NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Opportunity rover

MER-B (Mars Exploration Rover - B), known as Opportunity, is the second of the two rovers of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission. It landed successfully at Meridiani Planum on Mars on January 25, 2004 05:05 Ground UTC (circa 13:15 local time), three weeks after its twin Spirit (MER-A) had landed on the other side of the planet.^[1] Its name was chosen through a NASA-sponsored student essay competition. The rover has continued to function effectively over ten times longer than NASA planners expected, allowing it to perform extensive geological analysis of Martian rocks and planetary surface features; as of 2007 its mission is ongoing. An archive of approximately weekly updates on its status can be found at the NASA/JPL website. Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... ISS in earth orbit. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3032x2008, 1386 KB) High-resolution imagery of Space Shuttle Discovery as it approaches the International Space Station (28 July 2005) source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x2400, 963 KB)This image may be viewed in 3D stereo with same 3D glasses as other NASA Mars images. ... Image File history File links 3d_glasses_red_cyan. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Category: ... NASA logo The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) is a department in NASAs Solar System Exploration Division. ... NASA Mars Exploration Rover Mission patch of Daffy Duck, deemed fair use File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... NASA Mars Exploration Rover Mission patch of Daffy Duck, deemed fair use File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Daffy Duck, Mars Exploration Rover Mission patch Duck Dodgers is the fictional star of a series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros. ... Daffy, as Duck Dodgers, faces off against Marvin the Martian in the 1953 short Duck Dodgers in the 24Â½th Century, a parody of Buck Rogers. ... Two different Mars rover designs. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Artists Concept of Rover on Mars NASAs Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission (since 2003) is a unmanned Mars exploration mission that includes sending two Rovers (robots) to explore the Martian surface and geology. ... Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity looks southwest across Meridiani Planum; the Rovers discarded backshell and parachute are visible in the distance Hematite deposits in Meridiani Planum mapped from orbit, with Opportunity rover landing site ellipse Meridiani Planum is a plain located 2 degrees south of Mars equator, in the westernmost... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Category: ... Various schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars. ... The mission patch for Spirit, featuring Marvin the Martian. ... Artists Concept of Rover on Mars (credit: Maas Digital LLC) NASAs Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Mission is an ongoing robotic Mars exploration mission, commenced in 2003, that sent two rovers â€” Spirit and Opportunity â€” to explore the Martian surface and geology. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ...

Mission overview

The primary surface mission for Opportunity was planned to last 90 sols. The mission has received several extensions and as of November 17, 2006 had passed 1000 sols. From her initial landing, by chance, into an impact crater amidst an otherwise generally flat plain, Opportunity has successfully investigated soil and rock samples and taken panoramic photos of her landing site. Her sampling allowed NASA scientists to make hypotheses concerning the presence of hematite and past presence of water on the surface of Mars. Various schemes have been used or proposed to keep track of time and date on the planet Mars independently of Earth time and calendars. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eagle Crater is the small crater in which the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity found itself after landing on Mars in 2004. ... Hematite (AE) or haematite (BE) is the mineral form of Iron(III) oxide, (Fe2O3), one of several iron oxides. ...

Following this, she was directed to travel across the surface of Mars to investigate another crater site, Endurance crater, which she investigated from June — December 2004. Subsequently, Opportunity examined the impact site of its own heat shield and discovered an intact meteorite, now known as Heat Shield Rock, on the surface of Mars. Download high resolution version (1446x1084, 387 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1446x1084, 387 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... An orbiter is a spacecraft that orbits a planet or moon without landing on it in order to study the objects surface from a safe distance. ... Eagle Crater is the small crater in which the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity found itself after landing on Mars in 2004. ... This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... This article is about the crater on Mars. ... In aeronautics, a heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft or ballistic missile that is designed to protect it from high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during entry into a planets atmosphere. ... Willamette Meteorite A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives an impact with the Earths surface without being destroyed. ... Heat shield, with Heat Shield Rock just above and to the left in the background (click to enlarge) Heat Shield Rock is a basketball-sized iron-nickel meteorite found on Mars by the Mars rover Opportunity in January 2005. ...

From late April 2005 to early June of that year, Opportunity was perilously lodged in a sand dune, with several wheels buried in the sand. Over a six week period Earth-based physical simulations were performed to decide how best to extract the rover from its position without risking a permanent immobilization of the valuable vehicle. Successful maneuvering a few centimeters at a time eventually freed the rover, which resumed its travels.

