.
Sol 841: Sol 841 was the sixth sol of the extraction effort. The sequence was similar to the previous sol's, but with tighter limits to make sure the rover didn't exceed the drive goal. Ten steps of one-meter (3.3 feet) each were commanded, but only 3 were executed. After visual odometry measured 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) of progress and a corresponding change in heading, the drive stopped as intended. The first step showed only 18 percent slip, and the next two steps showed essentially no slip. All six wheels reached outcrop! This sol began on June 5, Danish Constitution Day. The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Danish Constitution of 1849, which established Denmark as a constitutional monarchy, and also honors the constitution of 1953, which was adopted on the same date. Denmark provided magnet arrays for Opportunity's and Spirit's studies of airborne dust. In honor of Danish colleagues, the rover team decided to use Danish names for targets in the area of Opportunity's current location.
Sol 842: Opportunity took high-resolution imaging of the newly named dune, Jammerbugt, where it had become temporarily embedded. The informal name comes from a bay named Jammerbugt (The Bay of Wailing) on the north coast of Denmark, known for its many shipwrecks. Opportunity also acquired the standard set of post-drive imaging to assist in planning the next drive.
Sol 843: Back on the road again! Opportunity retraced its steps about 5 meters (16.4 feet) back to another outcrop patch. From there, the planned route started south down a trough parallel to the one the team had previously chosen. The rover drove 11.3 meters (37 feet), but no southerly progress was made.
Sol 844 (June 9, 2006): Plans call for a 20-meter (66-foot) drive southward. Slip checks were included in the commands, to stop the drive in case of excessive slip.
Odometry:
As of sol 843 (June 8, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry is 7,985.5 meters (4.96 miles).
sol 833-837, June 01, 2006: Digging Out of the Dune
Opportunity is less than a kilometer (just over half a mile) from "Victoria Crater." During the last planned drive on sol 833, the rover became embedded in a soft dune. As designed, the drive was stopped by a slip check. The extraction process began on sol 836, with 5 meters (16 feet) of commanded motion, and 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) of actual forward progress. The results are encouraging, and extraction will continue on Friday (June 2, 2006) and over the weekend if necessary. Opportunity is otherwise healthy and continues to conduct atmospheric and targeted remote sensing on the path south.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 833 (May 28, 2006): For this sol, the team planned a drive of about 30 meters (98 feet), post-drive imaging, and atmospheric remote sensing. The drive started with a small turn in place to move to the center of a dune trough. The material the rover is in is soft, and the rover experienced very high rates of slippage. A slip check precluded further driving.
Sol 834: On this second sol of a two-sol plan, Opportunity performed some atmospheric remote sensing (including cloud imaging) and recharged the batteries.
Sol 835: Opportunity took a break from driving and collected high-resolution images to better characterize the material in which the rover is embedded.
Sol 836: After evaluating the tracks and soil, the team began the extraction process. Five meters (16 feet) of driving was commanded, with limits imposed on rover tilt, mobility suspension angles, pitch, yaw, and total distance traversed. The drive resulted in 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) of forward progress. This is more than three times the rate of progress experienced during the "Purgatory Dune" extraction in April and May 2005. Hazard avoidance camera images also show that the front cleats are not as caked as during the Purgatory extraction.
Sol 837 (June 1): Plans called for the dune extraction to continue on this sol, with 10 meters (33 feet) of commanded motion. The sol 836 mobility safety checks were used. In addition, the allowable yaw range was narrowed, and the drive sequence also imposed a new limit for maximum visual odometry failures. Since visual odometry is likely to fail if more than expected progress is made, this will prevent the rover from traveling too far if it should happen to break free of the dune.
As of sol 836, Opportunity's total odometry is 7971.42 meters (4.95 miles).
sol 825-834, May 30, 2006: Dug Into Loose Soil Again
Opportunity's wheels dug into loose soil during a drive on sol 833 (May 29, 2006). The drive was planned for about 24 meters (79 feet) but resulted in only 1.5 meters (5 feet) of forward progress. The flight team directed Opportunity on sol 834 to take images for studying the situation and planning a way to drive out of the loose material. Preliminary assessment indicates the wheels are not buried as deeply as when Opportunity's wheels become embedded in "Purgatory Dune" on sol 446. An escape drive may be attempted within a few days. The sol 833 drive was planned to stay in a trough between crests of ripples. Neither the trough nor the ripples were considered wheel-embedding hazards.
During the preceding eight sols, Opportunity executed both a robotic arm campaign and two more drives toward "Victoria Crater." The rover used its microscopic imager, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and Moessbaeur spectrometer on the soil target "Alamogordo Creek."
As Opportunity eases its way into the Martian winter season, rover planners have started to target energy-rich "lily pads" (regions with a northerly tilt) at the end of each drive. This way, planners can maximize the amount of sun on Opportunity's solar arrays.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 825 (May 20): The rover used its microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and did targeted remote sensing.
Sol 826: Opportunity conducted targeted remote sensing, used its microscopic imager and did a Mössbauer spectrometer integration.
Sol 827: Opportunity did targeted remote sensing and continued the Mössbauer integration.
Sol 828: The rover drove 39.07 meters (128 feet) and did untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 829: Opportunity conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 830: The rover drove about 28 meters (92 feet) and conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sols 831 and 832: Opportunity did untargeted remote sensing on both of these sols.
Sol 833: Opportunity's wheels became partly buried in the loose soil during a drive that was intended to cover about 24 meters (79 feet).
Sol 834 (May 30): The plan for this sol included imaging to aid planning for a drive to get out of the loose material.
Odometry total as of Sol 828 (May 23): 7,940.57 meters (4.93 miles)
sol 818-824, May 23, 2006: Checking Out 'Cheyenne' and Testing Relay for Phoenix
Opportunity is healthy and continuing to make its way toward "Victoria Crater." Opportunity made 108 meters (354 feet) of progress in two sols of driving and was approximately 1,000 meters (just over half a mile) from Victoria Crater at the end of Sol 823.
Opportunity and NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter are conducting a set of demonstrations using the relay between the rover and orbiter to aid planning for communications during NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander mission, slated for launch in August 2007 and landing in May 2008.
Sol-by-sol summaries
Sol 818 (May 13, 2006): Opportunity investigated a rock target called "Cheyenne." It used the microscopic imager to examine the target, then used the rock abrasion tool's wire bristles to brush the target. After the brushing, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer collected data about what elements make up the rock. The rover also took images with the panoramic camera for a mosaic view from the location reached by Sol 817's drive.
Sol 819: Opportunity took a post-brush microscopic stereo image mosaic of Cheyenne and evaluated the target's mineral composition with the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover also took a panoramic-camera image of "Pueblo," an area of layered outcrop.
Sol 820: Opportunity used its Mössbauer spectrometer on Cheyenne, observed the sky and ground with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and used the navigation camera to check for clouds.
Sol 821: The rover took images of Cheyenne using the 13 filters of the panoramic camera. Then it drove about 36.64 meters (120 feet) and took pictures from the new location with the navigation camera and the panoramic camera. It also used the panoramic camera for observing the sky.
Sol 822: Opportunity used its navigation camera to do rearward-looking imaging and cloud scans. The rover also used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe the sky and ground, and it worked with Odyssey to conduct the second part of the Phoenix relay test. (The first part was on Sol 812.)
Sol 823: Opportunity drove 71.2 meters (234 feet) then took images from the new location with the navigation camera and the panoramic camera. The rover also used the panoramic camera to evaluate the clarity of the atmosphere, monitor dust on the camera mast and observe the sky.
Sol 824 (May 19, 2006): On this sol, Opportunity took rearward-looking images with its navigation camera, observed the ground and sky with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and assessed atmospheric clarity with its panoramic camera. During the sol's relay pass with Odyssey, the rover used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer again to observe the sky and ground.
Opportunity's total odometry as of Sol 821 (May 16, 2006) was 7,829.99 meters (4.87 miles)
sol 811-817, May 16, 2006: Excellent Progress Toward 'Victoria Crater'
Opportunity examined the crest of a ripple and drove about 200 meters (656 feet), putting itself within about 1,100 meters (two-thirds of a mile) of "Victoria Crater." The ripple-crest inspection included a stereo look at target "Pecos River" with the microscopic imager.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 811 (May 6, 2006): Opportunity took a stereo microscopic image of Pecos River. During the communication-relay UHF pass with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, the rover used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer on a target called "Horsehead." In the morning, the panoramic camera took images of Horsehead and "Chadbourne" with all 13 of the camera's filters.
Sol 812: The rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed sky and ground targets. The panoramic camera checked dust on magnets and on the camera mast, and assessed the clarity of the atmosphere. Two afternoon UHF passes were used. The first was a UHF forward-link demonstration for the 2007 Phoenix Mars Lander mission, performed with Odyssey low in the sky.
Sol 813: Opportunity conducted a morning observation with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer during uplink of the day's commands, then took a pre-drive, 13-filter image of the work volume with the panoramic camera. The rover drove backwards for one hour, covering 40.14 meters (132 feet), and took post-drive images.
Sol 814: Opportunity did 1.5 hours of driving for 52.38 meters (172 feet) and did post-drive imaging. The drive used both blind driving (following a route chosen by rover planners) and autonomous navigation.
Sol 815: The rover drove 1.5 hours blind for 45.61 meters (150 feet).
Sol 816: This sol was an atmospheric-science day. Opportunity stowed its robotic arm and drove 1.5 hours for 38.12 meters (125 feet). The rover then unstowed its arm and took post-drive images. During the Odyssey uplink, Opportunity was able to do a sky and ground observation with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover took a pre-sunset image with the panoramic camera after the Odyssey pass.
Sol 817 (May 12, 2006): The activity plan for this sol included a drive of about 22 meters (72 feet).
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 816 (May 11, 2006) was 7,769.52 meters (4.83 miles).
sol 804-810, May 04, 2006: 'Victoria' in View
Opportunity executed a three-sol examination of "Brookville" outcrop with tools on the robotic arm. This work included microscopic imaging, a brushing, 16 total hours of integrated data gathering with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and an overnight integration with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Then Opportunity stowed its arm and drove 107 meters (351 feet) in three sols, reaching a point estimated to be 1,279 meters (less than eight-tenths of a mile) from "Victoria Crater." The team believes the rim of the crater is becoming visible in a vertically stretched image looking south.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 804 (April 28, 2006): This was the first sol of robotic arm work on Brookville. The rover took microscopic images, then brushed the target and followed with an afternoon data collection by the Mössbauer spectrometer. The rover observed a target called "Great Bend" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer during the afternoon communication-relay session with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Sol 805: Opportunity did morning atmospheric science and positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover used that spectrometer on Brookville until taking morning images of Gila Bend using 13 filters of the panoramic camera.
Sol 806: On the final sol of arm work on Brookville, Opportunity changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and completed an afternoon integration. At 7:00 p.m. local solar time, the team stopped the integration and Opportunity did a mini-deep sleep.
Sol 807: The panoramic camera took 13-filter images of the arm's brushing target. Then Opportunity drove for 30 minutes. After driving, the rover observed the surroundings from its new position with the navigation camera and looked in the drive direction with the panoramic camera.
Sol 808: Opportunity drove for an hour and 10 minutes in the compass direction of 150 degrees (south southeast), then took images from its new location. During the afternoon, the rover made observations with the thermal emission spectrometer and used the panoramic camera to check atmospheric clarity. It used the deep-sleep mode overnight.
Sol 809: Opportunity took another 1-hour-and-10-minute drive followed by imaging and atmospheric science during the Odyssey pass.
Sol 810 (May 5, 2006): The rover was directed to take rear-looking images with the navigation camera during the morning of sol 810 as part of plan uplinked on sol 809. The plan for uplink on sol 810 includes a 15-meter (50-foot) approach to a target for using the robotic arm's tools to inspect ripple banding during the weekend, plus post-drive imaging with the navigation camera and panoramic camera.
As of sol 809 (May 4, 2006) Opportunity has driven 7,575.51 meters (4.71 miles).
sol 796-803, Apr 29, 2006: Opportunity Hits 800 Sol Mark!
Opportunity is healthy and making good progress towards "Victoria Crater," with just under 1,400 meters (.86 mile) to go. The team spent several days this week setting up for some robotic arm work over the weekend, provided there is a good piece of outcrop in the work volume. Opportunity will continue driving next week.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 796 (April 20, 2006): Opportunity ended a drive after 2 meters (about 7 feet). Imaging taken before and after the drive was completed.
Sol 797: The rover conducted untargeted remote science, including panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer ground surveys and atmospheric measurements.
Sol 798: The rover completed targeted remote science, including panoramic camera images of targets "Junction City," "Chetopa," "Coffeyville" and "Salina," and miniature thermal emission spectrometer stares of "Junction City" and "Salina."
Sol 799: Opportunity had a great drive today, traveling approximately 44 meters (144 feet).
Sol 800(April 24, 2006): Happy 800! Opportunity drove 33.5 meters (110 feet) today, crossing a few small ripples and driving over an outcrop.
Sol 801: After taking a pre-drive image, Opportunity drove 28.3 meters (93 feet), down a couple of troughs and over a couple of ripples. Slip checks were used to prevent excessive driving in potentially slippery areas.
Sol 802: This sol's 13.8 meter (45 feet) drive was designed to move Opportunity closer to some outcrop the team would like to analyze with the robotic arm over the weekend.
Sol 803: The outcrop that ended up in the rover's work volume was fragmented, and not a desirable target. Rover planners designed a short 8-meter (26 feet) drive to a better target. The data from this drive was received on Earth early Friday (April 28, 2006).
As of Sol 802, Opportunity's total odometry was 7,456.56 meters (4.63 miles)
sol 789-797, Apr 21, 2006: Making Progress Toward 'Victoria'
Opportunity is healthy and making good progress towards "Victoria Crater." The rover remains on a restricted schedule, driving only every other day. Last weekend, the rover stopped for some brief robotic arm work, to characterize the outcrop between "Erebus Crater" and Victoria Crater. Next week Opportunity is back to a normal schedule, and engineers hope to get the rover moving every day.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 789 (April 13, 2006): The plan was to drive to outcrop about 26 meters (85 feet) away. However, the drive stopped about 10 meters (33 feet) short by a slip check.
Sol 790: Opportunity conducted untargeted remote science.
Sol 791: The rover did some robotic arm work including: taking microscopic images and using the rock abrasion tool brush. The rover attempted a short alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration; however it failed due to a sequencing error.
Sol 792: Opportunity drove about 35 meters (115 feet) over an outcrop and crossed a few ripples.
Sol 793: The rover conducted untargeted remote science.
Sol 794: Opportunity drove about 30 meters (98 feet) towards Victoria Crater.
Sol 795: The rover conducted untargeted remote science.
Sol 796: After taking pre-drive images of the target "Fort Leavenworth," the team plans to drive about 27 meters (86 feet) down a trough, with ripple crossings at the start and end.
Sol 797 (April 21, 2006): Opportunity did untargeted remote sensing, systematic ground surveys with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
As of 794, Opportunity's total odometry was 7,334.56 meters (4.56 miles).
sol 785-790, Apr 18, 2006: Hoppin' Toward 'Victoria'
Opportunity is in a restricted planning mode this week due to each sol's downlink coming too late in the Earth day to allow planning of a drive for the next sol. The team built three drives this week and Opportunity drove 83.2 meters (273 feet). The general drive direction is southeast to avoid a large dune field due south. As of sol 788, Opportunity was estimated to be 1,557 meters (just under one mile) from "Victoria Crater."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 785 (April 9, 2006): On sol 785 Opportunity drove 58.9 meters (193 feet) south. After the drive, the panoramic camera and navigation camera made observations in the drive direction. Activities also included atmospheric remote sensing during the afternoon's communication relay session with the Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Sol 786: This sol's activities included a panoramic camera systematic ground survey, panoramic camera imaging of magnets, rearward looking navigation camera imaging, and two sky-and-ground observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 787: After targeted pre-drive panoramic camera observations of an outcrop, Opportunity drove 7.5 meters (25 feet) to the top of a dune. Imaging of the new location and atmospheric sensing during the afternoon Odyssey pass followed the drive.
Sol 788: The navigation camera took rearward-looking images for a mosaic. The panoramic camera checked the clarity of the atmosphere and surveyed the ground systematically. In the afternoon, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer made sky-and-ground observations.
Sol 789: Opportunity drove 16.8 meters.
Sol 790 (April 14, 2006): Planned activities included untargeted remote sensing.
As of 789, Opportunity's total odometry was 7,327.53 meters (4.55 miles).
sol 778-784, Apr 07, 2006: Ripples and Outcrops
Opportunity is healthy and is continuing to drive toward "Victoria Crater." Thanks to talented rover planners and sturdy construction, the rover covered a distance totaling about 170 meters (558 feet) during the week. The scenery has been beautiful and consistent: lots of ripples sprinkled with a dash of outcrops.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 778 (April 2, 2006): Opportunity drove 25.3 meters (83 feet) and used its navigation and panoramic cameras to image the area after the drive. The rover also observed the atmosphere.
Sol 779: The rover took 13-filter panoramic camera images to survey the ground near it. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed the sky and ground.
Sol 780: Opportunity drove 58.4 meters (192 feet), took navigation and panoramic camera images of the post-drive area, and conducted atmospheric and remote sensing.
Sol 781: The rover drove 32 meters (105 feet), used its navigation and panoramic cameras to image the post drive-area, and conducted atmospheric remote sensing.
Sol 782: Opportunity drove 45 meters (148 feet), used its navigation and panoramic cameras to image the post-drive area, and conducted atmospheric remote sensing.
Sols 783 and 784 (April 7 and 8, 2006): These sols' plans are for targeted remote sensing.
Total odometry: 7,249 meters (4.5 miles) as of end of sol 782.
sol 762-770, Mar 27, 2006: Continuing the Move Away from 'Erebus'
Opportunity is healthy and making progress away from "Erebus Crater." This week the rover drove nearly 180 meters (591 feet).
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 762 (March 16, 2006): Opportunity started the sol in front of a long, flat trough and was able to drive just over 53 meters (174 feet) along this path.
Sol 763: The rover conducted atmospheric science and cloud observations.
Sol 764: Opportunity conducted targeted remote sensing, including panoramic camera images of "Red River Station" and "Kingfisher." It examined "Rush Springs" and "Red River Station" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. It also filmed three cloud movies at various times of day and did some other atmospheric science.
Sol 765: The rover drove 48.5 meters (159 feet), first over a small ripple, then down a trough to a patch of outcrop.
Sol 766: The rover drove 34.6 meters (114 feet), first down a trough, then crossing a few small ripples.
Sol 767: Opportunity drove approximately 44 meters (144 feet) over a few small ripples. Since there was no outcrop along the day's drive path, the team used more frequent slip checks. Before the drive, Opportunity acquired panoramic camera images of some nearby outcrop.
Sol 768: The Odyssey orbiter went into safe mode before Opportunity's afternoon UHF relay pass, so the team didn't have any information on how the rover performed on sol 767. For sol 768 the team planned a 70-minute direct-to-Earth communication session. Mars is getting farther from Earth, and even with a Deep Space Network dish antenna 34 meters (112 feet) in diameter, the slow downlink rate yielded only 6 megabits of data. However, this was enough to indicate that the planned activities on sol 767, including the drive, had been completed successfully.
Sol 769: Odyssey was still recovering from safe mode. Since the UHF downlink capability was unavailable, the planned activities for Opportunity for the day were only to collect two tau readings. (Tau is a measure of atmospheric opacity. Determining it requires very little data volume.) The rover did not use the deep-sleep mode.
Sol 770 (March 24, 2006): The sol's activities were planned knowing that the day could be the earliest that the rovers might regain communication-relay support from Odyssey. The team is planned several tau observations and a scan of sky and ground by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity did use the deep sleep mode.
Total odometry as of sol 768 (March 22, 2006): 6,908 meters (4.29 miles)
sol 757-763, Mar 19, 2006: Parting With 'Payson'
Opportunity has finished science observations at the "Payson" outcrop. Since the rover was operating in restricted mode, the team could plan a drive only every other day. Even so, Opportunity started the journey away from the rim of "Erebus." Back on the regular schedule, the team next plans to drive the rover farther south.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 757 (March 11, 2006): At the start of the sol, Opportunity was perched at an entrance to a second "half-pipe," the team's term for shallow troughs near the Payson outcrop in Erebus crater. There was more rubble and less nicely layered outcrop than at the previous half-pipe, and a dune blocked the exit to the south. The team decided to drive part-way in for outcrop imaging. Before the drive, Opportunity's panoramic camera acquired images of a target called "Yuman." The rover drove roughly 20 meters (66 feet) and then acquired standard post-drive imaging plus a panoramic camera mosaic of target "Hokan," and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer scan of the same target. The next morning the rover collected part two of the Hokan panorama.
Sol 758: Opportunity drove about 17 meters (about 56 feet) back out of the half-pipe, with a quick stop mid-way to collect a small panoramic camera mosaic of target "Yavapai." At the end of this sol, Opportunity had completed all planned science at Erebus and was ready to start driving south.
Sol 759: This sol was a recharge day, with a few atmospheric and cloud observations.
Sol 760: On the road again! This sol, Opportunity completed a 33.5-meter (110-foot) drive south over a patch of outcrop, then down the trough of two dunes.
Sol 761: The rover conducted observations of the atmosphere and the ground with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 762: Opportunity started the sol in front of a long, flat trough. The team planned a drive of approximately 50 meters (164 feet) south along this path.
Sol 763 (March 17, 2006): The team planned atmosphere and cloud observations.
Total odometry as of sol 761 (March 15, 2006): 6735.31 meters (approximately 4.2 miles).
sol 751-756, Mar 11, 2006: Hawkeyeing from the 'Half Pipes'
Opportunity is healthy and making its way south along the "Payson" outcrop of "Erebus Crater." The traverse paths are known within the team as "half-pipes," after the popular Olympic event. Last week Opportunity drove along one half-pipe, collecting high-resolution panoramic camera images of the outcrop. (The team calls this "scoot and shoot"). The rover has now left this path, and the team has planned a drive to the next half-pipe. Depending on traversability, Opportunity will either continue its scoot-and-shoot outcrop imaging campaign over the weekend, or start down the road to "Victoria Crater."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 751 (March 5, 2006): Opportunity drove a short bump, took mid-drive panoramic camera images of the outcrop, then drove about 8 meters (about 26 feet) along the "half-pipe."
Sol 752: The rover did untargeted remote sensing this sol, including atmospheric science and systematic foreground studies with the navigation camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Systematic foreground studies means gathering a set of consistent observations of different objects right in front of the rover.
Sol 753: Opportunity took pre-drive panoramic camera images of a cobble, drove 4 meters (13 feet), imaged the outcrop, then drove about 11 meters (36 feet) out of the first half-pipe towards the next one. It also acquired post-drive imaging.
Sol 754: Opportunity conducted systematic foreground studies with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover also did some atmospheric science.
Sol 755: Opportunity drove about 19 meters (about 62 feet) to the edge of the half-pipe and acquired post-drive imaging to determine traversability.
Sol 756 (March 10, 2006): The plan for the sol is to conduct atmospheric science, including an attempt to observe clouds.
Total odometry as of sol 753 (March 7, 2006): 6645.57 meters (4.13 miles)
sol 744-750, Mar 03, 2006: Reading the Rocks
This week, Opportunity is traversing its way alongside the outcrop "Payson." The team is running in restricted sols, so most of the plans are short (about 10 meters or 33 feet) drives on one sol, followed by remote sensing at the new location. The team continues to command Opportunity to unstow its robotic arm at the end of each drive, as done successfully on sols 745 and 747. This strategy allows Opportunity to drive with the arm safely stowed in its designed position and then unstow it before another night of stressful changes in temperature.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 744 (Feb. 26, 2006): Opportunity conducted targeted remote sensing at Payson. First the rover took an image of a target called "Dude Ranger" with the panoramic camera. Later it completed two targeted stares with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer on "Mysterious Rider" and "Rainbow Trail."
Sol 745: This sol began with some atmospheric observations with the thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera. Opportunity also took panoramic camera images of magnets. After data was sent, the rover stowed its arm and drove 10.18 meters (33.4 feet). Following the drive, Opportunity unstowed its arm, and used the navigation camera and panoramic camera to take images from the new location. The team then had Opportunity go into deep sleep mode.
Sol 746: Opportunity performed untargeted remote sensing, including more panoramic camera images of Payson, miniature thermal emission spectrometer stares at sky and ground, and other panoramic camera imaging.
Sol 747: This sol's blind drive started with a 0.75 meter (2.5 feet) bump backwards with a heading change of 10 degrees to avoid a rock in Opportunity's path. Once clear of the rock, the drive continued with a slip check 5.6 meters (18.4 feet) in and finished 11.5 meters (37.7 feet) down the pipeline. Opportunity stowed before the drive and unstowed it afterwards. The rover reached a position about 5 meters (16.4 feet) away from Payson outcrop.
Sol 748: Opportunity used the panoramic camera to take a 13-filter image of Payson, "Wilderness Track," and "Maverick Queen." It also used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer on the same targets, and relayed data home via NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter.
Sol 749: Plans call for this to be the first of two sols in a row of targeted remote sensing on Payson. Opportunity is still sitting about 5 meters (16.4 feet) away from the outcrop and taking panoramic camera images of targets "Code of the West," "Deer Stalker," "Twin Sombreros," "Thunder Mountain," and "Fugitive Trail." Opportunity will stay up after the Odyssey pass for miniature thermal emission spectrometer stares on the afternoon's panoramic camera targets before shutting down for deep sleep.
Sol 750 (March 4, 2006): More targeted remote sensing is planned at Payson with panoramic camera snapshots in the early morning before the high-gain antenna data pass to get better light on the outcrop. Opportunity is not getting deep sleep tonight in order to support the morning Odyssey pass to achieve greater data volume return.
Total Odometry as of sol 749 (March 3, 2006): 6616.97 meters (4.11 miles)
sol 735-743, Feb 24, 2006: Opportunity Continues to Skirt Erebus Crater
After completing work at the outcrop called "Olympia," Opportunity proceeded around the western edge of "Erebus Crater" toward an outcrop dubbed "Payson." After performing diagnostic tests on Martian day, or sol, 735 (Feb. 17, 2006), the rover team decided to increase rotor resistance from 65 ohms to 80 ohms for stowing and unstowing the robotic arm. Opportunity successfully stowed and unstowed the arm on both sols 740 and 741. As long as the robotic arm remains in calibration, the higher resistance value provides no additional risk.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 735 (Feb. 17, 2006): Opportunity conducted diagnostic activities on its robotic arm, making small movements of the shoulder joint with rotor resistance set at 75 ohms. If the arm were to fault out during any of the motions, the rover would clear the fault and re-set the resistance first to 80 ohms, and then to 85 ohms. However, the arm completed all motions successfully with rotor resistance set at 75 ohms.
Sol 736: The rover team attempted for a second time to send instructions via X-band frequencies for a drive to a target called "Zane Grey," but a Deep Space Network transmitter was down. The team did receive data from Opportunity over the same communications link.
Sol 737: Rover planners sent instructions to Opportunity for the second two days of the original three-day plan. Opportunity made atmospheric observations and measurements of the intensity of astronomical objects.
Sol 738: Opportunity continued to make remote atmospheric observations and photometric measurements.
Sol 739: Opportunity completed planned photometric measurements.
Sol 740: Opportunity began the planned drive to Zane Grey, stowing and unstowing the robotic arm with rotor resistance set at 80 ohms on the shoulder joint that controls compass direction. The rover halted after moving 21 centimeters (8 inches) when the right middle wheel reached the maximum current allowed. Motor currents on the other wheels remained nominal. Rover planners reduced the current limits after leaving "Purgatory Dune" to help prevent another imbedding event.
Sol 741: Opportunity drove 34.5 meters (113 feet) closer to the Payson outcrop after rover drivers set the current limits back to nominal values. Motor currents at the start of the drive were a bit higher than normal but dropped closer to normal values as the drive progressed.
Sol 742: Science team members planned to have Opportunity drive about 40 meters (130 feet) closer to "Payson" and acquire images from a distance of 20 meters (65 feet) over the weekend.
As of sol 742 (Feb. 24, 2006), Opportunity's total odometry was 6553.93 meters (4.07 miles).
sol 729-735, Feb 16, 2006: Inspecting 'Bellemont'
Opportunity has completed its work on the "Olympia" outcrop. This week's activities included a Mössbauer spectrometer integration on target "Rough Rider," an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on target "Fala," and a short drive to "Bellemont." Also the rover took microscopic imager mosaics of four targets at Bellemont. A team continuing to study occasional problems with the shoulder joint in Opportunity's robotic arm planned a series of diagnostic motions for the arm for sol 735.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 729 (Feb. 10, 2006): Opportunity continued using the Mössbauer spectrometer on Rough Rider and performed targeted remote sensing.
Sol 730: The rover finished using the Mössbauer spectrometer on Rough Rider, made atmospheric observations, and used the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer overnight on target Fala.
Sol 731: The rover stowed its arm, made a short drive to Bellemont and then unstowed the arm. This pattern of stow, drive and unstow is what the team intends to use for longer drives.
Sol 732: Opportunity used the microscopic imager at Bellemont. Four targets were identified. Opportunity acquired images of three ("Vicos," "Tara" and "Chaco") before a stall in the shoulder joint's azimuth motor halted the sequence.
Sol 733: Opportunity continued using the microscopic imager at Bellemont. Opportunity acquired images from the fourth target ("Verdun"), but a stall stopped the arm before it could get the last two planned images of the Chaco target.
Sol 734: The plan for this sol was to stow the arm, drive about 36 meters (118 feet) to an area known as "Zane Grey," and unstow the arm. The arm stalled just before it reached the ready position (before stowing), and the drive did not occur.
Sol 735 (Feb. 16, 2006): The plan for this sol includes remote sensing and a short diagnostic activity for the arm.
Total odometry as of sol 735: 6518.87 meters (4.05 miles)
sol 723-728, Feb 10, 2006: Finishing Up at 'Olympia'
Opportunity is healthy. The rover is in the midst of a robotic-arm and remote-sensing campaign on a feature informally named "Roosevelt." Last week Opportunity used its microscopic imager, Mössbauer spectrometer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to examine "Overgaard."
The short-term goal is to finish studying the "Olympia" outcrop by mid next week. The final feature that will be characterized in this location is called "Bellemont."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 723 (Feb. 4, 2006): Finished the microscopic-imager mosaic on Overgaard.
Sol 724: Stowed the robotic arm in the hover position. Attempted a short drive to Roosevelt, but the drive ended early due to suspension limits.
Sol 725: Succeeded in short drive to Roosevelt.
Sol 726: Used alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Mössbauer spectrometer on a target called "Rough Rider."
Sol 727: Used the microscopic imager for an image mosaic of Roosevelt.
Sol 728: Continued using the Mössbauer spectrometer on Rough Rider.
Acquired high-resolution images of surrounding outcrops with the panoramic camera.
Total odometry as of sol 728 (Feb. 9, 2006): 6,509.8 meters (4.045 miles)
sol 715-721, Feb 02, 2006: Mozart on Mars
Opportunity is healthy and is continuing the characterization of an outcrop called "Olympia." The rover is on top of a feature called "Overgaard." The plan is to complete a mosaic with the microscopic imager, then drive toward a feature called "Roosevelt" and examine it with tools on the robotic arm.
The informal names of targets on Overgaard are related to Mozart, marking his 250th birthday on Jan. 27.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 715 and 716 (Jan. 27 and 28, 2006): Used the microscopic imager on "Branchwater" and "Bourbon."
Sol 717: Bumped to Overgaard to do an extensive mosaic with the microscopic imager.
Sol 718: Conducted untargeted remote sensing (atmospheric science).
Sol 719: Planned use of the microscopic imager on targets "Don_Giovanni," "Salzburg" and "Nachtmusik," but a robotic arm error occurred during the work on Salzburg.
Sol 720: Conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 721 (Feb. 2, 2006): Cleared the errors for another attempt to use the microscopic imager on Overgaard.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 721 is 6,505 meters (4.04 miles).
Opportunity remains healthy following another busy week. The main activity of the week was taking microscopic images of a feature nicknamed "Lower Overgaard." The science team identified individual, high-priority targets of interest, nicknamed "Scotch," "Bourbon," and "Branchwater." After the microscopic imager successfully acquired images of "Scotch," one of the actuator motors on Opportunity's robotic arm (Joint 2, which controls elevation) stalled less than 1 milliradian from its final position. Engineers performed diagnostic activities on Joint 2 over the weekend and determined that the actuator appeared to function properly. Opportunity resumed work with the microscopic imager but was unsuccessful because of a stall on the Joint 1 actuator. Engineers increased the electrical resistance and Opportunity again began acquiring microscopic images.
This past week, Opportunity also supported coordinated observations with the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft, using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera, and also took images of a transit across the sun by Phobos. Science team members next plan to adjust the rover's position slightly to conduct microscopic analysis of another target area, nicknamed "Upper Overgaard."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 708 (Jan. 21, 2006): Opportunity took microscopic images of a surface target dubbed Scotch on Lower Overgaard. Microscopic imaging was successful, but the Joint 2 (elevation) actuator motor on the rover's robotic arm stalled less than 1 milliradian from its final position.
Sol 709: Opportunity conducted diagnostics of Joint 2 during the weekend and acquired images of a Phobos transit.
Sol 710: Opportunity conducted remote science observations and supported Mars Express observations using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera.
Sol 711: Opportunity took thumbnail images of the sky and images of Mars' albedo (a measure of surface reflectivity) with the panoramic camera in support of a coordinated observations by Mars Express.
Sol 712: Opportunity took super-high-resolution images of targets known as "Loupp" and "Dewey" with the panoramic camera.
Sol 713: As Opportunity began executing a plan to take microscopic images of the Bourbon target on Lower Overgaard, a joint on the rover's robotic arm (Joint 1, which controls shoulder azimuth) stalled, preventing acquisition of the microscopic images.
Sol 714 (Jan. 27, 2006): Opportunity re-acquired some of the microscopic images of the target Scotch that were not fully in focus when first taken on sol 708 (Jan. 21, 2006).
As of sol 714, Opportunity's total odometry remained at 6504.55 meters (4.04 miles).
sol 695-707, Jan 20, 2006: Driving Again
Opportunity has resumed driving after engineers determined an acceptable new way to stow the robotic arm during drives. With the arm in the newly approved stow configuration, the rover drove 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) on sol 707 (Jan. 19, 2006) to approach a rock called "Overgaard," chosen for close examination because of its cross-lamination texture.
When the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter was passing overhead, Opportunity used its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer for atmospheric observations coordinated with observations by the orbiter. The short Phobos and Deimos eclipse season started this week, and Opportunity observed transits of the moons.
Earlier, Opportunity completed a very long integration with the Mössbauer spectrometer and an overnight integration with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on a target called "Ted." The panoramic camera finished high-resolution imaging of the area around the location where the rover worked for several weeks while engineers determined the new ways to use and stow the arm. Symptoms of a broken wire in a shoulder-joint motor had appeared back on sol 654 (Nov. 25, 2005). While at that location, Opportunity also put its arm into various positions and photographed it with the front hazard-avoidance camera, a calibration activity that the team dubbed "Martian Tai Chi."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 695 (Jan. 6, 2006): Continued Mössbauer spectrometer integration at Ted, sunset imaging, high-resolution imaging of an area with evidence of festooned crossbedding.
Sol 696: Overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration at Ted, imaging with the navigation camera for terrain and driving analysis.
Sol 697: Sky flat imaging with the microscopic imager, panoramic camera and navigation camera for image calibration. Normally the team would have stowed the robotic arm today (since arm work at this location is done), but since engineers have not yet determined the best stow position, we simply returned the arm to the ready position.
Sol 698: Observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and navigation camera, calibration activity the team calls "Martian Tai Chi." During this activity, the arm is commanded to a few different positions and the front hazard-avoidance camera acquires images at each position. The arm location as reported by the spacecraft is compared to the location shown in the images so the arm model and camera model can be calibrated against each other.
Sol 699: Photometry observations with the navigation camera, start of acquiring a high-resolution blue stereo panorama of the surrounding outcrop (the "Fenway Panorama").
Sol 700: Miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations of the atmosphere and several outcrop targets, continued photometry observations.
Sol 701: Completion of Fenway Panorama and photometric observations.
Sol 702: Thirteen-filter observations of Overgaard with the panoramic camera, atmospheric remote sensing.
Sols 703 to 705: Intended stowing of the robotic arm on sol 704 was not successful due to faulting out of the shoulder-joint motor. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer made atmospheric observations coordinated with an overflight by Mars Express on sol 705. The panoramic camera was used for some super-resolution imaging.
Sol 706: Successful stowing of robotic arm, panoramic camera observations coordinated with Mars Express, observation of Deimos transit. The resistance for the shoulder azimuth joint was increased to 65 ohms (from 58 ohms) for this stow.
Sol 707: Opportunity drove back 1 meter (3.3 feet), took images, then drove forward 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) to a target called "Lower Overgaard."
As of sol 707 (Jan. 19, 2006) Opportunity's total odometry is 6,504.55 meters (4.04 miles).
sol 681-694, Jan 06, 2006: Putting the Arm on 'Ted'
The rover team has kept Opportunity productive while engineers continue to evaluate the best posture for carrying the robotic arm when the rover resumes driving. The arm's position can be manipulated for full use of all the tools on the arm despite symptoms that suggest a broken wire in the winding of a shoulder-joint motor of the arm. The choice of a new position for carrying the arm during drives is a precaution against having the arm stuck in a stowed position if that motor becomes unusable in the future.
Opportunity's recent activities have included imaging of Jupiter, observing the atmosphere on every sol, progress on a multi-filter panorama of "Erebus Crater," and long integrations with the Mössbauer spectrometer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on targets "Ted" and "Hunt."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 681 to 683 (Dec. 23 to Dec. 25, 2005): Mössbauer spectrometer integration on Ted, panoramic camera observations and atmospheric observations.
Sol 684: Post-brush microscopic image of Ted and Mössbauer integration on Ted.
Sol 685: Mössbauer integration on Ted and panoramic camera images of targets "Claypool," "Paulden" and "Vernon".
Sol 686: Arm move to Hunt plus microscopic image of Hunt and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration.
Sols 687 to 690: Mössbauer integration on Hunt and remote sensing.
Sol 691: Rock abrasion tool grind of Ted, post-grind microscopic imaging of Ted, and Mössbauer integration on Ted.
Sols 692 to 694 (Jan. 3 to Jan. 5, 2006): Continued Mössbauer integration on Ted and more images for the Erebus panorama.
sol 675-681, Dec 22, 2005: Evaluating Arm Positions
This week the Opportunity Instrument Arm Anomaly Team continued investigating the safety of different arm positions. The intent is to determine the safest position to leave the arm while the vehicle drives to new locations. The original position for the arm while driving was to tuck it underneath the rover, hooked on a small pin. This leaves the partially failed shoulder azimuth joint at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. If the arm stuck in this position we would be unable to use the arm.
The current plan is to investigate different versions of driving with the instrument arm's "elbow" sticking out towards the front of the vehicle, with the arm's instrument cluster above the solar panels. From that position the instrument arm could still be used without using the suspect azimuth joint. The variations include leaving the instrument cluster in mid air, or resting one or another instrument on different portions of the rover for stability.
These different positions are being evaluated on the test rover at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Meanwhile, on Mars, Opportunity is continuing to use the arm and its instruments to investigate rocks within its reach. The rover has also been acquiring images for a 360-degree, multi-filter panorama of "Erebus Crater."
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 675 (Dec. 17, 2005): Opportunity completed a 17-hour reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and made observations with the panoramic camera.
Sol 676: The rover used the Mössbauer spectrometer for five hours and observed the atmosphere and a target called "Bellemont" with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 677: Opportunity completed a microscopic-imager mosaic of a target called "Williams," used the Mössbauer spectrometer for 11 hours, and observed targets with the panoramic camera.
Sol 678: The Mössbauer collected data about Williams' composition for 22 hours and the panoramic camera made observations.
Sol 679: Opportunity moved its robotic arm to a target called "Ted," which it began inspecting with the microscopic imager and the alpha proton X-ray spectrometer. The navigation camera took pictures of the rover's front deck.
Sol 680: Planned activities include using the rock abrasion tool to brush Ted for about 11 minutes, then placing the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer onto the target again for about 20 hours of data collection.
Sol 681 (Dec. 23, 2005): Plans for this and the following few sols are further inspection of Ted, plus targeted observations with the panoramic camera. Opportunity's total odometry remains at 6,502 meters (4.04 miles).
sol 668-674, Dec 16, 2005: Robotic Arm Deployed
Opportunity successfully deployed its robotic arm on sol 671 (Dec. 13, 2005) and used it to position the microscopic imager. The cause of a shoulder-joint motor stall during an attempt to deploy the arm on sol 654 appears to be a broken wire in the motor windings. The motor can still be operated by changing one of the parameters so that more current is delivered. However, the behavior is still being characterized, and stalls of the motor can still occur while the motor parameters are being adjusted. Analysis also continues for determining the best strategy for keeping the arm unstowed even when it is not in use, so that the arm could still position instruments on targets even if the motor with the broken wire becomes unusable.
While parked at "Erebus Crater," Opportunity has completed a campaign of atmospheric science, with sky surveys, photometry observations at several times of day, and atmospheric observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover also observed ground targets with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 668 (Dec. 10, 2005): The team had planned some targeted remote sensing and atmospheric observations, but the plan did not get uplinked due to issues with ground servers.
Sol 669: The uplink succeeded, and Opportunity performed targeted remote sensing and atmospheric observations.
Sol 670: Early in the morning, the rover performed an atmospheric observation. Later in the day, some stares with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer were completed.
Sol 671: Results of diagnostic tests of the robotic arm were consistent with the performance of a motor with a broken wire in one of the windings. The motor can be operated in this configuration by modifying motor parameters. By making the necessary changes, the arm was successfully moved out of its stowed position. The team planned a two-image-by-two-image mosaic with the microscopic imager and a reading with the Mössbauer spectrometer. The first half of the mosaic completed as planned, but the arm sequence was halted after that due to a stall of the shoulder-joint motor.
Sol 672: Opportunity made atmospheric and photometric observations.
Sol 673: The plan was to complete the microscopic-imager mosaic that was started on sol 671 and place the Mössbauer spectrometer on a target called "Williams." However, the shoulder-joint motor stalled once again. Targeted observations with the panoramic camera were completed as planned.
Sol 674 (Dec. 16, 2005): After analysis of the sol 673 stall, the team redelivered a command sequence to close the microscopic imager's dust cover and to position the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an overnight integration on Williams. Opportunity's total odometry remains at 6,502 meters (4.04 miles).
sol 661-667, Dec 09, 2005: Encouraging Results from Shoulder-Motor Testing
Opportunity is currently parked at "Erebus Crater," where it has continued remote-sensing science while the team made progress in diagnosing why a motor in the robotic arm stalled on sol 654. The motor turned successfully when supplied with more current on sol 666 (Dec. 8, 2005), an encouraging result. The arm was still in a stowed position after that testing. Further tests and analysis are planned for determining the best strategy for future use of the arm. The arm, which deploys four tools for examining rocks and soils, has already operated more than seven times as long as originally planned.
This motor at the shoulder of the arm is necessary for getting the arm out of its stowed position. Earlier tests made some alternative explanations -- such as a physical obstruction or degraded lubrication -- appear unlikely. The sol 666 test established confidence in a hypothesis that a broken wire in the winding of the motor caused the sol 654 stall. The test rotated the motor four revolutions at each of three different applied voltages. Tests to characterize the motor's behavior will continue in the coming week.
In the target-rich environment of outcrop exposed in and near Erebus, Opportunity has acquired a color panorama of the surroundings, a color mosaic of itself, and high-resolution images of several outcrop targets. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer successfully collected data on some high-priority science targets during sol 664 (Dec. 6, 2005). Informal names for targets examined in this vicinity by the panoramic camera include "Drake," "Chino Valley," "Bellemont," "Camp Verde," "Young," "Cherry," and "Paulden."
Opportunity did not drive this week. The rover's odometry total as of sol 666 remained 6,502 meters (4.04 miles).
sol 649-660, Dec 01, 2005: Stalled Motor, Stowed Arm
Opportunity drove 43 meters on sol 649 (Nov. 20, 2005) and then bumped 10 meters to an outcrop for work with its robotic arm (instrument deployment device) over the Thanksgiving holidays. Opportunity's commands for sol 654 (Nov. 25, 2005) included unstowing the arm to begin using the tools on it for examining the layered outcrop that the rover had driven to three sols earlier. The arm is always stowed during drives. This time, a shoulder-joint motor that is needed for unstowing the arm stalled, and the arm stayed stowed. In subsequent sols, engineers worked to narrow the range of possibilities for the cause of the stall. Among the remaining possibilities is that, after working more than seven times longer than originally planned, the lubrication is degrading. One possible fix would be to increase the duration of the allowed motor start-up, to overcome the increased initial friction. The first diagnostic activity for the arm was performed sol 659, where a very small motion was recorded. Future diagnostic activities and continuing analysis will be performed to further characterize the shoulder-joint motor in upcoming sols.
As of sol 659 (Nov. 30, 2005), Opportunity has driven 6,502 meters (4.04 miles).
sol 641-648, Nov 18, 2005: Opportunity Gains Energy and Hits Four-Mile Mark
Opportunity is healthy. The solar array was apparently cleaned again on sol 638. Average solar array energy is around 720 watt-hours after the cleaning event!
Opportunity finished a campaign using the robotic arm on a cobble called "Antistasi." The Mössbauer spectrometer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer data show that the cobble is very basaltic. On Sol 645 Opportunity drove 22 meters (about 72 feet) south on an outcrop path around "Erebus Crater." This drive pushed Opportunity's total driving distance past the four-mile mark.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 641 (Nov. 12, 2005): Opportunity unstowed the robotic arm, changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and did a Mössbauer integration on a cobble called Antistasi.
Sol 642: The rover continued the Mössbauer integration on Antistasi up to the afternoon Mars Odyssey pass. It changed tools to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and started an overnight integration on Antistasi.
Sol 643: Opportunity changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started an integration. The rover then monitored dust with the panoramic camera and imaged surrounding cobbles.
Sol 644: The Mössbauer integration on Antistasi continued and panoramic-camera imaging of the surrounding outcrops was conducted.
Sol 645: Opportunity drove about 20 meters (about 66 feet) on an outcrop path so the rover would be able to analyze the outcrops more with the panoramic camera. Also, the panoramic camera was used for studying terrain for future drives.
Sol 646: The rover did untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 647: The plan for this sol is for Opportunity to check its composition and calibration target with the Mössbauer spectrometer, microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Also planned are observations of outcrop targets called "Show Low" and "Sedona" with the panoramic camera.
Sol 648 (Nov. 19, 2005): The plan is to conduct Mössbauer-spectrometer integration on the composition and calibration target, and to use the panoramic camera to observe an outcrop target called "Winslow" and a cobble target called "Snowflake."
Opportunity has driven a total of 6,446.45 meters (4.01 miles).
sol 633-640, Nov 11, 2005: Observing the Outcrops
Opportunity is healthy and is observing outcrops of "Erebus Crater." The rover used the tools on its robotic arm to examine an outcrop area named "Olympia."
Sol Summaries:
Sol 633 (Nov. 4, 2005): Opportunity took microscopic images of target "Kalavrita" before using the rock abrasion tool to grind the surface off of the target. After the grind, the rover took microscopic images of the exposed interior and began using the Mössbauer spectrometer on the target.
Sol 634: The rover examined Kalavrita with the Mössbauer spectrometer during the day and with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at night.
Sol 635: The Mössbauer spectrometer resumed an integration at Kalavrita.
Sol 636: Opportunity successfully used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for the first time since sol 609. Extra precautions were taken by the operations team to allow quick recovery in the case of a reset.
Sol 637: Tasks were integration with the Mössbauer spectrometer and remote sensing with the panoramic camera.
Sol 638: Opportunity used the microscopic imager, the rock abrasion tool's brush, and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at a target dubbed "Ziakas."
Sol 639: Opportunity drove approximately 6 meters (about 20 feet) to a cluster of cobbles.
Sol 640 (Nov. 11, 2005): The rover conducted untargeted remote sensing.
Looking ahead: Sols 641 to 643 are planned as a robotic-arm campaign on a cobble target called "Agrafa."
As of sol 639 (Nov. 10, 2005), Opportunity had driven 6,424 meters (3.99 miles).
sol 631-634, Nov 04, 2005: Dusting Off and Getting Back to Work
Having weathered a recent dust storm, Opportunity is back to business. Energy levels are on the rise as the rover prepares for its next investigative campaign.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 631 (Nov. 2, 2005): With images of the rover's current location in hand, rover planners were able to plan a drive of just over 39 meters (128 feet), which brought Opportunity to the edge of a large stretch of outcrop.
Sol 632: Opportunity drove about 5 meters (16 feet) to a target called "Olympia."
Sols 633 and 634 (Nov. 4 and 5, 2005): The two-sol plan is to kick off the robotic arm campaign at Olympia. The plan includes grinding a target called "Kalavrita" with the rock abrasion tool, inspecting the target with the microscopic imager both before and after the grind, and using the panoramic camera to take images for a mosaic. Output from the solar panels on sol 633 was 528 watt hours.
Opportunity's total odometry, as of sol 633, is 6418.07 meters (3.99 miles).
sol 627-630, Nov 02, 2005: Dusty Weekend
The three-sol plan for Opportunity's sols 627 to 629 (Oct. 29 to 31, 2005) began well, with a drive of 51 meters (164 feet) on the first sol. To allow as much time as possible for driving on that sol, the rover's usual post-drive imaging from its new location had been planned for the following sol. Overnight, Opportunity went into the deep-sleep mode for saving energy. The morning after a deep sleep, the rover wakes up when solar panels start putting out a prescribed level of energy. However, a dust storm in the Meridiani region reduced sunshine enough on the morning of sol 628 that Opportunity did not wake from deep sleep early enough for the first scheduled activities of that sol. The rover's onboard software properly put Opportunity into self-protective automode for the day, so the rover did not take the post-drive images. Analysis continued on Sunday, and the team uplinked commands on Monday to resume activities. On sol 630, Opportunity successfully took pictures showing the terrain surrounding its new position. Dustiness of the atmosphere above Opportunity diminished a little on sol 630, as indicated by increased output from the solar panels.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 627 (Oct. 29, 2005): In the first sol of a three-sol plan, Opportunity drove 51 meters (164 feet). Wheel slippage averaged 3.7 percent, with a peak of 18 percent. Maximum tilt during the drive was 11.5 degrees. A dust storm in the Margaritifer region near Meridiani had been noticed before plans were set for sol 627, so researchers had told Opportunity to check the clarity of the atmosphere a few times during the sol. Those observations saw a maximum atmospheric opacity ("tau") of 1.6, on a scale where 0 is perfectly clear, 1.0 is about as obscured as a smoggy day in Los Angeles, and an earlier dust storm at Meridiani reached 2.0 on sol 489. Opportunity's solar panels generated 593 watt hours on sol 627. That is about 100 watt hours less than on recent days before the dust storm, but still more than typical daily output during winter. The rover used deep-sleep mode overnight.
Sols 628 and 629: Output from the solar panels did not climb high enough to wake Opportunity from deep sleep until 7:38:50 in the morning, local solar time. This was nearly five minutes too late for its first scheduled activity of the day, turning on heaters to warm the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover realized it had woken up too late, so it properly put itself into protective automode. It remained in automode for sol 629. Solar panels' output was 479 watt hours on sol 628 and 470 watt hours on sol 629, indicating a diminished amount of sunlight getting through the dust.
Sol 630: The team sent commands for activities originally planned for sol 628. Opportunity returned to normal operations and took images of the surroundings at the location it had reached on sol 627. Solar panels produced 496 watt hours, which was enough to support an overnight UHF communications pass in addition to the imaging activities.
As of sol 630 (Nov. 1, 2005), Opportunity had driven a total of 6373.6 meters (3.96 miles).
sol 619-626, Oct 31, 2005: Riding Ripples and Working Issues
Opportunity is healthy and traversing around the northwest side of "Erebus Crater." The rover has driven on every sol possible, acquiring during and after each drive, and surveying the sky and horizon in the mornings with the panoramic camera.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 619 (Oct. 20, 2005): Opportunity drove 24 meters (79 feet) in a zigzag pattern to safely cross ripples.
Sol 620: The rover's observations used its panoramic camera to observe a feature informally named "Mogollon Rim" (for an area in Arizona) and onboard magnets. It also checked for dust devils.
Sol 621: Opportunity drove 30 meters (98 feet), mostly on sand. The average slip was only 2.5 percent.
Sol 622: Untargeted observations included a panorama to examine the amount of light reflected from the surface and a ground survey. A software glitch resulted in losing the afternoon communication relay session with Mars Odyssey. The problem was a repeat of one experienced previously on Spirit's sols 131 and 209 and on Opportunity's sol 596. It occurs when a "write" command reaches an area of memory during a vulnerability period of a few microseconds when that memory location cannot accept a new write command. The rover team is investigating the problem.
Sol 623: This was a recovery sol. Opportunity returned data directly to Earth during an X-band communication window after calibration of the high-gain antenna. It also performed a calibration of the panoramic camera mast assembly (the rover's "head") to regain use of it and to stow the camera. One of the rover's two batteries would not recharge, which at first puzzled the team. A switch that allows battery 1 to recharge was not enabled, so the battery was temporarily unable to recharge. On the following morning (sol 624), the switch was enabled and the battery subsequently operated normally. Engineers' analysis indicates that recharging was not enabled on sol 623 because the rover did not use enough electricity from the battery during the previous sol (622) to draw the battery's charge below a level pre-set as a threshold for allowing a recharge.
Sol 624: The rover drove and used the panoramic camera to look at its tracks. It covered 27.3 meters (nearly 90 feet).
Sol 625: At the end of sol 624, Opportunity found itself in an area with relatively small ripples. In this benign terrain, it was given commands for a drive that included a segment of autonomous navigation after an approximately 30-meter (98-foot) segment of blind driving. Preliminary analysis shows a total distance of 45.7 meters (150 feet) was traversed.
