Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Nuclear Energy News .




MARSDAILY
Mars Rover Opportunity Nears Solander Point
by Staff Writers
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jul 30, 2013


File image.

Opportunity has arrived in the region near the base of 'Solander Point.' At the current location, the rover is just a few drives from making landfall on the point.

However, the science team will now begin the exploration of the various outcrops, contacts and units that make up the Solander Point geology, prior to ascending the point for winter energy production.

On Sol 3371 (July 18, 2013), the rover advanced about 197 feet (60 meters) towards a region to the northeast of Solander Point to investigate the unusual terrain there. Sols 3373 and 3374 (July 20 and 21, 2013), were a 2-sol Touch 'n Go activity. The rover performed robotic arm in-situ (contact) science with the Microscopic Imager (MI) and the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) on the first sol, then picked up and drove over 164 feet (50 meters) on the second sol.

On Sol 3376 (July 23, 2013), Opportunity bumped 12 feet (3.7 meters) towards a rock of interest, to begin a brief in-situ investigation of this rock with the Microscopic Imager and the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer. Before the drive on Sol 3376, the rover took the opportunity to image a Deimos moon transit of the Sun with the Panoramic Camera.

As of Sol 3376 (July 23, 2013), the solar array energy production was 431 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.757 and a solar array dust factor of 0.566.

Total odometry is 23.60 miles (37.97 kilometers

.


Related Links
Mars Rovers at JPL
Mars Rovers at Cornell
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

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








MARSDAILY
Overhead View of Mars Rover 10 Years After Launch
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jul 18, 2013
An image from Mars orbit taken 10 years after the launch of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity shows the long-lived rover on its trek to a new destination on Mars. The color image taken July 8, 2013, by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter catches Opportunity crossing relatively level ground called "Botany Bay" on i ... read more


MARSDAILY
Microbial Who-Done-It For Biofuels

Microorganisms found in salt flats could offer new path to green hydrogen fuel

CSU researchers explore creating biofuels through photosynthesis

Drought response identified in potential biofuel plant

MARSDAILY
The best of two worlds: Solar hydrogen production breakthrough

KYOCERA and Century Tokyo To Operate Utility-Scale Solar Power Plants

EU, China settle solar panel dispute

UCLA researchers double efficiency of novel solar cell

MARSDAILY
SOWITEC Mexico - strengthening its permitted project pipeline

Sky Harvest To Acquire Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Technology And Manufacturing Facilities

Wind Energy: Components Certification Helps Reduce Costs

Wind power does not strongly affect greater prairie chickens

MARSDAILY
Americans continue to use more renewable energy sources

Sweden's Vattenfall hit by $4.6-bn charge as energy demand plunges

Six Tech Advancements Changing the Fossil Fuels Game

Free market is best way to combat climate change

MARSDAILY
Sixteen arrested at British anti-fracking protest

Direct nitrogen fixation for low cost energy conversion

Myanmar-China gas pipeline starts flowing: company

Blast halts Iraq oil exports to Turkey

MARSDAILY
Chandra Sees Eclipsing Planet in X-rays for First Time

A warmer planetary haven around cool stars, as ice warms rather than cools

Solar system's youth gives clues to planet search

Snow falling around infant solar system

MARSDAILY
Russian war games play on former US aircraft carrier

Israeli navy seeks to counter Russian ship-killer

South Korea launches second Incheon frigate

Israel gets ready to expand its submarine fleet

MARSDAILY
Mars Rover Opportunity Nears Solander Point

Curiosity Mars Rover Gleams in View from Orbiter

Mars Curiosity sets one-day driving distance record

Scientists establish age of Mars meteorites found on Earth




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement