MARSDAILY
Preparations Continue Before Driving into 'Perseverance Valley'
by Staff Writers
Pasadena CA (JPL) May 26, 2017


Perseverance Valley - Sol 4733

Opportunity is at the top of Perseverance Valley on the rim of Endeavour crater.

The plan before proceeding down the valley is to survey the valley from the top and to perform a walk-about survey above the spillway.

On Sol 4733 (May 17, 2017), the robotic arm was used to point the Microscopic Imager (MI) up at the sky for some long overdue sky flat calibration images, and in support of the valley surveying objectives a large Navcam panorama was collected.

On Sol 4734 (May 18, 2017) the rover performed a 3-point "dogleg" drive of nearly 180 feet (55 meters) to set up for more survey imaging.

Opportunity moved again on the next sol about 34 feet (10.5 meters) to position for an even better imaging position.

In this location the rover spent the next four sols surveying the region atop the spillway and the valley below with both Pancam and Navcam panoramas. On Sol 4735 (May 19, 2017), an atmospheric argon measurement with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) was also fit into the rover activities.

As of Sol 4738 (May 22, 2017), the solar array energy production was 376 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.826 and a solar array dust factor of 0.536.

Total odometry as of Sol 4738: 27.86 miles (44.8 kilometers).

MARSDAILY
Mars Rover Opportunity Begins Study of Valley's Origin
Pasadena CA (JPL) May 16, 2017
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has reached the main destination of its current two-year extended mission - an ancient fluid-carved valley incised on the inner slope of a vast crater's rim. As the rover approached the upper end of "Perseverance Valley" in early May, images from its cameras began showing parts of the area in greater resolution than what can be seen in images taken ... read more

Related Links
Opportunity Archive
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

MARSDAILY
Lockheed Martin Wins $46 Million for Infrared Missile Warning Satellite

US military to test anti-ICBM system

Yemen rebel missile shot down near Saudi capital

Lockheed Martin receives new THAAD contract

MARSDAILY
Lockheed Martin drops out of over-the-horizon missile competition

Iran says it has built third underground missile factory

Successful test for Lockheed's modernized TACMs

Israel unveils new rocket system for special forces

MARSDAILY
UAS Update with NSR Analyst Prateep Basu

SkyGuardian drone tops 48 hours in air

NASA Drone Traffic Management Tests Take Off in Reno

Northrop Grumman awarded contract for MQ-4C drone maintenance

MARSDAILY
Airbus further extends channel partner program for military satellite communications in Asia

Radio communications have surprising influence on Earth's near-space environment

Navy receiving data terminal sets from Leonardo DRS

European country orders Harris tactical radios

MARSDAILY
Orbital ATK supplying Army with .50-caliber ammunition

Boeing awarded $1B contract for Redesigned Kill Vehicle

Oshkosh secures Marine Corps P-19R contract

First Piranhas delivered to Danish military

MARSDAILY
India approves new defence policy to boost local companies

BAE receives contract for Royal Australian Navy SATCOM upgrades

Trump military budget proposal aims to increase readiness

Raytheon in partnership with Saudi company

MARSDAILY
Montenegro's anti-NATO lobby jeers as Trump pushes PM aside

China rebukes G7 over statement on seas

Poland has 'no doubt' about US commitment to NATO: minister

China says fighter jets' intercept of US plane 'safe'

MARSDAILY
Researchers create first significant examples of optical crystallography for nanomaterials

Stanford scientists use nanotechnology to boost the performance of key industrial catalyst

Molecular Lego for nanoelectronics

Nanophysics: Saving energy with a spot of silver