Sol 626: For this sol the team planned another drive, with about 30 meters (98 feet) expected.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 625 (Oct. 27, 2005) is 6,265 meters (3.89 miles). This week (sols 619 to 625), the rover drove 127 meters (417 feet).
sol 613-618, Oct 21, 2005: Maneuvering Around Ripples
Opportunity is healthy and has been making excellent progress around "Erebus Crater." At the beginning of the week, the rover was in automode as it was still recovering from a partial uplink, but on sol 614 the team sent a real-time activate command and the rover performed remote sensing. The team is no longer operating under restricted sols, and Opportunity traveled 101.65 meters (333 feet) in four sols. The rover is generally heading westward around the crater, but traveled northward on sol 618 to avoid some larger ripples to the west.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 613 (Oct. 14, 2005): The team planned untargeted remote sensing. However, the master sequence did not run because Opportunity was in automode.
Sol 614: The team sent a real-time command to activate the sol 614 master sequence. The plan included remote sensing.
Sol 615: Opportunity completed an 18.5-meter (61-foot) drive heading westward around Erebus Crater.
Sol 616: Opportunity drove 24 meters (79 feet), with an average slip of 2.3 percent.
Sol 617: The rover completed a 43.65-meter (143-foot) drive, zigzagging around low points in the ripples.
Sol 618: Opportunity completed a 15.5-meter (51-foot) drive on outcrop, heading northward to find some lower ripples to cross.
As of sol 618 (Oct. 19, 2005) Opportunity has driven 6,138.07 meters (3.81 miles).
sol 606-612, Oct 17, 2005: Around 'Erebus'
Opportunity is continuing to travel westward around "Erebus Crater."
The rover completed a 26.18-meter (about 86-foot) drive on sol 608 (Oct. 9, 2005) with very little slip. On sol 610, the team planned another drive, but the spacecraft experienced a software reset at about 9:20 a.m., local solar time. That deactivated all sequences and left the spacecraft in automode before the sol 610 master sequence was active. On sol 611, the team sent a recovery sequence to reestablish a master sequence and reinitialize the panoramic camera mast assembly state (the position of the rover's "head"). The team received confirmation of success. The sol 612 plan included another attempt to do the drive originally planned for sol 610. However, the master sequence for 612 was not received properly by the spacecraft because of bad pointing or weather. So, the run-out plan from sol 611 was executed.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 606 (Oct. 7, 2005): Untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 607: Targeted remote sensing during sol one of a three-sol plan.
Sol 608: Second sol of a three-sol plan. Opportunity drove 26.18 meters (about 86 feet) westward around Erebus Crater, with an average slip of 1.7 percent.
Sol 609: Untargeted remote sensing during the third sol of a three-sol plan.
Sol 610: The team planned a drive of about 21 meters (69 feet), but a software reset Opportunity into automode so the drive was not carried out. The reset was very similar to one on Opportunity's sol 563. Since the miniature thermal emission spectrometer was the instrument in use during the reset, use of that instrument has been precluded, pending further analysis.
Sol 611: Recovery sol. The master sequence was activated in real time and the panoramic camera mast assembly (the "head" of the rover) position was reinitialized. Data management sequences were run.
Sol 612 (Oct. 13, 2005): Commands included a drive, the one originally planned for sol 610. However, the master sequence for 612 was not received properly by the spacecraft, because of bad pointing or weather, so Opportunity instead executed the run-out sequence from sol 611.
Opportunity's total odometry, as of completion of the drive on sol 608 (Oct. 9, 2005) is 6,036.06 meters (3.75 miles)
sol 599-605, Oct 11, 2005: Opportunity Backs Out of Potentially Sticky Situation
Opportunity is healthy and traveling westward around 'Erebus Crater.' The rover is running in restricted sols, so the team is able to drive it only every other sol and has been doing so. On sol 601, Opportunity drove 34 meters (112 feet). On sol 603, the team planned a 45-meter (148-foot) drive. However, after the first 5-meter (16-foot) segment, the onboard slip check reported 44.5 percent slip. Because slip limits had been set to 40 percent, the drive was successfully stopped. On sol 605, the rover drove 5.3 meters (17 feet) back to outcrop material.
Note: The onboard slip check uses visual odometry to compare nearby features and determine the actual distance traveled. Software computes the amount of slip based on the difference between the actual distance traveled versus commanded wheel rotations. The team has defined a maximum allowable percentage of slip, and if the computed slippage exceeds the maximum allowable, further driving is precluded.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 599 and 600 (Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2005): The team planned two sols of remote sensing, including coordinated observations by the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer and use of the navigation camera to complete a 360-degree panorama.
Sols 601 and 602: Opportunity drove 34 meters (112 feet) on sol 601, heading northwest, to have a better view of the westward path. The drive was successful, and the maximum slip was reported at 2.5 percent. For sol 602, the team planned remote sensing.
Sols 603 and 604: On sol 603, the team scheduled a 45-meter (148-foot) drive. The first portion of the drive was blind for 35 meters (115 feet) with slip checks every 5 meters (16 feet), followed by 10 meters (33 feet) of autonomous navigation. However, after the first 5-meter (16-foot) segment, the onboard slip check detected slippage higher than the limit that had been set as a precaution, and the rover properly stopped. Wheel sinkage was approximately 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) for the left front wheel and 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) for the right front wheel. On Sol 604 the rover performed untargeted remote sensing.
Sol 605 (Oct. 6, 2005): The team analyzed the rover's position and the terrain and decided to back up Opportunity about 5 meters (16 feet) onto outcrop, the starting point of sol 603's drive. The sol 605 drive included slip checks and hazard-avoidance-camera movies of the wheels. Pre-drive, mid-drive, and post-drive imaging was acquired. The 5.3-meter (17-foot) drive was successful, and Opportunity reached the outcrop. Slippage during the drive ranged from 3 to 12 percent.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 605 was 6,009.88 meters (3.73 miles).
sol 592-598, Oct 03, 2005: Slight Hiccup Before Getting to 'Erebus Crater'
Opportunity suffered a warm reboot last week. After the flight computer rebooted, the spacecraft went into 'safe mode'. This error caused the team to miss two Odyssey passes. The evening pass was missed because the reboot occurred during the Odyssey pass. The morning pass was missed because safe mode enforces the deep sleep behavior.
Real-time commands were sent on sol 597 in order to access the state of the vehicle. Opportunity was healthy and the team regained control of the vehicle. A 'lite' master sequence was loaded and sol 597 became a stand down day. On sol 598, the initial system recovery steps were taken and subsystems were tested. All subsystems look good.
This is the first time this fault has been seen on Opportunity. It was seen twice before on Spirit, in May and August of 2004. The decision at that time was to not fix the software bug that causes this problem, and accept the rare interruptions in operations. The bug allows a 51 microsecond window where two different requests to write to a memory area can collide. When the writes collide, the software protects itself and the vehicle by terminating activities.
This week Opportunity will continue with nominal operations. The rover will continue to move west around Erebus Crater.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 592: Drover 1.75meter (69 inches) and approached target 'Deception' on the feature 'South Shetland'
Sol 593: Unstowed the robotic arm, used rock abrasion tool brush, took a stereo microscopic image and then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 594: Continued the robotic arm campaign. Placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, then changed tool to the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Sol 595: Continued the robotic arm campaign. Placed alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on new target then change tool to the Mössbauer spectrometer on the next sol.
Sol 596: Anomaly - warm reboot day
Sol 597: Stand Down Day
Sol 598: Recovery day, subsystem testing
sol 586-591, Sept 22, 2005: Approaching 'Erebus'
Opportunity is healthy and continuing its drive toward "Erebus Crater." Images taken this week show the interior of the crater. Plans for the next few sols are to get closer to the crater's edge and do extensive imaging. The team is also planning to use the tools on the robotic arm to examine a dark area of outcrop located on the way to the edge of the crater.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 586 (Sept. 16, 2005): Opportunity conducted remote sensing.
Sol 587: More remote sensing.
Sol 588: Drove about 20 meters (66 feet) at 208 degrees.
Sol 589: Drove about 22 meters (72 feet).
Sol 590: Drove 35 meters (115 feet).
Sol 591 (Sept. 22, 2005): Drove about 17.5 meters (57 feet), turned for weekend work with robotic arm. As of sol 591, Opportunity has traveled 5,933.69 meters (3.69 miles).
sol 580-585, Sept 19, 2005: Erebus Bound
Opportunity has resumed normal operations this week. The rover is healthy and making progress towards "Erebus Crater." The rover team has been commanding Opportunity to drive every chance it gets. The last two sols this week have been remote sensing only, due to a lack of critical data.
Sol-by sol summaries:
Sols 580 and 581 (Sept. 10 and 11, 2005): The weekend included a 26.3-meter (86-foot) drive with observations before and after the drive.
Sol 582: A 30-meter (98-foot) drive this sol brought the rover to the "Erebus Highway‚" an outcrop-rich area that extends south toward the crater.
Sol 583: The previous sol's drive appears to have completed successfully, however no data was received due to an issue at the Deep Space Network station where the data is received from space and transmitted to JPL.
Sol 584: Remote sensing was performed, which included as systematic foreground survey using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The plan included commands for the rover to re-transmit the critical post-drive data to Earth, but these were not received due to a sequencing error.
Sol 585 (Sept. 15, 2005): This sol's plan included commands for remote sensing and for re-transmission of the post-drive imaging.
Total odometry as of sol 584 (Sept. 14, 2005): 5,874.32 meters or 3.65 miles.
sol 574-579, Sept 19, 2005: Heading for the Highway
A healthy Opportunity spent the week making progress east towards the "Erebus Highway." Since the sol 563 anomaly, the rover has been performing nominally. The team has now re-certified the use of driving with and without visual odometry. The team is still operating with additional post-anomaly restrictions, including shutting down after the morning uplink window to save the high-gain antenna position, napping before use of the miniature thermal emission, and a "keepout" time after wakeup to allow the flight software to boot without other activities in parallel. The sol 563 anomaly is still under investigation.
Sol-by sol summaries:
Sols 574 and 575 (Sept. 4 and 5, 2005): These were the first two sols of a three-sol plan. The rover performed targeted observations with the panoramic camera and navigation camera.
Sol 576: Opportunity completed the three-sol plan. Since the team is running in restricted mode, this plan did not execute until Tuesday (Sept. 13, 2005). The drive sequence was bundled separately, so if another anomaly were to occur the drive could be pulled from the plan. After a nominal weekend, the drive sequence was uplinked. It resulted in a successful visual odometry drive of about 12 meters (39 feet). This was the first use of visual odometry since the sol 563 anomaly.
Sol 577: Still in restricted mode, the rover performed untargeted remote sensing using the panoramic camera, navigation camera, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. All sequences executed successfully.
Sols 578 and 579 (Sept. 8 and 9, 2005): This two-sol plan included commands for a visual odometry drive of about 15 meters (49 feet) on sol 578 and untargeted remote sensing on sol 579.
As of sol 577 (Sept. 7, 2005), Opportunity's total odometry was 5,767.11 meters (3.58 miles).
sol 566-573, Sept 02, 2005: Cautious Recovery
Recovery from the sol 563 power-off event is well underway. Each sol, the team has planned one new activity. By sol 570 (Aug. 31, 2005), the rover had successfully performed observations with the panoramic camera, navigation camera, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer and had completed a short alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration (with the robotic arm stowed) and a 6.5-meter (21-foot) blind drive.
Additional precautions are being taken with each sol's plan, including shutting down after the morning uplink (to save the high-gain antenna position, thus preventing an X-band fault in case of another anomaly) and waiting 15 minutes after wakeup to start any science activities.
Sol-by sol summaries:
Sols 566 through 568 (Aug. 27 through Aug. 29, 2005) were devoted to engineering activities. Science activities were put on hold over the weekend while engineers investigated the sol 563 reset.
Sol 569: Opportunity completed step two in the post-anomaly recovery plan: a short blind drive. (Step one, remote sensing with the panoramic camera and navigation camera, was performed on sol 565). The 6.5-meter (21-foot) drive executed perfectly, and all motor currents were nominal.
Sol 570: This sol marked the first use of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer since the sol 563 reset, which was step three in recovery from the anomaly. After waking from a nap and waiting 15 minutes, the rover performed a short alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration with the robotic arm stowed. This was simply to test the payload service board, which controls the spectrometers. Five minutes after the end of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer test, a low-elevation raster was taken successfully with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The resulting data product has been received on Earth.
Sol 571: Opportunity completed a blind drive of 11.8 meters (38.7 feet) designed to take it across some outcrop then over a small ripple.
Sols 572 and 573 (Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, 2005): Commands sent for these sols are for observations with the panoramic camera and navigation camera.
Opportunity's total distance driven on Mars, as of Sept. 2, 2005, is 5,755 meters (3.58 miles).
sol 560-565, Aug 30, 2005: Recovering from a Reset
On sol 560 (Aug. 21, 2005), Opportunity retracted the Mössbauer spectrometer from a rock target called "Lemon Rind" that had been brushed earlier with the rock abrasion tool. The rover then used the grinding bit of the abrasion tool to reveal a patch of Lemon Rind's interior and used the microscopic imager to inspect the abraded area. On sol 561, Opportunity stowed its robotic arm and backed up 85 centimeters (2.8 feet) for a view of the target. The rover drove about 7 meters (23 feet) on sol 562.
Early in the morning of sol 563 (Aug. 21, 2005), Opportunity experienced a software reset. The rover shut down after the reset and woke up in what is called automode. While in automode, Opportunity responded as expected to planned communication sessions. The sol plan for sol 563 was not executed. The plan for sol 564 was executed, returning diagnostic data for further analysis into the cause of the reset and returning Opportunity to master sequence control. The plan for sol 565 included observations with the navigation camera and panoramic camera, but not with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The observations were completed successfully. Engineers believe Opportunity is in good health, although the team will refrain from using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer pending further analysis of the software reset.
Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 565 (Aug. 26, 2005) is 5,737 meters (3.56 miles).
sol 552-559, Aug 19, 2005: Opportunity Biting into 'Strawberry'
Opportunity completed a study of the cobble area by taking a close look at the cobble "Arkansas" and a nearby soil target named "Reiner Gamma" with the instruments on the robotic arm. A 3-meter (10-foot) bump took the rover to an outcrop dubbed "Fruit Basket" for an intensive investigation of targets there. So far Opportunity has studied "Lemon Rind" with its complete suite of robotic arm instruments, and begun an inspection of "Strawberry." The plan is to drive east to the "Erebus Highway" after finishing work at Fruit Basket.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 552 (Aug. 12, 2005): Opportunity took pictures with the microscopic imager of soil target Reiner Gamma and took alpha particle X-ray spectrometer readings on cobble Arkansas.
Sol 553 and 554: Opportunity took more Mössbauer spectrometer readings on Arkansas and took alpha particle X-ray spectrometer readings on Reiner Gamma.
Sol 555: Opportunity finished work with the robotic arm on the cobble area and drove to a new outcrop, Fruit Basket.
Sol 556 and 557: Opportunity performed robotic arm work on Lemon Rind, a target on Fruit Basket. The microscopic imager took pictures before and after the rock abrasion tool brushed the area. The rover also used the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Mössbauer spectrometer.
Sol 558: Opportunity performed robotic arm work on another target, Strawberry, taking pictures with the microscopic imager before and after a light grinding with the rock abrasion tool. Spirit also used the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
Sol 559 (Aug.19, 2005): The plan is to use the Mössbauer spectrometer on Lemon Rind.
As of the end of its 558th sol on Mars, Opportunity has driven 5,729 meters (about 3.56 miles).
sol 544-551, Aug 18, 2005: Opportunity Entering Cobble Field
Opportunity had a busy week! The rover has been using the rock abrasion tool and all of its spectrometers and imaging instruments. It has been healthy but slightly constrained in the flash memory. Last week, the rover mission had to share its Odyssey memory allocation with a project named the Mars Bi-Static UHF Radar Experiment, which had the effect of reducing the buffer space available to the rovers. This caused a backlog of data onboard Opportunity. This week the team started to offload some of that data by taking advantage of overnight Odyssey passes. The rover buffer space is back to normal. The planning team is also making sure that experiments do not create too much new data this week. The planning team wants to ensure that Opportunity has enough flash memory for next week's operations since the plan calls for a continuation of the drive toward "Erebus." The general consensus is that the rover will take the easterly route to the Erebus highway. This route is longer by about 100 meters (328 feet), but should result in much more access to outcrop during the drive. The outcrop is attractive both for rover footing and for science targeting.
During the first weekend in August, there was a sequencing error that failed to run the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The team had added a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation before starting the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and the added sequence ran long. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer start sequence did not complete and the instrument did not collect any data. After discovering what happened on Monday, the team reacquired the observation on sol 548 (Aug. 9, 2005).
On sol 549 (Aug. 10, 2005), there was a mobility fault. Under the "rules of the road," the team is required to stop the vehicle if any of the driving actuators draws more than 0.4 amperes of current for more than half a second. This protects the rover from digging into a "Purgatory Dune" situation. On sol 549, while the rover was turning into a position more favorable for communication, the front right driving actuator went above 0.4 amperes for more than half a second and stopped the drive. This is expected behavior. The turn for better communication was an optional move done at the very end of the drive. The front right drive actuator will sometimes (especially when performing a turn-in-place) pull more current than the other drive actuators. This is because the front right steering actuator is not working, and its drive motor is not turning in the same direction as the other five motors.
On sols 550 and 551 (Aug. 10 and Aug. 11, 2005), Opportunity moved about 2 meters (nearly 7 feet) forward into a cobble field. The team has wanted to use Opportunity's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Mössbauer spectrometer on some cobbles, and there has never been a better chance than this location. Rover drivers were able to approach the targets in one sol and get multiple cobbles into the robotic arm's work volume. On sol 551, the rover planners successfully planted the Mössbauer on a cobble that is roughly 2.5 centimeters to 3 centimeters (1 inch to 1.2 inches) in size. This precision pointing was intended to allow the spectrometer to integrate for most of the weekend and tell the science team something new about cobbles.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 545 to 547 (Aug. 6 to Aug. 8, 2005): Sol 545 was used to grind a rock-abrasion-tool hole. On sol 546, Opportunity took a post-grind microscopic imager mosaic and planted the Mössbauer spectrometer in the expected rock-abrasion-tool hole.
Sol 548: The rover retracted the Mössbauer spectrometer from the target called "OneScoop," and then performed a sequence of observations of the rock abrasion tool's grinding bit. Opportunity then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer back down on the rock abrasion tool hole at OneScoop to re-acquire that spectral observation.
Sol 549: The rover retracted the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and then retook the microscopic image of the rock-abrasion-tool hole. On the previous attempt, Opportunity had not made contact with the surface of the rock, so this sol it was commanded to overdrive 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) in order to ensure contact with the bottom of the 6-millimeter hole. After acquiring the microscopic image, the rover stowed its arm and bumped back 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) to image the rock-abrasion-tool hole. Opportunity then proceeded about 26 meters (85 feet) south towards a group of cobbles, taking a 360-degree panoramic image with the navigation camera at the halfway point. The team commanded the rover to turn to 215 degrees azimuth for communication at the end of the drive.
Sol 550: Opportunity bumped about 1.8 meters (6 feet) over to the cobble field. The team planned to get two of the cobbles in the robotic arm work volume.
Sol 551 (Aug. 11, 2005): On this sol, Opportunity un-stowed its arm and then took a microscopic imager mosaic of cobble target "Arkansas." The rover then used its microscopic imager to inspect a soil target, followed by a placement of the Mössbauer spectrometer on cobble target "Arkansas."
As of the end of its 551st sol on Mars, Opportunity has driven 5,725 meters (3.56 miles).
sol 538-543, Aug 09, 2005: On an Ice-Cream-Cone Outcrop
Opportunity continues to make progress south toward "Erebus" crater. The rover planners are doing an excellent job keeping Opportunity safely within the confines of the ripple troughs and determining where the rover can cross from one ripple trough into another. The rover team tries to keep Opportunity inside the ripple troughs, and plans to follow the troughs south until Opportunity can safely move into a "better" trough.
This week (July 29 to August 3), Opportunity has driven an additional 80 meters (262 feet). Opportunity's odometer now reads 5,696 meters (3.54 miles). As Opportunity continues a southward trek, team members are seeing more and more outcrop. Opportunity is still about about 50 meters (164 feet) north of the "Erebus highway" -- an area the team suspects to be highly populated with outcrop and perhaps easier to navigate. Opportunity is roughly 185 to 200 meters (607 to 656 feet) north of Erebus crater, the next large crater Opportunity will encounter.
The team has been watching Opportunity's power very carefully. It seems that Opportunity is losing some of the power boost it received during the last cleaning event. The solar array wake up time has been getting later each day and is currently 9:48 Mars Local Solar Time. The team has been planning accordingly, taking steps to preserve power where appropriate.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 538 (July 29, 2005) to Sol 540 (July 31, 2005): Opportunity took pictures of the solar arrays and magnets with the microscopic imager, then did an overnight integration with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. On sol 539, Opportunity drove. On sol 540, it performed remote sensing.
Sol 541: The rover drove 25 meters (82 feet).
Sol 542: The rover drove 23 meters (75 feet).
Sol 543 (August 3, 2005): Opportunity executed a very impressive 8-meter (26-foot) approach drive. Scott Maxwell and Jeng Yen were given the task to drive about 8 meters (26 feet) and place the rover on top of an ice-cream-cone-shaped plot of outcrop. Normally this would be a two-sol endeavor: an approach sol and a final bump to the robotic-arm target. But this single-sol drive worked perfectly. They managed to send Opportunity across a ripple and place the rover in exactly the location specified by the science team! To paraphrase Scott Maxwell while describing the drive: "We will cross over 'fudge ripple,' move along the 'Rocky Road,' and park right at the scoop." This is exactly what happened.
sol 531-537, Aug 02, 2005: Opportunity Exploring Southward
Opportunity continued its trek south toward "Erebus Crater," making 61 meters (200 feet) of progress over two sols of driving. The rover is approaching greater quantities of outcrop as it heads south, and the team is excited at the possibility of using the robotic arm before reaching Erebus.
This week, restricted sols allowed the team to drive only every other sol. Next week, however, there will be a shift back to an early planning cycle that will allow driving every sol if desired.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 531 (July 22, 2005): Opportunity pointed its navigation camera rearward to shoot images for a seven-frame by one-frame mosaic. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer systematically observed the foreground. The panoramic camera took thumbnail images of the sky.
Sol 532: This sol's remote-sensing work included a pre-sunset observation.
Sol 533: The rover completed a successful drive of 34 meters (112 feet), including an attitude update.
Sol 534: Opportunity looked rearward with its navigation camera from the new location and made observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 535: The rover used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for a large set of observations, jokingly referred to at the "Uberraster" because of its size.
Sol 536: Opportunity drove 27 meters (89 feet), with approximately 10 percent slip. The drive duration was two hours, with a final heading of 155 degrees.
Sol 537 (July 28, 2005): Planned work for this sol included another large raster by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Opportunity's total odometry after the sol 536 drive is 5,617 meters (3.49 miles).
sol 524-530, July 25, 2005: Rocks and Cobbles on the Way to 'Erebus'
The Opportunity team's current strategy for driving alternates segments of using visual odometry to check for slippage with segments of blind driving for less than 5 meters (16 feet). The strategy and hard work designing and commanding drives through troughs between ripples contributed to the rover making 89 meters (292 feet) of progress over three drive plans.
Rocks and cobbles have begun appearing in images of Opportunity's new surroundings, for the first time in many weeks of traversing through rippled terrain.
The rover's power team reported a dust-cleaning event on Opportunity between sols 524 and 526. Daily power output from solar panels increased from about 500 watt hours to about 650 watt hours.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 524 (July 15, 2005): The uplink team planned and executed a successful 27-meter (89-foot) drive. This signified the first use of a combination of short segments of blind driving followed by small slip-check drive segments. One small rock was seen in imaging.
Sol 525: Opportunity performed remote sensing and repeated a right-front steering actuator diagnostic test from sol 435. The actuator moved slightly more than in the last test, but there was no significant change.
Sol 526: Rover planners used the drive technique established on sol 524 to complete a successful 32-meter (105-foot) drive. Small cobbles were seen in imaging.
Sol 527: Opportunity used the sol for remote sensing and battery recharging.
Sol 528: The uplink team planned a drive of 30 meters (98 feet), continuing in the troughs and crossing one ripple crest. The crest was estimated at 8.5 percent slope. However, the drive did not succeed because of a timeout on the first turn command. The duration was set to 15 seconds for a 15-degree turn. The rover made 14.9 degrees of progress before using up the allotted time.
Sol 529: On this second sol of a two-sol plan, the rover performed remote sensing.
Sol 530 (July 21, 2005): The uplink team repeated the planned drive from sol 528, with changes to the timeout durations of turn and waypoint commands. The drive succeeded in covering 30 meters (98 feet). It brought Opportunity's total odometry to 5,555 meters (3.45 miles).
sol 518-524, July 15, 2005: Edging Toward 'Erebus'
Opportunity made impressive progress toward "Erebus Crater" during the week. Four sols of driving totaled 57 meters (187 feet), while slipping less than 10 percent on each drive. A longer drive was plotted for the fifth day.
The rover has continued to drive down ripple troughs. We have a series of checks in place to prevent excessive bogging down, including, tilt, roll, pitch limit checks, current checks and slip checks (set at 40 percent slip).
We look forward to more progress south over the coming week.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 518 and 519 (July 9 and July 10, 2005): In light of extensive driving and data collection the previous week, these sols were designed to conduct light remote sensing, recharge batteries, and downlink data to free up memory space on the rover.
Sol 520: The uplink team designed a 16-meter (52-foot) drive. Opportunity completed 10.34 meters (33.92 feet) of the drive before tripping a mobility-goal error. There was a bad position estimate given to the onboard slip-checking software, so it incorrectly thought the rover was 0.5 to 1 meters (1.6 to 3.3 feet) back from its actual position, thus making insufficient progress because it thought it was slipping excessively. However, analysis by the mobility team on the ground determined the true slip, and we were "go" to drive the following sol.
Sol 521: Opportunity completed a successful drive of 15.2 meters (about 50 feet) without any faults.
Sol 522: The rover completed another successful drive of 15 meters (49 feet), with only 6.4 percent reported slip.
Sol 523: We drove 16.2 meters (53 feet) of a planned 20-meter (66-foot) drive. The drive stopped short because onboard slip-checking software was having difficulty tracking the rover's rear wheel tracks, which are used as a reference point to monitor the slip. Opportunity does not want to keep trying to drive if it is unsure of how much it is slipping, so the team sets a limit to this failure count. This prevents bogging down in the terrain.
Sol 524 (July 15): The uplink team planned a drive of 27 meters (89 feet). The drive plan is the first in Opportunity's current terrain using a combination of short segments of blind driving followed by shorter segments (40 centimeters, or 16 inches) of slip-check driving. This drive strategy is designed to allow us to drive farther by using a less time-consuming drive option while still verifying every 5 meters that we are not bogging down.
Odometry total after sol 523 drive: 5464.09 meters (3.39 miles).
sol 510-517, July 11, 2005: Pushing Away from Purgatory
This week Opportunity finished examining "Purgatory Dune" and started driving again. The first few drives were to the north so that possible paths to the south could be imaged and evaluated. The next few steps took the rover east, then southward down a wide trough. A new set of "rules of the road" have been developed and implemented to prevent the rover from getting bogged down again.
The miniature thermal emission spectrometer has also been cleared for regular use, and has returned some useful science products during the last week.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 510 (June 30, 2005): Opportunity finished characterizing Purgatory ripple with microscopic imager pictures of soil (tracks and undisturbed), and took a first step back. The rover collected several images to document the 2.1-meter (6.9-foot) drive. Visual odometry confirmed that slip was less than 10 percent during the short traverse. After the drive, the rover took pictures of the surroundings to evaluate possible safe pathways to the south.
Sol 511: Opportunity backed up 8.5 meters (28 feet), and again imaged the terrain to the south. The drive used visual odometry and slip checks to stop the rover if it failed to make progress.
Sol 512: The long-term goal for Opportunity is to drive south and slightly east. Before continuing on this path the rover must either go east or west to sidestep Purgatory Dune. Extensive remote sensing with the panoramic camera and navigation camera was done this sol to assist in the decision.
Sol 513: With all imaging needed for driving already acquired, Opportunity spent the sol doing atmospheric observations, dust monitoring, and also imaging of the magnets with the panoramic camera.
Sol 514: The engineering and science team took an Independence Day break today, and the rover executed its planned runout science sequence, which included atmospheric observations with the panoramic camera.
Sol 515: Imaging acquired over the weekend showed that the path to the east contained very small ripples (less than 6 centimeters or 2.4 inches), and led to a wide trough to the south. This sol, rover planners sequenced a 5.5-meter (18-foot) backwards drive over old tracks, then turned in short segments (less than 20 degrees), and drove east 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) over one small ripple. Tilt limits, visual odometry failure limits, and cycle limits were employed to prevent the rover from bogging down. The drive succeeded as planned.
Sol 516: An 11-meter (36-foot) drive to the east crossed two small ripples and positioned the rover to enter the trough leading south. Limits and slip checks were used to ensure that Opportunity would not get stuck.
Sol 517 (July 8, 2005): A new safety check was added to this drive: The drive current limits were lowered from 1 ampere to 0.4 amperes. The standard safety checks were also used on this drive, designed to take Opportunity 4 meters (13 feet) east to the north end of the trough, then 11 meters (36 feet) south through the trough.
Opportunity's total odometry after sol 517 is 5,406.6 meters (3.36 miles).
Looking ahead:
Opportunity will continue the drive south, more slowly than before to ensure a safe path.
sol 503-509, July 11, 2005: Done with this Dune
Opportunity spent the week positioning itself for robotic-arm work and studying the area at the base of "Purgatory Ripple." The rover has examined its tracks (which contain material carried out of Purgatory Dune by the wheels) and undisturbed dune material.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 503 and 504 (June 23 and 24, 2005): Opportunity drove partway to the position for robotic-arm work on Purgatory Dune. Remote sensing over these two sols included a panoramic camera image of the robotic-arm work volume, a navigation camera panorama, and a miniature thermal emission spectrometer raster.
Sol 505 and 506: Opportunity acquired two microscopic imager mosaics and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on soil before a short drive to the position for examining the tracks.
Sol 507: This was the first of three days using the robotic arm at Purgatory Dune. The rover completed two microscopic imager mosaics and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration. Opportunity also fired up the miniature thermal emission spectrometer for an afternoon raster.
Sol 508: The rover completed a 24-hour Mössbauer integration and collected more data with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 509 (June 29, 2005): Opportunity collected data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and made a late-night observation of the dune with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
sol 497-502, July 05, 2005: Back to 'Purgatory'
Opportunity made its way back toward "Purgatory Dune" for a chance to explore its own tracks. During the drive the rover stopped along the way to study the soil at "North Dune."
Sol Details:
Sol 497 (June 16)
This was the second sol of a two-sol plan. Today was dedicated to remote sensing, including panoramic camera usage with 13 filters and stares with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 498
On sol 498, Opportunity deployed its robotic arm to get a "taste" of the North Dune. The rover did this using both the microscopic imager and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The next sol, the rover moved slightly back (about 40 centimeters or 1.3 feet) and then slightly forward (the same distance) in a move designed to place it on an optimal approach, ready to drive to its destination on Purgatory Dune. The last sol of this three-sol plan was again spent as a remote-sensing sol.
Sols 501 and 502
Opportunity had been trying to line itself up with the science target by performing arcs. Due to nature of this terrain, it had not been yawing as much as expected so its approach was slightly off. The team decided to have the rover try a turn in place. Engineers had been staying away from turning in place because Opportunity has a bad steering actuator on one wheel, and this makes turning in place more cumbersome. This turn in place, however, had some advantages because it was in the right direction and it was a small turn. The rover performed it perfectly.
The turn in place churned up soil in front of Opportunity. This made the immediate area in front of the rover more prone to slippage. Opportunity detected excessive slippage (more than 30 percent) when it attempted to perform the first of two 25-centimeter (9.8-inch) arcs. The visual odometery system detected that the first arc went only 17.1 centimeters (6.7 inches). This constituted a 32 percent slip. The engineers had limited the acceptable amount of slippage to 30 percent, so the rover was not commanded to perform the second arc. The next sol was a remote-sensing day.
Sols 503 and 504 (June 22 and 23)
The team planned another drive consisting of three 25-centimeter (9.8-inch) arcs. This drive was calculated to bring the rover to its destination at Purgatory Dune.
sol 490-496, June 17, 2005: Examining 'Purgatory'
Opportunity is happy to be moving again and it's heading back to "Purgatory Dune." The rover's wheels dug wonderful trenches during its egress, and the science team is eager to get the robotic arm out and have a look at the soil inside and outside of the tracks. As you can imagine, Opportunity has been driving very carefully, backing away from the dune, turning around and then re-approaching it.
Sol Details:
490: (June 9, 2005) Drive away from Purgatory Dune.
491-493: Over the weekend the rover team had a problem with the uplink. On sol 491 they were loading all files for sols 491, 492 and 493. Due to an error at the Deep Space Network antenna, the sol 492 master file was not loaded. A drive scheduled for 492 did not occur. The 491 master file performed the run out science submaster and then self-recovered on sol 493. The vehicle was never in any danger and autonomously continued its science objectives.
494: First half of turning around. The team must turn the rover around, using a "k-turn" maneuver (a three-point turn that mimics the sideways "v" formation of the letter "k") to approach the Purgatory Dune with the robotic arm.
496: Second half of the "k-turn."
sol 484-489, June 10, 2005: Opportunity is out!
Success! Opportunity made forward progress to free itself from the Purgatory Dune! Another exciting achievement for the week was the healthy return of data from the Mini-TES instrument, which the mission team turned back on for the first time in 47 sols. The rover also returned pancam and navcam images, and the team is now planning the rover's next drive on sol 490.
Sol Details:
Sol 484: 20 meters (65.62 feet) commanded; 14 meters (45.93 feet) executed, 98.4 centimeters (38.74 inches) progress. Opportunity is out of Purgatory Dune!
Sol 485: This was the second sol of a 2-sol plan. The team planned to drive, but didn't send the drive sequences to the rover because the rover was already out of the dune.
Sol 486: This was the third sol of a 3-sol plan. Again, the team planned to drive, but didn't send the drive sequences because Opportunity were already out of the dune. The team took post-drive imaging, including a navcam of the trench.
Sol 487: The team took a pancam of the tracks and then turned on the Mini-TES for the first time after the sol 440 anomaly. Mini-TES rasters were taken of of Purgatory Dune and Ante-Purgatory Dune. The team was excited to receive healthy data products from this activity!
Sol 488: On this remote-sensing sol, the rover took a 360-degree navcam panorama and a pancam image of the magnets, and then deep slept for the night.
Sol 489: On this remote-sensing sol, the rover took a 13-filter pancam image of Purgatory tracks and deep slept for the night.
As of sol 489, distance traveled is 5347.89 meters (3.32 miles).
sol 476-483, June 03, 2005: Opportunity Working Its Way Out of Dune
Opportunity continues to make progress out of the dune. Recent sols have seen a slight decrease in slip and a decrease of the bogie angles, which might indicate that the rover has crested a dune. The bogie supports the rear and middle wheels, allowing the wheels to move up and down in response to the terrain. The bogie angle is the angle that the support beam makes to the horizontal.
Since the rover began making its way out of the sand trap last month, it has driven enough to have moved 177.2 meters (581 feet) if there were no slippage, and has made actual forward progress of 93 centimeters (3 feet).
Weather report: Atmospheric opacity (measured as "tau") has increased over the past few sols, decreasing the amount of solar energy received by Opportunity. The rover has still been able to drive every sol, but has had to use the deep-sleep mode on most nights to save energy.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 476 (beginning on May 26, 2005): 12 meters (39 feet) commanded, 5.5 centimeters (2.2 inches) progress.
Sol 477: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded, 11.2 meters (37 feet) executed, 4.9 centimeters (2 inches) progress. (Visual odometry indicated that the rover had gone farther than it had, and flight software stopped the drive early.)
Sol 478: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded, 5.2 meters (17 feet) executed (due to the same issue with visual odometry), 2.2 centimeters (0.9 inch) progress.
Sol 479: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded and executed, 5.9 centimeters (2.3 inches) progress.
Sol 480: 12 meters (39 feet) commanded and executed, 6.3 centimeters (2.5 inches) progress.
Sol 481: 20 meters (66 feet) commanded and executed, 12.9 centimeters (5.1 inches) progress.
Sol 482: 20 meters (66 feet) commanded and executed, 10.7 centimeters (4.2 inches) progress.
Sol 483 (ending on June 3, 2005): 20 meters (66 feet) commanded and executed, about 13 centimeters (5.1 inches) progress.
sol 469-475, May 27, 2005: Still Progressing Through Dune
Opportunity continues to make slow progress through the sand dune, at a slip rate of roughly 99.5 percent. From the time Opportunity resumed driving after digging into the dune until May 26, drives totaling 64.8 meters (about 213 feet) of wheel rotations have been commanded and executed, producing 34.8 centimeters (1.1 feet) of forward progress.
Opportunity has also been performing atmospheric observations. Each sol the rover takes two measurements of how clear the sky is, checks for clouds, and does a Sun survey. A few sols ago a daily horizon survey was added, and Opportunity also imaged its magnets with the panoramic camera.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 469 (ending on May 20):
Two meters (6.6 feet) of commanded motion, resulting in 1.1 centimeters (0.4 inch) of progress.
Sol 470:
Twelve meters (39 feet) of commanded motion; about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) of progress.
Sol 471:
Twelve meters (39 feet) of commanded motion; about 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) of progress.
Sol 472:
Twelve meters (39 feet) of motions was commanded. Only the first 2 meters were executed. After that step, the rover stopped the drive by itself due to uncertainty about its own position. One centimeter (0.4 inch) of progress was made.
Sol 473:
Planning was suspended today due to issues with the ground data system. The rover executed a pre-loaded science sequence.
Sol 474:
Eight-meter (26-foot) drive planned, yielding 3.7 centimeter (1.5 inches) of progress.
Sol 475 (ending on May 26, 2005):
Ten-meter (33-foot) drive planned; 8.8 meters (29 feet) executed; 3.5 centimeters (1.4 inches) of progress
Looking ahead:
Thursday, May 26, the team planned two sols (476 and 477), and Friday, May 27, the team is planning three sols to cover the holiday weekend. Sol 476 will command 12 meters (39 feet), and every other sol will require a "go/no-go" decision that will allow for 0 meters, 2 meters (7 feet), or 12 meters (39 feet) of commanded motion per sol.
sol 467-470, May 20, 2005: Moving Slowly in the Dune
Opportunity continues to make inch-by-inch progress toward getting out of the dune where it has been dug-in since sol 446 (April 26).
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 467 (May 17):
Opportunity was commanded to rotate its wheels enough to have rolled 4 meters (13 feet) if there were no slippage. It advanced 2.1 centimeters (0.8 inch) through the loose material of the dune.
Sol 468:
A commanded motion of 8 meters (26 feet) was executed this sol. Forward progress was about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches).
Sol 469:
A 2-meter (7-foot) drive was commanded, and Opportunity advanced about 1 centimeter (0.4 inch).
Sol 470 (May 20):
The rover was sent commands for a 12-meter (39-foot) drive. This drive incorporates larger step sizes, lower current limits for the drive motors, and a lower bogie angle limit.
sol 465-466, May 17, 2005: Progress Inch-by-Inch for Opportunity
On Opportunity's first three drives to get out of the sand trap, the rover has advanced a total of 7.4 centimeters (2.9 inches) in getting off the dune. Each of the first two drives -- one on sol 463 and one on sol 465 -- turned the wheels about two and a half rotations, enough to drive two meters (7 feet) if there were no slippage. Images from the hazard-avoidance cameras taken during the drives show that some of caked powder adhering to wheels between cleats had come off. The team was encouraged by the results, and decided go ahead with a 4-meter (13-foot) commanded drive for sol 466.
Sol-by- sol summaries:
Sol 465 (May 15, 2005):
Opportunity rotated its wheels in a series of 10 steps, each step enough to roll 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) if there were no slippage. The wheels are slipping a great deal in the sand of the dune, but the rover advanced better than anticipated from simulated tests, covering 1.9 centimeters (0.7 inch). The rover used its panoramic camera for observations of the sky and dunes.
Sol 466 (May 16, 2005):
Results from the sol 465 drive were good (some wheel cleats are clean and the rover is making forward progress), so the team commanded a drive that, if there were no slippage, would roll 4 meters (13 feet), consisting of ten 40-centimeter (16 inch) steps. Opportunity gained an additional 2.7 centimeters (1.1 inch). The panoramic camera made more observations of the atmosphere and dunes.
sol 464, May 14, 2005: Opportunity Begins Careful Rollout
Opportunity rotated its wheels on sol 463 for the first time since the rover dug itself into a sand dune more than two weeks earlier. The wheels made about two and a half rotations, as commanded, and the results were a good match for what was expected from tests on Earth. In the loose footing, the rover advanced 2.8 centimeters (1.1 inch) forward, 4.8 millimeters (0.19 inch) sideways and 4.6 millimeters (0.18 inch) downward. After further analysis of the results, the rover team will decide whether to repeat the same careful movement again on sol 465. Meanwhile Opportunity's main tasks for sol 464 were remote-sensing observations.
sol 456-463, May 13, 2005: Opportunity Mission Manager Report
Opportunity has started moving its wheels again after a couple weeks of holding still while taking some amazing images. While waiting for the rover team to finish tests for planning the best strategy for driving out of a sand trap, Opportunity has been busy taking a comprehensive color panorama of the area. On sol 461 (May 11), Opportunity straightened its wheels. After checking data and images confirming the success of that move, the team planned commands for beginning to rotate the wheels on sol 463 (May 13). The rover is healthy and ready to go.
Sol-by-sol details:
Sol 456 - 460:
The rover's situation, dug into a sand dune, limited in the amount and type of science possible. While sitting here, Opportunity has taken the opportunity to take a 360 panorama of the area called "Rub al Khali," a name meaning the "empty quarter," from a region of the Arabian Peninsula with that name. During sol 456, power engineer Eric Wood happily recognized a cleaning event. Winds removed some dust from solar panels and Opportunity's daily energy supply increased to about 650 watt-hours, from a recent range of about 620 to 630 watt-hours.
Sol 461:
Today Opportunity was allowed to position its wheels to their egress direction. The plan is for the rover to leave the sand trap with an arc, moving forward and slightly to the left. The wheels were placed in that position. Before this sol's steering move, the wheels were in position from a turn in place that was Opportunity's last attempted move on sol 446.
Sol 462:
Opportunity is still in restricted sols, and is precluded from driving today, so the rover spent the day taking some additional panoramic camera frames of Rub al Khali.
Sol 463 (May 13):
After confirming the new position of the wheels, the team proceeded with plans for Opportunity to rotate its wheels about two and a half times on sol 463. Results from that move will be evaluated before rotating them some more.
sol 449-455, May 06, 2005: Testing on Earth Before Moving on Mars
Opportunity is imaging the plains and performing atmospheric science observations while waiting for engineers on Earth to give it the go-ahead to move. The team is diligently working to determine why Opportunity dug itself into a small dune, the best way to exit the dune, and what added precautions to use during future driving.
Sol summary:
Sols 449 to 455 (April 29 to May 5, 2005):
In JPL's In-situ Instrument Laboratory sandbox, engineers, scientists and even the project manager have been mixing sandy and powdery materials, digging holes and building dunes. A mixture was concocted to simulate properties of the soil underneath Opportunity, using sand, clay and diatomaceous earth (silica-rich powder composed mainly of microscopic plant shells, used in these tests for its texture, not its fossil origin). The team wants to have a full understanding of how Opportunity will respond before commanding it to back out of its current position.
sol 447-448, May 03, 2005: Continuing Exit Plan
The Opportunity team continues working with an engineering test rover on Earth to determine the safest way to attempt to drive the rover out of the dune where it's currently parked on Mars. In the meantime, Opportunity is collecting science data with its instruments and cameras.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 447 (April 27, 2005):
Opportunity performed detailed remote sensing to support drive analysis, including images of the left and right tracks taken with the front hazard-avoidance camera, the rear hazard-avoidance camera and the panoramic camera. Opportunity also took panoramic camera images of the rippled dunes.
Sol 448:
Opportunity performed additional remote sensing. Opportunity used the panoramic camera to acquire images of the rover's far tracks, where Opportunity had performed a successful "K-turn" at the start of the drive on sol 446. A "K-turn" is the technique engineers have figured out for safely turning the rover 180 degrees while the right front wheel is stuck in a position of 7 degrees left of straight ahead. To turn 180 degrees, the rover makes smaller arcing movements without cranking the wheels as much as a normal during a 180-degree turn. These movements create a "K" shape in the soil. In addition, Opportunity acquired another panoramic camera image of the right track and a navigation camera image covering 360 degrees of the near deck of the rover.
As of sol 448 (ending on April 28, 2005), Opportunity's odometry total is 5,346 meters (3.32 miles).
sol 443-446, April 29, 2005: Testing Options to Exit Dune
Opportunity used the spectrometers on its arm to examine the soil where the rover stayed for six sols, then resumed driving on sol 446. However, the drive ended after 40 meters when Opportunity was crossing a dune and dug into it. Engineers are using a test rover to evaluate options for getting off the dune.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 443 (ending on April 23, 2005):
IDD campaign! We started off by unstowing the instrument deployment device -- the robotic arm -- and performing a joint stare of the sky using the microscopic imager and panoramic camera. We then changed tools to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and collected data for 5 hours and 41 minutes about the composition of the soil in front of the rover.
Sol 444:
Opportunity deep-slept overnight, and woke up to perform a sky survey while the Sun was high in the sky. We then changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started a 31-hour integration on the soil.
Sol 445:
In order to keep the Mössbauer integration running, the rover did not use the deep-sleep mode overnight. Today was devoted to continued Mössbauer integration on the soil. At last, we stopped the Mössbauer integration at 11:12 p.m. local time and Opportunity deep-slept for the rest of the night.
Sol 446:
We planned a drive of about 90 meters (295 feet). After driving about 40 meters (131 feet), Opportunity dug into soft dune material, impeding further progress. Imaging indicates all four corner wheels have dug in by more than a wheel radius as the rover attempted to climb over a dune about 30 centimeters (12 inches) tall. Opportunity is healthy and in a stable configuration but further analysis is needed to understand this event and plan future driving. Over next several sols, Opportunity will focus on remote sensing while on Earth a series of testbed runs are in progress to simulate terrain interaction and evaluate different egress options.
As of sol 446 (ending on April 26, 2005), Opportunity's odometry total is 5,346 meters (3.32 miles).
sol 438-442, April 26, 2005: Continuing Southward
Opportunity keeps driving southward and studying new locations despite a disabled right-front steering motor. Opportunity has driven about 110 meters (361 feet) without use of that motor. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer began returning good data again. That instrument was in use when the rover stopped operating for a software reset on sol 440. The rover continues making scientific observations while engineers diagnose the cause of the reset.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 438 (April 17, 2005):
Opportunity made remote-sensing observations.
Sol 439:
Opportunity performed a 13-filter panoramic camera observation to study soil in a trench that was scooped by a wheel when the rover turned to a good communications orientation after its sol 437 drive. Opportunity followed the camera observations with an 80-meter (262-foot) drive south.
Sol 440:
The team's plan was for Opportunity to make remote-sensing observations and then drive farther south. Panoramic camera imaging and some miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations were successfully completed. A miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation was underway when a software reset occurred at approximately 12:45 Mars local solar time.
Sol 441:
The team prepared a recovery plan responding to the software reset the sol before. The plan included transmission of data acquired prior to and during the sol 440 event. Some of this data was returned during a downlink through the Odyssey orbiter on sol 441. Additional data were requested for transmission on sol 442 in hopes of pinpointing the cause of the software reset. Opportunity is otherwise healthy.
Sol 442: The team told Opportunity to perform remote science and study the surface at its present location while the engineering evaluation continued.
As of sol 442 (April 22, 2005) Opportunity's odometry total is 5,306 meters (3.30 miles).
sol 430-437, April 18, 2005: Steering Tests After a Long Drive
The terrain that Opportunity is crossing has been steadily getting more wavy. After a long drive southward from "Voyager" crater, Opportunity's right-front steering motor stalled out on sol 433 during an end-of-drive turn. While performing tests to help the team diagnose the condition of that motor, the rover also continued to make remote-sensing observations. Testing in sol 435 did show motion in the steering motor, but analysis is still underway. The rover resumed normal science and driving operations on sol 436, but with restrictions on use of the right-front steering motor. It drove 30 meters on sol 437. Opportunity and Spirit are capable of driving with one or more steering motors disabled, though turns would be less precise. The latest revision in flight software on both rovers, uploaded in February, gives them improved capabilities for dealing with exactly this type of condition. It gives them upgraded ability to repeatedly evaluate how well they are following the intended course during a drive, and to adjust the steering autonomously if appropriate.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 430-432 (April 9-11, 2005):
The weekend plan scheduled Opportunity to do some remote-sensing science on sol 430, a drive on sol 431 and more remote sensing on sol 432. However, the drive did not happen, due to a sequencing error that left the rover suspension limit active when it should not have been.
Sol 433:
Opportunity drove 151 meters (495 feet) on its continued trek southward. During a turn at the end of the drive, the steering motor (not the drive motor) faulted out.
Sol 434:
The rover completed some remote-sensing observations. Then it backed up 85 centimeters (33 inches) to see if the right-front wheel had bumped up against anything to cause the steering-motor stall. No rock or other obstacle was there. During the first attempt to straighten the wheels after backing up, the right-front steering motor stalled again. The wheel remained pointed about 8 degrees left of straight ahead.
Sol 435:
The sol's plan included more remote sensing, plus diagnostic tests using attempts to change the steering direction of the right-front wheel very slightly at different times of day and at different voltage levels. The testing did show motion in the steering motor. While analysis continues, the rover is resuming normal science and driving activities with restrictions on the use of the right-front steering motor.
Sol 436:
Opportunity used the panoramic camera for some ground and sky observations, and continued testing of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
Sol 437:
The team planned a southward drive of about 45 meters, but Opportunity curved left, sensed it was off course, and ended the drive after 30 meters. The same driving commands produced the same results in a software testbed at JPL, indicating that the curving resulted from how software parameters were set, rather than a hardware problem. Observations with the panoramic camera were completed as planned.
Odometry total as of sol 437 (April 16, 2005): 5,225 meters (3.25 miles).
sol 421-429, April 12, 2005: Opportunity visits 'Viking' and 'Voyager' craters
Opportunity drove to "Viking Crater," then continued to "Voyager Crater." The rover took panoramas of each crater. While this was happening on the surface, the Mars Odyssey orbiter had gone into safe mode. Relay operations were suspended. With no post-drive imaging from the weekend, and very little data volume available in flash, Opportunity executed a few sols of low-volume remote sensing. Driving resumed on sol 428 with data downlinked via the direct-to-Earth link. With the exception of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer (analysis is still in progress), Opportunity is in excellent health.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 421 (March 31, 2005):
Opportunity stowed its robotic arm (instrument deployment device) and drove 71.2 meters (234 feet) to Viking Crater.
Sol 422:
On this restricted sol, only remote sensing was conducted. A panoramic camera mosaic of Viking Crater was acquired.
Sol 423:
Opportunity drove 109.2 meters (358 feet) to Voyager Crater.
Sol 424:
The rover used autonomous navigation to drive south 2.6 meters (about 9 feet). The drive ended early because the tilt limit of 12 degrees was reached, with Opportunity perched on the rim of Voyager Crater.
Sol 425:
Before this remote-sensing-only plan kicked off, the rover team learned that its main communication link, Mars Odyssey, had gone into safe mode and the latest data available was from the afternoon of sol 422. On April 2, Odyssey entered "safe mode," which is a protective state a spacecraft automatically enters when onboard fault protection software instructs the spacecraft to disregard its onboard sequence of commands and wait for instructions from the ground. As a result, relay communication with the rovers was suspended. The rover team was able to add a direct-to-Earth session to the plan, which confirmed that Opportunity was healthy.
Sol 426:
After a 90-minute direct-to-Earth pass, Opportunity performed a small amount of remote sensing. Operations were restricted because post-drive imaging had not yet been transmitted to Earth, and the team wanted to save the small amount of volume in flash memory for an eventual drive.
Sol 427:
Still operating in restricted mode, Opportunity again collected a small amount of remote-sensing data. It used the panoramic camera to assess the clarity of the atmosphere, tested the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and took a reading of air with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. A 90-minute direct-to-Earth pass during the day returned data for future planning. The Odyssey team brought the orbiter back on-line, and the Opportunity team received 50 megabits of data. The Odyssey team is investigating the cause behind the fault protection software sending the orbiter into safe mode.
Sol 428:
The sol 427 direct-to-Earth pass returned enough data to plan a long drive. Opportunity drove 48.4 meters (159 feet), which put it over the 5-kilometer mark. The odometry total after this drive is 5,044 meters (3.13 miles).
Sol 429 (April 8, 2005):
Restricted sol; remote science only.
sol 415-420, March 31, 2005: Soil Survey
Sometimes Opportunity needs to stop and smell the roses … uh, or the soil as the case may be. This week, the science team chose to examine the mineral content of the rippled ground before continuing the southward trek. The team is interested in comparing the chemical makeup of the ripples' troughs to that of the ripples' crests. Opportunity stopped at a nice trough, extended its robotic arm and investigated the soil. It then drove up onto one of the ripples to examine the crest.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 415 to 417 (March 25-27, 2005):
Zeroing in on a soil target called "Mobarak" in honor of Persian New Year, Opportunity has had its head down in a trough for three sols trying to figure out what the trough soil is made of. During an observation like this, it uses all of its in-situ instruments taking microscopic images, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer readings and Mössbauer spectrometer readings.
Sol 418:
After Opportunity had looked at the soil in the trough, it was time to examine the soil at the top of the ripple. The rover planners perfectly executed a 7-meter (23-foot) drive that placed the rover right at the top of the ripple. Opportunity deployed its arm once again and inspected the soil.
