Tag Archives: Cape Tribulation

Opportunity leaves Cape Tribulation

Posted on April 20, 2017 by rburnham

NASA’s senior Mars rover, Opportunity, is departing “Cape Tribulation,” a crater-rim segment it has explored since late 2014, southbound for its next destination, “Perseverance Valley.” The rover team plans observations in the valley to determine what type of fluid activity … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: RAT and roll

Posted on April 19, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4705, April 19, 2017. After doing a RAT-grind on the outcrop target Ogalalla, Opportunty drove more than 130 meters (430 feet) southward, leaving the outcrop behind. At top right, the right-side front Hazcam shows the rear view, while below, … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: RATting Ogalalla

Posted on April 18, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4704, April 18, 2017. On its path to Perseverance Valley, the rover drove across an area of flat rock, apparently bedrock. But what rock unit is it? As a target of, um, opportunity, the science team decided to drill … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Looking around, looking down

Posted on April 14, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4699, April 13, 2017. At the foot of Cape Tribulation, there’s an exposure of flat-lying rock that scientists are examining. At right is a false-color image showing Opportunity’s “work plane” (where the instrument can reach). Above is another false … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Pausing to check the surroundings

Posted on April 11, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4697, April 11, 2017. Having descended the the southern slope of the Cape Tribulation rim segment, mission controllers paused and shot some Pancam views of targets around the rover. Above is the view looking back uphill to the north, … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Down on the flats again

Posted on April 10, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4695, April 9, 2017. After a drive of about 40 meters (130 feet), Opportunity is now at the foot of the Cape Tribulation rim segment — and the vistas to the far south have largely disappeared, replaced by more … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Driving downhill, backwards

Posted on April 7, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4693, April 7, 2017. The image above is a four-frame Navcam composite looking south and taken as Opportunity continues its careful descent from the Cape Tribulation rim crest. The drive distance on this sol was 14 meters (46 feet).  … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: False-color on Cape Byron

Posted on April 5, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4690, April 4, 2017. The Pancam’s view south shows the landscape ahead in false color (Holger Isenberg). Click image to enlarge it. Opportunity raw images, its latest mission status, a location map, and atmospheric opacity, known as tau.

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Opportunity report, Sol 4687, by A.J.S. Rayl, The Planetary Society

Posted on April 4, 2017 by rburnham

April 4, 2017: Opportunity dodges dust storms, makes tracks to Perseverance Valley: After wrapping the final science investigations on the slopes of Cape Tribulation, Opportunity climbed up and over the rim of Endeavour Crater in March and embarked on the … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Descending carefully

Posted on April 3, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4688, April 2, 2017. Opportunity’s Navcams take in a field of view three times wider and taller than its Pancams do. While the Pancams are good for scouting, and the Hazcams cover a few feet immediately in front of … Continue reading →

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