Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. GPS News .




MARSDAILY
On The Hunt For Light-Toned Veins Of Gypsum
by Staff Writers
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 01, 2012


With the arrival in the bench area, Opportunity is spying several vein candidates, looking for one that is wide enough to grind with the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) and sample with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS).

Opportunity completed her in-situ (contact) investigation of a dust patch on the north end of Cape York on the rim of Endeavour Crater. The rover is now on the hunt for more light-toned veins of gypsum.

On Sol 2963 (May 25, 2012), Opportunity headed north with an approximately 82-foot (25-meter) drive, keeping a careful watch on the terrain.

With the season still early spring, the rover must keep a small bias towards northerly tilts in order to generate healthy energy margins. On Sol 2965 (May 27, 2012), Opportunity headed further to the north end of Cape York, in an area referred to as "the bench," a flat curb-like unit that forms the perimeter of Cape York.

With the arrival in the bench area, Opportunity is spying several vein candidates, looking for one that is wide enough to grind with the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) and sample with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS).

The plan ahead is to approach some of these vein candidates for closer inspection. The recent driving has shallowed out the northerly tilt somewhat, so energy levels have moderated a bit.

As of Sol 2968 (May 30, 2012), solar array energy production was 345 watt-hours with an atmospheric opacity (Tau) of 0.413 and a solar array dust factor of 0.538.

Total odometry is 21.41 miles (34,456.53 meters).

.


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
Waking Up with the Sun's Rays
Pasadena CA (JPL) May 28, 2012
After moving from her winter perch, Opportunity drove to an undisturbed dusty patch to investigate the chemical origin of the ubiquitous Martian dust. On Sol 2957 (May 19, 2012), the rover used her robotic arm to collect a Microscopic Imager (MI) mosaic of the surface target, called "North Pole." This was followed by an Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) placement for a multi-sol int ... read more


MARSDAILY
Livestock industry beefs up Illinois economy

Time is ticking for some crop's wild relatives

Tomato genome becomes fully sequenced

Australia and China eye joint farming plan

MARSDAILY
The first chemical circuit developed

Copper-nickel nanowires could be perfect fit for printable electronics

Japan's Renesas ups chip outsourcing to Taiwan giant

New silicon memory chip developed

MARSDAILY
Louis Gallois hands EADS reins to Tom Enders

Boeing Delivers First EA-18G Growler Featuring Bharat Electronics Limited Cockpit Subassembly

Flapping protective wings increase lift

Russia, India to produce transports

MARSDAILY
Volkswagen targets China in group shakeup

Japan's vehicle output soars 174% in April

Japan's April auto output soars in year after quake

Ferrari recalls 56 cars in China: state media

MARSDAILY
EU, China edge closer to hi-tech trade war

Australian PM: miners don't own minerals

U.K., Spain work on S. America investments

Japan's NEC buys Australian IT firms

MARSDAILY
New study reports rise in community land rights in tropical forests; most laws unenforced

Greenpeace says KFC boxes destroy Indonesia forests

Beetle-infested Pine Trees Contribute to Air Pollution and Haze in Forests

Beetle-infested pine trees contribute more to air pollution and haze in forests

MARSDAILY
CryoSat goes to sea

S Korea to develop geostationary satellite for environmental monitoring

LiDAR Technology Reveals Faults Near Lake Tahoe

Satellite maps ocean floor

MARSDAILY
Coatings with nanoparticles that interact with sunlight and eliminate contaminants are developed

Wyss Institute develops nanodevice manufacturing strategy using DNA 'building blocks'

First direct observation of oriented attachment in nanocrystal growth

Stunning image of smallest possible 5 rings




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