Sols 419 and 420:
Here, Opportunity has the chance to look at two targets, "Norooz" and "Mayberooz," again studying the soil properties.
Sols 421 and 422 (March 31 and April 1, 2005):
Actually, this is kind of neat. As this report is being written, Opportunity is on Mars driving away from this soil survey spot and heading toward the "Viking" crater. When it gets there, it will stop and image the crater for two days.
sol 408-414, March 31, 2005: Opportunity Continues to Set Martian Records
This is the martian rover that keeps going and going and going. This week Opportunity continued to move on, performing panoramic camera soil surveys and imaging the lay of the land as it progressed southward toward craters called "Viking" and "Voyager." On sol 408, Opportunity again broke the martian one-day driving record, traveling an impressive 190 meters (623 feet) in a single sol. However, this record did not stand very long. The rover surpassed it on sol 410 (March 20, 2005) and set the new record of 220 meters (722 feet). The rover is healthy and ready to take on yet another week of exploration.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 408:
Continuing south, Opportunity broke a Mars driving-distance record. This time the rover made its way 190 meters (623 feet) toward "Viking" and "Voyager" craters. On this sol, the rover was able to image a small crater called "James Caird." The crater was informally named for the financier of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance expedition. The rover imaged features on the ground, and then the team compared them to features taken by orbiting spacecraft. This technique allows us to pinpoint the location of the rover on Mars.
Sol 409:
Today Opportunity needed a rest. The rover has been driving long and hard since sol 405. In fact it has driven roughly 630 meters (2,067 feet - well over a quarter of a mile) in just 4 sols, and it's time to sit out a day, make some observations, recharge the batteries and clear out some of the memory by sending data back to Earth.
Sol 410:
Yestersol's rest day was just what the doctor ordered. The rover woke up ready to go, and boy did it go! Today the rover set a new (and likely long-standing) driving record of 220 meters (722 feet). This incredible vehicle navigated more than half of that drive by itself!
Sol 411:
After yestersol's marathon race, Opportunity took the day off to rest.
Sols 412-414:
Opportunity is all about the driving these days: on sol 412, 183 meters (600 feet); on sol 413, 175 meters (574 feet); on sol 414, 183 meters (600 feet). From sol 405 to sol 414 (just ten sols) Opportunity has traveled 1.394 kilometers (4,573 feet, approaching a mile). This is almost 30 percent of all the driving that Opportunity has done in its 414-sol career!
The odometer total as of sol 414 (March 24, 2005) is 4.806 kilometers (just shy of three miles).
sol 403-407, March 31, 2005: Opportunity's Cruisin'!
This week Opportunity's engineering and science teams got some good news and some bad news. Unfavorable results were obtained when the engineering team ran some diagnostic observations on the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Very few of the readings obtained during these test were of nominal length; most were short. The team has decided to suspend the use of this spectrometer until further analysis can be performed. On the good side, the rover continues to make progress southward toward its next goal, a pair of craters referred to as "Viking" and "Voyager." Also, Opportunity has set a martian single sol drive-distance record of 183 meters (just over 600 feet)!
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 403 (March 12, 2005):
This sol, the rover used its microscopic imager to take pictures of a rock called "Gagarin," changed tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer, and placed it on rock-interior material exposed by the rock abrasion tool. The rover did not use the deep-sleep mode this night.
Sol 404:
Opportunity woke and resumed collecting Mössbauer data until a little before midnight. During the day, it was able to perform some remote sensing. Around midnight the rover went into a mini deep sleep.
Sol 405:
The spacecraft woke up this morning and continued to acquire data on Gagarin using the Mössbauer spectrometer. This sol the team tested the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to look at short readings the instrument has been making. Opportunity then bumped back from the crater and drove 100 meters (328 feet). After a long day, the rover used deep sleep overnight.
Sol 406:
Opportunity, guided by its rover planners, took an hour to drive 100 meters (328 feet). The rover then took control and used autonomous navigation to drive the next 83 meters (272 feet), setting a new one-sol driving record of 183 meters (600 feet)!
Sol 407:
This sol was another drive day. The rover drove 100 meters (328 feet) guided by rover planners and then 60 meters (197 feet) autonomously. Odometry total as of sol 407 (March 16, 2005) is 3,856 meters (2.4 miles).
sol 396-402, March 17, 2005: Opportunity Arrives at 'Vostok'
After a long, sustained series of traverses (with a few stops along the way to see the sights) Opportunity has reached "Vostok Crater." The rover began a set of in-situ measurements on the soil and rock of Vostok. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer instrument seems to be showing some symptoms of its age, resulting in some failed images; diagnostic observations using the instrument will be performed shortly. Opportunity otherwise continues to be in excellent health.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 396 and 397 (March 5 and 6) were designed as a two-sol plan, with two sols of driving toward Vostok. The intent was to cover about 130 meters (427 feet) through combined directed-drive segments and autonomous-navigation segments on sol 396, followed by another 60-meter (197-foot) autonomous-navigation drive on sol 397. However, due to a partially misdefined waypoint (correct coordinates, but with too small a radius) on the first sol, Opportunity drove farther in its directed drive than intended. A safety timeout was triggered, and no driving took place on sol 397. The issue was quickly analyzed and fully understood by the mobility team and the rover planners, so nominal traverse planning resumed on sol 398.
In the meantime, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer failed some command executions, and a command was uplinked on sol 396 to prevent further use of this instrument until diagnostic testing is completed.
Sol 398 was primarily a drive sol, with Opportunity covering 95 meters (312 feet) via a combination of directed drives and autonomous navigation.
At the end of a 35-meter (115-foot) traverse, Opportunity finally reached Vostok during sol 399. The crater is almost completely buried in sand.
On sol 400, thanks to fortuitous positioning of the rover, in-situ targets were already in the work volume of the robotic arm, eliminating the need for an approach sol. Opportunity proceeded to examine a soil target, "Laika," and a rock, "Gagarin," with its microscopic imager, then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for later measurements on Gagarin. After taking a panoramic image of Vostok, the rover took a long nap, waking up for its afternoon downlink and to begin taking data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Opportunity awoke again before midnight to stop the integration, and then went into the deep-sleep mode until morning.
Since the plan called for Opportunity to continue in-situ measurements, the team chose to combine sols 401 and 402 as a two-sol plan. For sol 401, the plan is to use the brush of the rock abrasion tool brush on Gagarin and capture a microscopic imager mosaic afterwards. This will be followed by an evening alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurement of the brushed surface, and then by a mini-deep sleep. On sol 402, ending on March 11, the rover will grind Gagarin for two hours with the rock abrasion tool, then perform an early morning alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the resulting hole.
sol 389-395, March 15, 2005: Examining a Little Crater Before Moving on Toward 'Vostok'
The rover took some time away from driving and explored a little crater it approached last week. Once Opportunity is done with the crater, plans call for continuing toward a larger crater, "Vostok." With its front legs just on the lip of the small crater, Opportunity was able to extend its robotic arm to characterize some of the mineralogy found here.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
The last previous drive left Opportunity in a position where it could make its final approach to the lip of one of the craters in a cluster of three small craters. On sol 389 (Feb. 26, 2005) the rover took images of the site with its panoramic camera and its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. On sol 390, Opportunity took a panoramic camera mosaic of the crater, then bumped forward to the edge of the crater. Sol 391 was another day of remote-sensing science and rest.
For sol 392, the team decided to take an in situ look at a rock target called "Normandy." The Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the rock and it conducted a three-hour long integration. Then the rover switched to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and performed a very short (10-minute) measurement. The science team needed a sample reading, and by using this technique, the engineering team was able to give the scientists some idea of what they had in time for a communication window with Mars Odyssey. The science team used this data to determine if sol 393 would be a grinding day (with the rock abrasion tool). After getting the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading, the rover went to sleep, woke up at about 4:00 a.m. local solar time and started collecting data again with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The instrument ran for about 6 hours.
On sol 393, the rover switched back to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started a very long (about 12-hour) integration. The rover was able to use the mini-deep-sleep mode after the integration.
Plans for sols 394 and 395, uplinked on March 3, call for the rover to stow its robotic arm and back away from the crater on sol 394. At this point the rover will take some remote-sensing images. After confirmation that these important images have been acquired, Opportunity will turn and drive toward Vostok.
sol 380-388, March 07, 2005: Opportunity Continues South with New Mobility Software
After a busy week of driving with new mobility software, Opportunity continues to be in excellent health. The rover has traveled 450 meters (just over a quarter of a mile) in 6 sols. Opportunity took a couple of breaks from the trek south to use the tools on its robotic arm for investigating of a rock called "Russet" and to image a crater triplet. Atmospheric opacity has been stable, with tau hovering between 0.85 and 0.90.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
On sol 380, Opportunity placed its Mössbauer spectrometer on Russet for a five-hour integration, with remote sensing in parallel. The rover then switched to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an eight-hour overnight integration.
On sol 381 Opportunity took one microscopic image of Russet, stowed the arm and bumped back for some remote sensing of the same target, then went for an approximately 60-meter (197-foot) drive to the crater "Jason."
Sol 382 was the second sol of a two-sol plan. Opportunity performed two hours of remote sensing.
The plan for sols 383 through 385 contained a first-time activity: to drive on all three sols over the weekend. On sol 383 there was a record-breaking 105-meter (344-foot) blind drive, in which the rover follows a route determined in advance by rover planners, followed by 72 meters (236 feet) of autonomous navigation, in which the rover chooses its own route around any obstacles it recognizes in images taken along the way. Sol 384 continued with 104 meters (341 feet) of autonomous navigation. Finally, Sol 385 completed the plan with an additional 109 meters (358 feet) of autonomously.
Autonomous navigation collects 15 megabytes to 25 megabytes of data per hour by imaging the passing terrain. (This would allow mobility engineers to reconstruct what happened if the drive faulted out.) As a result, flash memory was filled almost to the brim on sol 385, and sol 386 added only 6 megabytes of science data (all atmospheric science).
On sol 387, with a bit more free data volume to work with, and the team planned an approximately 80-meter (262-foot) drive to end up at a group of three small craters. The team also told Opportunity to use its navigation camera after the drive to take images for providing a 360-degree panorama of the craters.
The plan for sol 388, ending on Feb. 25, is to repeat the 6-megabyte atmospheric-science observations.
Current odometry total: 3014.77 meters (1.87 miles)
sol 374-379, February 22, 2005: Opportunity Gets New Flight Software
Opportunity received a software tuneup that should improve its mobility capabilities. With the new load on board, Opportunity booted into it and began an initial checkout. After a short test drive with promising results, there remains more checkout to do before blessing the load and having the rover's sister craft, Spirit, boot up the new software. Atmospheric opacity has been stable, with tau around 0.9. Solar power is still relatively plentiful and Opportunity continues to be in excellent health.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sols 374 through 376 were used to load the files for the new flight software, so Opportunity did not move during this operation. There were a few hours of remote-sensing observations on sols 374 and 375. Opportunity successfully booted into the new flight software on sol 376.
Starting out slowly, Opportunity performed three hours of remote-sensing activities on sol 377.
Sol 378 was the first driving sol using the improved flight software. The drive employed various methods, such as blind driving, auto-navigation, and visual-odometry driving to exercise the rover's new software. Opportunity traversed approximately 25 meters (82 feet) this sol.
After completing the drive on sol 378, Opportunity had a very nice rock target just outside its front right wheel. On sol 379, Opportunity performed two hours of remote sensing and then turned to 170 degrees, putting the rock target "Russet" perfectly in the rover's work volume. Sol 379 ended on Feb. 16, with Opportunity's total odometry at 2,559.88 meters (1.59 miles).
sol 367-373, February 11, 2005: Examining a Trench and Scuff
Opportunity is in good health after more than a year on the martian surface. The rover completed its investigation of a trench and soil materials on sol 373 and is ready for a software patch, which will be uploaded over next few sols. There have been no recent dust storm events, and tau -- a measurement of atmospheric opacity -- has remained close to 0.9 for the past two weeks.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
For sols 367 and 368, a two-sol plan focused on investigation of a trench that Spirit had dug with its wheels on sol 366. Opportunity awoke on sol 367 at about 7:30 a.m. local solar time after a night in the deep-sleep mode. It made some early-morning photometry measurements, then napped until the morning uplink window from 10:40 to 11:00 a.m. local solar time. After this, the rover acquired microscopic images of the trench wall, performed a short reading with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for data collection. After an afternoon communications relay session via Mars Odyssey, the rover slept until the sol 368 morning relay pass, at which time it started the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration. In the morning of sol 368, Opportunity acquired more photometry observations, gathered more microscopic images, performed another short Mössbauer integration, and then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an overnight integration.
On sol 369, Opportunity completed more trench investigations. It gathered additional microscopic images on new targets in the trench, completed another short data-collection session with the Mössbauer spectrometer, and placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for another overnight integration.
On sol 370, the rover acquired more microscopic images, more Mössbauer data and a variety of remote-sensing observations before using the deep-sleep mode overnight.
On sol 371, after waking from deep sleep, Opportunity restarted the Mössbauer integration. The rover made remote-sensing observations during the middle of the day. Later, it gathered the last microscopic images on the trench, stowed its robotic arm and used its left front wheel to scuff the soil. Opportunity then bumped backwards to put the scuffed area into the arm's work volume.
On sol 372, Opportunity completed microscopic imaging of the scuffed area, collected Mössbauer data, and switched to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The rover did not use the deep sleep mode overnight so that it could perform an overnight reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
On sol 373, Opportunity completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer work and then changed tools back to the Mössbauer for more integration during the day. In the afternoon the rover acquired some final microscopic images of the scuff, used the hazard avoidance camera to inspect wear on the grinding teeth of the rock abrasion tool, and then stowed the arm. Opportunity then bumped back about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) to position itself for observing the trench with the instruments on the mast. It turned to a heading of 250 degrees to be in good position for four hours of high-gain antenna tracking for receiving an upload of improved flight software. Sol 373 ended on Feb. 10.
sol 360-366, February 04, 2005: Poking Around on the Plains
Opportunity continues to be active and healthy, making good progress south across the Meridiani plains with a few hiccups along the way. Despite the early end of one autonomous traverse and a Deep Space Network problem that precluded sending commands on sol 364, the rover covered more than 300 meters (984 feet) in the past week, breaking its own one-sol distance records twice! Having scuffed and trenched in the sands of the plain, Opportunity is now examining the trench and nearby soil targets.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Since the Opportunity team was operating in restricted-sol mode, the team chose to plan sols 360 and 361 together as a drive sol followed by a remote-sensing sol. On sol 360, Opportunity traversed a record 154.65 meters (507.4 feet), using a combination of blind drives and auto-navigation software. On the next sol, Opportunity carried out three hours of remote-sensing observations.
Sols 362 and 363 were planned together as another two-sol plan, again with the basic intent of driving as far as possible. After a directed drive of 90 meters (295 feet), the rover turned 180 degrees and continued in auto-navigation mode, resulting in an impressive 156.55-meter (513.6-foot) traverse. That is a new record for a single sol of driving on Mars. Alternating the rover's drive direction is part of the engineering strategy for maintaining the long-term health of our wheel drives. For the second sol of the plan, Opportunity was commanded to continue driving for up to 120 meters (394 feet), as long as no drive errors had occurred on the first sol. However, due to a previously unidentified navigation software vulnerability, the sol 363 drive errored out at its start.
The plan for sol 364 was to continue the series of long traverses south. Unfortunately, there was a problem with a coolant line at a Deep Space Network transmitter, most of the pass was lost, and the plan could not be uplinked in the couple of minutes remaining. So, for what may have been the first time during Opportunity's mission, a sol's worth of nominal activities was lost, and the science run-out sequence from earlier commands was executed instead. Run-out sequences give the rover some useful tasks to do in case it does not get a new set of commands.
On sol 365, Opportunity used its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe a target dubbed "Strange Rock," then moved a few meters (several feet) to get in position for trenching through a dune ripple crest.
For sol 366, rover planners worked very closely with the science team to choreograph a rover trenching dance: Opportunity moved, scuffed (dragging its front wheels backwards multiple times), and finally trenched in the sand, all while placing the rover in a good orientation for later communications. The rover then went into deep sleep in preparation for an early morning photometric observation. Sol 366 ended on Feb. 3.
sol 353-359, January 28, 2005: Opportunity Continues on the Plains After Marking One Year on Mars
After spending 25 sols at the heat shield and nearby meteorite, Opportunity has completed its investigation of both and has started a long migration south. The rover is currently heading for a small crater called "Argo." Dust storms in the vicinity of Meridiani Planum appear to be settling down, and solar power has stabilized. On Jan. 24, 2005, the rover team celebrated Opportunity's first anniversary (one Earth year) on Mars. The rover continues to be in excellent health for its long drives out on the plains of Meridiani.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 353 was a restricted sol. (Results of 352 drive were not known by the planning team in time to calculate the final heat shield approach). Opportunity performed over two hours of observations using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
On sol 354, Opportunity performed 10 minutes of pre-drive remote-sensing observations, then moved forward to get in final position for extending its instrument deployment device (robotic arm) to the heat shield. A drive of 0.7 meter (2.3 feet) was successful, placing the heat shield in reach of the arm. Opportunity performed more than an hour of post-drive imaging.
Sol 355 was a restricted sol. Opportunity performed over two hours of remote sensing.
Sols 356 and 357 were planned in a single planning cycle. On sol 356, Opportunity used the microscopic imager to examine the heat shield. Using the arm to position the microscopic imager, Opportunity spent 90 minutes collecting high-resolution images of the heat shield. On sol 357, the rover performed thermal inertia measurements throughout the sol. Using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to image the same target at different times, Opportunity took measurements as late as 23:00 Mars local solar time.
On sol 358, Opportunity retook some microscopic images of the heat shield with the dust cover open. The rover then stowed its arm and began its drive south, away from the heat shield. Opportunity is now headed for a small crater called Argo, which is approximately 300 meters (about 984 feet) away. Opportunity successfully covered 86.3 meters (283 feet) on this sol.
Sol 359, which ended on Jan. 27, was another restricted sol. The rover was sent commands for over 2.5 hours of remote sensing.
Total odometry as of sol 358 is 2,200.6 meters (1.37 miles).
sol 347-352, January 24, 2005: Opportunity Checks Out the First Meteorite Found on Another Planet!
Opportunity completed its work on "Heat Shield Rock" during sols 347 through 352, then got into position for more observations of the heat shield. This rock is now known to be an iron-rich meteorite, thanks to findings of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, Mössbauer spectrometer and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover remains in good health.
The team continues to closely monitor orbital images for signs of dust storms. Tau, a measure of the sky opacity, has hovered in the 0.8 to 0.9 range for the past week; tau was roughly 0.5 before recent dust disturbances in the region.
Since sol 331, a mottled pattern has been seen on sky portions of images from the rear hazard avoidance camera. The pattern was originally thought to be a sky pattern caused by the dust storm occurring at that time. After a closer look at the mottled pattern in subsequent images, it appears that there is actually a deposit of some sort on the rear hazard avoidance camera lenses. The deposit may be storm dust that blew in their direction. It might also be fine dust from the heat shield debris that blew onto them or was kicked up by Opportunity's wheels as it drove around the debris site. The team decided to go ahead with a final close-up imaging campaign of the heat shield despite the risk of further deposition on the camera lenses because of the rare opportunity to examine a spent heat shield on Mars. Rover drivers are taking extra precautions to drive around debris and to find safe orientations for the rover as it works. The team has decided to forgo observations at the heat shield divot due to the possibility of further contamination at that site.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
On sol 347, Opportunity unstowed its instrument deployment device (robotic arm) to take microscopic images of Heat Shield Rock, and then placed the Mössbauer spectrometer instrument on the rock for a 19-hour observation. Mössbauer integration times are longer now because the Mössbauer source has weakened as expected since landing.
On sol 348, the rover placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer instrument on Heat Shield Rock during the afternoon for an overnight observation. That instrument provides best results when it is cold.
On sol 349, the rover brushed an area on Heat Shield Rock using the rock abrasion tool, took microscopic images of the brushed spot, then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the spot for another overnight observation.
350 - Opportunity changed tools on the arm to the Mössbauer instrument for another long observation on the brushed area.
351 - The rover changed tools on the arm back to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer instrument again, putting it in place for another overnight observation of Heat Shield Rock.
352 - Opportunity took some final microscopic images of the rock then backed away for observations with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then drove to within about 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) of the largest piece of the heat shield in preparation for more observations of spent heat shield material with the microscopic imager.
sol 341-346, January 14, 2005: Hovering Near Heat Shield and a Holey Rock
Opportunity is healthy. It acquired microscopic images of the fractured edge of the heat-shield wreckage and began a detailed investigation of an intriguing, pitted rock a few meters to the north, called "Heat Shield Rock." The team continues to closely monitor orbital images for dust storms. The opacity of the atmosphere above Opportunity has averaged 0.75 with a slight downward (clearing) trend over the past week.
Sol-by-sol summaries
Sols 341 through 343 were combined in a three-sol plan for the Earth weekend. On sol 341, Opportunity used a morning Mars Odyssey pass for a communications relay at about 4 a.m. local solar time and then slept until solar-array wakeup at about 8:45 a.m. After another short nap, the rover did a bit of remote sensing and received its new commands for the sol. Opportunity deployed its robotic arm and acquired 96 microscopic images of the fractured edge of the heat shield. In the afternoon it used its Mössbauer spectrometer to analyze dust on the science filter magnet. It used the deep-sleep mode overnight. On sol 342, Opportunity woke from deep sleep at about 7 a.m. local solar time and restarted the Mössbauer integration on the magnet. It was a light day of activity with afternoon remote sensing, an evening Odyssey relay pass, and then deep-sleeping overnight. On sol 343, the rover restarted Mössbauer integration on the magnet and completed afternoon remote sensing before deep-sleeping.
On sol 344, Opportunity stowed its instrument deployment device (robotic arm) and backed up about 4 meters (13 feet) before acquiring a panorama of the heat shield and other remote sensing. The rover did not deep-sleep overnight in order utilize the morning Odyssey relay and return as much data as possible. The flash memory is relatively full.
On sol 345, Opportunity acquired additional navigation-camera images of the heat shield to support a future re-approach for additional microscopic imaging. It then turned and drove north toward "Heat Shield Rock," which has pits in its surface. The rover traversed about 10 meters (33 feet) and arrived at the desired 1-meter (about 3.3 feet) standoff distance to acquire remote sensing of the rock. Opportunity used the energy-conserving deep-sleep mode overnight.
Sol 346 - Opportunity acquired additional remote sensing and then bumped forward, putting the rock within the work volume of the tools on the instrument deployment device. The rover took advantage of an early-morning communications pass, so it did not deep-sleep overnight.
sol 333-340, January 14, 2005: More Heat Shield Observations
The week saw Earthlings celebrate a new year and Spirit's first birthday on Mars (one Earth year) while Opportunity continued its trek around its own heat shield. On Earth, the operations team experienced a few tool problems, but the support team was in position to fix most problems as soon as they were discovered.
A dust storm that affected Opportunity the previous week has slowly receded, allowing increasing solar exposure. To conserve energy, Opportunity has been going into the deep-sleep mode every night, but as power continues to improve, the team is planning to resume using some early-morning Mars Odyssey communication passes to reduce a backlog of unsent telemetry.
Opportunity continues to be in excellent health as the rover team looks forward to the Jan. 24 anniversary of Opportunity's landing.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
Sol 333 was the second sol of a two-sol plan. The day was spent monitoring the opacity of the atmosphere and performing almost three hours of remote sensing. Atmospheric opacity peaked on sol 321 at 1.25. On sol 333 it was down to 0.97 and decreasing, indicating that the sky was clearing. The amount of power generated by Opportunity's solar panels increased from 546 watt-hours on sol 321 to 630 watt-hours on sol 333.
Sols 334, 335 and 336 were planned in a single planning cycle.
On Sol 334 (New Year's Eve), Opportunity performed 90 minutes of remote-sensing observations, inspected debris from the heat shield's flank with the microscopic imager, and then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the capture magnet on the rover's solar panel.
On New Year's Day, sol 335, Opportunity started taking data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer early in the morning, napped several hours, awoke and turned off that spectrometer, performed another hour of remote sensing, and then went to sleep for the night.
On sol 336, Opportunity collected another two hours of alpha particle X-ray spectrometer data on the capture magnet and made remote-sensing observations for an hour.
On the morning of sol 337, Opportunity examined the flank portion of the heat shield wreckage with the microscopic imager, imaged the capture magnet, then stowed the arm and began its drive for the day. Opportunity banked up 2 meters (about 6.6 feet), turned and drove 10 meters (33 feet) to "East Point." At East Point, Opportunity performed 30 minutes of imaging, capturing a stereo image of the heat shield and a 360-degree view with the navigation camera. The rover then drove another 12.5 meters (41 feet) to a standoff point facing the heat shield seal.
The team experienced a problem with onboard file deletion on sol 337. There was a bad parameter in one command, so Opportunity rejected the entire set of commands. The result of rejecting the command file was that Opportunity's flash memory filled up and the flight software began deleting lowest-priority data products. Approximately 150 megabits of stored data products were lost. Because many images were being acquired and processed at the same time auto-deleting was taking place, the rover's computer was running very slowly. When Opportunity attempted to perform a "Get Fine Attitude," (a command that updates the rover's knowledge of its tilt and orientation), it timed out. The rover monitors itself and cancels things that take longer than planned, the same way home computers cancel attempts to access the internet if the server doesn't respond within a certain time. Due to the time-out, Opportunity responded that it didn't know its exact attitude (setting the surface attitude pointing and positioning -- SAPP -- knowledge to "unknown"). As a result of this, subsequent commands for using the miniature thermal mission spectrometer images were rejected. Pointing the spectrometer at the Sun would severely damage it, so in order for the rover to point the instrument, it must know its attitude.
Sol 338 became a restricted-operations sol due to a long latency in receiving relayed data. Telemetry was delayed more than seven hours, so Opportunity spent the sol performing more than four hours of remote sensing. The operations team was able to react to the failed Get Fine Attitude on sol 337 by creating a real-time command to reset the surface attitude pointing and positioning knowledge. The command was sent as part of the sol 338 uplink and worked as planned. Opportunity also performed both a left-eye and right-eye Get Fine Attitude.
Sol 339 was another "image, drive, image, drive" sol. Opportunity performed 30 minutes of pre-drive imaging, drove about 10 meters (33 feet), performed 80 minutes of mid-drive imaging, drove another 13 meters (about 43 feet) toward the charred side of the heat shield, and performed 30 minutes of post-drive imaging. All operations worked as planned, leaving Opportunity in position to approach the heat shield to perform microscopic imaging over the weekend. Sol 339 ended on Jan. 6.
Total odometry after sol 339 is 2075.52 meters (nearly 1.29 miles).
Atmospheric opacity on sol 339 was 0.83; solar array energy was 836 watt-hours.
sol 325-332, January 05, 2005: Sizing Up the Heat Shield
Opportunity is healthy and has reached the site where its heat shield hit the ground. The rover will make detailed observations of the heat shield's remains, weather permitting. The rover experienced its first dust storm since landing, which has affected the amount of energy Opportunity gets each sol. When the rover landed nearly one Earth year ago, a dust storm was subsiding and the atmosphere had an opacity of 0.9 (the higher the number, the murkier the skies). Since then, the opacity had improved significantly and was roughly 0.5 on sol 327. On sol 328 the opacity jumped to 0.6 then to 0.8, 1.2, and 1.25 on sols 329-331. As of sol 332 it is at 1.2 and dropping. Images from Mars Global Surveyor orbiter have confirmed the presence of a few small dust storms in the region. The energy intake has decreased roughly 30 percent, leaving Opportunity with less energy for operations and communications but still enough, with comfortable margin, to continue with the plan to investigate the heat shield remains. The dust storms will be monitored carefully using the rover's own instruments and images from Mars Global Surveyor. The team will also be walking through low-energy contingencies should they become necessary.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
On sol 325, Opportunity drove 27 meters (about 89 feet) backward, to "West Point." It imaged the heat shield debris field from that vantage point. The engineers choose to occasionally drive the rover backward for convenience and to keep the wheel-motor lubrication more evenly distributed.
Sol 326 was the second sol of a two-sol plan. This sol was spent imaging the heat shield debris field.
On sols 327 to 329, the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the compositional calibration target for a series of osol 313-319, December 21, 2004: Back on the Plains
Opportunity examined tracks on its way to see its heat shield.
Summary:
After six fruitful months exploring the interior of "Endurance Crater," the Opportunity rover has successfully climbed out of the crater onto the surrounding flatland of Meridiani Planum. Once out, the rover examined some of its own tracks that it had laid down prior to entering the crater. It compared them side-by-side with fresh tracks in order to observe any weathering effects in the intervening 200 sols. Opportunity is now making its way toward an engineering examination of its heat shield, which is located about 200 meters (220 yards) from the edge of Endurance. Now that the vehicle is on the relatively flat plain rather than tilted toward the Sun on the north-facing inner slope of the crater, electrical output from its solar array has declined by about 15 percent. Opportunity remains in excellent health as it begins a new phase of exploration.
Sol Details:
Sol 312 and 313 were planned in a single planning cycle. Opportunity was still inside Endurance Crater. On sol 312 the plan began with backing up and using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe a rock target called "Wharenhui," which had been treated with the rock abrasion tool on earlier sols. Subsequent commands were to turn cross-slope, drive 7 meters (23 feet), turn upslope, and drive an additional 6 meters (20 feet) uphill. Opportunity performed the drive perfectly, ending up approximately 5 meters (16.4 feet) from the rim of Endurance Crater. Opportunity's tilt went from 25 degrees pre-drive to 19 degrees post-drive.
Sol 313 was a restricted sol because results from the sol 312 drive were not available for planning sol 313. That meant that no driving or robotic-arm activities were permitted. So Opportunity performed about two hours of observations using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer and then went to sleep in the early afternoon. The rover woke up to support late-afternoon and early-morning communication relays by the orbiting Mars Odyssey.
Sols 314 through 316 were planned in another single planning cycle. The plan was to complete the egress from Endurance Crater on sol 315, so sol 314 was another remote sensing sol. This would be the last full sol inside Endurance. Opportunity spent about two and a half hours observing with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. It also performed a nighttime observation with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer just before midnight. To ensure that Opportunity had adequate power, the early-morning communication-relay session with Odyssey was canceled and Opportunity went into a modified deep sleep after completing the late-night observation.
Sol 315 was the big day for Opportunity. The rover was finally going to leave Endurance Crater after spending 181 sols there! Opportunity was instructed to drive 7 meters (23 feet) up and out of the crater. It was a textbook drive. Everything went as planned and Opportunity had finally, successfully completed a long and detailed series of observations inside Endurance. Opportunity ended up on the plains of Meridiani ready to begin the next chapter of its adventures.
Sol 316 was the third sol of a three-sol plan, and because Opportunity had driven on sol 315, sol 316 was restricted to remote-sensing observations. The rover performed about two hours of remote sensing and went to sleep. Out on the plains, Opportunity went from a northerly tilt that is very good for solar exposure, to a southerly tilt that is not so good for solar exposure. The tilt was expected to be as high as 10 degrees, but Opportunity's actual tilt was about 5 degrees. Daily output from the solar panels went from 840 watt-hours in the crater, to 730 watt-hours on the plains.
Since the team continues to be operating in restricted sol mode, sols 317 and 318 were planned together as a two-sol plan. For sol 317, the science team elected to drive toward wheel tracks that Opportunity had made before entering Endurance Crater. The rover backed up about 5 meters (16.4 feet), performed some mid-drive imaging, and then continued another 10 meters (33 feet) to put the old rover tracks into the work volume of the robotic arm. Sol 318 was another remote-sensing sol, during which Opportunity imaged its still-distant heat shield and conducted a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation of the tracks.
After the drive, both old and new tracks were directly in front of the rover. On sol 319 Opportunity captured microscopic imager mosaics of both types of tracks, then drove about 40 meters (131 feet) closer to the heat shield, which will be examined carefully in future sols. Sol 319 ended on Dec. 17.
sol 306-315, December 14, 2004: Out of 'Endurance'
Opportunity has finished its work inside "Endurance Crater" and climbed out. Before leaving, the rover examined a transition point between dark and light rock layers about 20 meters (about 66 feet) from the rim of the crater. Communication with Mars Odyssey has been good, so the backlog of onboard data has improved. The rover spent six months inside the stadium-sized crater to study layered bedrock exposed there. The exit drive on sol 315 put Opportunity completely outside the crater for the first time since sol 134. Opportunity continues to be in excellent health.
Sol details:
Sol 306 was the second sol of inspecting a rock target called "Paikea" with tools on the robotic arm. On the previous sol, Opportunity had cleaned the surface of Paikea with its rock abrasion tool brush. During sol 306, the rover observed the target with the panoramic camera and the microscopic imager, then ground away a patch of the rock's surface for about two hours with the rock abrasion tool. After the grind, the rover examined the fresh hole in the rock with the panoramic camera, hazard-avoidance camera and microscopic imager. This was followed by placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the abraded area for later data collection. The rover woke at about 4:45 a.m. (local solar time) for a morning communication-relay pass with Odyssey on sol 307. Then it turned on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and gathered data until mid-morning.
Sols 307 through 309 were planned together as a three-sol plan. Sol 307 was similar to sol 306, with imaging, rock grinding, and overnight X-ray spectrometer measurements, this time targeted on "Wharenhui." Also, between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. local solar time, Opportunity used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera to make observations coordinated with a Mars Global Surveyor overflight. In the late morning of sol 308, the rover placed its Mössbauer spectrometer on the freshly drilled hole in Wharenhui, and then collected data nearly continuously for the next two sols. In order to provide sufficient energy for this extended integration, overnight communication passes for the early mornings of sols 309 and 310 were sacrificed.
The grinding activity on sol 307 was not as productive as hoped, so plans for the next couple of sols were revised. Because the team had to wait for retransmission of some rock abrasion tool data on sol 310, the sol was spent using the microscopic imager, placing the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and performing about an hour of remote-sensing observations.
Sol 311 was spent re-grinding Wharenhui. The plan was to grind another 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) into the rock. The grind went as planned, microscopic images were taken and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed in the hole. That spectrometer's integration was not started until the sol 312 early-morning Odyssey pass at 4:20 a.m. Mars local time.
The plan for sol 312 was to complete the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration begun in the early morning, perform about 45 minutes of observations with the panoramic camera and navigation camera, then drive about 12 meters (39 feet) toward the crater rim.
Total odometry after sol 311 was 1,766.07 meters (1.1 miles).
sol 292-298, December 06, 2004: Edging Out of 'Endurance'
Opportunity has completed its super-high-resolution imaging and other remote sensing operations from the base of "Burns Cliff," collecting more than 985 megabits of telemetry. Due to the large number of observations, the data management team has been working hard to manage available memory. Opportunity has now begun its journey out of "Endurance Crater." While in the crater, Opportunity has experienced drive slippage of up to 100 percent and tilts as high as 31.05 degrees. The rover was pushed to its traverse limits, but continued to perform all that was asked of it. Opportunity remains in excellent health. Solar power is nearly as high now as it was at the beginning of the mission.
Sol details:
Having made its closest approach to Burns Cliff, Opportunity continued its remote science campaign on sol 292. In the morning and early afternoon, the rover captured a portion of a color panorama plus images of targets called "Cushion" and "Bartlett." During these observations, Opportunity applied some of its excess energy to engage in an hour-long direct-to-earth communications session, downlinking an extra 10 megabits or so. Waking up the next morning at 7:18 local solar time, the rover heated cameras and actuators in advance of looking for clouds.
Sols 293 through 295 were planned together as a three-sol plan, continuing the panorama. Other observations included navigation camera imaging to fill holes in prior image coverage, panoramic camera atmospheric imaging while the Sun was high in the sky, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer imaging of targets "Ebony," "Ivory," and Cushion. Another direct-to-earth communications session was scheduled for midday on sol 293. On sols 293 and 294, the rover finished the remote science campaign, completing the panorama.
On sol 295, for the first time in 10 sols, Opportunity was on the move, beginning a trek out of Endurance Crater. The planned traverse had two parts, with the second leg to be driven only if the rover was on track after the first leg. Opportunity drove 3.6 meters (about 12 feet), determined that it was sufficiently close to a designated waypoint, and then continued for another 3.6 meters (about 12 feet). At the completion of the drive, the rover updated information about its attitude and position.
Opportunity continued its westward journey on sol 296, performing an 11-meter (36-foot) drive on flat rocky terrain that provides good traction for the rover. The drive succeeded as planned, leaving the vehicle perfectly in the middle of its intended path. Opportunity then performed two hours of post-drive observations. At this point, there appeared to be a possible shortcut out of the crater, just about 13 meters (about 43 feet) in front of Opportunity. If traversable, this early egress chute could shorten the vehicle's exit route by more than 30 meters (about 98 feet) and many sols. In response to this possibility, the team planned further investigation of the chute area.
Sols 297 through 299 and sols 300 through 302 were planned as two consecutive three-sol plans due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Earth. Commands for sols 297, 298 and 299 were uplinked on Tuesday (Nov. 23) and commands for sols 300 through 302 were uplinked the next day. The planning team went above and beyond to deliver six sol plans in two Earth days.
The plan for sol 297 included a drive west for about 13 meters (43 feet) to a relativity flat area. This location would afford a good view of the possible egress chute and allow the robotic arm to be deployed so the Mössbauer spectrometer could be placed on the filter magnet and perform four sols of data collection. The drive stopped early because Opportunity slipped more than anticipated and missed an intermediate waypoint. The drive covered 8.6 meters (about 28 feet). However, imaging after the drive allowed a detailed analysis of the possible shortcut.
To make an early exit, Opportunity would have had to cross terrain sloping 28 degrees. The opening of the chute is 1.14 meters (about 4 feet) wide, and there appears to be tall rock outcropping very close to the opening. On the route to the originally planned exit path at "Keratepe," where Opportunity entered the crater six months ago, the average slope is only 22 degrees and there are no large obstacles to avoid. So the decision was made to skip the shortcut and continue toward Karatepe.
Total odometry after sol 297 is 1736.22 meters (1.08 miles).
sol 285-291, November 23, 2004: Finishing Up in 'Endurance'
Opportunity has now reached the furthest point east in its travels inside "Endurance Crater." Rover drivers have determined that there is no safe path beyond the current position. Therefore, Opportunity is now in the midst of an intensive remote-sensing campaign, capturing a panorama of Burns Cliff plus super-resolution images and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations of selected targets. When this campaign concludes, the rover will back away and head for a way out of Endurance Crater. Opportunity remains healthy and in an extremely advantageous solar array attitude.
Sol details:
The plan for 285 was to drive 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) east on firm rocky terrain ahead of the rover. The drive went as planned, covering 1.55 meters (5.1 feet). After integrating the results of this drive with an earlier study of Burns Cliff traversability, the team decided not to proceed farther. Opportunity has reached the easternmost point of its drive inside Endurance Crater. The rover is at the western edge of Burns Cliff and from this vantage point, it will perform super-high resolution imaging and other science observations.
Sol 286 was a restricted sol because the team did not know results of the sol 285 drive in time for planning sol 286. Opportunity recorded more than three hours of observations, took a nap, and then used afternoon and overnight communication sessions with Mars Odyssey. Solar exposure is excellent inside the crater, so Opportunity's power and battery state of charge continue to increase. The rover has not used deep-sleep mode in more than a week, and probably won't for the foreseeable future.
Sols 287 and 288 were planned together. Opportunity began super-high resolution imaging activities on sol 287. Starting at 11:15 local solar time, the rover performed the following activities: an hour of panoramic camera imaging, an hour of miniature thermal emissions spectrometer imaging and another hour of panoramic camera imaging. Sol 288 was almost exactly the same three-hour activity, but with the images targeted differently.
The Deep Space Network experienced a station transmitter problem on Saturday and Opportunity did not receive all of its two-sol uplink as planned. The rover received all except the last part of the sol 287 bundle, but none of the sol 288 bundle or data management bundle. Due to quick reaction by the weekend uplink team, bundles were successfully uplinked on Sunday, in time for execution of the sol 288 plan. The total effect of the missed Saturday uplink was a loss of about 30 minutes of science on the morning of sol 288.
Sols 289, 290 and 291 were very similar. Each was a continuation of the remote sensing campaign, with an additional panoramic camera observation. Sol 289 activities included observations of dunes and dust with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emissions spectrometer. Also the panoramic camera was used for super-resolution imaging of "Whatanga," a contact boundary between two layers of rocks. For sol 290, in addition to the panoramic camera observation, Opportunity made several long-dwell observations of Burns Cliff targets with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Cloud observations on the morning of sol 290 produced a dramatic image. Sol 291 included a super-resolution observation of a target called "Bartlett."
The remote sensing campaign is generating a large volume of data at a time when, due to the rover's orientation, there is limited bandwidth available for downlink. As a consequence, Opportunity is operating with limited memory headroom, though still within planning guidelines. In order to improve the situation, the team took advantage of the Deep Space Network's 70-meter antenna availability and Opportunity's good energy state to plan a one-hour, direct-to-earth session in the middle of the day on sol 291. This resulted in the downlink of an extra 15 megabits of data.
sol 265-271, November 08, 2004: Journey toward 'Burns Cliff' Continues
Opportunity's trek towards "Burns Cliff" continues. The journey has been much more difficult than anticipated. The rover has experienced drive slippage of up to 100 percent. The plan is to attempt a couple of sols of up-slope, switchback driving and then review options to get to Burns Cliff.
The rover team celebrated Opportunity's 300-percent mission success anniversary on sol 270. The rover is showing no signs of slowing down despite its advanced age. Spacecraft health is excellent, and solar power is plentiful.
Sol details:
On sol 265 Opportunity began its drive away from a boulder called 'Wopmay.' The rover performed 45 minutes of remote observations and then attempted a 21-meter (69-foot) drive away from Wopmay. The drive stopped after 3.5 meters (11.5 feet). Opportunity experienced a drive and mobility goal error due to high current draw in the steering motors.
Sols 266, 267, and 268 were planned as a single 3-sol weekend plan. Due to the rover's heading at the end of sol 265, the morning uplink session on sol 266 was occluded by the panoramic camera, raising concern that we might fail to get the 3-sol command load to the spacecraft. To avoid this problem, the team instead chose to implement a high-priority communication window at 11:30 local solar time and to uplink all sequences at that time, activating the sol 266 master sequence by real-time command. This plan worked as designed, and all sequences got onboard.
The original plan for sols 266 and 267 was to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the filter magnet for extended integrations. However, Opportunity's position against a buried rock (informally named "Son of Bane") and the churning up of sandy terrain meant that we could not rule out the possibility of an unseen rock in the robotic arm's work volume. As a consequence, the arm deployment was cancelled, and the activities for sols 266-267 were limited to remote-sensing observations.
On sol 268, Opportunity drove away from Son of Bane. The rover turned and drove forward a short distance to get out of the hole it had dug for itself. It drove about 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) cross slope, and then began an up-slope drive designed to cover 9 meters (29.5 feet). Only about 0.4 meter (1.3 feet) of this last leg was achieved before the rover again encountered 100 percent slip.
Due to the large slippage and unsuccessful drive on sol 269, the day was used to take detailed images of the rover's position and to allow the rover mobility team to plan drive strategies for subsequent sols. Opportunity performed more than two hours of remote observations. The rover began a routine of forfeiting deep sleep for as many sols as the battery state of charge would allow. Solar exposure has been favorable enough to reduce the need for deep sleep. In an effort to reduce the backlog of onboard science telemetry that has not been downlinked, Opportunity will support early morning Mars Odyssey communication sessions as long as the battery state of charge is not impaired.
Sol 270 was the first sol dedicated to a potpourri of mobility maneuvers to gain a better understanding of the terrain on which Opportunity is driving. The rover completed the drive with no errors and achieved a positive elevation change of more than a meter (3.3 feet). Driving at a 45-degree angle to the slope appears to be the most productive operation.
With enthusiasm running high, the uplink team employed strategies of the drive from sol 270 to plan sols 271's drive. Opportunity was to drive up-slope at an angle heading east, towards Burns Cliff, as part of a longer switchback drive operation. But as has often been the case recently, the drive was not successful. Opportunity moved 0.78 meters in a beeline (about 2.6 feet) but experienced 100 percent slippage for most of the drive and ended up approximately 0.35 meters (1.1 feet) lower. Sol 271 ended on Oct. 28, PDT.
The result of this drive calls into question Opportunity's ability to reach Burns Cliff with the current approach. The team is assessing other possibilities.
Total odometry after sol 271 is 1664.43 meters (1.03 miles).
sol 258-264, October 22, 2004: Wave Goodbye to 'Wopmay'
Opportunity's health is excellent. Solar exposure continues to be very good. Opportunity spent its first night inside "Endurance Crater" on sol 134. To date, the rover has spent 130 sols in the crater, grinding 21 targets with the rock abrasion tool, performing 62 integrations with the Mössbauer spectrometer and 33 with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and taking 115 observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity finally completed observations on the rock "Wopmay," and is ready to begin its trek towards "Burns Cliff" on the way to exiting Endurance Crater.
Sol details:
On sol 258, Opportunity examined three targets ("Otter," "Jenny," and "Hiller") on Wopmay with its microscopic imager. Each of the observations was designed to produce a mosaic. They relied on touching the instrument's contact sensor to the uneven surface of Wopmay for each quadrant of each mosaic to ensure appropriate standoff distances for good focus.
Sols 259 through 261 were designed as a single three-sol weekend plan. During the morning of sol 259, arm operations continued with two more microscopic imager mosaics of the targets "Jet Ranger 2" and "Twin Otter." In the early afternoon, Opportunity placed its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in a hover position approximately 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) above Otter. After a couple of naps and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations, the rover went into deep sleep until the next morning.
The first part of a reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer over Otter was performed for three hours in the morning of sol 260. During the same period, the rover made navigation camera, panoramic camera, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer cloud observations, then snapped images with the navigation and panoramic cameras in the drive direction. While performing an atmospheric observation with the panoramic camera, Opportunity collected extra images of the sky close to the Sun to allow observations of the dust accumulation on the camera's window.
In the early morning of sol 261, the reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer resumed, continuing until about 11 a.m. local solar time and producing excellent spectra despite the standoff position of the sensor. Opportunity then collected Mössbauer data over Otter for another three hours. Several remote science observations were made over the course of the sol, including photometric measurements with the panoramic camera and targeted observations of Wopmay with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera observations.
On the morning of sol 262, Opportunity took a third photometric measurement and used the panoramic camera to study Wopmay, concluding the weekend plan. In the early afternoon, the rover made a final microscopic image of the target "Hercules" on Wopmay, then backed away as part of a plan to re-approach the back side of Wopmay for possible additional measurements. Navigation camera imagery of the back of Wopmay was collected in the afternoon, followed by extensive panoramic camera imaging the next morning. Unfortunately, due to slippage during the traverse, Opportunity didn't reach its desired vantage point, and the target was not in view.
For sol 263, a decision was made to delete the panoramic camera imagery without downlinking it, since on board memory was tight and we already have complete coverage of the part of Wopmay captured. The new plan was to continue the rover's drive toward the back of Wopmay, and repeat the imaging observations attempted in the sol 262 plan. But as Opportunity drove toward Wopmay, it encountered a hidden obstacle: a rock buried under the sand that resulted in 100 percent slip for a good part of the traverse. Once the rover was clear of the rock, it continued from a point much closer to Wopmay than anticipated. Rover planners estimated that, at the end of the traverse, Opportunity was within 30 centimeters (just under one foot) of Wopmay, uncomfortably close!
On sol 264, which ended on Oct 21, Opportunity backed away from Wopmay. The planned drive was 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) but the actual drive was 2.57 meters (8.4 feet). Opportunity is now in position to begin its drive toward Burns Cliff.
Total odometry after sol 264 is 1,638.57 meters (1.0181 mile).
sol 251-257, October 22, 2004: Welcome to 'Wopmay'
Opportunity continues to be in excellent health working inside of "Endurance Crater." The current cycle is to use the deep-sleep mode every second night and to support an early morning Odyssey communications pass on the non-deep-sleep nights. Opportunity is experiencing very good solar exposure, averaging more than 700 watt-hours per sol available from the solar arrays. Driving to a rock called "Wopmay" has proven to be more challenging than expected, with Opportunity experiencing drive slippage of more than 50 percent in a couple of instances.
Sol details:
For sol 251, the plan was to put Opportunity in final position at Wopmay, a convoluted and creviced rock of great interest to the science team. After remote-sensing observations in the morning, the rover drove toward Wopmay on its own, using its visual odometry software. Unfortunately, despite the rover planners' attempt to anticipate slippage during the traverse, the direction of the slippage differed from the prior sol, leaving the rover too close to Wopmay to permit deployment of its robotic arm. Opportunity conducted afternoon remote-sensing observations, then went into deep sleep.
Sols 252 through 254 were planned as a group, due to the rover team's switch to a five-day-a-week planning schedule. On the morning of sol 252, Opportunity performed remote sensing, including two photometry survey observations, a cloud-search movie and imaging of Wopmay with the panoramic camera using 13 filters. In the afternoon, the rover backed away from the target to reach a staging position for attempting to reach the most interesting part of Wopmay, the upper right lobe, on a drive after the rover team's weekend. Deep sleep was disabled, allowing Opportunity to support a Mars Odyssey pass in the early morning of sol 253.
Sols 253 and 254 were remote-sensing sols. On sol 253, the rover imaged its filter magnets and performed multiple observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Before the rover shut down for the night, it positioned the spectrometer for a middle-of-the-night observation. Opportunity woke up first at 10 p.m. local solar time to begin heating, then again at 11 p.m. for the actual observation, then slept until about 7 a.m. local solar time on sol 254. Upon waking, the rover began another day of remote science, including multiple observations of sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
During planning for sol 255 it was decided that approaching Wopmay from directly uphill would be too risky due to concerns about vehicle stability, so the plan was revised to approach Wopmay very slowly from an angle and not to deploy the robotic arm with any pre-loading on the rock. This would minimize chances of the vehicle slipping or placing undue stress on the arm. So the plan for sol 255 was to back up the hill, away from Wopmay, and position Opportunity to begin the slow angular, downhill approach to Wopmay. The drive successfully covered 7.8 meters (about 26 feet), leaving Wopmay 3.4 meters (11 feet) away. Opportunity also performed about an hour of remote science observations before entering deep sleep for the night.
On sol 256 Opportunity continued its slow approach toward Wopmay. After receiving its morning uplink, Opportunity performed twenty minutes of panoramic camera observations, then crawled forward just over 2 meters (about 7 feet), taking three small steps and performing a turn in place. During these moves Opportunity experienced slippage as high as 54 percent. By the end of the drive, Wopmay was approximately 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) away. Opportunity performed another hour of post-drive remote science observations, took a nap, then used an afternoon communication session and early morning communications with Odyssey.
Sol 257, which ended on Oct. 14, was a final approach sol. During the morning Opportunity extended its arm to use its microscopic imager for an hour on soil targets just in front of Wopmay. The rover then stowed its arm and began the final approach toward Wopmay. The drive was commanded for rolling 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) with the expectation of approximately 50-percent slippage. The expected traverse was 45 centimeters (about 1.5 feet). The last few drives taxed the rover planners and they really came through! Opportunity is perfectly positioned to examine Wopmay with the rover's microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
Total odometry after sol 257 is 1,630.00 meters (1.0128 mile)!
sol 245-250, October 13, 2004: Working towards 'Wopmay'
Opportunity is in excellent health. The current pattern is to use the deep-sleep mode every second night, and to support an early morning Odyssey communications pass on the non-deep-sleep nights. Opportunity is experiencing good solar exposure, averaging more than 660 watt-hours per sol from the solar arrays. The rover is poised for final approach to "Wopmay," a fascinating creviced rock with a brain-like appearance.
Sol details:
Sol 245 was a restricted sol. Opportunity could perform only remote sensing. The rover took images in all directions with its navigation camera. It used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer for sky and ground observations. Then it went into deep sleep for the night of sol 245 into the morning of sol 246.
Sols 246 through 248 were planned in a single planning cycle as part of our 5-day-a-week schedule. The uplink team accomplished a Herculean task, successfully completing and uplinking three science-intensive sol plans despite some issues encountered during the day.
Opportunity began sol 246 by placing the Mössbauer spectrometer and starting a long reading with it on a target called "Void." While collecting the Mössbauer data, Opportunity also performed two hours of observations with its panoramic camera and its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The Mössbauer integration was paused just before the afternoon communication session with Mars Odyssey. Deep sleep was disabled so that Opportunity could support an early morning communications session on sol 247 and restart the Mössbauer integration.
Sol 247 was day two of the long Mössbauer integration; the integration ran throughout the sol until early evening, at which time Opportunity again paused and entered deep sleep overnight. During the day, Opportunity also completed a series photometric observations with its panoramic camera.
On sol 248 Opportunity exited deep sleep and restarted the Mössbauer integration. During pre-uplink science activities in the early morning, the rover completed a sky observation pattern that planners call an itty-bitty cloud movie. In the martian afternoon, Opportunity ended the long Mössbauer integration and turned the tool turret on its arm to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on Void. The X-ray instrument did not start taking data until early the next morning. Opportunity did not go into deep sleep overnight. Instead, it used an early morning Odyssey communications session and immediately afterwards started the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration.
Opportunity completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the morning of sol 249. The rover then performed a series of microscopic imaging activities, stowed the instrument deployment device and began driving toward its next target, Wopmay. The 19.98-meter (about 66-foot) drive went well, but with more slippage than expected. At the end of the drive, the nearest visible face of Wopmay was only 2 meters (about 7 feet) from the center of the rover; far enough not to have been a hazard during the drive, but closer than was predicted. Slip estimates indicate radial slippage as high as 64 percent. Opportunity used deep sleep overnight on sol 249.
On sol 250, which ended on Oct. 7, Opportunity performed the first part of a planned two-sol approach to Wopmay. This nearly 7-meter (23-foot) drive went well. The end of the drive incorporated conditional arcs to be executed only if the rover was in the appropriate position. The drive put the rover in very good position for the final approach on sol 251.
