Tag Archives: MER

Opportunity: Onward and upward

Posted on January 11, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4609, January 10, 2017. After driving 23 meters (75 feet) to the west-northwest, Opportunity used the Navcam to shoot three frames showing the way upslope for the next drive. Click image (1.8 MB) to enlarge it. Opportunity raw images, … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Seeking firmer ground

Posted on January 9, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4607, January 8, 2017. Opportunity drove about 13 meters (41 feet) to the northeast, as mission controllers directed the rover toward what should prove to be firmer ground for ascending the slope. The view above (1.7 MB) looks upslope, … Continue reading →

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

Posted on January 6, 2017 by rburnham

January 4, 2017: Opportunity Wraps 2016, Heads into 2017 Toward 13th Anniversary: As 2016 came to an end and 2017 rang in, Opportunity was working the first leg of the ascent up the rugged western rim of Endeavour Crater on … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: The MI examines soft soil

Posted on January 5, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4603, January 4, 2017. Opportunity’s Microscopic Imager (MI) shot four frames for a composite image. This is part of the patch of soft soil, dubbed Sibley, that stopped the rover’s uphill progress. While rover drivers work out a way … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Checking churned-up soil

Posted on January 3, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4601, January 2, 2017. The rover’s team is examining the churned soil where Opportunity’s wheels encountered soft ground. Above, two Navcam frames show the ground in front of the rover, while at right is the front Hazcam view. The … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Pancam views outcrop, wheel track

Posted on January 2, 2017 by rburnham

Sol 4599 (!), December 31, 2016. Opportunity encountered soft ground on Sol 4591, and mission controllers rolled it back downhill about two feet while they figure how to advance without slippage. In the meantime, the Pancam shot a multi-band survey … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Soft ground

Posted on December 23, 2016 by rburnham

Sol 4591, December 23, 2016. A patch of soft ground directly in front of the rover led mission controllers to roll Opportunity back downhill 0.7 meter (about 2 feet), while they assess the best route forward. Above, the view by … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Beacon Rock skyline

Posted on December 22, 2016 by rburnham

Sol 4590, December 22, 2016. In the last two sols, Opportunity drove a short distance (6.4 meters, 21 feet) up the slope. From there, the Pancam took a westward-facing profile of Beacon Rock on the skyline (above). From this lower … Continue reading →

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Opportunity field report, December 20, 2016

Posted on December 20, 2016 by rburnham

Sol 4588, December 20, 2016; Rover Field Report by Larry Crumpler, MER Science Team & New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: Not a boring flat terrain, but heroically rugged terrain — Hopefully the brakes are good! For a rover that … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Onward and upward

Posted on December 20, 2016 by rburnham

Sol 4588, December 20, 2016. Opportunity drove about 21 meters (69 feet) upslope, then stopped and took a five-frame Navcam composite (2.8 MB) centered on azimuth 252° (west-southwest). At far left lies a glimpse of Endeavour Crater’s south rim and … Continue reading →

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