Total odometry after sol 250 puts Opportunity just over the one-mile mark: 1,611.99 meters (1.0016 mile)!
sol 238-241, September 30, 2004: Waking up from a Winter's Nap
After a well-deserved rest through solar conjunction, Opportunity is awake again and back to work. The conjunction was the period in mid-September when Mars was nearly behind the Sun from Earth's perspective, causing communications to be unreliable.
Sol details:
Sol 238
Opportunity completed instrument arm operations on a soil target called "Auk" by finishing a multi-sol Mössbauer spectrometer integration and collecting microscopic images of undisturbed soil. It then performing remote sensing observations on the next target, a rock called "Ellesmere." Once the morning activities were complete, Opportunity took a 90-minute nap then stowed the arm and drove backwards 0.34 meters (1.1 feet). The rover used an afternoon communications session on sol 238 and an early morning session on sol 239.
Sols 239 and 240
The planning session for sols 239 and 240 was extremely challenging for the uplink team. As the rover project transitions to five-day-a-week planning, the Opportunity team planned two sols of activities to be uplinked on sol 239. Adding to the complexity, the two sols' activities included difficult instrument arm placement activities. Rover planners rose to the occasion. The sol started with 45 minutes of microscopic imaging, then placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on a target area of Ellesmere called "No Coating." Opportunity performed a couple hours of remote sensing, used an afternoon communications session and then went into overnight deep sleep. On sol 240, Opportunity began taking a reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at 7:00 local solar time, then went back to sleep. After waking, it did an hour of remote sensing observations, completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration and collected more microscopic imager pictures. The rover then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on its next target, "Barbeau." Another hour of remote sensing completed the sol.
Sol 241
Opportunity finished its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on Barbeau, collected more microscopic images, switched tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started that integration. The rover performed a mini deep sleep overnight. Sol 241 ended on Sept. 27.
Total odometry after sol 241 is 1,573.83 meters (0.98 miles - almost to the 1-mile mark).
sol 215-217, September 13, 2004: Spectrometers Sample Clean and Dirty Targets
On sol 215 Opportunity completed a reading with its Mössbauer spectrometer of a target called "Kirchner," where a wire brush on the rover's rock abrasion tool had scrubbed a circular patch on the surface of a rock called "Escher." The rover also made some remote-sensing observations then then set up for using its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on Kirchner early the following morning. However, an image from the rover's hazard-avoidance camera revealed that the doors of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer had not completely opened. The door is a tricky mechanism; incomplete openings and closings have occurred before, and the team continues to work on approaches to more reliably maneuver the door.
On sol 216 the rover successfully acquired early morning alpha particle X-ray spectrometer data on Kirchner. Despite the incomplete opening of the instrument's dust doors, the spectra look good. No repeat of the integration will be necessary. The rover also used the Mössbauer spectrometer to examine another brushed target, "EmilNolde," on Escher. This reading was planned to run into the evening then later, following a deep sleep, to resume in the early morning of sol 217. The Mössbauer placement went fine. The rover was commanded to close and reopen the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors and this went well. The doors are now properly open and ready for action on sol 217.
On sol 217, which ended on Sept. 3, Opportunity used its rock abrasion tool to brush a target called "Otto Dix," and used its microscopic imager to look at the brushed area. Then the rover was commanded to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on EmilNolde, precisely on a "dirty" portion of that target (an area that was not very well cleared away by the brush action a few sols ago). The plan was to collect data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the evening, perform a move in the middle of the night to a cleanly brushed portion of EmilNolde and integrate again until morning. These two integrations will be used to discern the differences between the "clean" and "dirty" portions of the target. A 100-megabit afternoon downlink through Mars Odyssey on sol 217 showed that all activities went well through the placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the "dirty" part of EmilNolde.
sol 211-214, September 09, 2004: RAT is Rearin' to Go!
Opportunity is healthy and continuing to explore a rock called "Escher" on the southwestern slope of "Endurance Crater."
Sol 211: Opportunity awoke from deep sleep at 7 a.m. local solar time. It re-enabled survival heaters on its miniature thermal emission spectrometer and re-started a Mössbauer spectrometer examination of a target called "Kirchner." The rover made observations with its panoramic camera and its miniature thermal emission spectrometer from about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local solar time, focusing on getting thermal inertia measurement of the dunes at different times of day. A planned tool change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the afternoon failed due to a sequencing error in retracting the Mössbauer spectrometer from the surface. A conditional sequencing check prevented the overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration from occurring as desired in such fault cases.
Sol 212: A calibration of the rock abrasion tool calibration was completed successfully. The tool is healthy and ready for action! An aggressive plan acquired 80 microscopic images of the rock Escher. As part of the team's efforts to increase operational flexibility, a test was conducted involving operating the miniature thermal emission spectrometer in parallel with arm operations. Unfortunately, this resulted in some corrupted data from the miniature thermal emission spectrometer due to vibrations as the rover arm moved. The rover used its Mössbauer spectrometer in the afternoon before going into deep sleep overnight.
Sol 213: Opportunity awoke from deep sleep and re-started the Mössbauer integration. The rover performed some remote sensing during the day and then changed tools to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an overnight integration. Later it completed a midnight thermal inertia observation with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, which required an hour of actuator preheating.
Sol 214: Opportunity completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observation and successfully used the rock abrasion tool to brush clean two targets on Escher ("EmilNolde" and "Kirchner_RAT"). Then it made observations with its microscopic imager, hazard-avoidance camera and panoramic camera. The Mössbauer spectrometer was then positioned on Kirchner_RAT, where it analyzed the rock's mineral composition until the rover went into deep sleep overnight. Sol 214 ended on Aug. 31.
sol 209-210, August 31, 2004: 'Look Mom, no pebble!'
Sol 209 activities for Opportunity focused on recharging its batteries and downlinking data through both an afternoon communications link with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and an overnight Odyssey pass (early morning sol 210). The rover also made some remote sensing observations. The sol 209 plan was constructed without benefit of the sol 208 downlink (due to the restricted nature of the planning at this point in the cycle of Mars days progressing relative to Earth days). For that reason, activities were limited to remote sensing, which did not depend upon knowledge of the exact position of the rover. All went fine, and about 165 megabits of data were returned through relay by Odyssey.
On sol 210, which ended on Aug. 27, the rover was commanded to image the rock abrasion tool in a variety of positions to get better knowledge of a pebble that appeared to be jammed between rotors in an earlier image. Then the rover used its microscopic imager to survey several spots on a rock called "Escher." In addition, it took panoramic camera images for assembling into a mosaic of the dune field at the bottom of "Endurance Crater." The diagnostic images of the rock abrasion tool brought good news with the revelation that there is no longer a pebble jammed between the grind bits! Apparently, sometime after the last previous images of the tool were acquired on sol 200, the pebble fell out, perhaps due to thermal cycling or vehicle motion. The team will proceed next with diagnostic actions to confirm that the abrasion tool is functioning normally again. Those activities are planned for sol 212.
sol 204-208, August 30, 2004: Trying Traverses
Sol 204 was planned as a rather circuitous 6-meter (about 20-foot) traverse to the vicinity of a target called "Shag" on one side of a rock called "Ellesmere." The route was necessary to avoid a significant rock hazard close to the rover's position. Unfortunately, due to the steep slopes and lack of traction when driving in this terrain, the rover experienced up to 50 percent slip during parts of its traverse. It ended up more than 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) downslope from the planned final position. This left the rover close to the edge of its safe terrain zone.
For sol 205, the team shifted its objective from Shag to another target, "Auk," on the other side of Ellesmere. Auk, though farther from the rover's current position, was of higher scientific priority, in safer terrain, and more accessible to the rover arm. To avoid the significant slip observed during turns in place, the traverse was planned as a tight-radius turn covering 1.6 meters (5.2 feet). Mindful of the uncertainties inherent in navigating in this terrain, planners designed the traverse to cover only a portion of the total distance to Auk. This proved to be prudent, since the rover again ended up slipping more than 50 percent during most of its drive, with little progress away from dangerous terrain. On the bright side, analysis of the drive indicated that the rover was getting better traction during its last moves.
On sol 206 the rover was commanded to perform a drive to turn away from its cross-slope orientation and move upslope toward Auk. The drive succeeded. After the slips of the sol 205 traverse, this traverse managed nearly all of the desired yaw response to get the rover pointed uphill and then found good traction to deliver the rover more than a meter (3.3 feet) farther upslope. Serendipitously, the rock directly in front of the rover at the end of the drive proved to be so interesting to the science team that efforts were redirected to study it. The rock was dubbed "Escher."
On sol 207 the team entered restricted planning. This happens when the timing of the rover's sol on Mars and our day in the California time zone get out of sync due to the nearly 40-minute difference in length of Earth days and Mars sols. The afternoon downlink arrives at JPL too late in the day to plan the next sol unless the team works through the night. Instead of staying up all night, the team plans with restrictions that forbid rover movement or arm activity on a sol immediately following a sol on which the rover has moved. This gives additional time for the data to become available so that planners can use up-to-date knowledge about the rover's position and orientation.
So, rather than any driving on sol 207, Opportunity conducted remote-sensing work, including atmospheric observations and panoramic camera imaging of several features.
For sol 208, which ended on Aug. 25, Opportunity drove again. It bumped forward to put Escher well within the arm's work volume. The sol also included panoramic camera imaging of Escher and of a trench created by Opportunity's prior wheel movements in the vicinity. Opportunity slept deeply on the night of sol 208 for the second night in a row. The purpose of successive deep sleeps was to align the deep-sleep nights with poorer overnight Mars Odyssey passes, leaving the rover ready to take advantage of higher-volume passes on alternate nights.
sol 200-203, August 23, 2004: Opportunity Team Decides Against Dunes
On sol 200 Opportunity was commanded to perform some remote sensing and some rock abrasion tool diagnostics in response to an activity that faulted out on sol 199. During these diagnostics on sol 200, the tool failed to respond as desired to a command to calibrate the grind motor. Analysis of this event suggests that there is a piece of debris (probably a rocky chunk of Mars) trapped between the grind bit and the brush bit. The rover team believes that it can be freed by turning the bits in reverse, but they are still evaluating the best approach to remedy the situation. There are several options available. The team decided to continue the investigation of this anomaly while pressing on with other objectives.
On sol 201 the rover was commanded to stow its arm and drive to a position about 12 meters (about 39 feet) clockwise around the crater. The intent is to head towards a dune tendril that reaches out of the bottom of the crater and may be accessible without having to drive into terrain that is too sandy for the rover to safely traverse. The drive went very well, and the rover ended up in the expected place.
On sol 202 the rover was commanded to proceed a little ways downslope. Team members were not able to command the drive the rover as far as they might have liked because they did not get all the data they hoped to get in the afternoon downlink pass on sol 201. The terrain around the rover is heavily coated with sand and dust, so each traverse requires careful evaluation to make sure there is enough rock material to drive on with confidence. From the images available, the team determined it could safely command only about a 1-meter (3.3-foot) drive. This drive proceeded as expected. At the end of the drive, panoramic camera images were acquired directly in front of the rover and out to the dune tendril. These images will be used to assess traversability to this sandy feature.
On sol 203 the team decided to scratch the approach to the dune tendril and, instead, headed the rover back towards "Axel Heiberg" and another target named "Ellesmere" for some soil observations. The terrain between the rover and the dune tendril did not present clear evidence of rocky plates to give the rover sufficient traction. Rather than spend more time in an attempt to scout further for an approach path, the decision was made to abandon the quest for the dune tendril. A drive of approximately 14 meters (46 feet) positioned the rover where it will be able to zero in on Ellesmere next. There was an apparent combination of slip or induced heading change, or both, due to the sandy terrain, which resulted in the rover ending up about 3 meters (about 10 feet) farther left than expected. This also caused Opportunity to unintentionally run over a patch of fine soil with some small dune-like ripples in it. The team will be assessing this traverse error, but it is par for the course when driving this far on such sandy, sloped terrain.
sol 196-199, August 18, 2004: Power Boost for Opportunity
Opportunity is healthy and continuing to investigate a rock outcrop dubbed "Axel Heiberg" on the southern slope of "Endurance Crater." The rover's solar energy input has risen above 610 watt-hours the last few sols, which is more than it has experienced since about sol 100. The additional power may be the result of less hazy skies.
On sol 196, Opportunity completed an overnight reading with the Mössbauer spectrometer on a hole into Axel Heiberg where the rock abrasion tool gnawed off the rock's outer surface on sol 193. Then the rover bumped back about half a meter (about 1.6 feet) to position itself for reaching an interesting vein feature. After the bump, Opportunity made observations of the abraded hole with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera data to complete the remote sensing of that target.
Opportunity completed a microscopic imager mosaic of the vein feature called "Sermilik" on sol 197. The rover also acquired panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer data of sand spots to identify future targets for the rover arm. Overnight deep sleep was used to conserve power.
On sol 198, Opportunity awoke from deep sleep and used heaters to warm the panoramic camera mast assembly in preparation for morning cloud, sky and ground imaging and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations. It made a daytime Mössbauer inspection of a 3-centimeter (1.2-inch) chuck of vein material that was apparently broken off from the vein when the rover backed up. This was followed by a tool change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer before sleep. Opportunity awoke for an early morning Mars Odyssey communications pass and turned on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for a nearly 6-hour integration.
Opportunity's planned abrading of a target called "Jiffypop" failed on sol 199. The preparatory seek-scan process successfully found the rock surface, but a motor stall prevented any further activity by the rock abrasion tool. Planned microscopic imager pictures of the target area and remote sensing were acquired successfully.
The stall of the rock abrasion tool on sol 199 is under investigation. Sol 200 activities will focus on diagnostic imaging and motor actuations to confirm the health of the tool. Another issue being reviewed is the failure of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors to close fully on sol 199. This has been seen several times before, and in this case the rover team did not have positive confirmation that doors were properly latched open. Plans for sol 200, ending Aug. 16, include door opening and closing on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
sol 192-195, August 16, 2004: Abrading 'Axel Heiberg'
On sol 192, Opportunity drove down slope in "Endurance Crater" to reach a rock dubbed "Axel Heiberg." The rover arrived in position to approach a particular point for work in this area with its instrument deployment device (the rover arm). Favorable geometry for an overnight communications pass with Mars Odyssey motivated the team to keep the rover out of deep sleep mode and take advantage of the pass. About 115 megabits of data were returned in this overnight pass.
The rover started sol 193 with some cloud imaging at about 8:45 a.m., local solar time. This required some heating of the camera mast motors and bearings. The observations were acquired, though one of the heaters apparently did not heat as planned. Engineers believe a thermostat controlling that heater had already opened. This rendered the heating circuit inoperable so that even though the heater switch was commanded on and off correctly, the heater itself never got powered. This probably resulted in use of the mast actuator at lower-than-intended temperatures. Rover team members are investigating this, and in the meantime they will not command the rover to perform mast activities at that time of morning.
After the early morning activities, the rover was commanded to approach a target on Axel Heiberg for grinding with the rock abrasion tool. The drive was designed and executed to compensate for slip, and the result was very precise. The rover also made additional remote-sensing observations, then it went into a deep sleep for the night to save energy.
On sol 194 the rover took microscopic imager pictures of a spot on Axel Heiberg, and then performed a grind with the rock abrasion tool to get access to subsurface chemistry. The grind went well, but the targeting was a little off (the hole was about 6 centimeters - about 2.4 inches - to the left of the intended target.) After some investigation it was determined that there is an error in the way one of the ground tools represented the commanded position. This error has existed previously, but the team has never detected it to be this large. It is now being fixed. The exact positioning of the rover and the arm, and the nature of the activity all combined to make the error particularly large in this instance. After the grind, the rover placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the hole to measure the rock's elemental composition early the next morning.
On sol 195, which ended on Aug. 11, the rover acquired post-grind microscopic images and placed the Mössbauer instrument on the hole to take a reading all afternoon, plus an additional reading after wakeup on the morning of sol 196. The rover also made remote-sensing observations, including images to help assess where it might drive next.
sol 190-191, August 12, 2004: Aiming for 'Axel Heiberg'
Opportunity continues its voyage farther into "Endurance Crater" with a near-term drive goal of a rock outcrop dubbed "Axel Heiberg," and a possible later destination at the foot of "Burns Cliff" on the south side of the crater.
Sol 190 - Opportunity completed a 3.4-meter (about 11-foot) drive towards Axel Heiberg. The slope was steady at about 17 degrees and slippage during the drive was about 16 percent, as predicted. The rover took images for use in planning future drives and made observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Controllers employed the microscopic imager to help with diagnosing the cause of error messages from that instrument received last week.
Sol 191 - Opportunity successfully drove another 5 meters (about 16.4 feet) closer to Axel Heiberg, leaving about 5 meters (about 16.4 feet) to go. The drive included a short backup at the end to check for uphill-drive slippage, which was within acceptable limits. Deep sleep was used overnight.
The team continues to acquire microscopic imager diagnostic images at different times of day to see if temperature might be a contributing factor to the errors seen from that instrument last week. So far, no more errors have occurred.
sol 188-189, August 09, 2004: Opportunity Turns to Talk to Odyssey
Sol 188 was devoted to finishing an examination of a target patch called "Tuktoyuktuk" where the rover's rock abrasion tool had ground the surface coating off of a rock called "Inuvik." Opportunity then drove partly up-slope and partly cross-slope as both a mobility test and the start of a traverse to the next target. It slipped down-slope about as much as expected, a good result. The rover's current terrain consists of rocky plates lightly covered with sand and soil, plus some deeper sandy patches between the plates. The sandy patches result in more slip and sometimes cause the vehicle to yaw a little (as more slip on one side of the vehicle than the other causes it to turn). The overall tilt of the rover is about 18 degrees.
On sol 189 the rover drove about 4 meters (13 feet) eastward across the inner slope of the crater. The drive went well despite substantial down-slope slip. Slippage averaged about 33 percent, with a peak of about 56 percent on one half-meter (1.6-foot) drive segment, but the rover team expected that and compensated in advance for it. The team then asked the rover to conduct a series of turns in place during the communications relay pass with the Mars Odyssey orbiter to optimize the communications link. The idea was to keep Odyssey in the sweet spot of the rover's ultra-high-frequency antenna pattern as the orbiter swept across the sky. The total data return was about 135 megabits. The best possible return predicted by models if the rover had just sat in one orientation was about 115 megabits.
The next target the scientists would like the rover to approach, "Axel Heiberg," is a rocky outcrop about 18 meters (59 feet) away to the east and a bit deeper in the crater.
sol 186-187, August 06, 2004: "Tuktoyuktuk's" Turn
The rock abrasion tool has been keeping busy at Opportunity's position about 22 meters (72 feet) inside of "Endurance Crater" while rover handlers are preparing for Opportunity's next traverse.
Sol Highlights:
186 - After a night of deep sleep, Opportunity started the sol with imaging of the sky in search of clouds and using its miniature thermal emission spectrometer for observations of the sky and ground. In the afternoon, the rover took microscopic images of a target called "Tuktoyuktuk," then used its rock abrasion tool to gnaw a hole 7.7 millimeters (0.3 inch) deep into that target. The robotic arm moved the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer into position for reading of the composition of the freshly exposed interior of the rock.
187 - Opportunity woke for an early morning Mars Odyssey communications relay session. After that, the rover started the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading, which lasted until 9:00 a.m. local solar time. Opportunity then took a long nap as the uplink command window was delayed until 1:00 p.m. local solar time due to launch of NASAs Messenger mission to Mercury. In the afternoon, Opportunity rotated its tool turret from the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to the Mössbauer spectrometer and acquired a 7-hour Mössbauer reading before beginning deep sleep.
The rover team is addressing some concerns about rover slippage and about error messages from the microscopic imager. An uphill driving test is planned for sol 188 to gain better understanding of a 40-percent slip observed in a repositioning maneuver on sol 185. This will aid planning for a potential drive clockwise across the inner slope of the crater toward rocks called the "Arctic Islands" and the base of "Burns Cliff." Diagnostic work is also planned for sol 188 about the error messages generated during use of the microscopic imager.
sol 181-185, August 03, 2004: Opportunity Finishing Up at 'Karatepe'
Opportunity is completing an intensive survey of the "Karatepe" region that began 50 sols ago when the rover first ventured into "Endurance Crater." The rover currently sits about 20 meters (about 66 feet) inside the stadium-sized crater. The investigation at an area dubbed "Inuvik" at a target called "Tuktoyuktuk" (named for a small village in the Canadian arctic) will likely be the rover's last in this region. The rover planning team is contemplating the next traverse which will move Opportunity around the interior of the crater, first to some outcroppings dubbed the "Arctic Islands," then possibly to "Burns Cliff," roughly 80 meters (about 262 feet) from the rover's current position. Opportunity continues to perform very well, a testament to all those who worked so hard to get it to Mars and to those who operate it daily.
Some concerns that are being addressed are slippage, an error message from the microscopic imager and pointing errors with the front hazard-avoidance cameras.
The drive on sol 185 included a short backup, during which the rover experienced a 40 percent slip. Typical slips when driving uphill have been in the 15- to 20-percent range. More evaluation of what happened on this and other drives will be needed before any general conclusions can be made about traversability in this region. The overall slope in this area is 15 degrees, which is 10 degrees below the general threshold of concern for rocky terrain. Sol 185 ended on Aug. 1.
There have been four instances of a warning message in the last ten sols that indicate a problem getting data from the microscopic imager. The messages indicate that the data was corrupted, and that a retry was necessary to receive the data without error. In all cases, the retry succeeded in transferring the data. This problem has not been seen before on either vehicle.
The new front hazard-avoidance camera models may need some more tweaking. Pointing errors were greater than expected on two recent placements of the instrument deployment device (robotic arm). The error is such that rover planners can still confidently place the instruments, provided that a 2-centimeter (0.8-inch) offset can be safely tolerated. If more precision is needed, planners must first use the microscopic imager to survey the target, then wait one sol before placing any instruments.
Sol highlights:
181 - A very accurate drive placed the target "Mackenzie" squarely in Opportunity's work volume.
182 - A two-hour hour rock abrasion tool (RAT) operation at Mackenzie was followed by an observation with the Mössbauer spectrometer. On this sol, Opportunity took panoramic camera images during the abrasion tool operation for the first time. The images were normal. Being able to use the panoramic camera and abrasion tool in parallel is one of the items on the "teach your dog new tricks" list, an effort to help the rover multi-task. The rover went into deep sleep this sol.
183 - Opportunity completed the Mössbauer observation of the RAT hole at Mackenzie, then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the hole for an observation to start at 4 a.m. the next morning. (This instrument works best when very cold).
184 - The rover took microscopic imager pictures of the Mackenzie RAT hole, stowed the arm, then backed up to observe the hole with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover drove forward roughly 8 meters (26 feet) to Inuvik, using visual odometry to gauge the amount of slip. The drive left Opportunity to the right of the intended location because the rover slipped towards the fall line of the crater, causing the vehicle to effectively arc to the right. Deep sleep was invoked.
185 - Opportunity performed a short maneuver to get Tuktoyuktuk into the arm's work volume. Slippage was greater than expected during the uphill part of that move, so Opportunity ended up with only the upper part of the target in the work volume. That turned out to be good enough to perform a full set of arm work, which is planned for sols 186 through 188. The rover took panoramic camera images of the area between Inuvik and the Arctic Islands for the purposes of evaluating that drive. It turned the inertial measurement unit on again during the afternoon communications relay. This is another item on the "new tricks" list that, if successful, will allow rover planners to turn the vehicle during communication passes to optimize the data return. The rover again used deep sleep.
sol 177-180, July 30, 2004: Opportunity Sees Double
Opportunity marked its 180th sol on Mars without pausing to celebrate. Originally slated for missions of 90 sols each, both Spirit and Opportunity have passed the double-mission milestone and are continuing their phenomenal journeys of discovery.
On sol 177 Opportunity performed a two-hour rock abrasion tool grind on the target "Diamond Jenness," then took the resulting hole's picture with the microscopic imager. Surface debris and the bumpy shape of the rock apparently contributed to a shallow and irregular hole, only about 2 millimeters or .08 inches deep, not enough to take out all the bumps and leave a neat hole with a smooth floor. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer examined the rock's composition in the abraded area during early morning of sol 178.
The team decided that sol 178 would be used to grind into "Diamond Jenness" again in hopes of deepening the hole. The sequence went extremely well with the rock abrasion tool grinding almost an additional 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches). The rover then started a Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the deepened hole.
On sol 179 the rover completed the Mössbauer integration, gathered some remote-sensing data, then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the abraded hole for an early-morning integration at cold temperature on sol 180. This double integration of the hole (once on sol 178 at an intermediate depth and then a second one at full depth) will give the science team a unique opportunity to evaluate how the composition changes with depth.
On sol 180, which ended on July 27, the rover stowed its arm and drove back up the slope about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet), then turned a little to the right to go back down about 0.5 meters (about 1.6 feet). The drive up was to gain a vantage point from which to image the abraded hole in "Diamond Jenness" with the panoramic camera and to evaluate characteristics of the driving on this particular terrain. The drive back down and to the right served to position the rover for potentially proceeding farther into the crater (avoiding a sandy patch to its left). It also left the rover at a better angle for communications in the afternoon. The drive went well, with less slip that anticipated, reinforcing the team's confidence in driving back up out of the crater on some future sol.
In general, the rover continues to perform well, benefiting from a predominantly northward tilt and the greater solar-array energy that affords. The Mars Odyssey orbiter continues to perform as the rover's primary source of data return. The location on the slope of "Endurance Crater" and intensive use of the instrument arm hinder rover drivers from orienting Opportunity optimally for the radio relays to Odyssey. The level of communication is acceptable for now and the team expects that, some sol, Opportunity will venture back out of the crater to explore to new places. When the rover is on flatter ground, the team can optimize communications with Odyssey more often.
sol 174-176, July 27, 2004: Opportunity Pokes Around Pig
On sol 174, Opportunity completed close-up examination of a rock target called "Arnold Ziffel" using the rover's microscopic imager, Mössbauer spectrometer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. All observations were successful.
Leaving Arnold Ziffel on sol 175, Opportunity backed up to capture an image the results of the close-up work, and then moved on down slope to a new target. This move will leave the rover about 13 meters (about 43 feet) down from the lip of the crater. The rover was put into deep-sleep, energy-saving status overnight from sol 175 to sol 176.
Sol 176, ending on July 23, was a driving day. Opportunity moved down the slope (and east) to a position to investigate a target called "Diamond Jenness." Everything executed as planned, leaving the rover in a great position to grind into the target with its rock abrasion tool.
The engineering team is looking into a concern about the driving surface. The downslope pavement requires close examination before the rover traverses, to ensure the sand covering the pavement is still capable of supporting Opportunity. Recent experience has shown up to 30 percent slip.
sol 170-173, July 26, 2004: Opportunity Lives High off the Hog
Opportunity continued its exploration of "Endurance Crater" the past five sols, and is now roughly 11 meters (about 36 feet) into the crater. The only drive during this period was on sol 171, when the rover turned around, backed down across the slope, then turned towards a feature called "Razorback." Razorback is a vertical fracture in the local bedrock that may contain sediment deposits with clues about the water history in this area. The team's near-term plan is to follow Razorback farther down into the crater, at least another 7 meters (about 23 feet). Slopes at Opportunity's present location and immediately downward are in the 15- to 20-degree range, which is a comfortable range for driving.
Despite the gentler slopes, the slip is still difficult to predict, as evidenced by the sol 171 drive. In that series of maneuvers, the rover slipped roughly 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) more than expected. Opportunity ended up farther downslope than desired, with what appears to be a broken piece of Razorback within arm's reach. The decision was made to stay put and use the suite of science instruments on sols 173 and 174 to see if this rock, dubbed "Arnold Ziffel" (after a pig on the TV series, "Green Acres"), was different from the surrounding bedrock.
A minor concern about a temperature sensor on the rock abrasion tool that is functioning intermittently has been resolved. This sensor is used to determine the starting temperature of the tool's motors, which in turn is used to set motor control parameters. The rock abrasion tool team plans to use a nearby temperature sensor on the arm turret for the same purpose and is not expecting the loss of this temperature sensor to affect the rover's ability to use the tool.
Sol Highlights:
170 - Used panoramic camera to image Razorback and "Flatland" (a clean patch of bedrock nearby).
171 - Drive of 3.7 meters (about 12 feet). Total odometry is now 1,478 meters (just over nine-tenths of a mile). Used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to analyze some nearby geologic features. Took a 360-degree navigation camera mosaic.
172 - Used the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer instruments to image the solar panels and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer instrument's calibration target as part of a continuing evaluation of dust accumulation. Turned on the rover inertial measurement unit during the afternoon Odyssey communication-relay pass as an experiment in support of our "teach your dog new tricks" campaign. If the inertial measurement unit does not adversely affect the communication, the team may be able to turn the rover during the communication relay sessions to increase the data return.
173 - Took a two-by-two microscopic imager mosaic of Arnold Ziffel, to be used on sol 174 (ending on July 21) for more accurate placement of the Mössbauer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer instruments.
sol 166-169, July 20, 2004: Opportunity Multi-Tasks on the Slopes of 'Endurance Crater'
Sol 166's tasks for Spirit included imaging of possible traverse paths inside "Endurance Crater," then the start of a long period of data collection by the Mössbauer spectrometer on a target called "Dahlia." All went as planned.
Sol 167 saw completion of the Mössbauer spectrometer's long integration at Dahlia, acquisition of some microscopic imager pictures, and placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the capture magnet, which is one of the two magnets on the front of the rover deck. In the early morning hours of sol 168, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer collected data at this magnet. The composition of material sticking to the magnet is what interests scientists.
On sol 168, the rover lifted the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer off the capture magnet and replaced it with the Mössbauer spectrometer for the start of a long integration with that instrument. These complementary measurements of the material on the capture magnet should provide insight into the composition and magnetic properties of the dust around the rover. Remote-sensing activities were also performed.
On sol 169, the rover drove deeper into the crater. A judgment had been made that the terrain in front of the rover would be no more difficult to traverse than terrain the rover had already crossed. Further, the science team was very interested in some geologic features about 3 to 4 meters (about 10 to 13 feet) down the slope, next to and including a rock called "Knossos." The rover stowed its arm and trundled down the nearly 30-degree slope, arriving on a more-level area exactly where engineers intended. The rover is now below the steepest part of the inner slope in this part of the crater.
Up to this point, Opportunity had not been commanded to take any images during an ultra-high-frequency (UHF) relay session with orbiting spacecraft. Testing prior to launch suggested that there could be electromagnetic interference that would degrade the telemetry link, so operations had carefully kept those activities separate. However, time could be used more efficiently if the rover could simultaneously take images and communicate. As an experiment, the rover was commanded to take navigation camera and panoramic camera images while transmitting on sols 167 and 168, respectively. The quality of data sent during use of the navigation camera has been analyzed, and there seems to have been no ill effect. Data is still being analyzed from the transmission during use of the panoramic camera. The UHF relay session returned the expected amount of data. In both cases, no degradation of images was expected or seen. Based on this experiment, the engineering team will consider lifting the restriction against imaging during a UHF session.
sol 159-163, July 15, 2004: Opportunity Reading Rock Within its Reach
Opportunity has not moved (intentionally or otherwise) since its stabilizing maneuver on sol 158. The rover has been using the instruments on its arm and mast to study the rocks at its current location, which is in the sixth layer encountered on the way into "Endurance Crater." Opportunity remains in excellent health. Deep sleep has been invoked every other night to save energy; the miniature thermal emission spectrometer continues to operate nominally despite temperatures as low as -53 degrees Celsius (-127 degrees Fahrenheit) on some nights.
Opportunity is due for a set of "corrective lenses" (new hazard-avoidance camera models) after the trial run of new camera models is complete on Opportunity's twin rover, Spirit. In the meantime, the rover team has been using microscopic imager mosaics to locate targets when the hazard-avoidance camera-based targeting is not sufficient.
The mechanical team is investigating an anomaly involving the door on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The spectrometer has two contact switches; one that indicates its doors are open, another that indicates it is fully in contact with its target. For the purpose of opening the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors on sol 161, engineers placed the spectrometer on the compositional calibration target, a rock disc with a known composition that is located on the underbelly of Opportunity. It is used to calibrate the Mössbauer instrument periodically. The team expected both contact switches to trip on that move; only the in-contact switch tripped. The next sol, when the spectrometer was removed from its rock target, a front hazard-avoidance camera image indicated that the doors were fully open. A subsequent move to close the doors resulted in only partial closure. The team tried again to open, then close the doors and was successful, with the doors fully open, then fully closed during that maneuver. The door-open contact switch, however, once again did not trigger as expected during that maneuver. Since the team is still able to safely open and close the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors, full use of the instrument is not compromised.
Sol Summaries:
sol 159: The operations team planned this sol's activity a day in advance so that they could a enjoy a much-deserved holiday on July 4th, resulting in a relatively quiet sol on Mars for Spirit. The sol's activities included daily miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera atmospheric observations. A calibration of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer vertical scan mirror actuator was also conducted. The vertical scan mirror actuator operates like a periscope, allowing the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to target things vertically from the ground to the sky.
sol 160: Opportunity forfeited deep sleep overnight from sol 159 to sol 160 to take advantage of an optimal communication window with Mars Odyssey. We used the microscopic imager to take a mosaic of the "Drammensfjorden" location on the rock "Millstone," which is in layer "F" of Endurance Crater. The microscopic images were taken to enable the accurate placement of the rock abrasion tool on sol 161. The Mössbauer spectrometer was then placed on the compositional calibration target (CCT). This was the first such use of the CCT and was done partially out of concern that the instrument's behavior might be affected by the rover's present tilt of roughly 25 degrees. The rover team put Opportunity into a deep sleep the night of sol 160.
sol 161: The rover awoke from deep sleep to make some early morning atmospheric observations, including another attempt to image clouds. Later that morning the Mössbauer instrument was stopped and removed from the CCT. The rock abrasion tool was then used on the target Drammensfjorden, creating a 6.3mm (a quarter of an inch)-deep hole during the two and one-half hour sequence. The day ended with more atmospheric observations and a placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the abraded rock abrasion tool hole.
sol 162: Opportunity woke up in the wee hours of sol 162 for an Odyssey communication session and to start the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observation. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer collected data from the hole in Drammensfjorden until 10:30 a.m. local solar time. The data indicated that the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors were fully open, despite the failure of the door-open switch to trigger when the doors were opened on the CCT. The rover then took a series of microscopic images of the rock abrasion tool hole before starting a Mössbauer integration at the same location. The Mössbauer integrated until the team invoked deep sleep at 7p.m. local solar time, and was restarted after deep sleep at 7a.m. the next sol.
sol 163: Rover engineers stopped the Mössbauer then successfully opened and closed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors for diagnostic purposes. The rover arm was then stowed and the rover began a two-sol panoramic camera science survey of areas upslope from our current position.
sol 154-158, July 07, 2004: Opportunity Tests its Mettle on Slopes of 'Endurance Crater'
Sol 154 consisted of Opportunity completing activities on the target "Kettlestone," including a long Mössbauer integration, some microscopic images and placement of the arm for a little early morning alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration to occur on the morning of Sol 155. The rover then went to sleep.
Sol 155 began with an early morning Mars Odyssey UHF relay of about 60 megabits of data, followed by a completion of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on Kettlestone. The rover then performed a calibration activity with the arm, consisiting of moving the arm into about 20 different poses and imaging each pose with the front hazard-avoidance cameras. From the stereo images and the reported position of the arm, the rover team will be able to update models and better target the instruments onto surface features in the future. Some miniature thermal emission spectrometer activity was conducted midday, and then the rover drove backwards about 1 meter (3.3 feet). The drive backwards served two purposes: first, it positioned the rover to image the most recent rock abrasion tool holes with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer; secondly, it gave the team an opportunity to evaluate driving back up over the "curb" that was considered so difficult before traversing on sol 150. The drive back up over the curb went very well. Slip was estimated at around 11 percent, admirable for such a traverse.
On sol 156, due to an incorrect time conversion, the rover team failed to get the intended command load to the spacecraft at the right time. As a result, the spacecraft executed a backup set of minimal activities and returned about 80 megabits of data through Odyssey in the afternoon.
On sol 157 the rover acquired some images of the rock abrasion tool holes from previous sols. Then it drove down the hill to approach the next target. It drove beautifully and achieved its goal location. However, due to the large slopes (final rover tilt was 28.6 degrees), Opportunity ended the drive with the right rear wheel apparently slightly above the terrain (not touching anything). Even in this state the rover appears to be stable, but the team will likely take action on the next sol to get the suspension squared up (six wheels touching) before proceeding with preparations to grind with the rock abrasion tool again. On the night of sol 157 to 158 the rover gave up deep sleep in order to preserve an exceptional morning Odyssey pass.
The very early morning of sol 158, the rover woke up to chat with the Odyssey spacecraft and returned over 100 megabits of data! The rover then started the day's activities early with an attempt to image clouds around 8:30 in the morning. It then went back to sleep until about 10:30. After the morning uplink, it acquired some microscopic images of the new target area, then stowed its arm to allow a small mobility maneuver to get all six wheels squarely planted on the ground. This seemed to go as planned and reduced the total tilt of the vehicle to only 26.4 degrees, but did not appreciably change its position. This left the rover, as desired, in position to perform science investigations on the next targets of interest.
sol 150-153, July 01, 2004: Ravenous Rock Abrasion Tool
On Sol 150, Opportunity completed Mössbauer spectrometer observations in the rock abrasion tool hole on the rock "Tennessee" (hole number 3). The rover then stowed its arm, drove 0.55 meters (1.8 feet) backwards, turned to 40 degrees and then drove 1 meter (3.3 feet) forward. That was a net forward motion of 0.45 meters (1.5 feet) down-crater. This drive enabled Opportunity to reach two targets in the fifth distinct layer (E) of "Endurance Crater." The night of sol 150 into morning of sol 151, Opportunity did not do a deep sleep.
It was time to get to work again drilling another rock abrasion tool hole on sol 151. Opportunity began the sol by performing panoramic camera images, then it unstowed its arm and used the microscopic imager to capture the next drilling target, "Grindstone." After using the microscopic imager, Opportunity spend two hours grinding and created another precise hole. Upon completing the grinding operation, Opportunity placed the Mössbauer in the hole and performed a long integration. Opportunity did a mini-deep sleep operation overnight from sol 151 into the morning of sol 152. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer reached a chilly -51 degrees Celsius overnight.
On sol 152, Opportunity completed the observations on the hole on Grindstone. When the rover woke up from deep sleep at 7:00a.m. local solar time, it turned on the Mössbauer spectrometer and integrated until mid-afternoon. When the Mössbauer integration was complete, the rover switched tools to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the hole.
On sol 153 Opportunity ended the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration, and set its sights on still another rock abrasion tool target. This time Opportunity stretched its arm out just a little farther down into the crater to a target called "Kettlestone." Grinding again for just over two hours, Opportunity successfully created the fifth hole on the slopes of Endurance Crater. The last two grind operations took place on a slope of -25.6 degrees. Just as on sol 151, after completing the drilling operation, Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer in the new hole and collected data late into the night. Shutting down late at night, Opportunity deep slept until 7:00a.m. local solar time on sol 154.
Total odometry after sol 153 was 1468.46 meters (0.91246 mile).
sol 144-149, June 29, 2004: Rock Abrasion Tool Hops from 'Virginia' to 'London'
While Opportunity is hard at work inside "Endurance Crater," engineers at JPL are busy testing engineering models in the Lab's simulated martian environment. A tilt platform is being used to determine Opportunity's ability to climb back up over the "curb" below its current location.
On sol 144, Opportunity completed the Mössbauer spectrometer integration on the rock abrasion tool hole on the "Cobble Hill" area. Microscopic images were also collected.
Sol 145 was a busy day, with the rover collecting more post-rock abrasion tool Cobble Hill and pre-"Virginia" microscopic images. The tool then bored a 4.3-millimeter (0.17 inches) hole in Virginia. Deep sleep mode was invoked for the overnight hours.
Sol 146 was used to examine the newly-abraded hole with the microscopic imager and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
On sol 147 the rover performed a long Mössbauer spectrometer integration on Virginia and completed some remote sensing from its location in the crater. After relaying the data through both Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey, Opportunity went into deep sleep mode for the night.
"London" was Opportunity's target on sol 148. The rock abrasion tool ground a 4.5-millimeter (0.18 inches) hole in the rock. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was then placed on the hole for integration.
On sol 149 the rover continued to scrutinize London with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the microscopic imager. A Mössbauer spectrometer integration was initiated and will be completed on sol 150. Deep sleep mode was invoked for the overnight hours.
sol 141-143, June 22, 2004: Edging Down 'Endurance'
Opportunity is showing no signs of middle age as it continues to work in "Endurance Crater." The rover has spent the last few sols inching farther down into the crater, making observations and pushing the limits. Managing resources as the rover's tilt angle changes is challenging and keeps the rover planning team very busy.
On sol 141 Opportunity completed post-rock abrasion tool Mössbauer spectrometer observations on the rock called "Tennessee." Having spent the last four sols investigating Tennessee, Opportunity stowed its arm and moved deeper into Endurance Crater. A 0.70-meter (2.3 feet) drive positioned the vehicle to begin observations on the first contact point, a transition between two different geologic layers. As it turns out, after arriving at the rover's new location and taking images, there appears to be not one contact point, but three contact points all within reach of the arm. Opportunity then performed 2.5 hours of remote observations using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then went into deep sleep mode for the night.
On sol 142 Opportunity begin another series of microscopic imager observations on three different targets: "Bluegrass," "Siula Grande" and "Churchill." The rover then performed alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Mössbauer spectrometer integrations overnight.
On sol 143 Opportunity again used its rock abrasion tool, but not without some consternation from the uplink team. In order to grind using the rock abrasion tool, a minimum of force must be used to push the tool onto the target. With the vehicle tilted 23.2 degrees, there was concern that applying too much force could cause the vehicle to lose traction on the slope and slide farther into the crater, possibly damaging the arm. Concerns were pacified when the rock abrasion tool operation worked flawlessly, abrading approximately 3 millimeters (about 0.12 inches) into the rock called "Cobble Hill."
sol 138-140, June 18, 2004: Diggin' into 'Tennessee'
Opportunity spent sol 138 grinding an 8.12-millimeter (0.32 inch) hole into the rock target called "Tennessee." It took the rover 2 hours and 4 minutes to complete this grind, which is the deepest yet of the mission. After all this hard work, the rover went into a deep sleep for the night.
On sol 139, Opportunity used the microscopic imager to analyze the hole in Tennessee. The rover also performed both a daytime Mössbauer spectrometer observation and an overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the abraded surface.
Opportunity was busy finishing up some miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations of Tennessee on sol 140 and then began a long Mössbauer integration that ran for the entire sol. Opportunity enjoyed some more deep sleep after these activities and will finish up the last of the Tennessee observations the morning of sol 141.
sol 134-137, June 15, 2004: Exploring Endurance
Opportunity is becoming accustomed to its new sloped home inside "Endurance Crater." There are positives and negatives to the rover's new position and orientation. The solar array is oriented toward the northeast, which maximizes solar power in the morning and also warms the high gain antenna actuator faster, so heating is no longer required before the morning communications session. On the downside, the UHF communications sessions have degraded slightly at this orientation.
On sol 134, Opportunity drove 3.9 meters (about 13 feet) into Endurance Crater, then backed up 1.4 meters (4.6 feet), remaining inside the crater. Drive slippage and vehicle tilt was as predicted by the engineering team. An hour's worth of remote sensing completed the sol. Opportunity then performed deep sleep overnight into the morning of sol 135.
On sol 135, Opportunity drove 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) deeper into Endurance Crater to a position that was about the deepest point it reached on sol 134. This short drive was intended to allow for detailed imaging of the first likely target for the instrument arm, a rock called "Tennessee." The drive went exactly as planned, leaving Opportunity with a final tilt of -19.44 degrees and a heading of 62.5 degrees. The rover then performed almost two hours of remote sensing, then set up for another night of deep sleep.
Sol 136 was spent performing a series of panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations from sol 135's final location. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer performed atmospheric measurements and an overnight observation during the early morning pass by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Part one of a planned ingress (entry) survey campaign with the panoramic camera was initiated.
On sol 137, Opportunity approached the rock target referred to as Tennessee. Opportunity drove 1.19 meters (3.9 feet) deeper into Endurance Crater, placing Tennessee perfectly within the instrument arm's reach. The rover is in position to perform the first series of arm operations starting on sol 139. Deep sleep mode was again invoked overnight from sol 137 to sol 138. The plans for the coming sols include grinding into Tennessee with the rock abrasion tool and investigating it with the rover's spectrometers.
Total odometry after sol 137 is 1,466.16 meters (more than nine-tenths of a mile)!
sol 130-133, June 10, 2004: Opportunity Takes A Dip
On sol 130 Opportunity traversed a total of about 45 meters (about 147.6 feet). About 39 meters (about 127.9 feet) of that was counter-clockwise along the edge of "Endurance Crater," and 6 meters (about 19.7 feet) toward the crater rim. The sol ended with the rover about 10 meters (32.8 feet) from the crater rim. The traverse ended up about 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) short of what was commanded due to a slightly uneven patch of ground that the rover seemed to run across near the end of the drive. Driving over this tripped a suspension limit that rover planners had set to help prevent inadvertently driving into difficult terrain. Deep sleep was again invoked for the night of sol 130 to 131.
On sol 131 the rover successfully traversed up the slope to the crater edge, took a detailed set of images and then backed off a little to optimize its orientation for the rover's communications passes. These images will aid in the project's assessment of traversing on the interior slopes of Endurance Crater in this vicinity. Deep sleep was not invoked on this night, in favor of relaying data to Mars Odyssey in the early morning on sol 132.
On sol 132 the rover re-approached the crater rim at the location and orientation most advantageous for the "pre-dip" into the crater. This approach was designed to just crest the edge of the crater and leave the rover roughly level (with the front two wheels in the crater). The drive executed beautifully.
On sol 133 the rover executed the first real "dip" into Endurance Crater. The intent was to go far enough in that all wheels would be on the slope of the crater, and then come all the way back out, proving that the rover was capable of getting back out before going very deep. The other main objective was to gather information on the degree and nature of any slip that would be experienced while traversing the crater wall. The execution went extremely well, with slips and disturbance of the terrain well below acceptable levels, giving the team confidence that the rover is capable of going deeper. The engineering team will continue to characterize the variety of slopes and materials that Opportunity will encounter deeper in the crater.
sol 127-129, June 10, 2004: To Ingress or Not to Ingress
Engineers and scientists on the Mars Exploration Rover project continue to contemplate the safety and viability of a trek into "Endurance Crater."
After a "deep sleep" overnight, Opportunity began its 127th sol with a three and one-half hour nap. Upon awaking, the rover drove 50 meters (164 feet) on a directed drive, turned to face Endurance Crater and took images using its front hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity then performed 45 minutes of remote sensing using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then supported an afternoon and overnight Mars Odyssey data pass.
Foregoing deep sleep over the sol 127 night, sol 128 was spent approaching the crater rim. The drive took about 10 minutes and moved Opportunity 13.4 meters (44 feet), coming to rest about 5 meters (16.4 feet) from the lip of the crater. The remainder of the day was spent supporting two afternoon Odyssey passes. The rover then underwent its sixth deep sleep cycle into the morning of sol 129.
On sol 129, it was decided that Opportunity was not in the most advantageous location for entering the crater. The rover was commanded to move approximately 50 meters (164 feet) back along the crater rim, close to the rock called "Lion Stone." After a 4.5-meter (14.7 feet) bump toward the rim and some navigation and hazard-avoidance camera images, the rover backed up 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) and then drove 8 meters (26.2 feet) toward Lion Stone. Power limited the total drive duration. Instead of utilizing the deep sleep mode overnight into sol 130, Opportunity again supported two Odyssey passes that returned a large volume of data to Earth.
After sol 129, Opportunity's odometer read 1,395.91 meters (4,579.76 feet).
Sols 130 and beyond will see Opportunity drive farther toward the possible point of ingress (entry).
sol 123-127, June 10, 2004: Opportunity Sols 123-127 Mission Update
On Opportunity's 123rd sol the rover completed an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer activity and performed a Mössbauer spectrometer read on the target called "McDonnell." The rover also acquired microscopic images before repositioning to set up for instrument deployment device (arm) work on the target referred to as "Pyrrho." This interesting rock on the Endurance rim has a braided ripple pattern. After more remote sensing, Opportunity successfully went into "deep sleep" mode to conserve energy overnight and into the morning of sol 124.
Awakening from deep sleep on sol 124, Opportunity performed miniature thermal emission spectrometer activities, proving that the instrument was, once again, able to survive the cold martian night without its heater running. The rover also acquired 75 microscopic images and performed a Mössbauer integration on Pyrrho before executing another repositioning to put the target rock called "Diogenes" within the instrument arm's work volume. This short drive was perfect and set the scene for rover planners to access nearly any point on this rock filled with intriguing disc-shaped cavities. Opportunity again took advantage of the deep sleep mode overnight into the morning of sol 125.
On Sol 125, the rover acquired 76 microscopic images on Diogenes. Very little else was done on this sol, as rover planners opted not to enter deep sleep in favor of waking up for the morning Mars Odyssey pass on Sol 126. Because it performed extensive instrument arm work and stayed awake for two Odyssey passes, the rover drained a fair amount from its battery.
Sol 126 was a very active sol, beginning with a quick placement of the Mössbauer instrument on Diogenes. The rover then napped for about two hours while the Mössbauer performed its integration. Upon waking, the rover stowed its arm and began a mobility test and preparation activity that will aid rover planners should they decide to traverse down steep rocky slopes in Endurance Crater. This set of activities included a draw-bar pull activity where the front rover wheels are locked and dragged back across rocks by driving the other four wheels backwards for about one meter (3.3 feet). The draw-bar pull is intended to give insight into the friction between the wheels and the rock surface at this site. The other mobility preparation activity was to scuff each wheel on the surface by driving one wheel at a time for a few rotations in each direction (with all the other wheels locked). This "pawing at the ground" activity was intended to scrub off the anodized layer on the surfaces of the wheels, which will allow for better grip. After these mobility activities, Opportunity traversed about 72 meters (236.2 feet) west around the crater towards "Karatepe." This very busy day also included relaying about 190 Megabits of data through Odyssey with two back-to-back afternoon passes. All this was made possible by having the option of deep sleep to save energy overnight, which Opportunity took full advantage of overnight into sol 127.
The plan for the coming sols involves approaching the rim of Endurance and imaging potential entry points to aid in the decision of whether or not to enter the crater.
sol 115-116, May 25, 2004: Opportunity on the Edge
On Sol 115 Opportunity drove 11.7 meters (38.4 feet), coming to rest about 3 meters (10 feet) from the edge of "Endurance Crater," as intended. Rover planners had commanded Opportunity to go 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) farther, but the rover decided to stop when it "saw" the edge of the crater in the navigation camera images. This was actually a more conservative response than necessary, as it would have been safe to complete the drive. Rover planners are looking into changing the way they send commands to prevent this over-conservatism next time.
Opportunity used its navigation camera to acquire images showing its proximity to the crater. On Sol 116 Opportunity turned slightly to the right and crept a little closer to the edge of Endurance Crater to get into just the right position to set up camp for a few sols. The rover executed this 1.5 meter (4.9 feet) traverse as planned, ending up facing northwest with a total tilt of about 8 degrees pitched "nose-up". From this position, Opportunity will make many observations with the panoramic camera and mini thermal emission spectrometer to fully characterize the parts of the crater that can be seen from here. Opportunity now sits only about 1 meter from the edge of the crater, and there is a sloping drop-off of about 40 degrees dead ahead.
sol 112, May 18, 2004: A Sol for Rest and Recharging.
Opportunity is healthy, but feeling a bit sluggish today. The rover's 40-meter (131 feet) traverse along the southern edge of "Endurance Crater" on sol 111, and a sol 112 error with a Deep Space Network command transmission have resulted in a low battery state of charge.
The sol 111 drive put Opportunity on an 8-degree slope that tilted the rover away from the Sun and limited the amount of direct sunlight that could reach the solar panels.
To help the battery recover to its normal state of charge, rover planners had built a sol 112 plan that deleted two of the three UHF windows. Unfortunately, a Deep Space Network configuration error prevented the command load from reaching Opportunity on sol 112 and, as expected in such cases, the rover executed the onboard run-out sequence, which included an hour of remote sensing and the three on-board UHF communication windows.
Sol 113 will be a sol for sleep and recharging for Opportunity. On sol 114, the rover will do some limited remote sensing in the morning, but will generally take it easy over the next few sols in order to fully charge the batteries. The limited activity over the next few sols will focus on moving towards the Endurance Crater rim and a new position for panoramic camera imaging.
sol 107-111, May 17, 2004: Opportunity Digs, Scuffs, and Cruises.
On sol 107, Opportunity successfully drilled a hole into "Lion Stone" with the rock abrasion tool. Since the surface of the rock was fairly uneven, the tool had to work through some high spots before getting a good bite on the rock for a full circular hole. Sol 107 ended at 6:44 a.m. May 13 PDT, with a nighttime integration of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to reveal elemental composition of the inner part of the rock.
On Sol 108, which ended at 7:24 a.m. May 14, PDT, the rover finished up its work on Lion Stone by analyzing the rock abrasion tool hole with the Mössbauer spectrometer and taking microscopic images to create a mosaic of the hole. Opportunity then moved away from Lion Stone and continued traversing counterclockwise around the crater. Opportunity drove 32 meters (105 feet) to the top of a small ridge for a better view of where to drive on Sol 109.
On Sol 109 and sol 110, which ended at 8:04 a.m. May 15, PDT, and 8:43 a.m. May 16, PDT, respectively, Opportunity drove about 41 meters (135 feet) each sol. Opportunity ended the drive on May 16 with a "scuff" of the soil and rocks under the front wheel. This scuff action produced an interesting dislodged plate of some kind. The scientists will be making some additional observations of different pebbles on the ground in the sol 111 plan.
Opportunity is driving along the south edge of Endurance Crater, with a southward tilt of about 8 degrees. The Sun is now at higher latitudes (south hemisphere winter is coming), so a southward tilt robs the rover of total solar array energy. This is making it more difficult to perform many activities. In a couple of sols when Opportunity drives to flatter ground near the crater edge to take the next large panorama, the energy situation is expected to improve.
Opportunity has driven a total of 1,170 meters (3,839 feet or 0.7 miles).
sol 103-106, May 13, 2004: Crater Cruise
On Sol 103, Opportunity traversed approximately 13 meters (about 43 feet) farther south along the eastern rim of "Endurance Crater," reaching the beginning of the "Karatepe" area. On sol 104, the rover approached "Lion Stone," a rock at the crater's edge that stands about 10 centimeters tall (about 4 inches) and is about 30 centimeters long (12 inches). This brought Opportunity's total mission odometry to 1,054meters (3,458 feet)!
On Sol 105, Opportunity acquired a series of microscopic images of Lion Stone and the surrounding soil.
The rover then went on to collect a short Mössbauer integration on the rock during the day, performed a tool change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in late afternoon, and acquired that integration in the early morning of Sol 106. That sol also included additional microscopic images and a successful "bump" maneuver to reposition the rover so the top of Lion Stone was in position for the rock abrasion tool on Sol 107. Remote sensing was also acquired during the two sols, including panoramic camera images of the heatshield that protected Opportunity during its toasty trip through the martian atmosphere. The heatshield impacted approximately 250 meters (about 820 feet) south of Endurance Crater.
Plans for Sol 107 are to perform a rock abrasion tool grind on Lion Stone with subsequent microscopic images and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer overnight integration. The tentative plan for Sol 108 is to leave Lion Stone and begin traverse to observation position 2 on the southeastern rim of Endurance Crater.
sol 101-102, May 10, 2004: 'Deep Sleep' Gives Opportunity More Energy to Cruise the Crater
Opportunity awoke on sol 102 from its first "deep sleep." This set of activities was initiated to conserve the energy that is being used by the instrument arm's stuck-on heater switch. During deep sleep, rover planners power off the main electronics at night and open the switches that supply battery power to the main power bus, and in turn nearly all the secondary electronics. In particular this removes power input to the Rover Power Distribution Unit, which normally supplies power to the stuck-on heater. With the Rover Power Distribution Unit input turned off, the heater cannot burn any energy either. In the morning, when the sun strikes the solar panel array, the Battery Control Board resets and connects the batteries to the main power bus again. At this time, the stuck-on heater again draws power, but this will only be for a few hours in the morning instead of all night.
The most vulnerable instrument to the cold martian nights is the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. With a cutoff of the power electronics, its heater cannot keep it warm overnight. Data returned on sol 102 showed the temperature reached -46 degrees Celsius (-50.8 degrees Fahrenheit), a bit warmer than the spectrometer's lowest proven temperature for functionality, -50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit).
Rover planners commanded Opportunity to take a drive during the afternoon of sol 102 to the south, along the edge of the crater toward a dark rock in the vicinity.
More remote sensing was conducted, including miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements that confirmed the instrument is still functioning normally after deep sleep.
Wake-up songs for the sols were "Morning has Broken" by Cat Stevens; "Hallelujah Chorus" from George Frideric Handel's Messiah; and "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin.
sol 98-99, May 06, 2004: An Eyeful at 'Endurance'
Opportunity continues to gaze at the incredible "Endurance Crater" from its vantage point on the western rim. Remote sensing, including gathering of imagery of two potential traverse targets just inside the northern edge and southwestern edge of the crater, will continue on the rover's 100th sol.
sol 94-97, May 03, 2004: Opportunity Arrives at 'Endurance Crater'
After a 50-meter (164-foot) drive on sol 94, which ended at 10:10 p.m. April 29 PDT, and the final approach of 17 meters (56 feet) on sol 95, which ended at 10:49 p.m. April 30 PDT, Opportunity arrived on the western rim of "Endurance Crater" and began surveying the spectacular new view.
Opportunity sits about half a meter (1.6 feet) outside the edge of the crater with a positive pitch of 4.7 degrees, meaning the rover is slightly tilted with its head up. The western side of the crater rim slopes down in front of Opportunity with an angle of about 18 degrees for about 17 meters (56 feet).
Sols 96 and 97, which ended at 11:29 p.m. May 1 PDT, and 12:08 a.m. May 3 PDT respectively, focused on remote sensing of Endurance Crater and the interesting features in and around it.
All systems are healthy and Opportunity's batteries are near a full state of charge.
The plan for sols 98 and 99, which end at 12:48 a.m. May 4 PDT and 1:28 a.m. May 5 PDT respectively, is to take advantage of Opportunity's current vantage point and take high-resolution miniature thermal emission spectrometer readings of the far crater wall.
sol 92-93, Apr 29, 2004: Opportunity Edges Its Way Toward 'Endurance'
Opportunity spent sols 92 and 93, which ended at 8:51 p.m. PDT on April 27 and 9:30 p.m. PDT on April 28 respectively, edging its way closer to "Endurance Crater." A total drive of 106 meters (347.8 feet) left the rover just 70 meters (229.7 feet) from the rim.
The pattern for these two sols has been to take pre- and post-drive remote sensing observations and imaging in the crater direction between midday energy-conserving naps.
By sol 95, Opportunity will make the final approach to Endurance Crater.
sol 90-91, Apr 27, 2004: Opportunity Achieves Mission Success!
With 811.57 meters (a little over one half of one mile) on its odometer, 12,429 images downloaded and a record for the longest one-sol drive under its belt, Opportunity completed its prime mission. Finishing 90 sols of surface operations since landing day marked completion of the last of the official success criteria for Opportunity's prime mission.
On sol 90, the rover continued with the multi-sol panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission plains photometry observations. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was busy collecting data on the soil targets "Nougat" and "Fred Ripple."
On sol 91, Opportunity completed more remote sensing and took a Mössbauer spectrometer read on Fred Ripple. The rest of the sol was spent driving. A 40-meter (131.2 feet) drive in the southeasterly direction left Opportunity only 160 meters (about 525 feet) from the rim of "Endurance Crater."
sol 88-89, Apr 27, 2004: Finishing Up at 'Fram'
On Opportunity's 88th sol, which ended at 6:12 p.m. PDT on April 23, the rover team decided that although "Fram Crater" was an intriguing depression, the potential hazards and the time involved in investigating it made it more of a tour stop than a destination.
With the goal of "Endurance Crater" in mind, the rover finished its investigation of the rock called "Pilbara." A final Mössbauer spectrometer measurement was taken, and then the miniature thermal emission spectrometer studied the recently carved rock abrasion tool hole.
The rover then successfully drove out onto the nearby plains for a photometry experiment (measurement of light detectable by the human eye). The 33-meter (about 108 feet) south-easterly drive ended with a front wheel "scuff" mark in the soil.
On the rover's 89th sol, which ended at 6:52 p.m. PDT on April 24, the microscopic imager photographed a soil target called "Nougat" within the scuff. A Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the target followed.
The photometry experiment continued on this sol along with miniature thermal emission spectrometer remote sensing.
sol 87, Apr 23, 2004: Opportunity Reviews Rock Abrasion Tool Hole
Opportunity spent its 87th sol, which ended at 5:33 p.m. PDT on April 22, gathering compositional information from the depression ground into "Pilbara" on sol 86. The Mössbauer spectrometer examined the hole before the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed there. The microscopic imager shot close-ups of Pilbara's new impression.
Data were also gathered by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
This set of activities should nearly complete a very detailed look at representative rocks and soil from "Fram Crater," which can then be compared to the "Eagle Crater" rocks and soils.
sol 86, Apr 23, 2004: Rock Abrasion Tool Pesters 'Pilbara'
Opportunity's 86th sol, which ended at 4:53 p.m. PDT on April 21, was another record-breaker! A nearly two-and-a-half hour grind produced an impressive 7.2 millimeter (about 0.28 inches) hole in the rock called "Pilbara."
The plan for the rest of the sol called for placing the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the new impression to determine the elemental composition of the exposed area. It was determined, however, that the rover position would not allow for a safe integration of the instrument. Rover planners amended the plan for the sol so the rover would back up and reposition itself for a safe placement of the spectrometer after the rock abrasion tool completed the grind.
On sol 87 the rover will analyze the rock abrasion tool hole with the alpha particle X-ray and Mössbauer spectrometers.
sol 85, Apr 21, 2004: Finally at 'Fram'
Opportunity got an up-close look at the rocky nature of "Fram Crater" as it approached the crater on sol 85, which ended at 4:13 p.m. PDT on April 20. After some morning remote sensing, the rover drove to the target rock dubbed "Pilbara," near the crater rim.
The wake-up song was "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!" by Jack Norworth in honor of all the baseball-related target names chosen this sol.
Plans called for Opportunity to grind into Pilbara with its rock abrasion tool on sol 86.
sol 84, Apr 19, 2004: On the Way to 'Fram Crater'
Opportunity began sol 84, which ended at 3:34 p.m. PST on April 19, with some remote sensing observations and analysis with the microscopic imager and Mössbauer spectrometer. At 13:13 Mars Local Solar time, Opportunity began a 25-meter (82 feet) drive toward "Fram Crater," taking images of its surroundings on the way. At the conclusion of the drive the rover acquired more remote sensing.
Opportunity will spend sol 85, which ends at 4:13 p.m. PST on April 20, 2004, using the instruments on its instrument deployment device to investigate a rock target at Fram Crater.
sol 81-82, Apr 17, 2004: Record-Setting Drive
Three days after switching to new software with mobility-enhancing features, NASA's Opportunity shattered the record for a single day's driving on Mars. The rover covered 140.9 maters (462 feet) during its 82nd sol on Mars, ending at 2:15 p.m. PDT, Saturday, May 17. That is about 40 meters farther than either the best previous one-day drive, by Opportunity two weeks ago, or the total distance covered by NASA's smaller Sojourner rover during its entire three-month mission in 1997.
The first 55 meters (180 feet) was done as a "blind" guided drive based on images acquired previously. Speed during that session averaged 120 meters (394 feet) per hour. For the rest, Opportunity used autonomous navigation, watching for obstacles, choosing its own path, and averaging 40 meters (131 feet) per hour. After the drive, the rover took forward-looking images for planning the next drive.
On the previous martian day, sol 81, Opportunity awoke with its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on a soil target called "Beagle Burrow" inside a trench the rover had dug on sol 73. The rover removed the instrument arm, stowed it, then backed up to image the trench before driving toward a crater nicknamed "Fram Crater." Opportunity then completed a 7.5-meter (24.6-foot) drive to a trough to image a rock outcrop within it with the panoramic camera. After a bit of guided driving, the rover set out using its autonomous navigation. The sol 81 drive totaled more than 40 meters (131 feet).
Nearly reaching the second of four waypoints on the way to Fram Crater, the rover imaged its new surroundings to identify any future driving hazards. An afternoon nap preceded sol 81's final science session, atmospheric observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera.
Rover controllers devoted sol 82 to driving after some morning atmospheric observations and a quick look back with the panoramic camera. The record-setting run took three hours -- a good time for a marathon. It brought Opportunity to within about 90 meters (295 feet) of Fram Crater. It also took Opportunity over the 600-meter threshold, a criterion that had been set for at least one of the Mars Exploration Rovers to achieve in order for the mission to be called a success. Opportunity has now traveled 627.7 meters (0.39 mile). Spirit passed the 600-meter threshold two weeks ago.
Rover wake-up music for sol 82 was "I Would Walk 500 Miles," by Less Than Jake (originally by the Proclaimers).
For sol 83, ending at 2:54 p.m. PDT, Sunday, April 18, another drive day is planned for Opportunity, with a goal of getting the rover close to Fram Crater. Scientists then plan to use Opportunity for some investigations of that location.
sol 80, Apr 15, 2004: A Taxing Day at the Trench
Opportunity spent sol 80, which ended at 12:55 p.m. PDT on April 15, examining the trench it dug on sol 73. The rover's microscopic imager got close-up views of the targets called "Jeff's Choice," "RipX," "Jack Russell," "Beagle Burrow" and "NewRipX" in the trench.
The navigation and panoramic cameras shot images in Opportunity's drive direction toward "Endurance Crater."
The rover's spectrometers gathered data at several of the soil targets. Atmospheric data was collected by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will make its way to "Fram Crater," a waypoint on the path to Endurance Crater.
sol 79, Apr 14, 2004: Opportunity Wakes with New "Brainpower"
Waking up to the Ramones' "Teenage Lobotomy," Opportunity began operating with new flight software on its 79th sol on Mars, which ended at 12:16 p.m. PDT on April 14.
Yestersol, the rover took daytime readings with its Mössbauer spectrometer on "Jeff's Choice" -- a soil target in the tailings of the trench that the vehicle dug on Sol 73. This sol, the rover performed a free-air integration of its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. This procedure measures the effect of the Mössbauer's radiation source on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer's sensor, allowing the science team to subtract out the Mössbauer influence for an accurate calibration.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will examine the trench with its microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
sol 78, Apr 12, 2004: Opportunity Stands Down for Flight Software Update
Opportunity began a four-sol stand-down on sol 75, which ended at 8:58 a.m. PST on April 9, 2004. During this time, the rover will receive a flight software update that should make its remaining martian days even safer and more productive. The upload will run through sol 78 with a rover re-boot on sol 79, Tuesday, April 13.
Opportunity is currently parked near the trench it dug on its 73rd martain sol. It will remain there for the duration of the flight software update. To keep the battery charge high, engineers are not planning to integrate the rover spectrometers on a target in the trailings of the trench during the flight software update.
The flight software update package includes three key changes. First is an update to the autonomous navigation software that will allow both rovers to travel longer distances autonomously. The current autonomous navigation software sometimes gets stuck when it detects a hazard that it can't navigate around. The new version will allow the rovers to turn in place to find the best possible path.
The second part of the flight software update will allow the rovers to recover more easily from an anomaly like the one that occurred on Spirit's sol 18. Although operational processes and software have already been updated to prevent something like this from ever happening again, engineers have included additional safety nets in the software that would allow the rovers to autonomously react to a similar anomaly and recover to a more stable state.
The third portion of the update is specific to Opportunity and is intended to mitigate against energy loss associated with the stuck heater on Opportunity's instrument deployment device. The fix allows rover planners to put the rover in a deep sleep mode, where the batteries are totally removed from being able to power the stuck switch. Therefore, with no power reaching the stuck heater switch, the Opportunity rover battery will not be drained. Rover controllers will not initiate the deep sleep capability on Spirit unless it becomes necessary.
sol 73, Apr 08, 2004: Trough Tour Continues
Opportunity was on the move again on sol 73, which ended at 7:39 a.m. PST on April 7. The rover toured and examined the trough remotely.
Opportunity woke up to "Let the Good Times Roll" by B.B. King - a nod to Spirit's successful primary mission of 91 sols and a call for more good times during the coming sols.
sol 72, Apr 07, 2004: Traveling Around the Trough
"The Wanderer" by Dion and the Belmonts woke Opportunity on its 72nd sol, which ended at 7:39 a.m. PST on April 7. The rover drove around the sinuous trough in a long dogleg pattern. Remote sensing to examine the crevice was conducted on the 50-meter (164 feet) drive to its ultimate position for the sol, at the northeast extreme of "Anatolia."
On sol 73, the rover will perform a trenching operation in the soil. During the following sol, the instrument's arm will be placed on the trenched area.
The planned flight software upload will begin on Opportunity's 75th sol.
sol 70, Apr 06, 2004: 100-Meter Dash
Opportunity "dashed" away from the rim of its "Eagle Crater" landing-site on sol 70, which ended at 6:20 a.m. PST on April 5. The roughly 100-meter (about 328 feet) drive led the rover to a target area dubbed "Anatolia," along a sinuous crack in the plains of Meridiani Planum defined by deep impressions in the sand sprinkled with Eagle Crater-like rocks. In the coming sols Opportunity will further investigate the rocks in this "mini-outcrop."
Before leaving the vicinity of Eagle Crater, Opportunity performed a maneuver on "Bounce" rock lightheartedly called "crush and go" by the rover engineers. In order to gather further information about the rock's hardness, the intentional drive over Bounce was an attempt to fracture it. The science team is awaiting images from the rover's rear hazard avoidance camera to see the results.
An appropriate tune - "Truckin'" by The Grateful Dead - woke Opportunity this sol.
sol 68-69, Apr 05, 2004: Bidding Adieu to 'Bounce'
Over the weekend, Opportunity completed its observations at "Bounce Rock" rock and prepared for its trek toward "Endurance Crater."
On sol 68, which ended at 4:00 a.m. PST on April 3, the rover backed away from Bounce, then re-approached the rock in preparation for an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer read on the right side of it. The wake-up tune chosen for the sol was "Got to Go Back" by Van Morrison.
Opportunity made observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer during the martian morning. Then it took set of microscope images before backing away from the rock. More images were taken from that vantage point before Opportunity made a 10-degree turn in place and drove the 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) back to Bounce.
On sol 69, which ended at 5:40 a.m. PST on April 4, Opportunity completed its instrument arm work on Bounce. It also examined soil targets with its microscopic imager and Mössbauer spectrometer. The wake-up song for the sol was "Little Maggie" by Tom Adams, chosen for the soil target named "Maggie."
In coming sols Opportunity will make progress in a 750-meter (nearly a half mile) drive to Endurance Crater. The rover team plans to make pit stops along the way at scientifically interesting sites and will pause other activities for a few sols while the rover gets new flight software.
sol 67, Apr 02, 2004: 'Bounce' Barraged by Instruments
In recognition of changing the instruments on its arm nine times, David Bowie's "Changes" woke Opportunity on its 67th sol on Mars, which ended at 3:21 a.m. PST on April 2.
The rover continued to examine "Bounce" with the microscopic imager and the Mössbauer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometers.
During the martian morning, the Mössbauer spectrometer was turned off before atmospheric science was conducted with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera.
The afternoon hours were dedicated to intensive study of a handful of targets on Bounce, including the impression ground by the rock abrasion tool on sol 66.
Opportunity will continue to investigate Bounce for the next two sols and then begin its journey toward "Endurance Crater."
sol 66, Apr 01, 2004: Biting into 'Bounce'
Opportunity's rock abrasion tool ground into "Bounce" for just over two hours, producing a 6.44-millimeter (0.25 inch) hole that will allow the rover's spectrometer's to analyze the rock's chemical composition.
Bon Jovi's "Bounce" woke Opportunity on its 66th sol, which ended at 2:41 a.m. PST on April 1. The martian morning began with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observing a target called "Glanz2" on Bounce. Miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements of the ground and sky followed.
The rock abrasion tool was then placed on the target dubbed "Case." After the grind, the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the hole for an overnight integration.
In the afternoon, the rover also had time to complete more atmospheric science with its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will remain parked at the intriguing Bounce rock to continue its investigations.
sol 65, Mar 31, 2004: Opportunity 'Back in the Saddle'
Opportunity resumed science operations after waking to Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle" on its 65th sol, which ended at 2:02 a.m. PST on March 31. During the martian morning, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera studied the atmosphere. "Bounce" rock was imaged by the panoramic camera.
Opportunity's instrument arm was then deployed to get a close-up view of "Bounce" using the microscopic imager. The rock abrasion tool team used some of these images to identify the exact target for next sol's grinding operation. The Mössbauer spectrometer was then placed on a designated target on the rock for an overnight integration.
In the afternoon, Opportunity took navigation and panoramic camera images and completed more miniature thermal emission spectrometer science.
Next sol, the rover's rock abrasion tool will grind into Bounce.
sol 64, Mar 30, 2004: Opportunity Takes a Breather
On Opportunity's 64th sol, which ended at 1:22 a.m. PST on March 30, the rover team analyzed the results of engineering activities run to investigate an error message they received from the rover on sol 63.
A problem with a secondary memory file was isolated and resolved. Just as an ordinary computer disk can have corrupted sections, a corrupted file in an area where rover commands are addressed and stored has been identified. Engineers have identified the location of the problem within the memory and figuratively fenced it off, containing it and preventing it from harming any future command sequences. This minor issue has not impeded the rover from resuming normal science operations on the next sol.
The wake-up song chosen for Opportunity on this quiet sol was "Stand" by REM.
The rover is currently at the rock dubbed "Bounce." Opportunity met this rock once before; while still cloaked in its protective lander and airbags, the rover bounced on the rock while on its way to a safe landing in "Eagle Crater." Miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations have shown Bounce is rich in hematite. In the coming sols, the rover's other spectrometers will examine the rock before the rock abrasion tool grinds into a designated target.
sol 60, Mar 26, 2004: Opportunity and 'The Lion King'
On sol 60, which ended at 10:44 p.m. PST on March 25, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity had a quiet day continuing its research around the exterior of Eagle Crater.
Opportunity changed tools from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer around 11:30 Local Solar Time. In addition to the tool change, Opportunity's panoramic camera took a comprehensive color high-resolution panorama. The rover team dubbed it the "Lion King Panorama" because it is a look around Opportunity's domain from a high vantage point -- much like the view from "Pride Rock" in "The Lion King" movie. The large panorama essentially filled the remaining flash memory volume onboard the spacecraft, requiring a plan for sol 61 that minimizes data collection. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer also collected remote sensing data.
The wake up song for sol 60 was "The Circle of Life" by Elton John in honor of the Lion King panorama.
The plan for sol 61, which will end at 11:23 p.m. on March 26 PST, is to drive north to an area with dark material.
sol 59, Mar 25, 2004: Browsing Bright Material
Opportunity spent sol 59, which ended at 10:04 p.m. PST, placing the Mössbauer spectrometer on the bright material it approached yestersol, and conducting more remote sensing observations.
This relatively light workload allowed the rover to recover energy for the next sol's activities. Those will include completing an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer read on the same soil target and initiating the panoramic mosaic image from the rover's current position.
The wake-up tune for the sol was "59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)" by Simon and Garfunkel.
sol 58, Mar 24, 2004: Back to Bright Material
The song "Come on Home" by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross beckoned Opportunity back toward its landing site crater to an area of bright material. The rover also began to image a panoramic mosaic of the plains on this sol, which ended at 9:25 p.m. PST on March 23.
Over the martian night, Opportunity will again wake up to take miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements.
In the coming sols, the rover will use its spectrometers to investigate the bright material area and then move on to a specific target in the area dubbed "Bright Spot."
sol 57, Mar 22, 2004: Opportunity Leaves the Nest
After a slightly slippery start yestersol, Opportunity made it out of "Eagle Crater"on sol 57, which ends at 8:45 p.m. PST on March 22. The drive along the crater's inner slope that was initiated on the last sol continued this sol until Opportunity exited its landing-site crater. Images from the navigation camera confirm that the rover is about 9 meters (about 29.5 feet) outside of the crater.
The rover also conducted remote sensing observations between naps this sol. After completing the drive out of the crater, the navigation camera imaged Opportunity's brand new view of the plains of Meridiani Planum.
During the martian night, rover planners will awaken Opportunity to take miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations of the ground and the atmosphere.
The song chosen to motivate Opportunity to move up and out of the crater was "If You Don't Get it the First Time, Back Up and Try it Again" by the JBs and Fred Wesley.
sol 56, Mar 21, 2004: Try Again to Exit Crater
NASA's Opportunity tried driving uphill out of its landing-site crater during its 56th sol, ending at 10:05 p.m. March 21, PST, but slippage prevented success. The rover is healthy, and it later completed a turn to the right and a short drive along the crater's inner slope. Controllers plan to send it on a different route for exiting the crater on sol 57.
Earlier on sol 56, Opportunity successfully examined a patch of soil dubbed "Brian's Choice" with its Mössbauer spectrometer, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and microscopic imager. Following the drive, it made observations with its navigation camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Wake-up music for the sol was "Fly Like an Eagle," by the Steve Miller Band.
sol 54, Mar 20, 2004: Sightseeing at Sweet Spots
Opportunity flipped 115 meters (377.3 feet) on its odometer during the latest drives along the current soil survey campaign, surpassing the total drive distance of 1997's Sojourner rover. After performing a "touch and go" sequence at the third soil target south of the Challenger Memorial Station, Opportunity moved east to its fourth target. There the rover used its wheels to dig a trench that will be studied in coming sols.
The sol, which ended at 6:46 p.m. PST on March 19, started with brief alpha particle X-ray and Mössbauer spectrometer measurements on the soil target known as "Coconut2." These were followed by two sets of microscopic imager shots of Coconut2 and "ChocolateChip." The rover then stowed its arm and drove.
Remote sensing with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera remote sensing was performed before, during, and after the drive and trenching activities. Also, Opportunity took additional images with its navigation camera imaging in preparation for next sol's drive to the final site inside the crater.
To prepare for the trenching on this sol, the wake-up song was "I Feel The Earth Move" by Carole King.
sol 53, Mar 18, 2004: Two Down, Three to Go
On sol 53, which ends at 6:07 p.m. PST on March 18, Opportunity first completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer work from yestersol and then continued to study the second soil survey target with the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Following an afternoon nap, the rover used its microscopic imager to get close-up views of the soil. Opportunity then made its way to the third soil target, which involved a 5-meter (about 16 feet) drive. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was then positioned to examine the magnet arrays. Preparations were also made to conduct a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation of the martian sky at dawn on the next sol.
"Ice Cream Man" by John Brim woke Opportunity this sol to remind it of the possible sweet treats that await at targets referred to as "Chocolate Chip" and "Coconut" in the neighborhood dubbed "Mudpie."
The soil survey will continue in the coming sols.
sol 52, Mar 17, 2004: Scrutinizing the Soil
Sol 52, which ended at 5:27 p.m. PST on March 17, was a full day for Opportunity, punctuated by short naps. The rover arm was deployed on the first of five targets in the rover's current soil survey. The soil was examined by all the rover's spectrometers and the panoramic camera.
In the afternoon, the rover moved about 6 meters (about 20 feet) to the second soil target, performing several remote observations along the way. Closing out the sol, Opportunity's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer began to inspect the capture magnets on the front of the rover. Clues about Mars' watery history are present even in the smallest dust grains that settle on these magnet arrays.
Images of Opportunity's "scuff" experiment on the rock "Carousel" reached Earth this sol. Scientists are currently examining the results.
In honor of Opportunity's 52nd sol on Mars, engineers chose "Rock Lobster" by the B52s as a wake-up tune.
In the coming sols, the rover will travel to the final targets in the soil survey.
sol 51, Mar 16, 2004: "Scuff and Go"
Opportunity reached the first of five targets in its current soil survey on the rover's 51st sol on Mars. The sol, which ended at 4:47 p.m. PST on March 16, began with a salute to the rover's intended target on the southern face of the crater where it has been exploring since its early sols on Mars. "Song of the South" by Alabama was chosen to wake Opportunity for a busy sol that involved a 15-meter (49.2 feet) u-shaped drive toward the soil target.
Before the rover ventured away from the outcrop that has been the focus for the majority of its mission, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observations were completed on the red rind dubbed "Shark's Tooth." The arm was stowed before Opportunity "scuffed" the rock "Carousel" with its front left wheel. Results of the experiment were imaged as Opportunity backed up and prepared for its drive away from the outcrop.
Backing down towards the center of the crater and then arcing around the Challenger Memorial Station, Opportunity ultimately drove back up the slope to a position fairly close to the rim. On its way to the current soil target, the rover was also able to image the trench it previously dug on sol 23 from a different angle.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will use the instruments on its arm to examine all five soil targets identified for the soil survey.
sol 50, Mar 15, 2004: Finishing up at the Outcrop
On sol 50, which ended at 4:08 p.m. PST on March 15, Opportunity got closer to completing its observations of the rock outcrop. The rover arm, with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at the ready, was placed on the rock called "Shark's Tooth" for a 30-minute observation. The microscopic imager then took a series of pictures of the targets "Enamel 1" and "Lamination." The focus then switched back to "Shark's Tooth" for an examination by the Mössbauer spectrometer.
The song chosen to awaken Opportunity was "The Dentist" by Bill Cosby, in honor of the toothy targets in "Shark's Cage."
The sol also included many panoramic camera observations of targets with creative names like "Patio Rug," "Anaconda Snake Den," "West Zen Garden" and "Garter Snake."
The next sol calls for a final experiment at the outcrop called "scuffing." "Scuffing" essentially turns one of the rover wheels into a tool to scrape a rock to help determine its hardness. The rock "Carousel" will be scraped by Opportunity's front left wheel. After that experiment, the rover will begin its trans-crater traverse to five soil survey targets, the first of which will lead Opportunity up the sandy southern face of the crater.
sol 48, Mar 14, 2004: Shark Ahead
NASA's Opportunity finished inspecting the "Berry Bowl" site and drove 10 meters (33 feet) toward a new target during its 48th sol on Mars, which ended at 2:50 p.m. Saturday, PST.
The rover used all four tools on its arm during the morning, ending with a brushing by the rock abrasion tool, then post-brushing examinations with the microscope and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. This closed out three sols of work at "Berry Bowl" to compare the composition of targets with and without groups of the BB-sized spherules believed to have formed while the local environment was wet.
Opportunity then stowed its arm and drove toward an area dubbed "Shoemaker's Patio" at the southwestern end of the outcrop the rover has been studying since it arrived on Mars. This informal name pays tribute to the late geologist Dr. Eugene Shoemaker of the U.S. Geological Survey. Opportunity's more specific target is a rock called "Shark's Tooth" at the near edge of the patio. The drive did not quite put that target within reach of the robot arm. Activities of the sol also included atmospheric observations with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer, plus post-drive imaging with the navigation camera.
Mission controllers at JPL chose John Williams' "Jaws: Main Title and Fist Victim" as the wake-up song for sol 48.
Plans for sol 49, ending at 3:28 p.m. Sunday PST, call for finishing the approach to "Shark's Tooth" after a morning examination of the ground right in front of the rover. Inspection of "Shark's Tooth" with tools on the robotic arm is planned for sol 50.
sol 47, Mar 12, 2004: Aiming for Shark's Tooth
On sol 47, which ended at 2:10 p.m. PST on Friday March 12, Opportunity awoke to "No Particular Place to Go" by Chuck Berry in recognition of the stay at "Berry Bowl." Engineers also played "That's Amore" by Dean Martin in honor of the Phobos moon's transit across the sky.
Opportunity finished remnants of activities from the past sol's research at "Berry Bowl." The sol started with the hazard avoidance camera taking a picture of the "Berry Bowl" area as a context picture. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer then performed some "sky stares" of the atmosphere. At 11:30 Local Solar Time, the robotic arm started moving. It picked up the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and moved to a new location nearby, then switched to the Mössbauer spectrometer. Both spectrometers are searching for clues about the chemical composition of the mysterious "blueberries."
Later, Opportunity took panoramic camera images of the suite magnet on the rover itself, which is collecting atmospheric dust samples to understand why the martian dust is so magnetic. The panoramic camera also took images of a target dubbed "Fool's Silver," which contains an interesting angular feature in the outcrop.
After all the morning's hard work, Opportunity took a short siesta to rest and recharge. Opportunity reawakened a few hours later to take more images of the atmosphere with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera. Those were taken in the same locations as the morning measurements to compare the atmospheric data throughout the sol.
At 15:40 Local Solar Time, Opportunity took about a dozen images of the Sun to catch the eclipse by the martian moon, Phobos. Opportunity once again shut down for a nap and woke up at 4:53 Local Solar Time, sol 48, for a tool change and a communications session with the Odyssey orbiter. While the rover was awake for the Odyssey pass, the rover heated up the robotic arm, which had chilled to almost -80 degrees Celsius (-112 degrees Fahrenheit). The motors cannot move at that frigid temperature, so the rover arm heated for 32 minutes to surpass the operational temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). As the rover arm quickly cooled, the heat lasted long enough (5 minutes) for the arm to twist its wrist and change instruments from the Mössbauer spectrometer back to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
The rest of the plan for sol 48, which will end at 2:49 p.m. PST on Saturday, March 13, is to perform quite a few complicated maneuvers. Opportunity plans to brush an area with the rock abrasion tool, analyze the brushed area with the spectrometers, then drive 10 meters (33 feet) along the slippery slopes of the outcrop to "Shark's Tooth" in "Shoemaker's Patio."
sol 46, Mar 11, 2004: Berry Nice News
On sol 46, which ended at 1:30 p.m. PST on Thursday, March 11, Opportunity awoke at 9:20 Local Solar Time to two songs in honor of researching the mysterious "blueberries" with the instruments on the robotic arm. The wake-up songs were "Berry Nice News" by Raffi and "Huckling the Berries" by Country Cooking.
Opportunity performed a series of activities including microscopic imaging of the berries and placing the Mössbauer spectrometer on the berries to analyze their chemical composition. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer later made multiple atmospheric observations. After a short nap to conserve energy, Opportunity awoke in the afternoon to perform some additional remote sensing observations and to transmit data to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter.
Later in the evening Local Solar Time, Opportunity collected data with its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at two locations.
The plan for sol 47, which will end at 2:10 p.m. PST on Friday, March 12 is to continue analyzing the blueberries and the "Berry Bowl." By early next week, Opportunity will drive to a new area dubbed "Shoemaker's Patio."
sol 45, Mar 10, 2004: Halfway Mark
On sol 45, which ended at 12:50 p.m. PST on Wednesday, March 10, Opportunity awoke to ''Eclipse" by Pink Floyd in recognition of the transit of the martian moon, Phobos. A second song, "Meet Me Halfway" by Kenny Loggins, was played because Opportunity is halfway through its primary 90-sol surface mission.
Opportunity used the rock abrasion tool brush to sweep off the dirt in and around the hole at "Mojo 2" in the "Flat Rock" area. Opportunity then took five microscopic images of the freshly brushed "Mojo 2."
The miniature thermal emission spectrometer took measurements at three locations on the surface of Mars, and then pointed upwards to observe the atmosphere in four different directions. The panoramic camera was also busy taking images of the magnets around the rock abrasion tool area, "Mojo 2" post brushing, and a new area called "Slick Rock."
The plan for sol 46, which will end at 1:30 p.m. PST on Thursday, March 11, is to use the science instruments on the end of the robotic arm on the area dubbed "Berry Bowl."
sol 44, Mar 09, 2004: Back to the Grind
On Opportunity's 44th sol, ending at 12:10 p.m. PST on Tuesday, March 9, the rock abrasion tool ground a 3.1 millimeter-deep (just over one-tenth of an inch) hole in the "Mojo 2" target on "Flatrock." Yesterday, diagnostic testing determined a voltage adjustment was necessary to overcome some mechanism "stickiness" in the routine during which the rock abrasion tool finds the highest point in the target area.
The routine worked perfectly on this grind with the new voltage setting. After one hour and five minutes of successful grinding, the rock abrasion tool grind motor stalled, probably while grinding into one of the spherules also known as "blueberries." These objects are known to obstruct the grinding tool and cause it to terminate its sequence.
Late in the martian morning, the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the hole, followed later by the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer took two long atmospheric measurements. The panoramic camera was busy taking images of the hole as well as surrounding target areas.
The wake-up songs were "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" by Janis Joplin for the rock abrasion tool's second attempt at "Mojo 2," and "X-ray Eyes" by Kiss for the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
sol 43, Mar 08, 2004: More Mojo
On sol 43, which ended at 11:31 a.m. PST on Monday, March 8, Opportunity awoke to ''You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" by Bruce Springsteen in recognition of the fact that the rock abrasion tool grind did not touch the surface of its rock target on sol 42.
Using a combination of microscopic images, hazard avoidance camera images, and rock abrasion tool tests on sol 43, Opportunity's engineering team discovered that the grind motor of the rock abrasion tool on Mars stalled prematurely during what's called the "seek/scan" phase when the rock abrasion tool instrument searches for the rock face. This resulted in no contact during the actual grind activity on sol 42. The most likely causes of the stall are dust and dirt accumulations and temperature variations on the instrument. The tests also confirmed that engineers can safely increase the motor voltage on the instrument to prevent a future stall.
In the process of conducting the rock abrasion tool activities, Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on "Mojo 2," a target on "Flat Rock."
The remainder of the sol included preparations for the future target in this area, dubbed "Berry Bowl," taking pictures with the panoramic and navigation cameras. Opportunity also took ground and atmospheric measurements with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
The plan for sol 44, which ends at 12:10 p.m. PST on Tuesday, March 9 is to grind into "Mojo 2" using the rock abrasion tool and then to research the rock's chemical composition using the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the Mössbauer spectrometer.
sol 42, Mar 07, 2004: No Hole This Time
NASA's Opportunity attempted to grind a shallow hole into a target called "Flat Rock" during its 42nd sol on Mars, ending at 10:51 a.m. Sunday, PST. However, the operation of the rover's rock abrasion tool produced almost no discernable impression on the rock. All indications are that the tool is healthy. Controllers plan to run some diagnostic tests during sol 43 (ending at 11:31 a.m. Monday, PST) to aid with tuning parameters for a second grinding attempt on the target on sol 44.
Opportunity observed the Sun with its panoramic camera on sol 42 as a practice run for future imaging of Mars' moon Phobos passing in front of the Sun. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed against "Flat Rock" for an overnight reading to identify the chemical elements present.
Wake-up song for the sol was "Break on Through (to the Other Side)," by The Doors.
sol 41, Mar 06, 2004: Precision Driving after Mid-Sol Science
In its 41st sol on Mars, ending at 10:02 a.m. Saturday, PST, NASA's Opportunity inspected a rock target called "Wave Ripple" with tools on its arm, then drove to a new target. The new target, "Flat Rock," is in the "Slick Rock" area near the south end of the outcrop that the rover has been examining for weeks.
Although the rover wheels slip some in the local soil and the drive traversed a slope of 10 to 11 percent, Opportunity and engineers at JPL navigated the trip so well that a planned final approach to the target on sol 42 could be cancelled. The target is within the work volume of Opportunity's robotic arm. The drive was done in a series of one-meter (3.3-foot) segments making up a U-shaped path to the south and west. Each segment included a correction for slippage.
Before starting the drive, Opportunity used its microscope for 50 images of "Wave Ripple," and examined the composition of the rock with its alpha proton X-ray spectrometer and its Mössbauer spectrometer.
Rover controllers spun Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" as the sol's wake-up song, and used a compressed planning schedule as practice for procedures that might become standard after the 90-sol prime mission.
Plans for sol 42, ending at 10:51 a.m. Sunday, PST, include using the rock abrasion tool at "Flat Rock."
sol 40, Mar 05, 2004: Opportunity Fit At Forty
After 40 good days on the surface, Opportunity is showing no signs of middle age.
On sol 40, which ended at 9:32 a.m. PST, March 5, 2004, Opportunity finished a set of overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurements at "Last Chance" and completed a morning set of panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer remote sensing observations. At 11:30 Local Solar Time, engineers retracted the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer off the target, took a final set of 24 microscopic images, and stowed the arm for driving.
Opportunity then scored another first by successfully using visual odometry to navigate autonomously on Mars. During a drive along the crater wall, the vehicle properly identified wheel slippage on the steep slope of the crater wall using features in the navigation camera imagery. This effectively provided a mid-course correction that landed the science and engineering team exactly at the target location where they want Opportunity to do work using the instruments on the rover arm on sol 41.
The plan for sol 41, which will end at 10:12 a.m. PST, March 6 will be to take microscopic images of an area dubbed "Wave Ripple" in the "Last Chance" area, followed by a traverse to "Slick Rock" in the "Berry Bowl" area.
sol 39, Mar 04, 2004: An Armada of Arm Moves
On sol 39, which ends at 8:52 a.m. PST on Thursday, March 4, Opportunity awoke to "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival in honor of the eclipse caused by the martian moon Deimos.
The science and engineering team built a whopping 490 commands to accomplish the most complex robotic arm operations on Mars yet. Opportunity took three mosaics on the area dubbed "Last Chance," using the microscopic imager, creating 128 images in over 200 arm moves. Each "frame" of these mosaics required multiple microscopic images. There are two reasons for this. First, the microscopic imager does not have auto-focus, so the team needed to have Opportunity take and return multiple images at each location at different distances from the rock to get at least one in focus. A second reason is that the team needed Opportunity to take an extra image at a slightly different angle for each frame to create the right conditions to build stereo and computer-generated graphics of the "topography" of the rock area up close.
After about two-and-a-half hours of microscopic imager maneuvers, the robotic arm placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on a location at "Last Chance" called "Makar." Opportunity also used the panoramic camera to watch the rare solar crossing of the sun by the moon Diemos and took images of the sky in coordination with the European Space Agency's orbiter at Mars, Mars Express.
The plan for sol 40, which will end at 9:32 a.m. PST on Friday, March 5 is to continue taking microscopic images of the "Last Chance" area, then drive to a new location dubbed "The Dells."
sol 38, Mar 03, 2004: Opportunity Hits Pay Dirt
On sol 38, which ended at 8:13 a.m. PST on Wednesday, March 3, Opportunity awoke to "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival in honor of the confirmation that liquid water once flowed through the rocks at Meridiani Planum.
In the morning of sol 38, Opportunity observed the atmosphere with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Then, the rover turned the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to stare at the ground for science observations. Later, Opportunity took stereo microscopic images and Mössbauer spectrometer readings of the soil target dubbed "Pay Dirt."
In the early afternoon Local Solar Time, Opportunity stowed the rover arm, took a panoramic camera image of "Last Chance," and drove a very short distance of 0.4 meters (16 inches) toward "Last Chance" to prepare for the deployment of the robotic arm.
The proposed plan for sol 39, which will end at 8:52 a.m. PST on Thursday, March 4, is to start the morning by taking images of a rare solar transit of the martian moon, Deimos. The solar transit of Deimos causes a solar eclipse only twice per Mars year (one Mars year equals roughly two Earth years). Later in the sol, Opportunity is scheduled to take a microscopic panorama of the layers in the "Last Chance" rock formation.
sol 37, Mar 02, 2004: Let's Go to 'Last Chance'
On sol 37, Opportunity woke up at 9:35 Local Solar Time to "Let's Go" by the Cars. Opportunity completed the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera surveys of the rock abrasion tool holes at "Guadalupe" and "McKittrick," then drove 4.25 meters (14 feet) to "Last Chance," ending the sol at 7:33 a.m. PST on Tuesday, March 2.
With the moves of a tango dancer, the drive was another intricate study in, and challenge of, driving on a slippery, steep slope.
The rover was directed to: turn right, go forward, turn right, take images of "Last Chance," turn right, go forward, turn left, go forward, turn right, take images of "Big Bend," go straight, turn left and go straight! Due to the challenges of driving and pirouetting on such a steep slope (as steep as 22 degrees) the rover found it difficult to maintain a perfectly straight course, and Opportunity came up shy and right of the "Last Chance" target by about 30 centimeters (about one foot).
The plan for sol 38, which will end at 8:13 a.m. PST on Wednesday, March 3 is to do a short drive again to get within arm's reach of "Last Chance." Once in place, Opportunity will use the science instruments on the end of the robotic arm to analyze "Last Chance."
sol 36, Mar 01, 2004: Moving On
Opportunity woke up to Sting's "Rock Steady" on its 36th sol on Mars, which ended at 6:54 a.m. PST on Monday, March 1. The rover completed an overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurement on "Guadalupe," retracted its arm, placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on the calibration target and then stowed its arm.
A series of backward drives - away from the "El Capitan" site in the outcrop - were then conducted.
The rover also got in some remote sensing, including miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations and panoramic camera imaging of the holes created by the rock abrasion tool. In addition, the panoramic camera took images of a crater to the east.
The plan for the next sol involves several short drives in the direction of the "Last Chance" target in the "Big Bend" area of the outcrop.
sol 35, Feb 29, 2004: "Guadalupe" Under the Microscope
During its 35th sol on Mars, ending at 6:14 a.m. Sunday, PST, Opportunity manipulated the microscopic imager at the tip of its arm for eight observations of the fine textures of an outcrop-rock target called "Guadalupe." The observations include frames to be used for developing stereo and color views.
Opportunity also used its Mössbauer spectrometer and, after an overnight switch, its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to assess the composition of the interior material of "Guadalupe" exposed yestersol by a grinding session with the rock abrasion tool.
The panoramic camera up on the rover's mast captured a new view toward the eastern horizon beyond the crater where Opportunity is working, for use in evaluating potential drive directions after the rover leaves the crater.
Jimmy Cliff's "I Can See Clearly Now," was played in the mission support area at JPL as Opportunity's sol 35 wake-up music.
Plans for sol 36, ending at 6:54 a.m. Monday, PST, called for finishing the close-up inspection of "Guadalupe," then backing up enough to give the panoramic camera and miniature emission spectrometer good views of the area where the rock interior has been exposed by grinding.
sol 34, Feb 28, 2004: Scratch and Sniff
Opportunity remains healthy and active. During its 34th sol on Mars, which ended at 5:34 a.m. Saturday, PST, the rover used its rock abrasion tool for the second time. It ground the surface off a patch of rock at a site called "Guadalupe" in the outcrop the rover has been examining. The rover looked at the patch with its microscope both before and after the grinding session. Then it placed its Mössbauer spectrometer against the newly exposed interior material of the rock for a long reading of data that scientists use to identify what iron-containing minerals are present in the target.
Opportunity also used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer during the sol to assess the composition of an outcrop feature dubbed "Shoemaker Wall." It took images of "Guadalupe" with its panoramic camera before and after the use of the rock abrasion tool.
Wake-up music played in the mission support area at JPL for sol 34 was "Dig In," by Lenny Kravitz.
For sol 35, ending at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, PST, plans call for continuing use of tools on the robotic arm to examine the rock interior exposed by the "Guadalupe" grind.
sol 33, Feb 27, 2004: Biting Blueberry Hill
On sol 33, which ended at 4:55 a.m. Friday, February 27, Opportunity reached its second rock abrasion tool target site, and it's ready to take the next bite of Mars.
Opportunity woke up a little late on sol 33 to conserve energy. The wake-up song was 'Blueberry Hill' by Fats Domino, in honor of the hill in front of the rover.
Opportunity took an early afternoon 360-degree panorama and an extra observation of the area to the east with its navigation camera, while the Mössbauer instrument completed the measurements it began on sol 32.
The microscopic imager also took three sets of observations of the hole created by the rock abrasion tool on sol 30. Opportunity later took stereo images of the rock area named "Maya" and took pictures of an area called "Half-Dome." Both the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed the sky.
In between science measurements, Opportunity stowed its instrument arm and drove a 15-centimeter (6-inch) "bump" to reach its next rock abrasion tool target. Final shutdown was at 2:37 Local Solar Time, with a brief wakeup at 4:10 Local Solar Time to transmit data to the Mars Odyssey orbiter as it flew over the rover.
The plan for the weekend is to grind into the upper part of "El Capitan" dubbed "Guadalupe" and to take extensive measurements of the new hole using the microscopic imager and two spectrometers.
sol 32, Feb 26, 2004: New Communications Plan
On sol 32, which ended at 4:15 a.m. Thursday, February 26, Opportunity awoke to "Let It Be" by the Beatles. Opportunity's day was focused on getting a second Mössbauer instrument measurement of the hole created by the rock abrasion tool at the "McKittrick" rock site. The Mössbauer can detect spectral signatures of different iron-bearing minerals.
The data from the first Mössbauer spectrum of "McKittrick" was received on Earth Wednesday afternoon. The alpha proton X-ray spectrometer data from yestersol at this target was retransmitted to Earth again Wednesday to get missing packets of data that were not received during the first data communications relay. Opportunity also snapped pictures of the rock areas named "Maya" and "Jericho" with the panoramic camera and took miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements of the sky and "El Capitan" throughout the sol.
The amount of power Opportunity is able to generate continues to dwindle due to the decreasing amount of sunlight (energy) reaching the solar panels during the martian seasonal transition to winter. Because of this, the engineers are adjusting the rover's daily communications activities. To minimize power use for communications sessions, engineers began a new "receive only" morning direct-from-earth communication relay. This lower-power communication mode was successful. Opportunity will continue with this approach to maximize the available power for driving and science activities as Mars moves farther away from Earth and the Sun in its elliptical orbit.
In conjunction with the morning communications session change, engineers added a second afternoon Mars Odyssey orbiter relay pass, which uses less power in transmitting data volume than direct-to-Earth communication. This additional Odyssey pass more than compensated for the elimination of the morning direct-to-Earth downlink. Engineers also continue to effectively use rover "naps" throughout the day to maximize energy savings.
The plan for sol 33, which ends at 4:55 a.m. Friday, February 27, is to take a very short trip (10 to 20 centimeters or 4 to 8 inches) towards the next rock abrasion tool target site, "Guadalupe."
sol 31, Feb 25, 2004: Opportunity Gets an Attitude Adjustment
On sol 31, which ended at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday, February 25, Opportunity awoke to "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets. At 1:00 a.m. Local Solar Time, Opportunity sent data to Earth via the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter and then sent another whopping 145.6 megabits of data at 3:30 a.m. Local Solar Time via the Mars Odyssey orbiter.
During the morning hours, Opportunity collected data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for five hours and took measurements with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer from inside its newly formed hole that was created on sol 30 by the rock abrasion tool. Later, Opportunity retracted and closed the door of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and swapped the Mössbauer spectrometer into the hole made by the abrasion tool for a leisurely 24-hour observation.
Opportunity also updated its "attitude knowledge," which fine-tunes the rover's information about its exact location and position on Mars. Updating the attitude knowledge allows the rover to more accurately point the high gain antenna toward Earth, which increases the communications capabilities. The attitude adjustment also enables scientists and engineers to point instruments onboard Opportunity more precisely at targets of interest, such as particular rocks and patches of soil. To adjust the attitude knowledge, engineers have the rover turn the panoramic camera to the Sun and watch the Sun travel across the sky for 15 minutes. The rover is then smart enough to take the Sun movement data collected from the panoramic camera to calculate its own location in the universe…..on Mars. The rover gathers attitude knowledge errors over time as it drives and uses the robotic arm extensively, but it only needs an attitude adjustment about once a week or after driving long distances.
Around 12:15 pm Local Solar Time, Opportunity went to sleep to recharge its batteries from its strenuous rock abrasion tool activities on sol 30, but reawakened briefly at 4 p.m. Local Solar Time and again in the evening to send data to Earth via additional overflights by the Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey orbiters.
The plan for sol 32, which ends at 4:15 a.m. Thursday, February 26, is to take another unique set of Mössbauer measurements to look at the rover-created hole in a different spectrum. The goal is to then crawl slightly forward on sol 33 to position Opportunity to use the rock abrasion tool on the upper target of the El Capitan/McKittrick area.
sol 30, Feb 24, 2004: A Beautiful Grind
On sol 30, which ended at 2:56 a.m. Tuesday, February 24, Opportunity performed its first rock abrasion tool operation on a rock target known as 'McKittrick Middle Rat' at the El Capitan site inside the crater. The tool shaved the rock over a period of two hours, grinding into a total depth of about 4 millimeters (.16 inches).
The auspicious day began with the song 'Rock'n Me' by Steve Miller and some miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky surveys and sky stares to study the atmosphere. After completing these activities, Opportunity took a short siesta to recharge its batteries. The rover has been doing a lot of science work at night, and the season on Mars is changing to winter, so the rover has less energy to work with than it did earlier in the mission. The martian days are getting shorter and the sun angle is not allowing either rover to power up the solar panels as much as in the past.
Opportunity woke up from its nap at 11:30 Local Solar Time on Mars to run through the series of commands required to retract the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and close its doors; take several microscopic images of another nearby rock abrasion tool target called 'Guadalupe;' flip the wrist; take a microscopic image of "McKittrick Middle Rat;" and place the rock abrasion tool on its target to run at 13:00 Local Solar Time.
After the abrasion tool was retracted, a series of microscopic images of the scene were taken, and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was successfully placed into the abrasion tool's hole late in the day.
Some additional panoramic camera, miniature thermal emission spectrometer readings, and hazard avoidance camera imagery was completed through the day.
The plan for sol 31, which will end at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday, February 25, is to continue getting long Mössbauer readings of the rock abrasion tool hole and to prepare the tool for more work again on sol 33 or 34.
sol 28, Feb 22, 2004: Busy Microscope at "El Capitan"
On sol 28, which ended at 1:38 a.m. Sunday, PST, Opportunity moved its arm repeatedly to make close-up inspections the "El Capitan" part of the street-curb-sized outcrop in the crater where the rover is working. Opportunity took 46 pictures with its microscope, examining several locations on "El Capitan" at a range of focal distances. It also placed its Mössbauer spectrometer and its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the rock target to assess what minerals and what elements are present.
Controllers chose the song "I am a Rock," performed by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, as Opportunity's sol 28 wake-up music. The sol's activities included observations by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera, as well as the use of the tools on the arm.
The arm's complex maneuvers totaled 25 minutes of actual arm movement. Rover planners' success in accomplishing them drew a round of applause in the Mission Support Area at JPL during the afternoon downlink from Mars.
During the martian night, early on sol 29, Opportunity woke up and moved its arm again to switch from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Additional close-up inspections are planned for later in sol 29, which ends at 2:17 a.m. Monday. Plans for sol 30 feature the use of the rock abrasion tool to grind through the surface at one target on "El Capitan."
sol 27, Feb 21, 2004: Supersized Science
On sol 27, ending 12:57 a.m. Saturday, PST, Opportunity successfully "supersized" the measurements of the "El Capitan" area with the panoramic camera, miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and microscopic imager. The rover team is analyzing "super resolution" and "super spectral" observations from the science instruments and currently locating the best spots to place the rock abrasion tool.
Opportunity also drove 33 centimeters (13 inches) closer to "El Capitan" to better poise the robotic arm for use of the rock abrasion tool sometime over the next four or five sols, which will be the first use of the rock abrasion tool by Opportunity.
On sol 28, ending at 1:38 a.m. Sunday, PST, plans call for Opportunity to take extensive microscopic images of "El Capitan," which is a rich science target because it has multiple layers and varied textures on the upper and lower areas of the rocks, implying multiple changes in the geologic history of this area.
The Mars Odyssey orbiter is scheduled to fly over Opportunity during sol 28 with increased data communications capabilities to 256 kilobits per second, which is five times the speed of normal home computer modems.
sol 26, Feb 20, 2004: Enter the Rock Abrasion Tool
On sol 26, which ended at 12:18 a.m. Friday, February 19, PST, Opportunity successfully obtained one final Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the trench, stowed the rover arm, and drove 15 meters (50 feet) to the "El Capitan" area. The drive was Opportunity's longest yet and required the vehicle and planners to skirt the trench and avoid the lander.
The plan for sol 27, which will end at 12:57 a.m. Saturday, PST, is to first "supersize" the measurements of the "El Capitan" area with the panoramic camera, miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and microscopic imager. The mineralogy and geology teams have requested a minimum of three hours worth of "super resolution" and "super spectral" observations for the science instruments to get the most comprehensive coverage of this interesting site, which has varying textures and layers of dirt and rock.
After a short siesta in the early afternoon, Opportunity will drive 30 centimeters (12 inches) to sneak a bit closer to the rocks in "El Capitan" to get ready for the rock abrasion tool to do its work. After the drive, the Opportunity team plans to take a picture of the martian sky with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. If time permits, Opportunity will attempt to aim its cameras toward the heat shield in the far distance.
Over the weekend, Opportunity plans to find the perfect spot to use the abrasion tool and set it loose to grind away on "El Capitan," which will be the first use of the rock abrasion tool by Opportunity.
sol 25, Feb 19, 2004: Stutter Stepping to El Capitan
On sol 25, which ended at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday, February 18, PST, Opportunity used the microscopic imager and alpha particle x-ray spectrometer to study the chemical makeup of the wall and floor area within the rover-made trench. Due to time constraints, Opportunity was unable to take a picture of the heat shield in the distance.
Sol 25's wake-up music was "Fascination" by Human League.
The plan for sol 26, which will end at 12:18 a.m. Friday, PST, is to back away from the trench, obtain one grand finale Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the trench, pick up and stow the rover arm, then turn and drive 9 meters (30 feet) to the El Capitan area. Opportunity will make a few intentional "stutter steps" on its way to El Capitan, stopping to take a few front hazard avoidance camera images and navigation camera images to plan for final approach and robotic arm activities.
Opportunity will stop a couple of meters (about 6 or 7 feet) short of El Capitan to take images with its panoramic camera and gather science measurements with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. On sol 27, Opportunity will make a short, closer approach to El Capitan to poise itself to use the rock abrasion tool and other instruments on the rover arm.
sol 24, Feb 18, 2004: Peering into the Hole
On sol 24, which ended at 10:59 p.m. Tuesday, PST, Opportunity used science instruments on its robotic arm to examine the hole it dug with its right front wheel on sol 23. The trench is about 50 centimeters (20 inches) long by 20 centimeters (8 inches) wide by 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep.
Sol 24's wake-up music was "Trench Town Rock" by Bob Marley.
The plan for sol 25, which will end at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday, PST, is to continue examining the walls and floor of the trench for clues about the history of Mars. Opportunity will also peek at its right front wheel with the panoramic camera to see what materials got stuck on the wheel from the trenching activity. Then, Opportunity will use the panoramic camera high on the rover's mast to check out a former piece of itself -- the heat shield, which is sitting off in the distance. The heat shield protected the rover during cruise and during descent through the atmosphere on Jan. 4, 2004, PST.
sol 23, Feb 17, 2004: Can You Dig It?
The Opportunity rover successfully dug an 8-centimeter (3.1 inch) trench on Mars using its right front “paw” or wheel on sol 23, which will end at 10:19 p.m. Monday, PST. Sol 23's wake-up music was “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat, and Tears, in honor of the right front wheel.
Opportunity also made observations with the navigation camera to help prepare for the drive to a target of interest within the outcrop named “El Capitan” later this week.
The plan for sol 24, which will end at 10:59 p.m. Tuesday, PST, is to thoroughly examine the freshly exposed layers of dirt and ground inside the rover-made hole. Opportunity will use its microscopic imager, Mössbauer spectrometer, and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to take parallel science measurements and compare with those with measurements made on sol 22 during pre-trench activities.
sol 22, Feb 16, 2004: Check Before Digging
Opportunity spent much of sol 22, which ended at 9:39 p.m. Sunday, PST, making a thorough "before" examination of the spot selected for digging a ditch the next sol.
Also, Opportunity completed upward-looking observations before, during and after Mars Global Surveyor flew overhead looking down. Opportunity and Global Surveyor have similar infrared sensing instruments: the miniature thermal emission spectrometer on the rover and the (full-size) thermal emission spectrometer on the orbiter. Coordinated observations of looking up through the atmosphere with one while looking down through the atmosphere with the other were designed to provide a more complete atmospheric profile than either could do alone.
Sol 22's wake-up music was "Invisible Touch" by Genesis. In preparation for digging, Opportunity examined the trenching site with its microscopic imager, its Mössbauer spectrometer and, overnight, its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
The plan for sol 23, which will end at 10:19 p.m. Monday, PST, is to dig a trench with alternating forward and backward spinning of Opportunity's right front wheel in order to see what's below the surface. Inspections of the resulting hole are planned for sol 24 and the morning of sol 25.
sol 21, Feb 15, 2004: Dig this Place
Opportunity completed its longest drive so far -- about 9 meters or 30 feet -- during its 21st sol on Mars, which ended at 9 p.m. Saturday, PST. The rover finished the drive with its first U-turn, arriving at a location selected for the mission's first trenching operation. Plans call for examining the hematite-rich surface of this location, called "Hematite Slope," during sol 22, then spinning one wheel to dig below the surface on sol 23.
Controllers at JPL chose "Send Me on My Way," by Rusted Root, and "Desert Drive," by Tangerine Dream, as Opportunity's wake-up music for sol 21. The rover worked a long day. It awoke earlier than usual for an early morning observation with its panoramic camera. It made additional observations from its new location just before finishing the drive, and again after finishing the last bit of the drive. Then it was woken after dark to make the mission's first nighttime observations with its infrared sensor, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
sol 20, Feb 14, 2004: Rover Says "No"
During Opportunity's 20th sol on Mars, which ended at 8:20 p.m. Friday, PST, the rover told mission controllers "no." Opportunity received commands in the morning to use the microscopic imager at the end of its arm, but the onboard computer judged the requested arm movement to be unacceptable and refused the command.
This was the proper precaution for the rover to take. The arm maneuver had been tested with a simulation at JPL, and engineers subsequently worked on a solution to make the ground testing more accurately predict the rover computer's response to the particular arm-movement conditions involved.
However, with the arm left extended, rather than stowed, after the arm-movement command was refused, the rover also could not make the drive that had been planned for the sol. That drive, to a site selected for soil examination and trenching, was postponed until sol 21, which ends at 9:00 p.m. Saturday, PST.
Observations by the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer were completed successfully on sol 20. The sol's wake-up music was "I Like Dirt," by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and "Pioneers of Mars," by Karen Linsley and Lloyd Landa.
sol 19, Feb 12, 2004: Intending to Trench
During its 19th sol on Mars, which ends at 7:41 p.m. Thursday, PST, Opportunity climbed to Waypoint Charlie, where it will complete its initial survey of the outcrop nicknamed "Opportunity Ledge."
The flight team at JPL chose 'Here I Go Again' by Whitesnake as Opportunity's wake-up music.
The plan for sol 20, which will end at 8:20 p.m. Friday, PST, is to do a "touch and go," meaning Opportunity will touch the soil with its instrument arm around the outpost area Charlie, then stow the arm and drive. It will head for an area of soil that the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer indicates is rich in hematite. Over the following few sols, engineers intend to use one of Opportunity's wheels to spin into the soil and "trench" a shallow hole so scientists can check what's below the surface early next week. Knowing more about the hematite distribution on Mars may help scientists characterize the past environment and determine whether that environment provided favorable conditions for life.
Scientists and engineers will pore over the data collected along Opportunity Ledge this week to target a return trip to the most interesting science locations along the outcrop later next week.
sol 18, Feb 12, 2004: Extended Tour
Opportunity had a couple of little hiccups on sol 18, February 11, which ends at 7:01 p.m. Wednesday, PST. The wrist on the real rover arm would not point as far vertically as the engineering rover's wrist did on Earth during a model test the night before. Because of this, the arm on Mars did not stow, and the rover did not move on to waypoint Charlie. The rover also automatically stopped use of the mast due to the fact that it believed a requested pointing position was in an area beyond its limits. Engineers solved both problems on sol 18. All systems are go for Opportunity to complete the tour of the outcrop by heading to outpost Charlie on sol 19, Thursday, February 12.
sol 17, Feb 11, 2004: Three-Day Tour
On its 17th sol on Mars, which ended at 6:21 p.m. Tuesday, PST, Opportunity completed its study of the target area named Bravo. Opportunity is on a three-day tour of the outcrop, taking pictures and measurements to build what geologists call a "base map," which will help them decide what specific spots they want to target for more thorough investigation with their science instruments.
sol 16, Feb 09, 2004: Slip Sliding Away
Opportunity appears to have experienced slips during 50 percent of a drive on sol 15, so for sol 16, engineers played a lighthearted wake-up call: Paul Simon's "Slip Sliding Away." Regardless of the loose soil, Opportunity made it across 4 meters (12 feet) today and is positioned to continue observing parts of the outcrop up close tomorrow. In coming sols, Opportunity will "shoot and scoot," meaning the rover will shoot pictures of the terrain and acquire new scientific measurements of the rocks, then scoot up, down, and across the inside of the crater.
sol 15, Feb 08, 2004: Opportunity Gets a Closer Look at the Outcrop
On Opportunity's 15th sol on Mars which ends at 5:02 p.m. Sunday, PST, the rover took microscopic images of a rock in the outcrop and nearby soil. The rock is called Stone Mountain (formerly called "Snout") and the target area for the microscope is called Robert E. The day's activities also include examination of Robert E with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the Mössbauer spectrometer. Opportunity's panoramic camera and navigation camera were used to get pictures of the outcrop from the rover's current position.
In the coming sols, the plan is to move along the outcrop to examine other points along it.
sol 14, Feb 07, 2004: Opportunity Succeeds with First "Touch and Go"
Opportunity performed her first "touch and go" maneuver on the rover's 14th sol on Mars, which ended at 4:23 p.m. Saturday, PST. The activity included deploying the arm, taking microscopic images of the soil in front of the rover, re-stowing the arm and finishing its drive to Stone Mountain.
The panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer instruments were used to make observations both before and after the "touch and go" sequence.
sol 13, Feb 06, 2004: Driving to "Snout"
On Opportunity's 13th sol on Mars, which ended at 3:43 p.m. Friday, the Mars Rover Opportunity was awakened by engineers at JPL playing the Beach Boys song, “Little Honda,” with lyrics about various gear shifts. Images from the rover's rear hazard identification camera indicated that some fine-tuning was needed for a planned 1.5 meter drive to a target called "Snout" at the northeastern end of a rock outcrop in the inner wall of the landing-site crater. Adjustments were made, and new commands were sent to Opportunity. The rover is now tilted at nearly 13 degrees, pointing uphill. On its 14th sol, Opportunity will take microscopic images of the soil, then stow its arm and complete the short drive to Snout.
sol 12, Feb 05, 2004: Opportunity Passes Her Driver's Test!
"Just like you would want to perfect your parallel parking abilities before trying to make it to an appointment on a tight schedule in a big city, engineers tested Opportunity's ability to maneuver on Mars on sol 12, which ended Thursday. She passed with flying colors!" reported Mark Powell, Science Downlink Coordinator. Engineers commanded Opportunity to do a little dance, making three arcs -- two to the left and one to the right. Opportunity then did a 30-degree turn in place where you can see the most radical track curves in the image. For its grand finale drive, Opportunity proceeded straight for 1.8 meters (5.9 feet), completing a total traverse of 3.54 meters (10.6 feet).
The plan for sol 13 is to do a 1.1 meter (3.6 feet) drive straight toward the outcrop and take some more pancam and mini-TES instrument images of the outcrop area.
Scientists have decided to wait to trench for a few days until they can drive to an area with a higher concentration of hematite.
Watch a related video: Rover Navigation 101: Autonomous Rover Navigation
sol 11, Feb 04, 2004: Opportunity to "Stow and Go"
Opportunity woke up on sol 11 to Duran Duran's "Please Tell Me Now" and successfully completed a 24-hour observation of the soil with the Mössbauer instrument at "Tarmac." The arm rotated to place the APXS instrument on the same patch of soil and observations with that instrument are underway. Scientists are busy trying to determine what geologic processes formed the spherical grains seen through the eyes of the Microscopic Imager. The plan for sol 12 is to stow the arm and go for a 3 meter (9 foot) drive to the right of the outcrop where they hope to trench on sol 14.
bservations over the Earth weekend. This is done periodically to calibrate the Mössbauer instrument. The rover continued routine atmospheric observations and remote sensing of the heat shield debris field.On sol 330, Opportunity used its panoramic camera to take images of the heat shield debris field, then drove 15 meters (about 49 feet) to a location called "South Point" for another look at the debris field.
On sol 331, Opportunity drove roughly 10 meters (33 feet) to approach the flank portion of the heat shield remains. The heat shield broke into two main piece when it hit the ground. The flank is the smaller of those portions.
On sol 332, which ended on Dec. 30, the rover made its final approach to the flank portion of the heat shield wreckage in preparation for close-up inspection of the heat shield material over the New Year's holiday weekend. The drive brought Opportunity's odometer total to 2,051 meters (1.27 miles).
sol 320-324, January 05, 2005: Heading for the Heat Shield
As of sol 324 (Dec. 21), a healthy Opportunity has driven to within about 30 meters (about 98 feet) from the remains of the heat shield that hit the ground about 250 meters (820 feet) south of "Endurance Crater." Ending this year exploring part of the rover's entry system is a great reminder of the tremendous year Opportunity and Spirit have had thanks to the dedication and hard work of so many.
Sol-by-sol summaries:
On sol 320, Opportunity completed a variety of observations including imaging toward the heat shield. It then went into deep sleep overnight.
Sols 321, 322 and 323 were combined in a single activity plan for the Earth weekend. On the first sol of the three-sol plan, Opportunity looked at the front edge of its solar array with its microscopic imager to assess dust accumulation there. It then drove nearly 60 meters (about 197 feet) south toward the heat shield and acquired post-drive imagery to support planning of the next drive. Opportunity did not deep-sleep overnight so it could wake up to take advantage of a Mars Odyssey communications pass to return data during the night. On sol 322, Opportunity made some observations and then went into deep sleep overnight. On sol 323 it made more observations and did not deep-sleep overnight.
On sol 324, Opportunity drove nearly 90 meters (about 295 feet), bringing it within 30 meters (98 feet) of the heat shield. This was a record length for a drive that did not use the rover's auto-navigation software. It was enabled by the team's ability to identify a hazard-free route in images that the navigation camera and panoramic camera had taken of the flat terrain to be covered in the drive. The rover also made use of low-level hazard-detection software that reads rocker-bogie ("rover leg") position and rover tilt to halt a drive if the rover encounters a hazard. This drive brings the odometer 1,998 meters (1.24 miles).
sol 313-319, December 21, 2004: Back on the Plains
Opportunity examined tracks on its way to see its heat shield.
Summary:
After six fruitful months exploring the interior of "Endurance Crater," the Opportunity rover has successfully climbed out of the crater onto the surrounding flatland of Meridiani Planum. Once out, the rover examined some of its own tracks that it had laid down prior to entering the crater. It compared them side-by-side with fresh tracks in order to observe any weathering effects in the intervening 200 sols. Opportunity is now making its way toward an engineering examination of its heat shield, which is located about 200 meters (220 yards) from the edge of Endurance. Now that the vehicle is on the relatively flat plain rather than tilted toward the Sun on the north-facing inner slope of the crater, electrical output from its solar array has declined by about 15 percent. Opportunity remains in excellent health as it begins a new phase of exploration.
Sol Details:
Sol 312 and 313 were planned in a single planning cycle. Opportunity was still inside Endurance Crater. On sol 312 the plan began with backing up and using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer to observe a rock target called "Wharenhui," which had been treated with the rock abrasion tool on earlier sols. Subsequent commands were to turn cross-slope, drive 7 meters (23 feet), turn upslope, and drive an additional 6 meters (20 feet) uphill. Opportunity performed the drive perfectly, ending up approximately 5 meters (16.4 feet) from the rim of Endurance Crater. Opportunity's tilt went from 25 degrees pre-drive to 19 degrees post-drive.
Sol 313 was a restricted sol because results from the sol 312 drive were not available for planning sol 313. That meant that no driving or robotic-arm activities were permitted. So Opportunity performed about two hours of observations using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer and then went to sleep in the early afternoon. The rover woke up to support late-afternoon and early-morning communication relays by the orbiting Mars Odyssey.
Sols 314 through 316 were planned in another single planning cycle. The plan was to complete the egress from Endurance Crater on sol 315, so sol 314 was another remote sensing sol. This would be the last full sol inside Endurance. Opportunity spent about two and a half hours observing with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. It also performed a nighttime observation with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer just before midnight. To ensure that Opportunity had adequate power, the early-morning communication-relay session with Odyssey was canceled and Opportunity went into a modified deep sleep after completing the late-night observation.
Sol 315 was the big day for Opportunity. The rover was finally going to leave Endurance Crater after spending 181 sols there! Opportunity was instructed to drive 7 meters (23 feet) up and out of the crater. It was a textbook drive. Everything went as planned and Opportunity had finally, successfully completed a long and detailed series of observations inside Endurance. Opportunity ended up on the plains of Meridiani ready to begin the next chapter of its adventures.
Sol 316 was the third sol of a three-sol plan, and because Opportunity had driven on sol 315, sol 316 was restricted to remote-sensing observations. The rover performed about two hours of remote sensing and went to sleep. Out on the plains, Opportunity went from a northerly tilt that is very good for solar exposure, to a southerly tilt that is not so good for solar exposure. The tilt was expected to be as high as 10 degrees, but Opportunity's actual tilt was about 5 degrees. Daily output from the solar panels went from 840 watt-hours in the crater, to 730 watt-hours on the plains.
Since the team continues to be operating in restricted sol mode, sols 317 and 318 were planned together as a two-sol plan. For sol 317, the science team elected to drive toward wheel tracks that Opportunity had made before entering Endurance Crater. The rover backed up about 5 meters (16.4 feet), performed some mid-drive imaging, and then continued another 10 meters (33 feet) to put the old rover tracks into the work volume of the robotic arm. Sol 318 was another remote-sensing sol, during which Opportunity imaged its still-distant heat shield and conducted a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation of the tracks.
After the drive, both old and new tracks were directly in front of the rover. On sol 319 Opportunity captured microscopic imager mosaics of both types of tracks, then drove about 40 meters (131 feet) closer to the heat shield, which will be examined carefully in future sols. Sol 319 ended on Dec. 17.
sol 306-315, December 14, 2004: Out of 'Endurance'
Opportunity has finished its work inside "Endurance Crater" and climbed out. Before leaving, the rover examined a transition point between dark and light rock layers about 20 meters (about 66 feet) from the rim of the crater. Communication with Mars Odyssey has been good, so the backlog of onboard data has improved. The rover spent six months inside the stadium-sized crater to study layered bedrock exposed there. The exit drive on sol 315 put Opportunity completely outside the crater for the first time since sol 134. Opportunity continues to be in excellent health.
Sol details:
Sol 306 was the second sol of inspecting a rock target called "Paikea" with tools on the robotic arm. On the previous sol, Opportunity had cleaned the surface of Paikea with its rock abrasion tool brush. During sol 306, the rover observed the target with the panoramic camera and the microscopic imager, then ground away a patch of the rock's surface for about two hours with the rock abrasion tool. After the grind, the rover examined the fresh hole in the rock with the panoramic camera, hazard-avoidance camera and microscopic imager. This was followed by placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the abraded area for later data collection. The rover woke at about 4:45 a.m. (local solar time) for a morning communication-relay pass with Odyssey on sol 307. Then it turned on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and gathered data until mid-morning.
Sols 307 through 309 were planned together as a three-sol plan. Sol 307 was similar to sol 306, with imaging, rock grinding, and overnight X-ray spectrometer measurements, this time targeted on "Wharenhui." Also, between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. local solar time, Opportunity used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera to make observations coordinated with a Mars Global Surveyor overflight. In the late morning of sol 308, the rover placed its Mössbauer spectrometer on the freshly drilled hole in Wharenhui, and then collected data nearly continuously for the next two sols. In order to provide sufficient energy for this extended integration, overnight communication passes for the early mornings of sols 309 and 310 were sacrificed.
The grinding activity on sol 307 was not as productive as hoped, so plans for the next couple of sols were revised. Because the team had to wait for retransmission of some rock abrasion tool data on sol 310, the sol was spent using the microscopic imager, placing the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and performing about an hour of remote-sensing observations.
Sol 311 was spent re-grinding Wharenhui. The plan was to grind another 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) into the rock. The grind went as planned, microscopic images were taken and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed in the hole. That spectrometer's integration was not started until the sol 312 early-morning Odyssey pass at 4:20 a.m. Mars local time.
The plan for sol 312 was to complete the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration begun in the early morning, perform about 45 minutes of observations with the panoramic camera and navigation camera, then drive about 12 meters (39 feet) toward the crater rim.
Total odometry after sol 311 was 1,766.07 meters (1.1 miles).
sol 292-298, December 06, 2004: Edging Out of 'Endurance'
Opportunity has completed its super-high-resolution imaging and other remote sensing operations from the base of "Burns Cliff," collecting more than 985 megabits of telemetry. Due to the large number of observations, the data management team has been working hard to manage available memory. Opportunity has now begun its journey out of "Endurance Crater." While in the crater, Opportunity has experienced drive slippage of up to 100 percent and tilts as high as 31.05 degrees. The rover was pushed to its traverse limits, but continued to perform all that was asked of it. Opportunity remains in excellent health. Solar power is nearly as high now as it was at the beginning of the mission.
Sol details:
Having made its closest approach to Burns Cliff, Opportunity continued its remote science campaign on sol 292. In the morning and early afternoon, the rover captured a portion of a color panorama plus images of targets called "Cushion" and "Bartlett." During these observations, Opportunity applied some of its excess energy to engage in an hour-long direct-to-earth communications session, downlinking an extra 10 megabits or so. Waking up the next morning at 7:18 local solar time, the rover heated cameras and actuators in advance of looking for clouds.
Sols 293 through 295 were planned together as a three-sol plan, continuing the panorama. Other observations included navigation camera imaging to fill holes in prior image coverage, panoramic camera atmospheric imaging while the Sun was high in the sky, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer imaging of targets "Ebony," "Ivory," and Cushion. Another direct-to-earth communications session was scheduled for midday on sol 293. On sols 293 and 294, the rover finished the remote science campaign, completing the panorama.
On sol 295, for the first time in 10 sols, Opportunity was on the move, beginning a trek out of Endurance Crater. The planned traverse had two parts, with the second leg to be driven only if the rover was on track after the first leg. Opportunity drove 3.6 meters (about 12 feet), determined that it was sufficiently close to a designated waypoint, and then continued for another 3.6 meters (about 12 feet). At the completion of the drive, the rover updated information about its attitude and position.
Opportunity continued its westward journey on sol 296, performing an 11-meter (36-foot) drive on flat rocky terrain that provides good traction for the rover. The drive succeeded as planned, leaving the vehicle perfectly in the middle of its intended path. Opportunity then performed two hours of post-drive observations. At this point, there appeared to be a possible shortcut out of the crater, just about 13 meters (about 43 feet) in front of Opportunity. If traversable, this early egress chute could shorten the vehicle's exit route by more than 30 meters (about 98 feet) and many sols. In response to this possibility, the team planned further investigation of the chute area.
Sols 297 through 299 and sols 300 through 302 were planned as two consecutive three-sol plans due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Earth. Commands for sols 297, 298 and 299 were uplinked on Tuesday (Nov. 23) and commands for sols 300 through 302 were uplinked the next day. The planning team went above and beyond to deliver six sol plans in two Earth days.
The plan for sol 297 included a drive west for about 13 meters (43 feet) to a relativity flat area. This location would afford a good view of the possible egress chute and allow the robotic arm to be deployed so the Mössbauer spectrometer could be placed on the filter magnet and perform four sols of data collection. The drive stopped early because Opportunity slipped more than anticipated and missed an intermediate waypoint. The drive covered 8.6 meters (about 28 feet). However, imaging after the drive allowed a detailed analysis of the possible shortcut.
To make an early exit, Opportunity would have had to cross terrain sloping 28 degrees. The opening of the chute is 1.14 meters (about 4 feet) wide, and there appears to be tall rock outcropping very close to the opening. On the route to the originally planned exit path at "Keratepe," where Opportunity entered the crater six months ago, the average slope is only 22 degrees and there are no large obstacles to avoid. So the decision was made to skip the shortcut and continue toward Karatepe.
Total odometry after sol 297 is 1736.22 meters (1.08 miles).
sol 285-291, November 23, 2004: Finishing Up in 'Endurance'
Opportunity has now reached the furthest point east in its travels inside "Endurance Crater." Rover drivers have determined that there is no safe path beyond the current position. Therefore, Opportunity is now in the midst of an intensive remote-sensing campaign, capturing a panorama of Burns Cliff plus super-resolution images and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations of selected targets. When this campaign concludes, the rover will back away and head for a way out of Endurance Crater. Opportunity remains healthy and in an extremely advantageous solar array attitude.
Sol details:
The plan for 285 was to drive 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) east on firm rocky terrain ahead of the rover. The drive went as planned, covering 1.55 meters (5.1 feet). After integrating the results of this drive with an earlier study of Burns Cliff traversability, the team decided not to proceed farther. Opportunity has reached the easternmost point of its drive inside Endurance Crater. The rover is at the western edge of Burns Cliff and from this vantage point, it will perform super-high resolution imaging and other science observations.
Sol 286 was a restricted sol because the team did not know results of the sol 285 drive in time for planning sol 286. Opportunity recorded more than three hours of observations, took a nap, and then used afternoon and overnight communication sessions with Mars Odyssey. Solar exposure is excellent inside the crater, so Opportunity's power and battery state of charge continue to increase. The rover has not used deep-sleep mode in more than a week, and probably won't for the foreseeable future.
Sols 287 and 288 were planned together. Opportunity began super-high resolution imaging activities on sol 287. Starting at 11:15 local solar time, the rover performed the following activities: an hour of panoramic camera imaging, an hour of miniature thermal emissions spectrometer imaging and another hour of panoramic camera imaging. Sol 288 was almost exactly the same three-hour activity, but with the images targeted differently.
The Deep Space Network experienced a station transmitter problem on Saturday and Opportunity did not receive all of its two-sol uplink as planned. The rover received all except the last part of the sol 287 bundle, but none of the sol 288 bundle or data management bundle. Due to quick reaction by the weekend uplink team, bundles were successfully uplinked on Sunday, in time for execution of the sol 288 plan. The total effect of the missed Saturday uplink was a loss of about 30 minutes of science on the morning of sol 288.
Sols 289, 290 and 291 were very similar. Each was a continuation of the remote sensing campaign, with an additional panoramic camera observation. Sol 289 activities included observations of dunes and dust with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emissions spectrometer. Also the panoramic camera was used for super-resolution imaging of "Whatanga," a contact boundary between two layers of rocks. For sol 290, in addition to the panoramic camera observation, Opportunity made several long-dwell observations of Burns Cliff targets with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Cloud observations on the morning of sol 290 produced a dramatic image. Sol 291 included a super-resolution observation of a target called "Bartlett."
The remote sensing campaign is generating a large volume of data at a time when, due to the rover's orientation, there is limited bandwidth available for downlink. As a consequence, Opportunity is operating with limited memory headroom, though still within planning guidelines. In order to improve the situation, the team took advantage of the Deep Space Network's 70-meter antenna availability and Opportunity's good energy state to plan a one-hour, direct-to-earth session in the middle of the day on sol 291. This resulted in the downlink of an extra 15 megabits of data.
sol 265-271, November 08, 2004: Journey toward 'Burns Cliff' Continues
Opportunity's trek towards "Burns Cliff" continues. The journey has been much more difficult than anticipated. The rover has experienced drive slippage of up to 100 percent. The plan is to attempt a couple of sols of up-slope, switchback driving and then review options to get to Burns Cliff.
The rover team celebrated Opportunity's 300-percent mission success anniversary on sol 270. The rover is showing no signs of slowing down despite its advanced age. Spacecraft health is excellent, and solar power is plentiful.
Sol details:
On sol 265 Opportunity began its drive away from a boulder called 'Wopmay.' The rover performed 45 minutes of remote observations and then attempted a 21-meter (69-foot) drive away from Wopmay. The drive stopped after 3.5 meters (11.5 feet). Opportunity experienced a drive and mobility goal error due to high current draw in the steering motors.
Sols 266, 267, and 268 were planned as a single 3-sol weekend plan. Due to the rover's heading at the end of sol 265, the morning uplink session on sol 266 was occluded by the panoramic camera, raising concern that we might fail to get the 3-sol command load to the spacecraft. To avoid this problem, the team instead chose to implement a high-priority communication window at 11:30 local solar time and to uplink all sequences at that time, activating the sol 266 master sequence by real-time command. This plan worked as designed, and all sequences got onboard.
The original plan for sols 266 and 267 was to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the filter magnet for extended integrations. However, Opportunity's position against a buried rock (informally named "Son of Bane") and the churning up of sandy terrain meant that we could not rule out the possibility of an unseen rock in the robotic arm's work volume. As a consequence, the arm deployment was cancelled, and the activities for sols 266-267 were limited to remote-sensing observations.
On sol 268, Opportunity drove away from Son of Bane. The rover turned and drove forward a short distance to get out of the hole it had dug for itself. It drove about 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) cross slope, and then began an up-slope drive designed to cover 9 meters (29.5 feet). Only about 0.4 meter (1.3 feet) of this last leg was achieved before the rover again encountered 100 percent slip.
Due to the large slippage and unsuccessful drive on sol 269, the day was used to take detailed images of the rover's position and to allow the rover mobility team to plan drive strategies for subsequent sols. Opportunity performed more than two hours of remote observations. The rover began a routine of forfeiting deep sleep for as many sols as the battery state of charge would allow. Solar exposure has been favorable enough to reduce the need for deep sleep. In an effort to reduce the backlog of onboard science telemetry that has not been downlinked, Opportunity will support early morning Mars Odyssey communication sessions as long as the battery state of charge is not impaired.
Sol 270 was the first sol dedicated to a potpourri of mobility maneuvers to gain a better understanding of the terrain on which Opportunity is driving. The rover completed the drive with no errors and achieved a positive elevation change of more than a meter (3.3 feet). Driving at a 45-degree angle to the slope appears to be the most productive operation.
With enthusiasm running high, the uplink team employed strategies of the drive from sol 270 to plan sols 271's drive. Opportunity was to drive up-slope at an angle heading east, towards Burns Cliff, as part of a longer switchback drive operation. But as has often been the case recently, the drive was not successful. Opportunity moved 0.78 meters in a beeline (about 2.6 feet) but experienced 100 percent slippage for most of the drive and ended up approximately 0.35 meters (1.1 feet) lower. Sol 271 ended on Oct. 28, PDT.
The result of this drive calls into question Opportunity's ability to reach Burns Cliff with the current approach. The team is assessing other possibilities.
Total odometry after sol 271 is 1664.43 meters (1.03 miles).
sol 258-264, October 22, 2004: Wave Goodbye to 'Wopmay'
Opportunity's health is excellent. Solar exposure continues to be very good. Opportunity spent its first night inside "Endurance Crater" on sol 134. To date, the rover has spent 130 sols in the crater, grinding 21 targets with the rock abrasion tool, performing 62 integrations with the Mössbauer spectrometer and 33 with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, and taking 115 observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Opportunity finally completed observations on the rock "Wopmay," and is ready to begin its trek towards "Burns Cliff" on the way to exiting Endurance Crater.
Sol details:
On sol 258, Opportunity examined three targets ("Otter," "Jenny," and "Hiller") on Wopmay with its microscopic imager. Each of the observations was designed to produce a mosaic. They relied on touching the instrument's contact sensor to the uneven surface of Wopmay for each quadrant of each mosaic to ensure appropriate standoff distances for good focus.
Sols 259 through 261 were designed as a single three-sol weekend plan. During the morning of sol 259, arm operations continued with two more microscopic imager mosaics of the targets "Jet Ranger 2" and "Twin Otter." In the early afternoon, Opportunity placed its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in a hover position approximately 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) above Otter. After a couple of naps and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations, the rover went into deep sleep until the next morning.
The first part of a reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer over Otter was performed for three hours in the morning of sol 260. During the same period, the rover made navigation camera, panoramic camera, and miniature thermal emission spectrometer cloud observations, then snapped images with the navigation and panoramic cameras in the drive direction. While performing an atmospheric observation with the panoramic camera, Opportunity collected extra images of the sky close to the Sun to allow observations of the dust accumulation on the camera's window.
In the early morning of sol 261, the reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer resumed, continuing until about 11 a.m. local solar time and producing excellent spectra despite the standoff position of the sensor. Opportunity then collected Mössbauer data over Otter for another three hours. Several remote science observations were made over the course of the sol, including photometric measurements with the panoramic camera and targeted observations of Wopmay with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera observations.
On the morning of sol 262, Opportunity took a third photometric measurement and used the panoramic camera to study Wopmay, concluding the weekend plan. In the early afternoon, the rover made a final microscopic image of the target "Hercules" on Wopmay, then backed away as part of a plan to re-approach the back side of Wopmay for possible additional measurements. Navigation camera imagery of the back of Wopmay was collected in the afternoon, followed by extensive panoramic camera imaging the next morning. Unfortunately, due to slippage during the traverse, Opportunity didn't reach its desired vantage point, and the target was not in view.
For sol 263, a decision was made to delete the panoramic camera imagery without downlinking it, since on board memory was tight and we already have complete coverage of the part of Wopmay captured. The new plan was to continue the rover's drive toward the back of Wopmay, and repeat the imaging observations attempted in the sol 262 plan. But as Opportunity drove toward Wopmay, it encountered a hidden obstacle: a rock buried under the sand that resulted in 100 percent slip for a good part of the traverse. Once the rover was clear of the rock, it continued from a point much closer to Wopmay than anticipated. Rover planners estimated that, at the end of the traverse, Opportunity was within 30 centimeters (just under one foot) of Wopmay, uncomfortably close!
On sol 264, which ended on Oct 21, Opportunity backed away from Wopmay. The planned drive was 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) but the actual drive was 2.57 meters (8.4 feet). Opportunity is now in position to begin its drive toward Burns Cliff.
Total odometry after sol 264 is 1,638.57 meters (1.0181 mile).
sol 251-257, October 22, 2004: Welcome to 'Wopmay'
Opportunity continues to be in excellent health working inside of "Endurance Crater." The current cycle is to use the deep-sleep mode every second night and to support an early morning Odyssey communications pass on the non-deep-sleep nights. Opportunity is experiencing very good solar exposure, averaging more than 700 watt-hours per sol available from the solar arrays. Driving to a rock called "Wopmay" has proven to be more challenging than expected, with Opportunity experiencing drive slippage of more than 50 percent in a couple of instances.
Sol details:
For sol 251, the plan was to put Opportunity in final position at Wopmay, a convoluted and creviced rock of great interest to the science team. After remote-sensing observations in the morning, the rover drove toward Wopmay on its own, using its visual odometry software. Unfortunately, despite the rover planners' attempt to anticipate slippage during the traverse, the direction of the slippage differed from the prior sol, leaving the rover too close to Wopmay to permit deployment of its robotic arm. Opportunity conducted afternoon remote-sensing observations, then went into deep sleep.
Sols 252 through 254 were planned as a group, due to the rover team's switch to a five-day-a-week planning schedule. On the morning of sol 252, Opportunity performed remote sensing, including two photometry survey observations, a cloud-search movie and imaging of Wopmay with the panoramic camera using 13 filters. In the afternoon, the rover backed away from the target to reach a staging position for attempting to reach the most interesting part of Wopmay, the upper right lobe, on a drive after the rover team's weekend. Deep sleep was disabled, allowing Opportunity to support a Mars Odyssey pass in the early morning of sol 253.
Sols 253 and 254 were remote-sensing sols. On sol 253, the rover imaged its filter magnets and performed multiple observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Before the rover shut down for the night, it positioned the spectrometer for a middle-of-the-night observation. Opportunity woke up first at 10 p.m. local solar time to begin heating, then again at 11 p.m. for the actual observation, then slept until about 7 a.m. local solar time on sol 254. Upon waking, the rover began another day of remote science, including multiple observations of sky and ground with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
During planning for sol 255 it was decided that approaching Wopmay from directly uphill would be too risky due to concerns about vehicle stability, so the plan was revised to approach Wopmay very slowly from an angle and not to deploy the robotic arm with any pre-loading on the rock. This would minimize chances of the vehicle slipping or placing undue stress on the arm. So the plan for sol 255 was to back up the hill, away from Wopmay, and position Opportunity to begin the slow angular, downhill approach to Wopmay. The drive successfully covered 7.8 meters (about 26 feet), leaving Wopmay 3.4 meters (11 feet) away. Opportunity also performed about an hour of remote science observations before entering deep sleep for the night.
On sol 256 Opportunity continued its slow approach toward Wopmay. After receiving its morning uplink, Opportunity performed twenty minutes of panoramic camera observations, then crawled forward just over 2 meters (about 7 feet), taking three small steps and performing a turn in place. During these moves Opportunity experienced slippage as high as 54 percent. By the end of the drive, Wopmay was approximately 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) away. Opportunity performed another hour of post-drive remote science observations, took a nap, then used an afternoon communication session and early morning communications with Odyssey.
Sol 257, which ended on Oct. 14, was a final approach sol. During the morning Opportunity extended its arm to use its microscopic imager for an hour on soil targets just in front of Wopmay. The rover then stowed its arm and began the final approach toward Wopmay. The drive was commanded for rolling 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) with the expectation of approximately 50-percent slippage. The expected traverse was 45 centimeters (about 1.5 feet). The last few drives taxed the rover planners and they really came through! Opportunity is perfectly positioned to examine Wopmay with the rover's microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
Total odometry after sol 257 is 1,630.00 meters (1.0128 mile)!
sol 245-250, October 13, 2004: Working towards 'Wopmay'
Opportunity is in excellent health. The current pattern is to use the deep-sleep mode every second night, and to support an early morning Odyssey communications pass on the non-deep-sleep nights. Opportunity is experiencing good solar exposure, averaging more than 660 watt-hours per sol from the solar arrays. The rover is poised for final approach to "Wopmay," a fascinating creviced rock with a brain-like appearance.
Sol details:
Sol 245 was a restricted sol. Opportunity could perform only remote sensing. The rover took images in all directions with its navigation camera. It used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer for sky and ground observations. Then it went into deep sleep for the night of sol 245 into the morning of sol 246.
Sols 246 through 248 were planned in a single planning cycle as part of our 5-day-a-week schedule. The uplink team accomplished a Herculean task, successfully completing and uplinking three science-intensive sol plans despite some issues encountered during the day.
Opportunity began sol 246 by placing the Mössbauer spectrometer and starting a long reading with it on a target called "Void." While collecting the Mössbauer data, Opportunity also performed two hours of observations with its panoramic camera and its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The Mössbauer integration was paused just before the afternoon communication session with Mars Odyssey. Deep sleep was disabled so that Opportunity could support an early morning communications session on sol 247 and restart the Mössbauer integration.
Sol 247 was day two of the long Mössbauer integration; the integration ran throughout the sol until early evening, at which time Opportunity again paused and entered deep sleep overnight. During the day, Opportunity also completed a series photometric observations with its panoramic camera.
On sol 248 Opportunity exited deep sleep and restarted the Mössbauer integration. During pre-uplink science activities in the early morning, the rover completed a sky observation pattern that planners call an itty-bitty cloud movie. In the martian afternoon, Opportunity ended the long Mössbauer integration and turned the tool turret on its arm to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on Void. The X-ray instrument did not start taking data until early the next morning. Opportunity did not go into deep sleep overnight. Instead, it used an early morning Odyssey communications session and immediately afterwards started the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration.
Opportunity completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the morning of sol 249. The rover then performed a series of microscopic imaging activities, stowed the instrument deployment device and began driving toward its next target, Wopmay. The 19.98-meter (about 66-foot) drive went well, but with more slippage than expected. At the end of the drive, the nearest visible face of Wopmay was only 2 meters (about 7 feet) from the center of the rover; far enough not to have been a hazard during the drive, but closer than was predicted. Slip estimates indicate radial slippage as high as 64 percent. Opportunity used deep sleep overnight on sol 249.
On sol 250, which ended on Oct. 7, Opportunity performed the first part of a planned two-sol approach to Wopmay. This nearly 7-meter (23-foot) drive went well. The end of the drive incorporated conditional arcs to be executed only if the rover was in the appropriate position. The drive put the rover in very good position for the final approach on sol 251.
Total odometry after sol 250 puts Opportunity just over the one-mile mark: 1,611.99 meters (1.0016 mile)!
sol 238-241, September 30, 2004: Waking up from a Winter's Nap
After a well-deserved rest through solar conjunction, Opportunity is awake again and back to work. The conjunction was the period in mid-September when Mars was nearly behind the Sun from Earth's perspective, causing communications to be unreliable.
Sol details:
Sol 238
Opportunity completed instrument arm operations on a soil target called "Auk" by finishing a multi-sol Mössbauer spectrometer integration and collecting microscopic images of undisturbed soil. It then performing remote sensing observations on the next target, a rock called "Ellesmere." Once the morning activities were complete, Opportunity took a 90-minute nap then stowed the arm and drove backwards 0.34 meters (1.1 feet). The rover used an afternoon communications session on sol 238 and an early morning session on sol 239.
Sols 239 and 240
The planning session for sols 239 and 240 was extremely challenging for the uplink team. As the rover project transitions to five-day-a-week planning, the Opportunity team planned two sols of activities to be uplinked on sol 239. Adding to the complexity, the two sols' activities included difficult instrument arm placement activities. Rover planners rose to the occasion. The sol started with 45 minutes of microscopic imaging, then placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on a target area of Ellesmere called "No Coating." Opportunity performed a couple hours of remote sensing, used an afternoon communications session and then went into overnight deep sleep. On sol 240, Opportunity began taking a reading with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at 7:00 local solar time, then went back to sleep. After waking, it did an hour of remote sensing observations, completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration and collected more microscopic imager pictures. The rover then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on its next target, "Barbeau." Another hour of remote sensing completed the sol.
Sol 241
Opportunity finished its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on Barbeau, collected more microscopic images, switched tools to the Mössbauer spectrometer and started that integration. The rover performed a mini deep sleep overnight. Sol 241 ended on Sept. 27.
Total odometry after sol 241 is 1,573.83 meters (0.98 miles - almost to the 1-mile mark).
sol 215-217, September 13, 2004: Spectrometers Sample Clean and Dirty Targets
On sol 215 Opportunity completed a reading with its Mössbauer spectrometer of a target called "Kirchner," where a wire brush on the rover's rock abrasion tool had scrubbed a circular patch on the surface of a rock called "Escher." The rover also made some remote-sensing observations then then set up for using its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on Kirchner early the following morning. However, an image from the rover's hazard-avoidance camera revealed that the doors of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer had not completely opened. The door is a tricky mechanism; incomplete openings and closings have occurred before, and the team continues to work on approaches to more reliably maneuver the door.
On sol 216 the rover successfully acquired early morning alpha particle X-ray spectrometer data on Kirchner. Despite the incomplete opening of the instrument's dust doors, the spectra look good. No repeat of the integration will be necessary. The rover also used the Mössbauer spectrometer to examine another brushed target, "EmilNolde," on Escher. This reading was planned to run into the evening then later, following a deep sleep, to resume in the early morning of sol 217. The Mössbauer placement went fine. The rover was commanded to close and reopen the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors and this went well. The doors are now properly open and ready for action on sol 217.
On sol 217, which ended on Sept. 3, Opportunity used its rock abrasion tool to brush a target called "Otto Dix," and used its microscopic imager to look at the brushed area. Then the rover was commanded to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on EmilNolde, precisely on a "dirty" portion of that target (an area that was not very well cleared away by the brush action a few sols ago). The plan was to collect data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the evening, perform a move in the middle of the night to a cleanly brushed portion of EmilNolde and integrate again until morning. These two integrations will be used to discern the differences between the "clean" and "dirty" portions of the target. A 100-megabit afternoon downlink through Mars Odyssey on sol 217 showed that all activities went well through the placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the "dirty" part of EmilNolde.
sol 211-214, September 09, 2004: RAT is Rearin' to Go!
Opportunity is healthy and continuing to explore a rock called "Escher" on the southwestern slope of "Endurance Crater."
Sol 211: Opportunity awoke from deep sleep at 7 a.m. local solar time. It re-enabled survival heaters on its miniature thermal emission spectrometer and re-started a Mössbauer spectrometer examination of a target called "Kirchner." The rover made observations with its panoramic camera and its miniature thermal emission spectrometer from about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. local solar time, focusing on getting thermal inertia measurement of the dunes at different times of day. A planned tool change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the afternoon failed due to a sequencing error in retracting the Mössbauer spectrometer from the surface. A conditional sequencing check prevented the overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration from occurring as desired in such fault cases.
Sol 212: A calibration of the rock abrasion tool calibration was completed successfully. The tool is healthy and ready for action! An aggressive plan acquired 80 microscopic images of the rock Escher. As part of the team's efforts to increase operational flexibility, a test was conducted involving operating the miniature thermal emission spectrometer in parallel with arm operations. Unfortunately, this resulted in some corrupted data from the miniature thermal emission spectrometer due to vibrations as the rover arm moved. The rover used its Mössbauer spectrometer in the afternoon before going into deep sleep overnight.
Sol 213: Opportunity awoke from deep sleep and re-started the Mössbauer integration. The rover performed some remote sensing during the day and then changed tools to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for an overnight integration. Later it completed a midnight thermal inertia observation with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer, which required an hour of actuator preheating.
Sol 214: Opportunity completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observation and successfully used the rock abrasion tool to brush clean two targets on Escher ("EmilNolde" and "Kirchner_RAT"). Then it made observations with its microscopic imager, hazard-avoidance camera and panoramic camera. The Mössbauer spectrometer was then positioned on Kirchner_RAT, where it analyzed the rock's mineral composition until the rover went into deep sleep overnight. Sol 214 ended on Aug. 31.
sol 209-210, August 31, 2004: 'Look Mom, no pebble!'
Sol 209 activities for Opportunity focused on recharging its batteries and downlinking data through both an afternoon communications link with NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and an overnight Odyssey pass (early morning sol 210). The rover also made some remote sensing observations. The sol 209 plan was constructed without benefit of the sol 208 downlink (due to the restricted nature of the planning at this point in the cycle of Mars days progressing relative to Earth days). For that reason, activities were limited to remote sensing, which did not depend upon knowledge of the exact position of the rover. All went fine, and about 165 megabits of data were returned through relay by Odyssey.
On sol 210, which ended on Aug. 27, the rover was commanded to image the rock abrasion tool in a variety of positions to get better knowledge of a pebble that appeared to be jammed between rotors in an earlier image. Then the rover used its microscopic imager to survey several spots on a rock called "Escher." In addition, it took panoramic camera images for assembling into a mosaic of the dune field at the bottom of "Endurance Crater." The diagnostic images of the rock abrasion tool brought good news with the revelation that there is no longer a pebble jammed between the grind bits! Apparently, sometime after the last previous images of the tool were acquired on sol 200, the pebble fell out, perhaps due to thermal cycling or vehicle motion. The team will proceed next with diagnostic actions to confirm that the abrasion tool is functioning normally again. Those activities are planned for sol 212.
sol 204-208, August 30, 2004: Trying Traverses
Sol 204 was planned as a rather circuitous 6-meter (about 20-foot) traverse to the vicinity of a target called "Shag" on one side of a rock called "Ellesmere." The route was necessary to avoid a significant rock hazard close to the rover's position. Unfortunately, due to the steep slopes and lack of traction when driving in this terrain, the rover experienced up to 50 percent slip during parts of its traverse. It ended up more than 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) downslope from the planned final position. This left the rover close to the edge of its safe terrain zone.
For sol 205, the team shifted its objective from Shag to another target, "Auk," on the other side of Ellesmere. Auk, though farther from the rover's current position, was of higher scientific priority, in safer terrain, and more accessible to the rover arm. To avoid the significant slip observed during turns in place, the traverse was planned as a tight-radius turn covering 1.6 meters (5.2 feet). Mindful of the uncertainties inherent in navigating in this terrain, planners designed the traverse to cover only a portion of the total distance to Auk. This proved to be prudent, since the rover again ended up slipping more than 50 percent during most of its drive, with little progress away from dangerous terrain. On the bright side, analysis of the drive indicated that the rover was getting better traction during its last moves.
On sol 206 the rover was commanded to perform a drive to turn away from its cross-slope orientation and move upslope toward Auk. The drive succeeded. After the slips of the sol 205 traverse, this traverse managed nearly all of the desired yaw response to get the rover pointed uphill and then found good traction to deliver the rover more than a meter (3.3 feet) farther upslope. Serendipitously, the rock directly in front of the rover at the end of the drive proved to be so interesting to the science team that efforts were redirected to study it. The rock was dubbed "Escher."
On sol 207 the team entered restricted planning. This happens when the timing of the rover's sol on Mars and our day in the California time zone get out of sync due to the nearly 40-minute difference in length of Earth days and Mars sols. The afternoon downlink arrives at JPL too late in the day to plan the next sol unless the team works through the night. Instead of staying up all night, the team plans with restrictions that forbid rover movement or arm activity on a sol immediately following a sol on which the rover has moved. This gives additional time for the data to become available so that planners can use up-to-date knowledge about the rover's position and orientation.
So, rather than any driving on sol 207, Opportunity conducted remote-sensing work, including atmospheric observations and panoramic camera imaging of several features.
For sol 208, which ended on Aug. 25, Opportunity drove again. It bumped forward to put Escher well within the arm's work volume. The sol also included panoramic camera imaging of Escher and of a trench created by Opportunity's prior wheel movements in the vicinity. Opportunity slept deeply on the night of sol 208 for the second night in a row. The purpose of successive deep sleeps was to align the deep-sleep nights with poorer overnight Mars Odyssey passes, leaving the rover ready to take advantage of higher-volume passes on alternate nights.
sol 200-203, August 23, 2004: Opportunity Team Decides Against Dunes
On sol 200 Opportunity was commanded to perform some remote sensing and some rock abrasion tool diagnostics in response to an activity that faulted out on sol 199. During these diagnostics on sol 200, the tool failed to respond as desired to a command to calibrate the grind motor. Analysis of this event suggests that there is a piece of debris (probably a rocky chunk of Mars) trapped between the grind bit and the brush bit. The rover team believes that it can be freed by turning the bits in reverse, but they are still evaluating the best approach to remedy the situation. There are several options available. The team decided to continue the investigation of this anomaly while pressing on with other objectives.
On sol 201 the rover was commanded to stow its arm and drive to a position about 12 meters (about 39 feet) clockwise around the crater. The intent is to head towards a dune tendril that reaches out of the bottom of the crater and may be accessible without having to drive into terrain that is too sandy for the rover to safely traverse. The drive went very well, and the rover ended up in the expected place.
On sol 202 the rover was commanded to proceed a little ways downslope. Team members were not able to command the drive the rover as far as they might have liked because they did not get all the data they hoped to get in the afternoon downlink pass on sol 201. The terrain around the rover is heavily coated with sand and dust, so each traverse requires careful evaluation to make sure there is enough rock material to drive on with confidence. From the images available, the team determined it could safely command only about a 1-meter (3.3-foot) drive. This drive proceeded as expected. At the end of the drive, panoramic camera images were acquired directly in front of the rover and out to the dune tendril. These images will be used to assess traversability to this sandy feature.
On sol 203 the team decided to scratch the approach to the dune tendril and, instead, headed the rover back towards "Axel Heiberg" and another target named "Ellesmere" for some soil observations. The terrain between the rover and the dune tendril did not present clear evidence of rocky plates to give the rover sufficient traction. Rather than spend more time in an attempt to scout further for an approach path, the decision was made to abandon the quest for the dune tendril. A drive of approximately 14 meters (46 feet) positioned the rover where it will be able to zero in on Ellesmere next. There was an apparent combination of slip or induced heading change, or both, due to the sandy terrain, which resulted in the rover ending up about 3 meters (about 10 feet) farther left than expected. This also caused Opportunity to unintentionally run over a patch of fine soil with some small dune-like ripples in it. The team will be assessing this traverse error, but it is par for the course when driving this far on such sandy, sloped terrain.
sol 196-199, August 18, 2004: Power Boost for Opportunity
Opportunity is healthy and continuing to investigate a rock outcrop dubbed "Axel Heiberg" on the southern slope of "Endurance Crater." The rover's solar energy input has risen above 610 watt-hours the last few sols, which is more than it has experienced since about sol 100. The additional power may be the result of less hazy skies.
On sol 196, Opportunity completed an overnight reading with the Mössbauer spectrometer on a hole into Axel Heiberg where the rock abrasion tool gnawed off the rock's outer surface on sol 193. Then the rover bumped back about half a meter (about 1.6 feet) to position itself for reaching an interesting vein feature. After the bump, Opportunity made observations of the abraded hole with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera data to complete the remote sensing of that target.
Opportunity completed a microscopic imager mosaic of the vein feature called "Sermilik" on sol 197. The rover also acquired panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer data of sand spots to identify future targets for the rover arm. Overnight deep sleep was used to conserve power.
On sol 198, Opportunity awoke from deep sleep and used heaters to warm the panoramic camera mast assembly in preparation for morning cloud, sky and ground imaging and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations. It made a daytime Mössbauer inspection of a 3-centimeter (1.2-inch) chuck of vein material that was apparently broken off from the vein when the rover backed up. This was followed by a tool change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer before sleep. Opportunity awoke for an early morning Mars Odyssey communications pass and turned on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for a nearly 6-hour integration.
Opportunity's planned abrading of a target called "Jiffypop" failed on sol 199. The preparatory seek-scan process successfully found the rock surface, but a motor stall prevented any further activity by the rock abrasion tool. Planned microscopic imager pictures of the target area and remote sensing were acquired successfully.
The stall of the rock abrasion tool on sol 199 is under investigation. Sol 200 activities will focus on diagnostic imaging and motor actuations to confirm the health of the tool. Another issue being reviewed is the failure of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors to close fully on sol 199. This has been seen several times before, and in this case the rover team did not have positive confirmation that doors were properly latched open. Plans for sol 200, ending Aug. 16, include door opening and closing on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
sol 192-195, August 16, 2004: Abrading 'Axel Heiberg'
On sol 192, Opportunity drove down slope in "Endurance Crater" to reach a rock dubbed "Axel Heiberg." The rover arrived in position to approach a particular point for work in this area with its instrument deployment device (the rover arm). Favorable geometry for an overnight communications pass with Mars Odyssey motivated the team to keep the rover out of deep sleep mode and take advantage of the pass. About 115 megabits of data were returned in this overnight pass.
The rover started sol 193 with some cloud imaging at about 8:45 a.m., local solar time. This required some heating of the camera mast motors and bearings. The observations were acquired, though one of the heaters apparently did not heat as planned. Engineers believe a thermostat controlling that heater had already opened. This rendered the heating circuit inoperable so that even though the heater switch was commanded on and off correctly, the heater itself never got powered. This probably resulted in use of the mast actuator at lower-than-intended temperatures. Rover team members are investigating this, and in the meantime they will not command the rover to perform mast activities at that time of morning.
After the early morning activities, the rover was commanded to approach a target on Axel Heiberg for grinding with the rock abrasion tool. The drive was designed and executed to compensate for slip, and the result was very precise. The rover also made additional remote-sensing observations, then it went into a deep sleep for the night to save energy.
On sol 194 the rover took microscopic imager pictures of a spot on Axel Heiberg, and then performed a grind with the rock abrasion tool to get access to subsurface chemistry. The grind went well, but the targeting was a little off (the hole was about 6 centimeters - about 2.4 inches - to the left of the intended target.) After some investigation it was determined that there is an error in the way one of the ground tools represented the commanded position. This error has existed previously, but the team has never detected it to be this large. It is now being fixed. The exact positioning of the rover and the arm, and the nature of the activity all combined to make the error particularly large in this instance. After the grind, the rover placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the hole to measure the rock's elemental composition early the next morning.
On sol 195, which ended on Aug. 11, the rover acquired post-grind microscopic images and placed the Mössbauer instrument on the hole to take a reading all afternoon, plus an additional reading after wakeup on the morning of sol 196. The rover also made remote-sensing observations, including images to help assess where it might drive next.
sol 190-191, August 12, 2004: Aiming for 'Axel Heiberg'
Opportunity continues its voyage farther into "Endurance Crater" with a near-term drive goal of a rock outcrop dubbed "Axel Heiberg," and a possible later destination at the foot of "Burns Cliff" on the south side of the crater.
Sol 190 - Opportunity completed a 3.4-meter (about 11-foot) drive towards Axel Heiberg. The slope was steady at about 17 degrees and slippage during the drive was about 16 percent, as predicted. The rover took images for use in planning future drives and made observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Controllers employed the microscopic imager to help with diagnosing the cause of error messages from that instrument received last week.
Sol 191 - Opportunity successfully drove another 5 meters (about 16.4 feet) closer to Axel Heiberg, leaving about 5 meters (about 16.4 feet) to go. The drive included a short backup at the end to check for uphill-drive slippage, which was within acceptable limits. Deep sleep was used overnight.
The team continues to acquire microscopic imager diagnostic images at different times of day to see if temperature might be a contributing factor to the errors seen from that instrument last week. So far, no more errors have occurred.
sol 188-189, August 09, 2004: Opportunity Turns to Talk to Odyssey
Sol 188 was devoted to finishing an examination of a target patch called "Tuktoyuktuk" where the rover's rock abrasion tool had ground the surface coating off of a rock called "Inuvik." Opportunity then drove partly up-slope and partly cross-slope as both a mobility test and the start of a traverse to the next target. It slipped down-slope about as much as expected, a good result. The rover's current terrain consists of rocky plates lightly covered with sand and soil, plus some deeper sandy patches between the plates. The sandy patches result in more slip and sometimes cause the vehicle to yaw a little (as more slip on one side of the vehicle than the other causes it to turn). The overall tilt of the rover is about 18 degrees.
On sol 189 the rover drove about 4 meters (13 feet) eastward across the inner slope of the crater. The drive went well despite substantial down-slope slip. Slippage averaged about 33 percent, with a peak of about 56 percent on one half-meter (1.6-foot) drive segment, but the rover team expected that and compensated in advance for it. The team then asked the rover to conduct a series of turns in place during the communications relay pass with the Mars Odyssey orbiter to optimize the communications link. The idea was to keep Odyssey in the sweet spot of the rover's ultra-high-frequency antenna pattern as the orbiter swept across the sky. The total data return was about 135 megabits. The best possible return predicted by models if the rover had just sat in one orientation was about 115 megabits.
The next target the scientists would like the rover to approach, "Axel Heiberg," is a rocky outcrop about 18 meters (59 feet) away to the east and a bit deeper in the crater.
sol 186-187, August 06, 2004: "Tuktoyuktuk's" Turn
The rock abrasion tool has been keeping busy at Opportunity's position about 22 meters (72 feet) inside of "Endurance Crater" while rover handlers are preparing for Opportunity's next traverse.
Sol Highlights:
186 - After a night of deep sleep, Opportunity started the sol with imaging of the sky in search of clouds and using its miniature thermal emission spectrometer for observations of the sky and ground. In the afternoon, the rover took microscopic images of a target called "Tuktoyuktuk," then used its rock abrasion tool to gnaw a hole 7.7 millimeters (0.3 inch) deep into that target. The robotic arm moved the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer into position for reading of the composition of the freshly exposed interior of the rock.
187 - Opportunity woke for an early morning Mars Odyssey communications relay session. After that, the rover started the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer reading, which lasted until 9:00 a.m. local solar time. Opportunity then took a long nap as the uplink command window was delayed until 1:00 p.m. local solar time due to launch of NASAs Messenger mission to Mercury. In the afternoon, Opportunity rotated its tool turret from the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to the Mössbauer spectrometer and acquired a 7-hour Mössbauer reading before beginning deep sleep.
The rover team is addressing some concerns about rover slippage and about error messages from the microscopic imager. An uphill driving test is planned for sol 188 to gain better understanding of a 40-percent slip observed in a repositioning maneuver on sol 185. This will aid planning for a potential drive clockwise across the inner slope of the crater toward rocks called the "Arctic Islands" and the base of "Burns Cliff." Diagnostic work is also planned for sol 188 about the error messages generated during use of the microscopic imager.
sol 181-185, August 03, 2004: Opportunity Finishing Up at 'Karatepe'
Opportunity is completing an intensive survey of the "Karatepe" region that began 50 sols ago when the rover first ventured into "Endurance Crater." The rover currently sits about 20 meters (about 66 feet) inside the stadium-sized crater. The investigation at an area dubbed "Inuvik" at a target called "Tuktoyuktuk" (named for a small village in the Canadian arctic) will likely be the rover's last in this region. The rover planning team is contemplating the next traverse which will move Opportunity around the interior of the crater, first to some outcroppings dubbed the "Arctic Islands," then possibly to "Burns Cliff," roughly 80 meters (about 262 feet) from the rover's current position. Opportunity continues to perform very well, a testament to all those who worked so hard to get it to Mars and to those who operate it daily.
Some concerns that are being addressed are slippage, an error message from the microscopic imager and pointing errors with the front hazard-avoidance cameras.
The drive on sol 185 included a short backup, during which the rover experienced a 40 percent slip. Typical slips when driving uphill have been in the 15- to 20-percent range. More evaluation of what happened on this and other drives will be needed before any general conclusions can be made about traversability in this region. The overall slope in this area is 15 degrees, which is 10 degrees below the general threshold of concern for rocky terrain. Sol 185 ended on Aug. 1.
There have been four instances of a warning message in the last ten sols that indicate a problem getting data from the microscopic imager. The messages indicate that the data was corrupted, and that a retry was necessary to receive the data without error. In all cases, the retry succeeded in transferring the data. This problem has not been seen before on either vehicle.
The new front hazard-avoidance camera models may need some more tweaking. Pointing errors were greater than expected on two recent placements of the instrument deployment device (robotic arm). The error is such that rover planners can still confidently place the instruments, provided that a 2-centimeter (0.8-inch) offset can be safely tolerated. If more precision is needed, planners must first use the microscopic imager to survey the target, then wait one sol before placing any instruments.
Sol highlights:
181 - A very accurate drive placed the target "Mackenzie" squarely in Opportunity's work volume.
182 - A two-hour hour rock abrasion tool (RAT) operation at Mackenzie was followed by an observation with the Mössbauer spectrometer. On this sol, Opportunity took panoramic camera images during the abrasion tool operation for the first time. The images were normal. Being able to use the panoramic camera and abrasion tool in parallel is one of the items on the "teach your dog new tricks" list, an effort to help the rover multi-task. The rover went into deep sleep this sol.
183 - Opportunity completed the Mössbauer observation of the RAT hole at Mackenzie, then placed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the hole for an observation to start at 4 a.m. the next morning. (This instrument works best when very cold).
184 - The rover took microscopic imager pictures of the Mackenzie RAT hole, stowed the arm, then backed up to observe the hole with the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover drove forward roughly 8 meters (26 feet) to Inuvik, using visual odometry to gauge the amount of slip. The drive left Opportunity to the right of the intended location because the rover slipped towards the fall line of the crater, causing the vehicle to effectively arc to the right. Deep sleep was invoked.
185 - Opportunity performed a short maneuver to get Tuktoyuktuk into the arm's work volume. Slippage was greater than expected during the uphill part of that move, so Opportunity ended up with only the upper part of the target in the work volume. That turned out to be good enough to perform a full set of arm work, which is planned for sols 186 through 188. The rover took panoramic camera images of the area between Inuvik and the Arctic Islands for the purposes of evaluating that drive. It turned the inertial measurement unit on again during the afternoon communications relay. This is another item on the "new tricks" list that, if successful, will allow rover planners to turn the vehicle during communication passes to optimize the data return. The rover again used deep sleep.
sol 177-180, July 30, 2004: Opportunity Sees Double
Opportunity marked its 180th sol on Mars without pausing to celebrate. Originally slated for missions of 90 sols each, both Spirit and Opportunity have passed the double-mission milestone and are continuing their phenomenal journeys of discovery.
On sol 177 Opportunity performed a two-hour rock abrasion tool grind on the target "Diamond Jenness," then took the resulting hole's picture with the microscopic imager. Surface debris and the bumpy shape of the rock apparently contributed to a shallow and irregular hole, only about 2 millimeters or .08 inches deep, not enough to take out all the bumps and leave a neat hole with a smooth floor. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer examined the rock's composition in the abraded area during early morning of sol 178.
The team decided that sol 178 would be used to grind into "Diamond Jenness" again in hopes of deepening the hole. The sequence went extremely well with the rock abrasion tool grinding almost an additional 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches). The rover then started a Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the deepened hole.
On sol 179 the rover completed the Mössbauer integration, gathered some remote-sensing data, then positioned the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the abraded hole for an early-morning integration at cold temperature on sol 180. This double integration of the hole (once on sol 178 at an intermediate depth and then a second one at full depth) will give the science team a unique opportunity to evaluate how the composition changes with depth.
On sol 180, which ended on July 27, the rover stowed its arm and drove back up the slope about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet), then turned a little to the right to go back down about 0.5 meters (about 1.6 feet). The drive up was to gain a vantage point from which to image the abraded hole in "Diamond Jenness" with the panoramic camera and to evaluate characteristics of the driving on this particular terrain. The drive back down and to the right served to position the rover for potentially proceeding farther into the crater (avoiding a sandy patch to its left). It also left the rover at a better angle for communications in the afternoon. The drive went well, with less slip that anticipated, reinforcing the team's confidence in driving back up out of the crater on some future sol.
In general, the rover continues to perform well, benefiting from a predominantly northward tilt and the greater solar-array energy that affords. The Mars Odyssey orbiter continues to perform as the rover's primary source of data return. The location on the slope of "Endurance Crater" and intensive use of the instrument arm hinder rover drivers from orienting Opportunity optimally for the radio relays to Odyssey. The level of communication is acceptable for now and the team expects that, some sol, Opportunity will venture back out of the crater to explore to new places. When the rover is on flatter ground, the team can optimize communications with Odyssey more often.
sol 174-176, July 27, 2004: Opportunity Pokes Around Pig
On sol 174, Opportunity completed close-up examination of a rock target called "Arnold Ziffel" using the rover's microscopic imager, Mössbauer spectrometer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. All observations were successful.
Leaving Arnold Ziffel on sol 175, Opportunity backed up to capture an image the results of the close-up work, and then moved on down slope to a new target. This move will leave the rover about 13 meters (about 43 feet) down from the lip of the crater. The rover was put into deep-sleep, energy-saving status overnight from sol 175 to sol 176.
Sol 176, ending on July 23, was a driving day. Opportunity moved down the slope (and east) to a position to investigate a target called "Diamond Jenness." Everything executed as planned, leaving the rover in a great position to grind into the target with its rock abrasion tool.
The engineering team is looking into a concern about the driving surface. The downslope pavement requires close examination before the rover traverses, to ensure the sand covering the pavement is still capable of supporting Opportunity. Recent experience has shown up to 30 percent slip.
sol 170-173, July 26, 2004: Opportunity Lives High off the Hog
Opportunity continued its exploration of "Endurance Crater" the past five sols, and is now roughly 11 meters (about 36 feet) into the crater. The only drive during this period was on sol 171, when the rover turned around, backed down across the slope, then turned towards a feature called "Razorback." Razorback is a vertical fracture in the local bedrock that may contain sediment deposits with clues about the water history in this area. The team's near-term plan is to follow Razorback farther down into the crater, at least another 7 meters (about 23 feet). Slopes at Opportunity's present location and immediately downward are in the 15- to 20-degree range, which is a comfortable range for driving.
Despite the gentler slopes, the slip is still difficult to predict, as evidenced by the sol 171 drive. In that series of maneuvers, the rover slipped roughly 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) more than expected. Opportunity ended up farther downslope than desired, with what appears to be a broken piece of Razorback within arm's reach. The decision was made to stay put and use the suite of science instruments on sols 173 and 174 to see if this rock, dubbed "Arnold Ziffel" (after a pig on the TV series, "Green Acres"), was different from the surrounding bedrock.
A minor concern about a temperature sensor on the rock abrasion tool that is functioning intermittently has been resolved. This sensor is used to determine the starting temperature of the tool's motors, which in turn is used to set motor control parameters. The rock abrasion tool team plans to use a nearby temperature sensor on the arm turret for the same purpose and is not expecting the loss of this temperature sensor to affect the rover's ability to use the tool.
Sol Highlights:
170 - Used panoramic camera to image Razorback and "Flatland" (a clean patch of bedrock nearby).
171 - Drive of 3.7 meters (about 12 feet). Total odometry is now 1,478 meters (just over nine-tenths of a mile). Used the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to analyze some nearby geologic features. Took a 360-degree navigation camera mosaic.
172 - Used the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer instruments to image the solar panels and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer instrument's calibration target as part of a continuing evaluation of dust accumulation. Turned on the rover inertial measurement unit during the afternoon Odyssey communication-relay pass as an experiment in support of our "teach your dog new tricks" campaign. If the inertial measurement unit does not adversely affect the communication, the team may be able to turn the rover during the communication relay sessions to increase the data return.
173 - Took a two-by-two microscopic imager mosaic of Arnold Ziffel, to be used on sol 174 (ending on July 21) for more accurate placement of the Mössbauer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer instruments.
sol 166-169, July 20, 2004: Opportunity Multi-Tasks on the Slopes of 'Endurance Crater'
Sol 166's tasks for Spirit included imaging of possible traverse paths inside "Endurance Crater," then the start of a long period of data collection by the Mössbauer spectrometer on a target called "Dahlia." All went as planned.
Sol 167 saw completion of the Mössbauer spectrometer's long integration at Dahlia, acquisition of some microscopic imager pictures, and placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the capture magnet, which is one of the two magnets on the front of the rover deck. In the early morning hours of sol 168, the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer collected data at this magnet. The composition of material sticking to the magnet is what interests scientists.
On sol 168, the rover lifted the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer off the capture magnet and replaced it with the Mössbauer spectrometer for the start of a long integration with that instrument. These complementary measurements of the material on the capture magnet should provide insight into the composition and magnetic properties of the dust around the rover. Remote-sensing activities were also performed.
On sol 169, the rover drove deeper into the crater. A judgment had been made that the terrain in front of the rover would be no more difficult to traverse than terrain the rover had already crossed. Further, the science team was very interested in some geologic features about 3 to 4 meters (about 10 to 13 feet) down the slope, next to and including a rock called "Knossos." The rover stowed its arm and trundled down the nearly 30-degree slope, arriving on a more-level area exactly where engineers intended. The rover is now below the steepest part of the inner slope in this part of the crater.
Up to this point, Opportunity had not been commanded to take any images during an ultra-high-frequency (UHF) relay session with orbiting spacecraft. Testing prior to launch suggested that there could be electromagnetic interference that would degrade the telemetry link, so operations had carefully kept those activities separate. However, time could be used more efficiently if the rover could simultaneously take images and communicate. As an experiment, the rover was commanded to take navigation camera and panoramic camera images while transmitting on sols 167 and 168, respectively. The quality of data sent during use of the navigation camera has been analyzed, and there seems to have been no ill effect. Data is still being analyzed from the transmission during use of the panoramic camera. The UHF relay session returned the expected amount of data. In both cases, no degradation of images was expected or seen. Based on this experiment, the engineering team will consider lifting the restriction against imaging during a UHF session.
sol 159-163, July 15, 2004: Opportunity Reading Rock Within its Reach
Opportunity has not moved (intentionally or otherwise) since its stabilizing maneuver on sol 158. The rover has been using the instruments on its arm and mast to study the rocks at its current location, which is in the sixth layer encountered on the way into "Endurance Crater." Opportunity remains in excellent health. Deep sleep has been invoked every other night to save energy; the miniature thermal emission spectrometer continues to operate nominally despite temperatures as low as -53 degrees Celsius (-127 degrees Fahrenheit) on some nights.
Opportunity is due for a set of "corrective lenses" (new hazard-avoidance camera models) after the trial run of new camera models is complete on Opportunity's twin rover, Spirit. In the meantime, the rover team has been using microscopic imager mosaics to locate targets when the hazard-avoidance camera-based targeting is not sufficient.
The mechanical team is investigating an anomaly involving the door on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The spectrometer has two contact switches; one that indicates its doors are open, another that indicates it is fully in contact with its target. For the purpose of opening the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors on sol 161, engineers placed the spectrometer on the compositional calibration target, a rock disc with a known composition that is located on the underbelly of Opportunity. It is used to calibrate the Mössbauer instrument periodically. The team expected both contact switches to trip on that move; only the in-contact switch tripped. The next sol, when the spectrometer was removed from its rock target, a front hazard-avoidance camera image indicated that the doors were fully open. A subsequent move to close the doors resulted in only partial closure. The team tried again to open, then close the doors and was successful, with the doors fully open, then fully closed during that maneuver. The door-open contact switch, however, once again did not trigger as expected during that maneuver. Since the team is still able to safely open and close the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors, full use of the instrument is not compromised.
Sol Summaries:
sol 159: The operations team planned this sol's activity a day in advance so that they could a enjoy a much-deserved holiday on July 4th, resulting in a relatively quiet sol on Mars for Spirit. The sol's activities included daily miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera atmospheric observations. A calibration of the miniature thermal emission spectrometer vertical scan mirror actuator was also conducted. The vertical scan mirror actuator operates like a periscope, allowing the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to target things vertically from the ground to the sky.
sol 160: Opportunity forfeited deep sleep overnight from sol 159 to sol 160 to take advantage of an optimal communication window with Mars Odyssey. We used the microscopic imager to take a mosaic of the "Drammensfjorden" location on the rock "Millstone," which is in layer "F" of Endurance Crater. The microscopic images were taken to enable the accurate placement of the rock abrasion tool on sol 161. The Mössbauer spectrometer was then placed on the compositional calibration target (CCT). This was the first such use of the CCT and was done partially out of concern that the instrument's behavior might be affected by the rover's present tilt of roughly 25 degrees. The rover team put Opportunity into a deep sleep the night of sol 160.
sol 161: The rover awoke from deep sleep to make some early morning atmospheric observations, including another attempt to image clouds. Later that morning the Mössbauer instrument was stopped and removed from the CCT. The rock abrasion tool was then used on the target Drammensfjorden, creating a 6.3mm (a quarter of an inch)-deep hole during the two and one-half hour sequence. The day ended with more atmospheric observations and a placement of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the abraded rock abrasion tool hole.
sol 162: Opportunity woke up in the wee hours of sol 162 for an Odyssey communication session and to start the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observation. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer collected data from the hole in Drammensfjorden until 10:30 a.m. local solar time. The data indicated that the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors were fully open, despite the failure of the door-open switch to trigger when the doors were opened on the CCT. The rover then took a series of microscopic images of the rock abrasion tool hole before starting a Mössbauer integration at the same location. The Mössbauer integrated until the team invoked deep sleep at 7p.m. local solar time, and was restarted after deep sleep at 7a.m. the next sol.
sol 163: Rover engineers stopped the Mössbauer then successfully opened and closed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer doors for diagnostic purposes. The rover arm was then stowed and the rover began a two-sol panoramic camera science survey of areas upslope from our current position.
sol 154-158, July 07, 2004: Opportunity Tests its Mettle on Slopes of 'Endurance Crater'
Sol 154 consisted of Opportunity completing activities on the target "Kettlestone," including a long Mössbauer integration, some microscopic images and placement of the arm for a little early morning alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration to occur on the morning of Sol 155. The rover then went to sleep.
Sol 155 began with an early morning Mars Odyssey UHF relay of about 60 megabits of data, followed by a completion of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on Kettlestone. The rover then performed a calibration activity with the arm, consisiting of moving the arm into about 20 different poses and imaging each pose with the front hazard-avoidance cameras. From the stereo images and the reported position of the arm, the rover team will be able to update models and better target the instruments onto surface features in the future. Some miniature thermal emission spectrometer activity was conducted midday, and then the rover drove backwards about 1 meter (3.3 feet). The drive backwards served two purposes: first, it positioned the rover to image the most recent rock abrasion tool holes with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer; secondly, it gave the team an opportunity to evaluate driving back up over the "curb" that was considered so difficult before traversing on sol 150. The drive back up over the curb went very well. Slip was estimated at around 11 percent, admirable for such a traverse.
On sol 156, due to an incorrect time conversion, the rover team failed to get the intended command load to the spacecraft at the right time. As a result, the spacecraft executed a backup set of minimal activities and returned about 80 megabits of data through Odyssey in the afternoon.
On sol 157 the rover acquired some images of the rock abrasion tool holes from previous sols. Then it drove down the hill to approach the next target. It drove beautifully and achieved its goal location. However, due to the large slopes (final rover tilt was 28.6 degrees), Opportunity ended the drive with the right rear wheel apparently slightly above the terrain (not touching anything). Even in this state the rover appears to be stable, but the team will likely take action on the next sol to get the suspension squared up (six wheels touching) before proceeding with preparations to grind with the rock abrasion tool again. On the night of sol 157 to 158 the rover gave up deep sleep in order to preserve an exceptional morning Odyssey pass.
The very early morning of sol 158, the rover woke up to chat with the Odyssey spacecraft and returned over 100 megabits of data! The rover then started the day's activities early with an attempt to image clouds around 8:30 in the morning. It then went back to sleep until about 10:30. After the morning uplink, it acquired some microscopic images of the new target area, then stowed its arm to allow a small mobility maneuver to get all six wheels squarely planted on the ground. This seemed to go as planned and reduced the total tilt of the vehicle to only 26.4 degrees, but did not appreciably change its position. This left the rover, as desired, in position to perform science investigations on the next targets of interest.
sol 150-153, July 01, 2004: Ravenous Rock Abrasion Tool
On Sol 150, Opportunity completed Mössbauer spectrometer observations in the rock abrasion tool hole on the rock "Tennessee" (hole number 3). The rover then stowed its arm, drove 0.55 meters (1.8 feet) backwards, turned to 40 degrees and then drove 1 meter (3.3 feet) forward. That was a net forward motion of 0.45 meters (1.5 feet) down-crater. This drive enabled Opportunity to reach two targets in the fifth distinct layer (E) of "Endurance Crater." The night of sol 150 into morning of sol 151, Opportunity did not do a deep sleep.
It was time to get to work again drilling another rock abrasion tool hole on sol 151. Opportunity began the sol by performing panoramic camera images, then it unstowed its arm and used the microscopic imager to capture the next drilling target, "Grindstone." After using the microscopic imager, Opportunity spend two hours grinding and created another precise hole. Upon completing the grinding operation, Opportunity placed the Mössbauer in the hole and performed a long integration. Opportunity did a mini-deep sleep operation overnight from sol 151 into the morning of sol 152. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer reached a chilly -51 degrees Celsius overnight.
On sol 152, Opportunity completed the observations on the hole on Grindstone. When the rover woke up from deep sleep at 7:00a.m. local solar time, it turned on the Mössbauer spectrometer and integrated until mid-afternoon. When the Mössbauer integration was complete, the rover switched tools to place the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in the hole.
On sol 153 Opportunity ended the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration, and set its sights on still another rock abrasion tool target. This time Opportunity stretched its arm out just a little farther down into the crater to a target called "Kettlestone." Grinding again for just over two hours, Opportunity successfully created the fifth hole on the slopes of Endurance Crater. The last two grind operations took place on a slope of -25.6 degrees. Just as on sol 151, after completing the drilling operation, Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer in the new hole and collected data late into the night. Shutting down late at night, Opportunity deep slept until 7:00a.m. local solar time on sol 154.
Total odometry after sol 153 was 1468.46 meters (0.91246 mile).
sol 144-149, June 29, 2004: Rock Abrasion Tool Hops from 'Virginia' to 'London'
While Opportunity is hard at work inside "Endurance Crater," engineers at JPL are busy testing engineering models in the Lab's simulated martian environment. A tilt platform is being used to determine Opportunity's ability to climb back up over the "curb" below its current location.
On sol 144, Opportunity completed the Mössbauer spectrometer integration on the rock abrasion tool hole on the "Cobble Hill" area. Microscopic images were also collected.
Sol 145 was a busy day, with the rover collecting more post-rock abrasion tool Cobble Hill and pre-"Virginia" microscopic images. The tool then bored a 4.3-millimeter (0.17 inches) hole in Virginia. Deep sleep mode was invoked for the overnight hours.
Sol 146 was used to examine the newly-abraded hole with the microscopic imager and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
On sol 147 the rover performed a long Mössbauer spectrometer integration on Virginia and completed some remote sensing from its location in the crater. After relaying the data through both Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey, Opportunity went into deep sleep mode for the night.
"London" was Opportunity's target on sol 148. The rock abrasion tool ground a 4.5-millimeter (0.18 inches) hole in the rock. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was then placed on the hole for integration.
On sol 149 the rover continued to scrutinize London with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the microscopic imager. A Mössbauer spectrometer integration was initiated and will be completed on sol 150. Deep sleep mode was invoked for the overnight hours.
sol 141-143, June 22, 2004: Edging Down 'Endurance'
Opportunity is showing no signs of middle age as it continues to work in "Endurance Crater." The rover has spent the last few sols inching farther down into the crater, making observations and pushing the limits. Managing resources as the rover's tilt angle changes is challenging and keeps the rover planning team very busy.
On sol 141 Opportunity completed post-rock abrasion tool Mössbauer spectrometer observations on the rock called "Tennessee." Having spent the last four sols investigating Tennessee, Opportunity stowed its arm and moved deeper into Endurance Crater. A 0.70-meter (2.3 feet) drive positioned the vehicle to begin observations on the first contact point, a transition between two different geologic layers. As it turns out, after arriving at the rover's new location and taking images, there appears to be not one contact point, but three contact points all within reach of the arm. Opportunity then performed 2.5 hours of remote observations using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then went into deep sleep mode for the night.
On sol 142 Opportunity begin another series of microscopic imager observations on three different targets: "Bluegrass," "Siula Grande" and "Churchill." The rover then performed alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and Mössbauer spectrometer integrations overnight.
On sol 143 Opportunity again used its rock abrasion tool, but not without some consternation from the uplink team. In order to grind using the rock abrasion tool, a minimum of force must be used to push the tool onto the target. With the vehicle tilted 23.2 degrees, there was concern that applying too much force could cause the vehicle to lose traction on the slope and slide farther into the crater, possibly damaging the arm. Concerns were pacified when the rock abrasion tool operation worked flawlessly, abrading approximately 3 millimeters (about 0.12 inches) into the rock called "Cobble Hill."
sol 138-140, June 18, 2004: Diggin' into 'Tennessee'
Opportunity spent sol 138 grinding an 8.12-millimeter (0.32 inch) hole into the rock target called "Tennessee." It took the rover 2 hours and 4 minutes to complete this grind, which is the deepest yet of the mission. After all this hard work, the rover went into a deep sleep for the night.
On sol 139, Opportunity used the microscopic imager to analyze the hole in Tennessee. The rover also performed both a daytime Mössbauer spectrometer observation and an overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer integration on the abraded surface.
Opportunity was busy finishing up some miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations of Tennessee on sol 140 and then began a long Mössbauer integration that ran for the entire sol. Opportunity enjoyed some more deep sleep after these activities and will finish up the last of the Tennessee observations the morning of sol 141.
sol 134-137, June 15, 2004: Exploring Endurance
Opportunity is becoming accustomed to its new sloped home inside "Endurance Crater." There are positives and negatives to the rover's new position and orientation. The solar array is oriented toward the northeast, which maximizes solar power in the morning and also warms the high gain antenna actuator faster, so heating is no longer required before the morning communications session. On the downside, the UHF communications sessions have degraded slightly at this orientation.
On sol 134, Opportunity drove 3.9 meters (about 13 feet) into Endurance Crater, then backed up 1.4 meters (4.6 feet), remaining inside the crater. Drive slippage and vehicle tilt was as predicted by the engineering team. An hour's worth of remote sensing completed the sol. Opportunity then performed deep sleep overnight into the morning of sol 135.
On sol 135, Opportunity drove 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) deeper into Endurance Crater to a position that was about the deepest point it reached on sol 134. This short drive was intended to allow for detailed imaging of the first likely target for the instrument arm, a rock called "Tennessee." The drive went exactly as planned, leaving Opportunity with a final tilt of -19.44 degrees and a heading of 62.5 degrees. The rover then performed almost two hours of remote sensing, then set up for another night of deep sleep.
Sol 136 was spent performing a series of panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations from sol 135's final location. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer performed atmospheric measurements and an overnight observation during the early morning pass by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter. Part one of a planned ingress (entry) survey campaign with the panoramic camera was initiated.
On sol 137, Opportunity approached the rock target referred to as Tennessee. Opportunity drove 1.19 meters (3.9 feet) deeper into Endurance Crater, placing Tennessee perfectly within the instrument arm's reach. The rover is in position to perform the first series of arm operations starting on sol 139. Deep sleep mode was again invoked overnight from sol 137 to sol 138. The plans for the coming sols include grinding into Tennessee with the rock abrasion tool and investigating it with the rover's spectrometers.
Total odometry after sol 137 is 1,466.16 meters (more than nine-tenths of a mile)!
sol 130-133, June 10, 2004: Opportunity Takes A Dip
On sol 130 Opportunity traversed a total of about 45 meters (about 147.6 feet). About 39 meters (about 127.9 feet) of that was counter-clockwise along the edge of "Endurance Crater," and 6 meters (about 19.7 feet) toward the crater rim. The sol ended with the rover about 10 meters (32.8 feet) from the crater rim. The traverse ended up about 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) short of what was commanded due to a slightly uneven patch of ground that the rover seemed to run across near the end of the drive. Driving over this tripped a suspension limit that rover planners had set to help prevent inadvertently driving into difficult terrain. Deep sleep was again invoked for the night of sol 130 to 131.
On sol 131 the rover successfully traversed up the slope to the crater edge, took a detailed set of images and then backed off a little to optimize its orientation for the rover's communications passes. These images will aid in the project's assessment of traversing on the interior slopes of Endurance Crater in this vicinity. Deep sleep was not invoked on this night, in favor of relaying data to Mars Odyssey in the early morning on sol 132.
On sol 132 the rover re-approached the crater rim at the location and orientation most advantageous for the "pre-dip" into the crater. This approach was designed to just crest the edge of the crater and leave the rover roughly level (with the front two wheels in the crater). The drive executed beautifully.
On sol 133 the rover executed the first real "dip" into Endurance Crater. The intent was to go far enough in that all wheels would be on the slope of the crater, and then come all the way back out, proving that the rover was capable of getting back out before going very deep. The other main objective was to gather information on the degree and nature of any slip that would be experienced while traversing the crater wall. The execution went extremely well, with slips and disturbance of the terrain well below acceptable levels, giving the team confidence that the rover is capable of going deeper. The engineering team will continue to characterize the variety of slopes and materials that Opportunity will encounter deeper in the crater.
sol 127-129, June 10, 2004: To Ingress or Not to Ingress
Engineers and scientists on the Mars Exploration Rover project continue to contemplate the safety and viability of a trek into "Endurance Crater."
After a "deep sleep" overnight, Opportunity began its 127th sol with a three and one-half hour nap. Upon awaking, the rover drove 50 meters (164 feet) on a directed drive, turned to face Endurance Crater and took images using its front hazard-avoidance cameras. Opportunity then performed 45 minutes of remote sensing using the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. The rover then supported an afternoon and overnight Mars Odyssey data pass.
Foregoing deep sleep over the sol 127 night, sol 128 was spent approaching the crater rim. The drive took about 10 minutes and moved Opportunity 13.4 meters (44 feet), coming to rest about 5 meters (16.4 feet) from the lip of the crater. The remainder of the day was spent supporting two afternoon Odyssey passes. The rover then underwent its sixth deep sleep cycle into the morning of sol 129.
On sol 129, it was decided that Opportunity was not in the most advantageous location for entering the crater. The rover was commanded to move approximately 50 meters (164 feet) back along the crater rim, close to the rock called "Lion Stone." After a 4.5-meter (14.7 feet) bump toward the rim and some navigation and hazard-avoidance camera images, the rover backed up 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) and then drove 8 meters (26.2 feet) toward Lion Stone. Power limited the total drive duration. Instead of utilizing the deep sleep mode overnight into sol 130, Opportunity again supported two Odyssey passes that returned a large volume of data to Earth.
After sol 129, Opportunity's odometer read 1,395.91 meters (4,579.76 feet).
Sols 130 and beyond will see Opportunity drive farther toward the possible point of ingress (entry).
sol 123-127, June 10, 2004: Opportunity Sols 123-127 Mission Update
On Opportunity's 123rd sol the rover completed an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer activity and performed a Mössbauer spectrometer read on the target called "McDonnell." The rover also acquired microscopic images before repositioning to set up for instrument deployment device (arm) work on the target referred to as "Pyrrho." This interesting rock on the Endurance rim has a braided ripple pattern. After more remote sensing, Opportunity successfully went into "deep sleep" mode to conserve energy overnight and into the morning of sol 124.
Awakening from deep sleep on sol 124, Opportunity performed miniature thermal emission spectrometer activities, proving that the instrument was, once again, able to survive the cold martian night without its heater running. The rover also acquired 75 microscopic images and performed a Mössbauer integration on Pyrrho before executing another repositioning to put the target rock called "Diogenes" within the instrument arm's work volume. This short drive was perfect and set the scene for rover planners to access nearly any point on this rock filled with intriguing disc-shaped cavities. Opportunity again took advantage of the deep sleep mode overnight into the morning of sol 125.
On Sol 125, the rover acquired 76 microscopic images on Diogenes. Very little else was done on this sol, as rover planners opted not to enter deep sleep in favor of waking up for the morning Mars Odyssey pass on Sol 126. Because it performed extensive instrument arm work and stayed awake for two Odyssey passes, the rover drained a fair amount from its battery.
Sol 126 was a very active sol, beginning with a quick placement of the Mössbauer instrument on Diogenes. The rover then napped for about two hours while the Mössbauer performed its integration. Upon waking, the rover stowed its arm and began a mobility test and preparation activity that will aid rover planners should they decide to traverse down steep rocky slopes in Endurance Crater. This set of activities included a draw-bar pull activity where the front rover wheels are locked and dragged back across rocks by driving the other four wheels backwards for about one meter (3.3 feet). The draw-bar pull is intended to give insight into the friction between the wheels and the rock surface at this site. The other mobility preparation activity was to scuff each wheel on the surface by driving one wheel at a time for a few rotations in each direction (with all the other wheels locked). This "pawing at the ground" activity was intended to scrub off the anodized layer on the surfaces of the wheels, which will allow for better grip. After these mobility activities, Opportunity traversed about 72 meters (236.2 feet) west around the crater towards "Karatepe." This very busy day also included relaying about 190 Megabits of data through Odyssey with two back-to-back afternoon passes. All this was made possible by having the option of deep sleep to save energy overnight, which Opportunity took full advantage of overnight into sol 127.
The plan for the coming sols involves approaching the rim of Endurance and imaging potential entry points to aid in the decision of whether or not to enter the crater.
sol 115-116, May 25, 2004: Opportunity on the Edge
On Sol 115 Opportunity drove 11.7 meters (38.4 feet), coming to rest about 3 meters (10 feet) from the edge of "Endurance Crater," as intended. Rover planners had commanded Opportunity to go 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) farther, but the rover decided to stop when it "saw" the edge of the crater in the navigation camera images. This was actually a more conservative response than necessary, as it would have been safe to complete the drive. Rover planners are looking into changing the way they send commands to prevent this over-conservatism next time.
Opportunity used its navigation camera to acquire images showing its proximity to the crater. On Sol 116 Opportunity turned slightly to the right and crept a little closer to the edge of Endurance Crater to get into just the right position to set up camp for a few sols. The rover executed this 1.5 meter (4.9 feet) traverse as planned, ending up facing northwest with a total tilt of about 8 degrees pitched "nose-up". From this position, Opportunity will make many observations with the panoramic camera and mini thermal emission spectrometer to fully characterize the parts of the crater that can be seen from here. Opportunity now sits only about 1 meter from the edge of the crater, and there is a sloping drop-off of about 40 degrees dead ahead.
sol 112, May 18, 2004: A Sol for Rest and Recharging.
Opportunity is healthy, but feeling a bit sluggish today. The rover's 40-meter (131 feet) traverse along the southern edge of "Endurance Crater" on sol 111, and a sol 112 error with a Deep Space Network command transmission have resulted in a low battery state of charge.
The sol 111 drive put Opportunity on an 8-degree slope that tilted the rover away from the Sun and limited the amount of direct sunlight that could reach the solar panels.
To help the battery recover to its normal state of charge, rover planners had built a sol 112 plan that deleted two of the three UHF windows. Unfortunately, a Deep Space Network configuration error prevented the command load from reaching Opportunity on sol 112 and, as expected in such cases, the rover executed the onboard run-out sequence, which included an hour of remote sensing and the three on-board UHF communication windows.
Sol 113 will be a sol for sleep and recharging for Opportunity. On sol 114, the rover will do some limited remote sensing in the morning, but will generally take it easy over the next few sols in order to fully charge the batteries. The limited activity over the next few sols will focus on moving towards the Endurance Crater rim and a new position for panoramic camera imaging.
sol 107-111, May 17, 2004: Opportunity Digs, Scuffs, and Cruises.
On sol 107, Opportunity successfully drilled a hole into "Lion Stone" with the rock abrasion tool. Since the surface of the rock was fairly uneven, the tool had to work through some high spots before getting a good bite on the rock for a full circular hole. Sol 107 ended at 6:44 a.m. May 13 PDT, with a nighttime integration of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to reveal elemental composition of the inner part of the rock.
On Sol 108, which ended at 7:24 a.m. May 14, PDT, the rover finished up its work on Lion Stone by analyzing the rock abrasion tool hole with the Mössbauer spectrometer and taking microscopic images to create a mosaic of the hole. Opportunity then moved away from Lion Stone and continued traversing counterclockwise around the crater. Opportunity drove 32 meters (105 feet) to the top of a small ridge for a better view of where to drive on Sol 109.
On Sol 109 and sol 110, which ended at 8:04 a.m. May 15, PDT, and 8:43 a.m. May 16, PDT, respectively, Opportunity drove about 41 meters (135 feet) each sol. Opportunity ended the drive on May 16 with a "scuff" of the soil and rocks under the front wheel. This scuff action produced an interesting dislodged plate of some kind. The scientists will be making some additional observations of different pebbles on the ground in the sol 111 plan.
Opportunity is driving along the south edge of Endurance Crater, with a southward tilt of about 8 degrees. The Sun is now at higher latitudes (south hemisphere winter is coming), so a southward tilt robs the rover of total solar array energy. This is making it more difficult to perform many activities. In a couple of sols when Opportunity drives to flatter ground near the crater edge to take the next large panorama, the energy situation is expected to improve.
Opportunity has driven a total of 1,170 meters (3,839 feet or 0.7 miles).
sol 103-106, May 13, 2004: Crater Cruise
On Sol 103, Opportunity traversed approximately 13 meters (about 43 feet) farther south along the eastern rim of "Endurance Crater," reaching the beginning of the "Karatepe" area. On sol 104, the rover approached "Lion Stone," a rock at the crater's edge that stands about 10 centimeters tall (about 4 inches) and is about 30 centimeters long (12 inches). This brought Opportunity's total mission odometry to 1,054meters (3,458 feet)!
On Sol 105, Opportunity acquired a series of microscopic images of Lion Stone and the surrounding soil.
The rover then went on to collect a short Mössbauer integration on the rock during the day, performed a tool change to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer in late afternoon, and acquired that integration in the early morning of Sol 106. That sol also included additional microscopic images and a successful "bump" maneuver to reposition the rover so the top of Lion Stone was in position for the rock abrasion tool on Sol 107. Remote sensing was also acquired during the two sols, including panoramic camera images of the heatshield that protected Opportunity during its toasty trip through the martian atmosphere. The heatshield impacted approximately 250 meters (about 820 feet) south of Endurance Crater.
Plans for Sol 107 are to perform a rock abrasion tool grind on Lion Stone with subsequent microscopic images and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer overnight integration. The tentative plan for Sol 108 is to leave Lion Stone and begin traverse to observation position 2 on the southeastern rim of Endurance Crater.
sol 101-102, May 10, 2004: 'Deep Sleep' Gives Opportunity More Energy to Cruise the Crater
Opportunity awoke on sol 102 from its first "deep sleep." This set of activities was initiated to conserve the energy that is being used by the instrument arm's stuck-on heater switch. During deep sleep, rover planners power off the main electronics at night and open the switches that supply battery power to the main power bus, and in turn nearly all the secondary electronics. In particular this removes power input to the Rover Power Distribution Unit, which normally supplies power to the stuck-on heater. With the Rover Power Distribution Unit input turned off, the heater cannot burn any energy either. In the morning, when the sun strikes the solar panel array, the Battery Control Board resets and connects the batteries to the main power bus again. At this time, the stuck-on heater again draws power, but this will only be for a few hours in the morning instead of all night.
The most vulnerable instrument to the cold martian nights is the miniature thermal emission spectrometer. With a cutoff of the power electronics, its heater cannot keep it warm overnight. Data returned on sol 102 showed the temperature reached -46 degrees Celsius (-50.8 degrees Fahrenheit), a bit warmer than the spectrometer's lowest proven temperature for functionality, -50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit).
Rover planners commanded Opportunity to take a drive during the afternoon of sol 102 to the south, along the edge of the crater toward a dark rock in the vicinity.
More remote sensing was conducted, including miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements that confirmed the instrument is still functioning normally after deep sleep.
Wake-up songs for the sols were "Morning has Broken" by Cat Stevens; "Hallelujah Chorus" from George Frideric Handel's Messiah; and "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin.
sol 98-99, May 06, 2004: An Eyeful at 'Endurance'
Opportunity continues to gaze at the incredible "Endurance Crater" from its vantage point on the western rim. Remote sensing, including gathering of imagery of two potential traverse targets just inside the northern edge and southwestern edge of the crater, will continue on the rover's 100th sol.
sol 94-97, May 03, 2004: Opportunity Arrives at 'Endurance Crater'
After a 50-meter (164-foot) drive on sol 94, which ended at 10:10 p.m. April 29 PDT, and the final approach of 17 meters (56 feet) on sol 95, which ended at 10:49 p.m. April 30 PDT, Opportunity arrived on the western rim of "Endurance Crater" and began surveying the spectacular new view.
Opportunity sits about half a meter (1.6 feet) outside the edge of the crater with a positive pitch of 4.7 degrees, meaning the rover is slightly tilted with its head up. The western side of the crater rim slopes down in front of Opportunity with an angle of about 18 degrees for about 17 meters (56 feet).
Sols 96 and 97, which ended at 11:29 p.m. May 1 PDT, and 12:08 a.m. May 3 PDT respectively, focused on remote sensing of Endurance Crater and the interesting features in and around it.
All systems are healthy and Opportunity's batteries are near a full state of charge.
The plan for sols 98 and 99, which end at 12:48 a.m. May 4 PDT and 1:28 a.m. May 5 PDT respectively, is to take advantage of Opportunity's current vantage point and take high-resolution miniature thermal emission spectrometer readings of the far crater wall.
sol 92-93, Apr 29, 2004: Opportunity Edges Its Way Toward 'Endurance'
Opportunity spent sols 92 and 93, which ended at 8:51 p.m. PDT on April 27 and 9:30 p.m. PDT on April 28 respectively, edging its way closer to "Endurance Crater." A total drive of 106 meters (347.8 feet) left the rover just 70 meters (229.7 feet) from the rim.
The pattern for these two sols has been to take pre- and post-drive remote sensing observations and imaging in the crater direction between midday energy-conserving naps.
By sol 95, Opportunity will make the final approach to Endurance Crater.
sol 90-91, Apr 27, 2004: Opportunity Achieves Mission Success!
With 811.57 meters (a little over one half of one mile) on its odometer, 12,429 images downloaded and a record for the longest one-sol drive under its belt, Opportunity completed its prime mission. Finishing 90 sols of surface operations since landing day marked completion of the last of the official success criteria for Opportunity's prime mission.
On sol 90, the rover continued with the multi-sol panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission plains photometry observations. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was busy collecting data on the soil targets "Nougat" and "Fred Ripple."
On sol 91, Opportunity completed more remote sensing and took a Mössbauer spectrometer read on Fred Ripple. The rest of the sol was spent driving. A 40-meter (131.2 feet) drive in the southeasterly direction left Opportunity only 160 meters (about 525 feet) from the rim of "Endurance Crater."
sol 88-89, Apr 27, 2004: Finishing Up at 'Fram'
On Opportunity's 88th sol, which ended at 6:12 p.m. PDT on April 23, the rover team decided that although "Fram Crater" was an intriguing depression, the potential hazards and the time involved in investigating it made it more of a tour stop than a destination.
With the goal of "Endurance Crater" in mind, the rover finished its investigation of the rock called "Pilbara." A final Mössbauer spectrometer measurement was taken, and then the miniature thermal emission spectrometer studied the recently carved rock abrasion tool hole.
The rover then successfully drove out onto the nearby plains for a photometry experiment (measurement of light detectable by the human eye). The 33-meter (about 108 feet) south-easterly drive ended with a front wheel "scuff" mark in the soil.
On the rover's 89th sol, which ended at 6:52 p.m. PDT on April 24, the microscopic imager photographed a soil target called "Nougat" within the scuff. A Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the target followed.
The photometry experiment continued on this sol along with miniature thermal emission spectrometer remote sensing.
sol 87, Apr 23, 2004: Opportunity Reviews Rock Abrasion Tool Hole
Opportunity spent its 87th sol, which ended at 5:33 p.m. PDT on April 22, gathering compositional information from the depression ground into "Pilbara" on sol 86. The Mössbauer spectrometer examined the hole before the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed there. The microscopic imager shot close-ups of Pilbara's new impression.
Data were also gathered by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
This set of activities should nearly complete a very detailed look at representative rocks and soil from "Fram Crater," which can then be compared to the "Eagle Crater" rocks and soils.
sol 86, Apr 23, 2004: Rock Abrasion Tool Pesters 'Pilbara'
Opportunity's 86th sol, which ended at 4:53 p.m. PDT on April 21, was another record-breaker! A nearly two-and-a-half hour grind produced an impressive 7.2 millimeter (about 0.28 inches) hole in the rock called "Pilbara."
The plan for the rest of the sol called for placing the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the new impression to determine the elemental composition of the exposed area. It was determined, however, that the rover position would not allow for a safe integration of the instrument. Rover planners amended the plan for the sol so the rover would back up and reposition itself for a safe placement of the spectrometer after the rock abrasion tool completed the grind.
On sol 87 the rover will analyze the rock abrasion tool hole with the alpha particle X-ray and Mössbauer spectrometers.
sol 85, Apr 21, 2004: Finally at 'Fram'
Opportunity got an up-close look at the rocky nature of "Fram Crater" as it approached the crater on sol 85, which ended at 4:13 p.m. PDT on April 20. After some morning remote sensing, the rover drove to the target rock dubbed "Pilbara," near the crater rim.
The wake-up song was "Take Me Out to the Ball Game!" by Jack Norworth in honor of all the baseball-related target names chosen this sol.
Plans called for Opportunity to grind into Pilbara with its rock abrasion tool on sol 86.
sol 84, Apr 19, 2004: On the Way to 'Fram Crater'
Opportunity began sol 84, which ended at 3:34 p.m. PST on April 19, with some remote sensing observations and analysis with the microscopic imager and Mössbauer spectrometer. At 13:13 Mars Local Solar time, Opportunity began a 25-meter (82 feet) drive toward "Fram Crater," taking images of its surroundings on the way. At the conclusion of the drive the rover acquired more remote sensing.
Opportunity will spend sol 85, which ends at 4:13 p.m. PST on April 20, 2004, using the instruments on its instrument deployment device to investigate a rock target at Fram Crater.
sol 81-82, Apr 17, 2004: Record-Setting Drive
Three days after switching to new software with mobility-enhancing features, NASA's Opportunity shattered the record for a single day's driving on Mars. The rover covered 140.9 maters (462 feet) during its 82nd sol on Mars, ending at 2:15 p.m. PDT, Saturday, May 17. That is about 40 meters farther than either the best previous one-day drive, by Opportunity two weeks ago, or the total distance covered by NASA's smaller Sojourner rover during its entire three-month mission in 1997.
The first 55 meters (180 feet) was done as a "blind" guided drive based on images acquired previously. Speed during that session averaged 120 meters (394 feet) per hour. For the rest, Opportunity used autonomous navigation, watching for obstacles, choosing its own path, and averaging 40 meters (131 feet) per hour. After the drive, the rover took forward-looking images for planning the next drive.
On the previous martian day, sol 81, Opportunity awoke with its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on a soil target called "Beagle Burrow" inside a trench the rover had dug on sol 73. The rover removed the instrument arm, stowed it, then backed up to image the trench before driving toward a crater nicknamed "Fram Crater." Opportunity then completed a 7.5-meter (24.6-foot) drive to a trough to image a rock outcrop within it with the panoramic camera. After a bit of guided driving, the rover set out using its autonomous navigation. The sol 81 drive totaled more than 40 meters (131 feet).
Nearly reaching the second of four waypoints on the way to Fram Crater, the rover imaged its new surroundings to identify any future driving hazards. An afternoon nap preceded sol 81's final science session, atmospheric observations with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera.
Rover controllers devoted sol 82 to driving after some morning atmospheric observations and a quick look back with the panoramic camera. The record-setting run took three hours -- a good time for a marathon. It brought Opportunity to within about 90 meters (295 feet) of Fram Crater. It also took Opportunity over the 600-meter threshold, a criterion that had been set for at least one of the Mars Exploration Rovers to achieve in order for the mission to be called a success. Opportunity has now traveled 627.7 meters (0.39 mile). Spirit passed the 600-meter threshold two weeks ago.
Rover wake-up music for sol 82 was "I Would Walk 500 Miles," by Less Than Jake (originally by the Proclaimers).
For sol 83, ending at 2:54 p.m. PDT, Sunday, April 18, another drive day is planned for Opportunity, with a goal of getting the rover close to Fram Crater. Scientists then plan to use Opportunity for some investigations of that location.
sol 80, Apr 15, 2004: A Taxing Day at the Trench
Opportunity spent sol 80, which ended at 12:55 p.m. PDT on April 15, examining the trench it dug on sol 73. The rover's microscopic imager got close-up views of the targets called "Jeff's Choice," "RipX," "Jack Russell," "Beagle Burrow" and "NewRipX" in the trench.
The navigation and panoramic cameras shot images in Opportunity's drive direction toward "Endurance Crater."
The rover's spectrometers gathered data at several of the soil targets. Atmospheric data was collected by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will make its way to "Fram Crater," a waypoint on the path to Endurance Crater.
sol 79, Apr 14, 2004: Opportunity Wakes with New "Brainpower"
Waking up to the Ramones' "Teenage Lobotomy," Opportunity began operating with new flight software on its 79th sol on Mars, which ended at 12:16 p.m. PDT on April 14.
Yestersol, the rover took daytime readings with its Mössbauer spectrometer on "Jeff's Choice" -- a soil target in the tailings of the trench that the vehicle dug on Sol 73. This sol, the rover performed a free-air integration of its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. This procedure measures the effect of the Mössbauer's radiation source on the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer's sensor, allowing the science team to subtract out the Mössbauer influence for an accurate calibration.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will examine the trench with its microscopic imager and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
sol 78, Apr 12, 2004: Opportunity Stands Down for Flight Software Update
Opportunity began a four-sol stand-down on sol 75, which ended at 8:58 a.m. PST on April 9, 2004. During this time, the rover will receive a flight software update that should make its remaining martian days even safer and more productive. The upload will run through sol 78 with a rover re-boot on sol 79, Tuesday, April 13.
Opportunity is currently parked near the trench it dug on its 73rd martain sol. It will remain there for the duration of the flight software update. To keep the battery charge high, engineers are not planning to integrate the rover spectrometers on a target in the trailings of the trench during the flight software update.
The flight software update package includes three key changes. First is an update to the autonomous navigation software that will allow both rovers to travel longer distances autonomously. The current autonomous navigation software sometimes gets stuck when it detects a hazard that it can't navigate around. The new version will allow the rovers to turn in place to find the best possible path.
The second part of the flight software update will allow the rovers to recover more easily from an anomaly like the one that occurred on Spirit's sol 18. Although operational processes and software have already been updated to prevent something like this from ever happening again, engineers have included additional safety nets in the software that would allow the rovers to autonomously react to a similar anomaly and recover to a more stable state.
The third portion of the update is specific to Opportunity and is intended to mitigate against energy loss associated with the stuck heater on Opportunity's instrument deployment device. The fix allows rover planners to put the rover in a deep sleep mode, where the batteries are totally removed from being able to power the stuck switch. Therefore, with no power reaching the stuck heater switch, the Opportunity rover battery will not be drained. Rover controllers will not initiate the deep sleep capability on Spirit unless it becomes necessary.
sol 73, Apr 08, 2004: Trough Tour Continues
Opportunity was on the move again on sol 73, which ended at 7:39 a.m. PST on April 7. The rover toured and examined the trough remotely.
Opportunity woke up to "Let the Good Times Roll" by B.B. King - a nod to Spirit's successful primary mission of 91 sols and a call for more good times during the coming sols.
sol 72, Apr 07, 2004: Traveling Around the Trough
"The Wanderer" by Dion and the Belmonts woke Opportunity on its 72nd sol, which ended at 7:39 a.m. PST on April 7. The rover drove around the sinuous trough in a long dogleg pattern. Remote sensing to examine the crevice was conducted on the 50-meter (164 feet) drive to its ultimate position for the sol, at the northeast extreme of "Anatolia."
On sol 73, the rover will perform a trenching operation in the soil. During the following sol, the instrument's arm will be placed on the trenched area.
The planned flight software upload will begin on Opportunity's 75th sol.
sol 70, Apr 06, 2004: 100-Meter Dash
Opportunity "dashed" away from the rim of its "Eagle Crater" landing-site on sol 70, which ended at 6:20 a.m. PST on April 5. The roughly 100-meter (about 328 feet) drive led the rover to a target area dubbed "Anatolia," along a sinuous crack in the plains of Meridiani Planum defined by deep impressions in the sand sprinkled with Eagle Crater-like rocks. In the coming sols Opportunity will further investigate the rocks in this "mini-outcrop."
Before leaving the vicinity of Eagle Crater, Opportunity performed a maneuver on "Bounce" rock lightheartedly called "crush and go" by the rover engineers. In order to gather further information about the rock's hardness, the intentional drive over Bounce was an attempt to fracture it. The science team is awaiting images from the rover's rear hazard avoidance camera to see the results.
An appropriate tune - "Truckin'" by The Grateful Dead - woke Opportunity this sol.
sol 68-69, Apr 05, 2004: Bidding Adieu to 'Bounce'
Over the weekend, Opportunity completed its observations at "Bounce Rock" rock and prepared for its trek toward "Endurance Crater."
On sol 68, which ended at 4:00 a.m. PST on April 3, the rover backed away from Bounce, then re-approached the rock in preparation for an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer read on the right side of it. The wake-up tune chosen for the sol was "Got to Go Back" by Van Morrison.
Opportunity made observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer during the martian morning. Then it took set of microscope images before backing away from the rock. More images were taken from that vantage point before Opportunity made a 10-degree turn in place and drove the 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) back to Bounce.
On sol 69, which ended at 5:40 a.m. PST on April 4, Opportunity completed its instrument arm work on Bounce. It also examined soil targets with its microscopic imager and Mössbauer spectrometer. The wake-up song for the sol was "Little Maggie" by Tom Adams, chosen for the soil target named "Maggie."
In coming sols Opportunity will make progress in a 750-meter (nearly a half mile) drive to Endurance Crater. The rover team plans to make pit stops along the way at scientifically interesting sites and will pause other activities for a few sols while the rover gets new flight software.
sol 67, Apr 02, 2004: 'Bounce' Barraged by Instruments
In recognition of changing the instruments on its arm nine times, David Bowie's "Changes" woke Opportunity on its 67th sol on Mars, which ended at 3:21 a.m. PST on April 2.
The rover continued to examine "Bounce" with the microscopic imager and the Mössbauer and alpha particle X-ray spectrometers.
During the martian morning, the Mössbauer spectrometer was turned off before atmospheric science was conducted with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera.
The afternoon hours were dedicated to intensive study of a handful of targets on Bounce, including the impression ground by the rock abrasion tool on sol 66.
Opportunity will continue to investigate Bounce for the next two sols and then begin its journey toward "Endurance Crater."
sol 66, Apr 01, 2004: Biting into 'Bounce'
Opportunity's rock abrasion tool ground into "Bounce" for just over two hours, producing a 6.44-millimeter (0.25 inch) hole that will allow the rover's spectrometer's to analyze the rock's chemical composition.
Bon Jovi's "Bounce" woke Opportunity on its 66th sol, which ended at 2:41 a.m. PST on April 1. The martian morning began with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observing a target called "Glanz2" on Bounce. Miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements of the ground and sky followed.
The rock abrasion tool was then placed on the target dubbed "Case." After the grind, the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the hole for an overnight integration.
In the afternoon, the rover also had time to complete more atmospheric science with its panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will remain parked at the intriguing Bounce rock to continue its investigations.
sol 65, Mar 31, 2004: Opportunity 'Back in the Saddle'
Opportunity resumed science operations after waking to Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle" on its 65th sol, which ended at 2:02 a.m. PST on March 31. During the martian morning, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera studied the atmosphere. "Bounce" rock was imaged by the panoramic camera.
Opportunity's instrument arm was then deployed to get a close-up view of "Bounce" using the microscopic imager. The rock abrasion tool team used some of these images to identify the exact target for next sol's grinding operation. The Mössbauer spectrometer was then placed on a designated target on the rock for an overnight integration.
In the afternoon, Opportunity took navigation and panoramic camera images and completed more miniature thermal emission spectrometer science.
Next sol, the rover's rock abrasion tool will grind into Bounce.
sol 64, Mar 30, 2004: Opportunity Takes a Breather
On Opportunity's 64th sol, which ended at 1:22 a.m. PST on March 30, the rover team analyzed the results of engineering activities run to investigate an error message they received from the rover on sol 63.
A problem with a secondary memory file was isolated and resolved. Just as an ordinary computer disk can have corrupted sections, a corrupted file in an area where rover commands are addressed and stored has been identified. Engineers have identified the location of the problem within the memory and figuratively fenced it off, containing it and preventing it from harming any future command sequences. This minor issue has not impeded the rover from resuming normal science operations on the next sol.
The wake-up song chosen for Opportunity on this quiet sol was "Stand" by REM.
The rover is currently at the rock dubbed "Bounce." Opportunity met this rock once before; while still cloaked in its protective lander and airbags, the rover bounced on the rock while on its way to a safe landing in "Eagle Crater." Miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations have shown Bounce is rich in hematite. In the coming sols, the rover's other spectrometers will examine the rock before the rock abrasion tool grinds into a designated target.
sol 60, Mar 26, 2004: Opportunity and 'The Lion King'
On sol 60, which ended at 10:44 p.m. PST on March 25, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity had a quiet day continuing its research around the exterior of Eagle Crater.
Opportunity changed tools from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer around 11:30 Local Solar Time. In addition to the tool change, Opportunity's panoramic camera took a comprehensive color high-resolution panorama. The rover team dubbed it the "Lion King Panorama" because it is a look around Opportunity's domain from a high vantage point -- much like the view from "Pride Rock" in "The Lion King" movie. The large panorama essentially filled the remaining flash memory volume onboard the spacecraft, requiring a plan for sol 61 that minimizes data collection. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer also collected remote sensing data.
The wake up song for sol 60 was "The Circle of Life" by Elton John in honor of the Lion King panorama.
The plan for sol 61, which will end at 11:23 p.m. on March 26 PST, is to drive north to an area with dark material.
sol 59, Mar 25, 2004: Browsing Bright Material
Opportunity spent sol 59, which ended at 10:04 p.m. PST, placing the Mössbauer spectrometer on the bright material it approached yestersol, and conducting more remote sensing observations.
This relatively light workload allowed the rover to recover energy for the next sol's activities. Those will include completing an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer read on the same soil target and initiating the panoramic mosaic image from the rover's current position.
The wake-up tune for the sol was "59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)" by Simon and Garfunkel.
sol 58, Mar 24, 2004: Back to Bright Material
The song "Come on Home" by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross beckoned Opportunity back toward its landing site crater to an area of bright material. The rover also began to image a panoramic mosaic of the plains on this sol, which ended at 9:25 p.m. PST on March 23.
Over the martian night, Opportunity will again wake up to take miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements.
In the coming sols, the rover will use its spectrometers to investigate the bright material area and then move on to a specific target in the area dubbed "Bright Spot."
sol 57, Mar 22, 2004: Opportunity Leaves the Nest
After a slightly slippery start yestersol, Opportunity made it out of "Eagle Crater"on sol 57, which ends at 8:45 p.m. PST on March 22. The drive along the crater's inner slope that was initiated on the last sol continued this sol until Opportunity exited its landing-site crater. Images from the navigation camera confirm that the rover is about 9 meters (about 29.5 feet) outside of the crater.
The rover also conducted remote sensing observations between naps this sol. After completing the drive out of the crater, the navigation camera imaged Opportunity's brand new view of the plains of Meridiani Planum.
During the martian night, rover planners will awaken Opportunity to take miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations of the ground and the atmosphere.
The song chosen to motivate Opportunity to move up and out of the crater was "If You Don't Get it the First Time, Back Up and Try it Again" by the JBs and Fred Wesley.
sol 56, Mar 21, 2004: Try Again to Exit Crater
NASA's Opportunity tried driving uphill out of its landing-site crater during its 56th sol, ending at 10:05 p.m. March 21, PST, but slippage prevented success. The rover is healthy, and it later completed a turn to the right and a short drive along the crater's inner slope. Controllers plan to send it on a different route for exiting the crater on sol 57.
Earlier on sol 56, Opportunity successfully examined a patch of soil dubbed "Brian's Choice" with its Mössbauer spectrometer, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and microscopic imager. Following the drive, it made observations with its navigation camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Wake-up music for the sol was "Fly Like an Eagle," by the Steve Miller Band.
sol 54, Mar 20, 2004: Sightseeing at Sweet Spots
Opportunity flipped 115 meters (377.3 feet) on its odometer during the latest drives along the current soil survey campaign, surpassing the total drive distance of 1997's Sojourner rover. After performing a "touch and go" sequence at the third soil target south of the Challenger Memorial Station, Opportunity moved east to its fourth target. There the rover used its wheels to dig a trench that will be studied in coming sols.
The sol, which ended at 6:46 p.m. PST on March 19, started with brief alpha particle X-ray and Mössbauer spectrometer measurements on the soil target known as "Coconut2." These were followed by two sets of microscopic imager shots of Coconut2 and "ChocolateChip." The rover then stowed its arm and drove.
Remote sensing with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera remote sensing was performed before, during, and after the drive and trenching activities. Also, Opportunity took additional images with its navigation camera imaging in preparation for next sol's drive to the final site inside the crater.
To prepare for the trenching on this sol, the wake-up song was "I Feel The Earth Move" by Carole King.
sol 53, Mar 18, 2004: Two Down, Three to Go
On sol 53, which ends at 6:07 p.m. PST on March 18, Opportunity first completed the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer work from yestersol and then continued to study the second soil survey target with the Mössbauer spectrometer.
Following an afternoon nap, the rover used its microscopic imager to get close-up views of the soil. Opportunity then made its way to the third soil target, which involved a 5-meter (about 16 feet) drive. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was then positioned to examine the magnet arrays. Preparations were also made to conduct a miniature thermal emission spectrometer observation of the martian sky at dawn on the next sol.
"Ice Cream Man" by John Brim woke Opportunity this sol to remind it of the possible sweet treats that await at targets referred to as "Chocolate Chip" and "Coconut" in the neighborhood dubbed "Mudpie."
The soil survey will continue in the coming sols.
sol 52, Mar 17, 2004: Scrutinizing the Soil
Sol 52, which ended at 5:27 p.m. PST on March 17, was a full day for Opportunity, punctuated by short naps. The rover arm was deployed on the first of five targets in the rover's current soil survey. The soil was examined by all the rover's spectrometers and the panoramic camera.
In the afternoon, the rover moved about 6 meters (about 20 feet) to the second soil target, performing several remote observations along the way. Closing out the sol, Opportunity's alpha particle X-ray spectrometer began to inspect the capture magnets on the front of the rover. Clues about Mars' watery history are present even in the smallest dust grains that settle on these magnet arrays.
Images of Opportunity's "scuff" experiment on the rock "Carousel" reached Earth this sol. Scientists are currently examining the results.
In honor of Opportunity's 52nd sol on Mars, engineers chose "Rock Lobster" by the B52s as a wake-up tune.
In the coming sols, the rover will travel to the final targets in the soil survey.
sol 51, Mar 16, 2004: "Scuff and Go"
Opportunity reached the first of five targets in its current soil survey on the rover's 51st sol on Mars. The sol, which ended at 4:47 p.m. PST on March 16, began with a salute to the rover's intended target on the southern face of the crater where it has been exploring since its early sols on Mars. "Song of the South" by Alabama was chosen to wake Opportunity for a busy sol that involved a 15-meter (49.2 feet) u-shaped drive toward the soil target.
Before the rover ventured away from the outcrop that has been the focus for the majority of its mission, alpha particle X-ray spectrometer observations were completed on the red rind dubbed "Shark's Tooth." The arm was stowed before Opportunity "scuffed" the rock "Carousel" with its front left wheel. Results of the experiment were imaged as Opportunity backed up and prepared for its drive away from the outcrop.
Backing down towards the center of the crater and then arcing around the Challenger Memorial Station, Opportunity ultimately drove back up the slope to a position fairly close to the rim. On its way to the current soil target, the rover was also able to image the trench it previously dug on sol 23 from a different angle.
In the coming sols, Opportunity will use the instruments on its arm to examine all five soil targets identified for the soil survey.
sol 50, Mar 15, 2004: Finishing up at the Outcrop
On sol 50, which ended at 4:08 p.m. PST on March 15, Opportunity got closer to completing its observations of the rock outcrop. The rover arm, with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at the ready, was placed on the rock called "Shark's Tooth" for a 30-minute observation. The microscopic imager then took a series of pictures of the targets "Enamel 1" and "Lamination." The focus then switched back to "Shark's Tooth" for an examination by the Mössbauer spectrometer.
The song chosen to awaken Opportunity was "The Dentist" by Bill Cosby, in honor of the toothy targets in "Shark's Cage."
The sol also included many panoramic camera observations of targets with creative names like "Patio Rug," "Anaconda Snake Den," "West Zen Garden" and "Garter Snake."
The next sol calls for a final experiment at the outcrop called "scuffing." "Scuffing" essentially turns one of the rover wheels into a tool to scrape a rock to help determine its hardness. The rock "Carousel" will be scraped by Opportunity's front left wheel. After that experiment, the rover will begin its trans-crater traverse to five soil survey targets, the first of which will lead Opportunity up the sandy southern face of the crater.
sol 48, Mar 14, 2004: Shark Ahead
NASA's Opportunity finished inspecting the "Berry Bowl" site and drove 10 meters (33 feet) toward a new target during its 48th sol on Mars, which ended at 2:50 p.m. Saturday, PST.
The rover used all four tools on its arm during the morning, ending with a brushing by the rock abrasion tool, then post-brushing examinations with the microscope and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. This closed out three sols of work at "Berry Bowl" to compare the composition of targets with and without groups of the BB-sized spherules believed to have formed while the local environment was wet.
Opportunity then stowed its arm and drove toward an area dubbed "Shoemaker's Patio" at the southwestern end of the outcrop the rover has been studying since it arrived on Mars. This informal name pays tribute to the late geologist Dr. Eugene Shoemaker of the U.S. Geological Survey. Opportunity's more specific target is a rock called "Shark's Tooth" at the near edge of the patio. The drive did not quite put that target within reach of the robot arm. Activities of the sol also included atmospheric observations with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer, plus post-drive imaging with the navigation camera.
Mission controllers at JPL chose John Williams' "Jaws: Main Title and Fist Victim" as the wake-up song for sol 48.
Plans for sol 49, ending at 3:28 p.m. Sunday PST, call for finishing the approach to "Shark's Tooth" after a morning examination of the ground right in front of the rover. Inspection of "Shark's Tooth" with tools on the robotic arm is planned for sol 50.
sol 47, Mar 12, 2004: Aiming for Shark's Tooth
On sol 47, which ended at 2:10 p.m. PST on Friday March 12, Opportunity awoke to "No Particular Place to Go" by Chuck Berry in recognition of the stay at "Berry Bowl." Engineers also played "That's Amore" by Dean Martin in honor of the Phobos moon's transit across the sky.
Opportunity finished remnants of activities from the past sol's research at "Berry Bowl." The sol started with the hazard avoidance camera taking a picture of the "Berry Bowl" area as a context picture. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer then performed some "sky stares" of the atmosphere. At 11:30 Local Solar Time, the robotic arm started moving. It picked up the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and moved to a new location nearby, then switched to the Mössbauer spectrometer. Both spectrometers are searching for clues about the chemical composition of the mysterious "blueberries."
Later, Opportunity took panoramic camera images of the suite magnet on the rover itself, which is collecting atmospheric dust samples to understand why the martian dust is so magnetic. The panoramic camera also took images of a target dubbed "Fool's Silver," which contains an interesting angular feature in the outcrop.
After all the morning's hard work, Opportunity took a short siesta to rest and recharge. Opportunity reawakened a few hours later to take more images of the atmosphere with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera. Those were taken in the same locations as the morning measurements to compare the atmospheric data throughout the sol.
At 15:40 Local Solar Time, Opportunity took about a dozen images of the Sun to catch the eclipse by the martian moon, Phobos. Opportunity once again shut down for a nap and woke up at 4:53 Local Solar Time, sol 48, for a tool change and a communications session with the Odyssey orbiter. While the rover was awake for the Odyssey pass, the rover heated up the robotic arm, which had chilled to almost -80 degrees Celsius (-112 degrees Fahrenheit). The motors cannot move at that frigid temperature, so the rover arm heated for 32 minutes to surpass the operational temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). As the rover arm quickly cooled, the heat lasted long enough (5 minutes) for the arm to twist its wrist and change instruments from the Mössbauer spectrometer back to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
The rest of the plan for sol 48, which will end at 2:49 p.m. PST on Saturday, March 13, is to perform quite a few complicated maneuvers. Opportunity plans to brush an area with the rock abrasion tool, analyze the brushed area with the spectrometers, then drive 10 meters (33 feet) along the slippery slopes of the outcrop to "Shark's Tooth" in "Shoemaker's Patio."
sol 46, Mar 11, 2004: Berry Nice News
On sol 46, which ended at 1:30 p.m. PST on Thursday, March 11, Opportunity awoke at 9:20 Local Solar Time to two songs in honor of researching the mysterious "blueberries" with the instruments on the robotic arm. The wake-up songs were "Berry Nice News" by Raffi and "Huckling the Berries" by Country Cooking.
Opportunity performed a series of activities including microscopic imaging of the berries and placing the Mössbauer spectrometer on the berries to analyze their chemical composition. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer later made multiple atmospheric observations. After a short nap to conserve energy, Opportunity awoke in the afternoon to perform some additional remote sensing observations and to transmit data to Earth via the Odyssey orbiter.
Later in the evening Local Solar Time, Opportunity collected data with its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer at two locations.
The plan for sol 47, which will end at 2:10 p.m. PST on Friday, March 12 is to continue analyzing the blueberries and the "Berry Bowl." By early next week, Opportunity will drive to a new area dubbed "Shoemaker's Patio."
sol 45, Mar 10, 2004: Halfway Mark
On sol 45, which ended at 12:50 p.m. PST on Wednesday, March 10, Opportunity awoke to ''Eclipse" by Pink Floyd in recognition of the transit of the martian moon, Phobos. A second song, "Meet Me Halfway" by Kenny Loggins, was played because Opportunity is halfway through its primary 90-sol surface mission.
Opportunity used the rock abrasion tool brush to sweep off the dirt in and around the hole at "Mojo 2" in the "Flat Rock" area. Opportunity then took five microscopic images of the freshly brushed "Mojo 2."
The miniature thermal emission spectrometer took measurements at three locations on the surface of Mars, and then pointed upwards to observe the atmosphere in four different directions. The panoramic camera was also busy taking images of the magnets around the rock abrasion tool area, "Mojo 2" post brushing, and a new area called "Slick Rock."
The plan for sol 46, which will end at 1:30 p.m. PST on Thursday, March 11, is to use the science instruments on the end of the robotic arm on the area dubbed "Berry Bowl."
sol 44, Mar 09, 2004: Back to the Grind
On Opportunity's 44th sol, ending at 12:10 p.m. PST on Tuesday, March 9, the rock abrasion tool ground a 3.1 millimeter-deep (just over one-tenth of an inch) hole in the "Mojo 2" target on "Flatrock." Yesterday, diagnostic testing determined a voltage adjustment was necessary to overcome some mechanism "stickiness" in the routine during which the rock abrasion tool finds the highest point in the target area.
The routine worked perfectly on this grind with the new voltage setting. After one hour and five minutes of successful grinding, the rock abrasion tool grind motor stalled, probably while grinding into one of the spherules also known as "blueberries." These objects are known to obstruct the grinding tool and cause it to terminate its sequence.
Late in the martian morning, the Mössbauer spectrometer was placed on the hole, followed later by the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. The miniature thermal emission spectrometer took two long atmospheric measurements. The panoramic camera was busy taking images of the hole as well as surrounding target areas.
The wake-up songs were "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" by Janis Joplin for the rock abrasion tool's second attempt at "Mojo 2," and "X-ray Eyes" by Kiss for the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
sol 43, Mar 08, 2004: More Mojo
On sol 43, which ended at 11:31 a.m. PST on Monday, March 8, Opportunity awoke to ''You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)" by Bruce Springsteen in recognition of the fact that the rock abrasion tool grind did not touch the surface of its rock target on sol 42.
Using a combination of microscopic images, hazard avoidance camera images, and rock abrasion tool tests on sol 43, Opportunity's engineering team discovered that the grind motor of the rock abrasion tool on Mars stalled prematurely during what's called the "seek/scan" phase when the rock abrasion tool instrument searches for the rock face. This resulted in no contact during the actual grind activity on sol 42. The most likely causes of the stall are dust and dirt accumulations and temperature variations on the instrument. The tests also confirmed that engineers can safely increase the motor voltage on the instrument to prevent a future stall.
In the process of conducting the rock abrasion tool activities, Opportunity placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on "Mojo 2," a target on "Flat Rock."
The remainder of the sol included preparations for the future target in this area, dubbed "Berry Bowl," taking pictures with the panoramic and navigation cameras. Opportunity also took ground and atmospheric measurements with the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
The plan for sol 44, which ends at 12:10 p.m. PST on Tuesday, March 9 is to grind into "Mojo 2" using the rock abrasion tool and then to research the rock's chemical composition using the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the Mössbauer spectrometer.
sol 42, Mar 07, 2004: No Hole This Time
NASA's Opportunity attempted to grind a shallow hole into a target called "Flat Rock" during its 42nd sol on Mars, ending at 10:51 a.m. Sunday, PST. However, the operation of the rover's rock abrasion tool produced almost no discernable impression on the rock. All indications are that the tool is healthy. Controllers plan to run some diagnostic tests during sol 43 (ending at 11:31 a.m. Monday, PST) to aid with tuning parameters for a second grinding attempt on the target on sol 44.
Opportunity observed the Sun with its panoramic camera on sol 42 as a practice run for future imaging of Mars' moon Phobos passing in front of the Sun. The alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was placed against "Flat Rock" for an overnight reading to identify the chemical elements present.
Wake-up song for the sol was "Break on Through (to the Other Side)," by The Doors.
sol 41, Mar 06, 2004: Precision Driving after Mid-Sol Science
In its 41st sol on Mars, ending at 10:02 a.m. Saturday, PST, NASA's Opportunity inspected a rock target called "Wave Ripple" with tools on its arm, then drove to a new target. The new target, "Flat Rock," is in the "Slick Rock" area near the south end of the outcrop that the rover has been examining for weeks.
Although the rover wheels slip some in the local soil and the drive traversed a slope of 10 to 11 percent, Opportunity and engineers at JPL navigated the trip so well that a planned final approach to the target on sol 42 could be cancelled. The target is within the work volume of Opportunity's robotic arm. The drive was done in a series of one-meter (3.3-foot) segments making up a U-shaped path to the south and west. Each segment included a correction for slippage.
Before starting the drive, Opportunity used its microscope for 50 images of "Wave Ripple," and examined the composition of the rock with its alpha proton X-ray spectrometer and its Mössbauer spectrometer.
Rover controllers spun Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" as the sol's wake-up song, and used a compressed planning schedule as practice for procedures that might become standard after the 90-sol prime mission.
Plans for sol 42, ending at 10:51 a.m. Sunday, PST, include using the rock abrasion tool at "Flat Rock."
sol 40, Mar 05, 2004: Opportunity Fit At Forty
After 40 good days on the surface, Opportunity is showing no signs of middle age.
On sol 40, which ended at 9:32 a.m. PST, March 5, 2004, Opportunity finished a set of overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurements at "Last Chance" and completed a morning set of panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer remote sensing observations. At 11:30 Local Solar Time, engineers retracted the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer off the target, took a final set of 24 microscopic images, and stowed the arm for driving.
Opportunity then scored another first by successfully using visual odometry to navigate autonomously on Mars. During a drive along the crater wall, the vehicle properly identified wheel slippage on the steep slope of the crater wall using features in the navigation camera imagery. This effectively provided a mid-course correction that landed the science and engineering team exactly at the target location where they want Opportunity to do work using the instruments on the rover arm on sol 41.
The plan for sol 41, which will end at 10:12 a.m. PST, March 6 will be to take microscopic images of an area dubbed "Wave Ripple" in the "Last Chance" area, followed by a traverse to "Slick Rock" in the "Berry Bowl" area.
sol 39, Mar 04, 2004: An Armada of Arm Moves
On sol 39, which ends at 8:52 a.m. PST on Thursday, March 4, Opportunity awoke to "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival in honor of the eclipse caused by the martian moon Deimos.
The science and engineering team built a whopping 490 commands to accomplish the most complex robotic arm operations on Mars yet. Opportunity took three mosaics on the area dubbed "Last Chance," using the microscopic imager, creating 128 images in over 200 arm moves. Each "frame" of these mosaics required multiple microscopic images. There are two reasons for this. First, the microscopic imager does not have auto-focus, so the team needed to have Opportunity take and return multiple images at each location at different distances from the rock to get at least one in focus. A second reason is that the team needed Opportunity to take an extra image at a slightly different angle for each frame to create the right conditions to build stereo and computer-generated graphics of the "topography" of the rock area up close.
After about two-and-a-half hours of microscopic imager maneuvers, the robotic arm placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on a location at "Last Chance" called "Makar." Opportunity also used the panoramic camera to watch the rare solar crossing of the sun by the moon Diemos and took images of the sky in coordination with the European Space Agency's orbiter at Mars, Mars Express.
The plan for sol 40, which will end at 9:32 a.m. PST on Friday, March 5 is to continue taking microscopic images of the "Last Chance" area, then drive to a new location dubbed "The Dells."
sol 38, Mar 03, 2004: Opportunity Hits Pay Dirt
On sol 38, which ended at 8:13 a.m. PST on Wednesday, March 3, Opportunity awoke to "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" by Creedence Clearwater Revival in honor of the confirmation that liquid water once flowed through the rocks at Meridiani Planum.
In the morning of sol 38, Opportunity observed the atmosphere with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Then, the rover turned the miniature thermal emission spectrometer to stare at the ground for science observations. Later, Opportunity took stereo microscopic images and Mössbauer spectrometer readings of the soil target dubbed "Pay Dirt."
In the early afternoon Local Solar Time, Opportunity stowed the rover arm, took a panoramic camera image of "Last Chance," and drove a very short distance of 0.4 meters (16 inches) toward "Last Chance" to prepare for the deployment of the robotic arm.
The proposed plan for sol 39, which will end at 8:52 a.m. PST on Thursday, March 4, is to start the morning by taking images of a rare solar transit of the martian moon, Deimos. The solar transit of Deimos causes a solar eclipse only twice per Mars year (one Mars year equals roughly two Earth years). Later in the sol, Opportunity is scheduled to take a microscopic panorama of the layers in the "Last Chance" rock formation.
sol 37, Mar 02, 2004: Let's Go to 'Last Chance'
On sol 37, Opportunity woke up at 9:35 Local Solar Time to "Let's Go" by the Cars. Opportunity completed the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera surveys of the rock abrasion tool holes at "Guadalupe" and "McKittrick," then drove 4.25 meters (14 feet) to "Last Chance," ending the sol at 7:33 a.m. PST on Tuesday, March 2.
With the moves of a tango dancer, the drive was another intricate study in, and challenge of, driving on a slippery, steep slope.
The rover was directed to: turn right, go forward, turn right, take images of "Last Chance," turn right, go forward, turn left, go forward, turn right, take images of "Big Bend," go straight, turn left and go straight! Due to the challenges of driving and pirouetting on such a steep slope (as steep as 22 degrees) the rover found it difficult to maintain a perfectly straight course, and Opportunity came up shy and right of the "Last Chance" target by about 30 centimeters (about one foot).
The plan for sol 38, which will end at 8:13 a.m. PST on Wednesday, March 3 is to do a short drive again to get within arm's reach of "Last Chance." Once in place, Opportunity will use the science instruments on the end of the robotic arm to analyze "Last Chance."
sol 36, Mar 01, 2004: Moving On
Opportunity woke up to Sting's "Rock Steady" on its 36th sol on Mars, which ended at 6:54 a.m. PST on Monday, March 1. The rover completed an overnight alpha particle X-ray spectrometer measurement on "Guadalupe," retracted its arm, placed the Mössbauer spectrometer on the calibration target and then stowed its arm.
A series of backward drives - away from the "El Capitan" site in the outcrop - were then conducted.
The rover also got in some remote sensing, including miniature thermal emission spectrometer observations and panoramic camera imaging of the holes created by the rock abrasion tool. In addition, the panoramic camera took images of a crater to the east.
The plan for the next sol involves several short drives in the direction of the "Last Chance" target in the "Big Bend" area of the outcrop.
sol 35, Feb 29, 2004: "Guadalupe" Under the Microscope
During its 35th sol on Mars, ending at 6:14 a.m. Sunday, PST, Opportunity manipulated the microscopic imager at the tip of its arm for eight observations of the fine textures of an outcrop-rock target called "Guadalupe." The observations include frames to be used for developing stereo and color views.
Opportunity also used its Mössbauer spectrometer and, after an overnight switch, its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to assess the composition of the interior material of "Guadalupe" exposed yestersol by a grinding session with the rock abrasion tool.
The panoramic camera up on the rover's mast captured a new view toward the eastern horizon beyond the crater where Opportunity is working, for use in evaluating potential drive directions after the rover leaves the crater.
Jimmy Cliff's "I Can See Clearly Now," was played in the mission support area at JPL as Opportunity's sol 35 wake-up music.
Plans for sol 36, ending at 6:54 a.m. Monday, PST, called for finishing the close-up inspection of "Guadalupe," then backing up enough to give the panoramic camera and miniature emission spectrometer good views of the area where the rock interior has been exposed by grinding.
sol 34, Feb 28, 2004: Scratch and Sniff
Opportunity remains healthy and active. During its 34th sol on Mars, which ended at 5:34 a.m. Saturday, PST, the rover used its rock abrasion tool for the second time. It ground the surface off a patch of rock at a site called "Guadalupe" in the outcrop the rover has been examining. The rover looked at the patch with its microscope both before and after the grinding session. Then it placed its Mössbauer spectrometer against the newly exposed interior material of the rock for a long reading of data that scientists use to identify what iron-containing minerals are present in the target.
Opportunity also used its miniature thermal emission spectrometer during the sol to assess the composition of an outcrop feature dubbed "Shoemaker Wall." It took images of "Guadalupe" with its panoramic camera before and after the use of the rock abrasion tool.
Wake-up music played in the mission support area at JPL for sol 34 was "Dig In," by Lenny Kravitz.
For sol 35, ending at 6:15 a.m. Sunday, PST, plans call for continuing use of tools on the robotic arm to examine the rock interior exposed by the "Guadalupe" grind.
sol 33, Feb 27, 2004: Biting Blueberry Hill
On sol 33, which ended at 4:55 a.m. Friday, February 27, Opportunity reached its second rock abrasion tool target site, and it's ready to take the next bite of Mars.
Opportunity woke up a little late on sol 33 to conserve energy. The wake-up song was 'Blueberry Hill' by Fats Domino, in honor of the hill in front of the rover.
Opportunity took an early afternoon 360-degree panorama and an extra observation of the area to the east with its navigation camera, while the Mössbauer instrument completed the measurements it began on sol 32.
The microscopic imager also took three sets of observations of the hole created by the rock abrasion tool on sol 30. Opportunity later took stereo images of the rock area named "Maya" and took pictures of an area called "Half-Dome." Both the panoramic camera and the miniature thermal emission spectrometer observed the sky.
In between science measurements, Opportunity stowed its instrument arm and drove a 15-centimeter (6-inch) "bump" to reach its next rock abrasion tool target. Final shutdown was at 2:37 Local Solar Time, with a brief wakeup at 4:10 Local Solar Time to transmit data to the Mars Odyssey orbiter as it flew over the rover.
The plan for the weekend is to grind into the upper part of "El Capitan" dubbed "Guadalupe" and to take extensive measurements of the new hole using the microscopic imager and two spectrometers.
sol 32, Feb 26, 2004: New Communications Plan
On sol 32, which ended at 4:15 a.m. Thursday, February 26, Opportunity awoke to "Let It Be" by the Beatles. Opportunity's day was focused on getting a second Mössbauer instrument measurement of the hole created by the rock abrasion tool at the "McKittrick" rock site. The Mössbauer can detect spectral signatures of different iron-bearing minerals.
The data from the first Mössbauer spectrum of "McKittrick" was received on Earth Wednesday afternoon. The alpha proton X-ray spectrometer data from yestersol at this target was retransmitted to Earth again Wednesday to get missing packets of data that were not received during the first data communications relay. Opportunity also snapped pictures of the rock areas named "Maya" and "Jericho" with the panoramic camera and took miniature thermal emission spectrometer measurements of the sky and "El Capitan" throughout the sol.
The amount of power Opportunity is able to generate continues to dwindle due to the decreasing amount of sunlight (energy) reaching the solar panels during the martian seasonal transition to winter. Because of this, the engineers are adjusting the rover's daily communications activities. To minimize power use for communications sessions, engineers began a new "receive only" morning direct-from-earth communication relay. This lower-power communication mode was successful. Opportunity will continue with this approach to maximize the available power for driving and science activities as Mars moves farther away from Earth and the Sun in its elliptical orbit.
In conjunction with the morning communications session change, engineers added a second afternoon Mars Odyssey orbiter relay pass, which uses less power in transmitting data volume than direct-to-Earth communication. This additional Odyssey pass more than compensated for the elimination of the morning direct-to-Earth downlink. Engineers also continue to effectively use rover "naps" throughout the day to maximize energy savings.
The plan for sol 33, which ends at 4:55 a.m. Friday, February 27, is to take a very short trip (10 to 20 centimeters or 4 to 8 inches) towards the next rock abrasion tool target site, "Guadalupe."
sol 31, Feb 25, 2004: Opportunity Gets an Attitude Adjustment
On sol 31, which ended at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday, February 25, Opportunity awoke to "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and his Comets. At 1:00 a.m. Local Solar Time, Opportunity sent data to Earth via the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter and then sent another whopping 145.6 megabits of data at 3:30 a.m. Local Solar Time via the Mars Odyssey orbiter.
During the morning hours, Opportunity collected data with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer for five hours and took measurements with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer from inside its newly formed hole that was created on sol 30 by the rock abrasion tool. Later, Opportunity retracted and closed the door of the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and swapped the Mössbauer spectrometer into the hole made by the abrasion tool for a leisurely 24-hour observation.
Opportunity also updated its "attitude knowledge," which fine-tunes the rover's information about its exact location and position on Mars. Updating the attitude knowledge allows the rover to more accurately point the high gain antenna toward Earth, which increases the communications capabilities. The attitude adjustment also enables scientists and engineers to point instruments onboard Opportunity more precisely at targets of interest, such as particular rocks and patches of soil. To adjust the attitude knowledge, engineers have the rover turn the panoramic camera to the Sun and watch the Sun travel across the sky for 15 minutes. The rover is then smart enough to take the Sun movement data collected from the panoramic camera to calculate its own location in the universe…..on Mars. The rover gathers attitude knowledge errors over time as it drives and uses the robotic arm extensively, but it only needs an attitude adjustment about once a week or after driving long distances.
Around 12:15 pm Local Solar Time, Opportunity went to sleep to recharge its batteries from its strenuous rock abrasion tool activities on sol 30, but reawakened briefly at 4 p.m. Local Solar Time and again in the evening to send data to Earth via additional overflights by the Mars Global Surveyor and Odyssey orbiters.
The plan for sol 32, which ends at 4:15 a.m. Thursday, February 26, is to take another unique set of Mössbauer measurements to look at the rover-created hole in a different spectrum. The goal is to then crawl slightly forward on sol 33 to position Opportunity to use the rock abrasion tool on the upper target of the El Capitan/McKittrick area.
sol 30, Feb 24, 2004: A Beautiful Grind
On sol 30, which ended at 2:56 a.m. Tuesday, February 24, Opportunity performed its first rock abrasion tool operation on a rock target known as 'McKittrick Middle Rat' at the El Capitan site inside the crater. The tool shaved the rock over a period of two hours, grinding into a total depth of about 4 millimeters (.16 inches).
The auspicious day began with the song 'Rock'n Me' by Steve Miller and some miniature thermal emission spectrometer sky surveys and sky stares to study the atmosphere. After completing these activities, Opportunity took a short siesta to recharge its batteries. The rover has been doing a lot of science work at night, and the season on Mars is changing to winter, so the rover has less energy to work with than it did earlier in the mission. The martian days are getting shorter and the sun angle is not allowing either rover to power up the solar panels as much as in the past.
Opportunity woke up from its nap at 11:30 Local Solar Time on Mars to run through the series of commands required to retract the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and close its doors; take several microscopic images of another nearby rock abrasion tool target called 'Guadalupe;' flip the wrist; take a microscopic image of "McKittrick Middle Rat;" and place the rock abrasion tool on its target to run at 13:00 Local Solar Time.
After the abrasion tool was retracted, a series of microscopic images of the scene were taken, and the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer was successfully placed into the abrasion tool's hole late in the day.
Some additional panoramic camera, miniature thermal emission spectrometer readings, and hazard avoidance camera imagery was completed through the day.
The plan for sol 31, which will end at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday, February 25, is to continue getting long Mössbauer readings of the rock abrasion tool hole and to prepare the tool for more work again on sol 33 or 34.
sol 28, Feb 22, 2004: Busy Microscope at "El Capitan"
On sol 28, which ended at 1:38 a.m. Sunday, PST, Opportunity moved its arm repeatedly to make close-up inspections the "El Capitan" part of the street-curb-sized outcrop in the crater where the rover is working. Opportunity took 46 pictures with its microscope, examining several locations on "El Capitan" at a range of focal distances. It also placed its Mössbauer spectrometer and its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer on the rock target to assess what minerals and what elements are present.
Controllers chose the song "I am a Rock," performed by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, as Opportunity's sol 28 wake-up music. The sol's activities included observations by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the panoramic camera, as well as the use of the tools on the arm.
The arm's complex maneuvers totaled 25 minutes of actual arm movement. Rover planners' success in accomplishing them drew a round of applause in the Mission Support Area at JPL during the afternoon downlink from Mars.
During the martian night, early on sol 29, Opportunity woke up and moved its arm again to switch from the Mössbauer spectrometer to the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer. Additional close-up inspections are planned for later in sol 29, which ends at 2:17 a.m. Monday. Plans for sol 30 feature the use of the rock abrasion tool to grind through the surface at one target on "El Capitan."
sol 27, Feb 21, 2004: Supersized Science
On sol 27, ending 12:57 a.m. Saturday, PST, Opportunity successfully "supersized" the measurements of the "El Capitan" area with the panoramic camera, miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and microscopic imager. The rover team is analyzing "super resolution" and "super spectral" observations from the science instruments and currently locating the best spots to place the rock abrasion tool.
Opportunity also drove 33 centimeters (13 inches) closer to "El Capitan" to better poise the robotic arm for use of the rock abrasion tool sometime over the next four or five sols, which will be the first use of the rock abrasion tool by Opportunity.
On sol 28, ending at 1:38 a.m. Sunday, PST, plans call for Opportunity to take extensive microscopic images of "El Capitan," which is a rich science target because it has multiple layers and varied textures on the upper and lower areas of the rocks, implying multiple changes in the geologic history of this area.
The Mars Odyssey orbiter is scheduled to fly over Opportunity during sol 28 with increased data communications capabilities to 256 kilobits per second, which is five times the speed of normal home computer modems.
sol 26, Feb 20, 2004: Enter the Rock Abrasion Tool
On sol 26, which ended at 12:18 a.m. Friday, February 19, PST, Opportunity successfully obtained one final Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the trench, stowed the rover arm, and drove 15 meters (50 feet) to the "El Capitan" area. The drive was Opportunity's longest yet and required the vehicle and planners to skirt the trench and avoid the lander.
The plan for sol 27, which will end at 12:57 a.m. Saturday, PST, is to first "supersize" the measurements of the "El Capitan" area with the panoramic camera, miniature thermal emission spectrometer, and microscopic imager. The mineralogy and geology teams have requested a minimum of three hours worth of "super resolution" and "super spectral" observations for the science instruments to get the most comprehensive coverage of this interesting site, which has varying textures and layers of dirt and rock.
After a short siesta in the early afternoon, Opportunity will drive 30 centimeters (12 inches) to sneak a bit closer to the rocks in "El Capitan" to get ready for the rock abrasion tool to do its work. After the drive, the Opportunity team plans to take a picture of the martian sky with the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer. If time permits, Opportunity will attempt to aim its cameras toward the heat shield in the far distance.
Over the weekend, Opportunity plans to find the perfect spot to use the abrasion tool and set it loose to grind away on "El Capitan," which will be the first use of the rock abrasion tool by Opportunity.
sol 25, Feb 19, 2004: Stutter Stepping to El Capitan
On sol 25, which ended at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday, February 18, PST, Opportunity used the microscopic imager and alpha particle x-ray spectrometer to study the chemical makeup of the wall and floor area within the rover-made trench. Due to time constraints, Opportunity was unable to take a picture of the heat shield in the distance.
Sol 25's wake-up music was "Fascination" by Human League.
The plan for sol 26, which will end at 12:18 a.m. Friday, PST, is to back away from the trench, obtain one grand finale Mössbauer spectrometer reading of the trench, pick up and stow the rover arm, then turn and drive 9 meters (30 feet) to the El Capitan area. Opportunity will make a few intentional "stutter steps" on its way to El Capitan, stopping to take a few front hazard avoidance camera images and navigation camera images to plan for final approach and robotic arm activities.
Opportunity will stop a couple of meters (about 6 or 7 feet) short of El Capitan to take images with its panoramic camera and gather science measurements with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. On sol 27, Opportunity will make a short, closer approach to El Capitan to poise itself to use the rock abrasion tool and other instruments on the rover arm.
sol 24, Feb 18, 2004: Peering into the Hole
On sol 24, which ended at 10:59 p.m. Tuesday, PST, Opportunity used science instruments on its robotic arm to examine the hole it dug with its right front wheel on sol 23. The trench is about 50 centimeters (20 inches) long by 20 centimeters (8 inches) wide by 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep.
Sol 24's wake-up music was "Trench Town Rock" by Bob Marley.
The plan for sol 25, which will end at 11:38 p.m. Wednesday, PST, is to continue examining the walls and floor of the trench for clues about the history of Mars. Opportunity will also peek at its right front wheel with the panoramic camera to see what materials got stuck on the wheel from the trenching activity. Then, Opportunity will use the panoramic camera high on the rover's mast to check out a former piece of itself -- the heat shield, which is sitting off in the distance. The heat shield protected the rover during cruise and during descent through the atmosphere on Jan. 4, 2004, PST.
sol 23, Feb 17, 2004: Can You Dig It?
The Opportunity rover successfully dug an 8-centimeter (3.1 inch) trench on Mars using its right front “paw” or wheel on sol 23, which will end at 10:19 p.m. Monday, PST. Sol 23's wake-up music was “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat, and Tears, in honor of the right front wheel.
Opportunity also made observations with the navigation camera to help prepare for the drive to a target of interest within the outcrop named “El Capitan” later this week.
The plan for sol 24, which will end at 10:59 p.m. Tuesday, PST, is to thoroughly examine the freshly exposed layers of dirt and ground inside the rover-made hole. Opportunity will use its microscopic imager, Mössbauer spectrometer, and alpha particle X-ray spectrometer to take parallel science measurements and compare with those with measurements made on sol 22 during pre-trench activities.
sol 22, Feb 16, 2004: Check Before Digging
Opportunity spent much of sol 22, which ended at 9:39 p.m. Sunday, PST, making a thorough "before" examination of the spot selected for digging a ditch the next sol.
Also, Opportunity completed upward-looking observations before, during and after Mars Global Surveyor flew overhead looking down. Opportunity and Global Surveyor have similar infrared sensing instruments: the miniature thermal emission spectrometer on the rover and the (full-size) thermal emission spectrometer on the orbiter. Coordinated observations of looking up through the atmosphere with one while looking down through the atmosphere with the other were designed to provide a more complete atmospheric profile than either could do alone.
Sol 22's wake-up music was "Invisible Touch" by Genesis. In preparation for digging, Opportunity examined the trenching site with its microscopic imager, its Mössbauer spectrometer and, overnight, its alpha particle X-ray spectrometer.
The plan for sol 23, which will end at 10:19 p.m. Monday, PST, is to dig a trench with alternating forward and backward spinning of Opportunity's right front wheel in order to see what's below the surface. Inspections of the resulting hole are planned for sol 24 and the morning of sol 25.
sol 21, Feb 15, 2004: Dig this Place
Opportunity completed its longest drive so far -- about 9 meters or 30 feet -- during its 21st sol on Mars, which ended at 9 p.m. Saturday, PST. The rover finished the drive with its first U-turn, arriving at a location selected for the mission's first trenching operation. Plans call for examining the hematite-rich surface of this location, called "Hematite Slope," during sol 22, then spinning one wheel to dig below the surface on sol 23.
Controllers at JPL chose "Send Me on My Way," by Rusted Root, and "Desert Drive," by Tangerine Dream, as Opportunity's wake-up music for sol 21. The rover worked a long day. It awoke earlier than usual for an early morning observation with its panoramic camera. It made additional observations from its new location just before finishing the drive, and again after finishing the last bit of the drive. Then it was woken after dark to make the mission's first nighttime observations with its infrared sensor, the miniature thermal emission spectrometer.
sol 20, Feb 14, 2004: Rover Says "No"
During Opportunity's 20th sol on Mars, which ended at 8:20 p.m. Friday, PST, the rover told mission controllers "no." Opportunity received commands in the morning to use the microscopic imager at the end of its arm, but the onboard computer judged the requested arm movement to be unacceptable and refused the command.
This was the proper precaution for the rover to take. The arm maneuver had been tested with a simulation at JPL, and engineers subsequently worked on a solution to make the ground testing more accurately predict the rover computer's response to the particular arm-movement conditions involved.
However, with the arm left extended, rather than stowed, after the arm-movement command was refused, the rover also could not make the drive that had been planned for the sol. That drive, to a site selected for soil examination and trenching, was postponed until sol 21, which ends at 9:00 p.m. Saturday, PST.
Observations by the panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer were completed successfully on sol 20. The sol's wake-up music was "I Like Dirt," by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and "Pioneers of Mars," by Karen Linsley and Lloyd Landa.
sol 19, Feb 12, 2004: Intending to Trench
During its 19th sol on Mars, which ends at 7:41 p.m. Thursday, PST, Opportunity climbed to Waypoint Charlie, where it will complete its initial survey of the outcrop nicknamed "Opportunity Ledge."
The flight team at JPL chose 'Here I Go Again' by Whitesnake as Opportunity's wake-up music.
The plan for sol 20, which will end at 8:20 p.m. Friday, PST, is to do a "touch and go," meaning Opportunity will touch the soil with its instrument arm around the outpost area Charlie, then stow the arm and drive. It will head for an area of soil that the rover's miniature thermal emission spectrometer indicates is rich in hematite. Over the following few sols, engineers intend to use one of Opportunity's wheels to spin into the soil and "trench" a shallow hole so scientists can check what's below the surface early next week. Knowing more about the hematite distribution on Mars may help scientists characterize the past environment and determine whether that environment provided favorable conditions for life.
Scientists and engineers will pore over the data collected along Opportunity Ledge this week to target a return trip to the most interesting science locations along the outcrop later next week.
sol 18, Feb 12, 2004: Extended Tour
Opportunity had a couple of little hiccups on sol 18, February 11, which ends at 7:01 p.m. Wednesday, PST. The wrist on the real rover arm would not point as far vertically as the engineering rover's wrist did on Earth during a model test the night before. Because of this, the arm on Mars did not stow, and the rover did not move on to waypoint Charlie. The rover also automatically stopped use of the mast due to the fact that it believed a requested pointing position was in an area beyond its limits. Engineers solved both problems on sol 18. All systems are go for Opportunity to complete the tour of the outcrop by heading to outpost Charlie on sol 19, Thursday, February 12.
sol 17, Feb 11, 2004: Three-Day Tour
On its 17th sol on Mars, which ended at 6:21 p.m. Tuesday, PST, Opportunity completed its study of the target area named Bravo. Opportunity is on a three-day tour of the outcrop, taking pictures and measurements to build what geologists call a "base map," which will help them decide what specific spots they want to target for more thorough investigation with their science instruments.
sol 16, Feb 09, 2004: Slip Sliding Away
Opportunity appears to have experienced slips during 50 percent of a drive on sol 15, so for sol 16, engineers played a lighthearted wake-up call: Paul Simon's "Slip Sliding Away." Regardless of the loose soil, Opportunity made it across 4 meters (12 feet) today and is positioned to continue observing parts of the outcrop up close tomorrow. In coming sols, Opportunity will "shoot and scoot," meaning the rover will shoot pictures of the terrain and acquire new scientific measurements of the rocks, then scoot up, down, and across the inside of the crater.
sol 15, Feb 08, 2004: Opportunity Gets a Closer Look at the Outcrop
On Opportunity's 15th sol on Mars which ends at 5:02 p.m. Sunday, PST, the rover took microscopic images of a rock in the outcrop and nearby soil. The rock is called Stone Mountain (formerly called "Snout") and the target area for the microscope is called Robert E. The day's activities also include examination of Robert E with the alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and the Mössbauer spectrometer. Opportunity's panoramic camera and navigation camera were used to get pictures of the outcrop from the rover's current position.
In the coming sols, the plan is to move along the outcrop to examine other points along it.
sol 14, Feb 07, 2004: Opportunity Succeeds with First "Touch and Go"
Opportunity performed her first "touch and go" maneuver on the rover's 14th sol on Mars, which ended at 4:23 p.m. Saturday, PST. The activity included deploying the arm, taking microscopic images of the soil in front of the rover, re-stowing the arm and finishing its drive to Stone Mountain.
The panoramic camera and miniature thermal emission spectrometer instruments were used to make observations both before and after the "touch and go" sequence.
sol 13, Feb 06, 2004: Driving to "Snout"
On Opportunity's 13th sol on Mars, which ended at 3:43 p.m. Friday, the Mars Rover Opportunity was awakened by engineers at JPL playing the Beach Boys song, “Little Honda,” with lyrics about various gear shifts. Images from the rover's rear hazard identification camera indicated that some fine-tuning was needed for a planned 1.5 meter drive to a target called "Snout" at the northeastern end of a rock outcrop in the inner wall of the landing-site crater. Adjustments were made, and new commands were sent to Opportunity. The rover is now tilted at nearly 13 degrees, pointing uphill. On its 14th sol, Opportunity will take microscopic images of the soil, then stow its arm and complete the short drive to Snout.
sol 12, Feb 05, 2004: Opportunity Passes Her Driver's Test!
"Just like you would want to perfect your parallel parking abilities before trying to make it to an appointment on a tight schedule in a big city, engineers tested Opportunity's ability to maneuver on Mars on sol 12, which ended Thursday. She passed with flying colors!" reported Mark Powell, Science Downlink Coordinator. Engineers commanded Opportunity to do a little dance, making three arcs -- two to the left and one to the right. Opportunity then did a 30-degree turn in place where you can see the most radical track curves in the image. For its grand finale drive, Opportunity proceeded straight for 1.8 meters (5.9 feet), completing a total traverse of 3.54 meters (10.6 feet).
The plan for sol 13 is to do a 1.1 meter (3.6 feet) drive straight toward the outcrop and take some more pancam and mini-TES instrument images of the outcrop area.
Scientists have decided to wait to trench for a few days until they can drive to an area with a higher concentration of hematite.
Watch a related video: Rover Navigation 101: Autonomous Rover Navigation
sol 11, Feb 04, 2004: Opportunity to "Stow and Go"
Opportunity woke up on sol 11 to Duran Duran's "Please Tell Me Now" and successfully completed a 24-hour observation of the soil with the Mössbauer instrument at "Tarmac." The arm rotated to place the APXS instrument on the same patch of soil and observations with that instrument are underway. Scientists are busy trying to determine what geologic processes formed the spherical grains seen through the eyes of the Microscopic Imager. The plan for sol 12 is to stow the arm and go for a 3 meter (9 foot) drive to the right of the outcrop where they hope to trench on sol 14.