Opportunity was directed to proceed in a southerly direction to Erebus crater, a large, shallow, partially buried crater and a stopover on the way south towards "Victoria" crater, between October 2005 and March 2006. It experienced some mechanical problems with its robotic arm. Erebus Crater is located near the center of this satellite image. ... Victoria Crater is an impact crater located at 5. ...

In late September 2006 Opportunity reached the rim of Victoria crater and is currently exploring along the rim in a clockwise direction. Feasible routes into the crater are being sought, and it is likely that Opportunity will be sent into Victoria crater in early 2007.

In over two earth years of functioning, the rover has traversed over 10,000 meters.^[2]

Both Spirit and Opportunity have pieces of the fallen World Trade Center's metal on them.^[3] The mission patch for Spirit, featuring Marvin the Martian. ... This article is about the former World Trade Center (Twin Towers) in New York City. ... Hot metal work from a blacksmith In chemistry, a metal (Greek: Metallon) is an element that readily loses electrons to form positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds between metal atoms. ...

2004: Landing and initial surveys

Landing site: "Eagle" crater

Opportunity landed in Meridiani Planum at 354.47°E 1.94°S (planetocentric coordinates), about 24 km downrange (east) of her intended target. Although Meridiani is a flat plain, without the rock fields seen at previous Mars landing sites, Opportunity rolled into an impact crater approximately 20 meters in diameter, with the rim of the crater approximately 10 meters (32 feet) from the rover. NASA Scientists were so excited about landing in a crater that they called the landing a "hole in one." Later, the crater was named Eagle crater. This was the darkest landing site ever visited by a spacecraft on Mars. It would be two weeks before she was able to get a better look of her surroundings. Eagle Crater is the small crater in which the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity found itself after landing on Mars in 2004. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 Ã— 1000 pixel, file size: 333 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Metadata This file contains... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 600 Ã— 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 Ã— 1000 pixel, file size: 333 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Metadata This file contains... Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity looks southwest across Meridiani Planum; the Rovers discarded backshell and parachute are visible in the distance Hematite deposits in Meridiani Planum mapped from orbit, with Opportunity rover landing site ellipse Meridiani Planum is a plain located 2 degrees south of Mars equator, in the westernmost... km redirects here. ... In geography, a plain is a large area of land with relatively low relief. ... Tycho crater on Earths moon. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ... DIAMETER is an AAA protocol (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) succeeding its predecessor RADIUS. // The name is a pun on the RADIUS protocol, which is the predecessor (a diameter is twice the radius). ... This is a list of common golfing terms. ... Eagle Crater is the small crater in which the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity found itself after landing on Mars in 2004. ...

Scientists were intrigued by the abundance of rock outcrops dispersed throughout the crater, as well as the crater's soil, which appeared to be a mixture of coarse gray grains and fine reddish grains. This sweeping look at the unusual rock outcropping near Opportunity was captured by the rover's panoramic camera. Scientists believe the seemingly layered rocks are either volcanic ash deposits or sediments laid down by wind or water. It was given the name Opportunity Ledge. His name is Kushal Bhardwaj who has recently dicovered compounds, elements and mixtures. ... The word grain has several meanings, most being descriptive of a small piece or particle. ...

Geologists said that the layers—some no thicker than a finger—indicate the rocks likely originated either from sediments carried by water or wind, or from falling volcanic ash. "We should be able to distinguish between those two hypotheses", said Dr. Andrew Knoll of Harvard University, Cambridge, a member of the science team for Opportunity and her twin, Spirit. If the rocks are sedimentary, water is a more likely source than wind, he said.^[4]

These layered rocks measure only 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall and are thought to be either volcanic ash deposits or sediments carried by water or wind. The layers are very thin measuring just a few millimeters thick in some cases. This file has been listed on Wikipedia:Possibly unfree images, because it is missing information on its source or copyright status. ... This file has been listed on Wikipedia:Possibly unfree images, because it is missing information on its source or copyright status. ... In computing, a grayscale or greyscale digital image is an image in which the value of each pixel is a single sample. ... First Opportunity color image Click here for a full resolution (VERY large file!) image from NASA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... First Opportunity color image Click here for a full resolution (VERY large file!) image from NASA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

"Opportunity Ledge" outcroppings

On Sol 15, Opportunity took a close up of the rock "Stone Mountain" in the outcrop area of the crater, raising speculation that the rock consisted of very fine grain or dust, in contrast to Earth sandstone, which is compacted sand with rather large grains. The weathering agent eroding away layers of this rock seemed to be visible as dark spots.^[5] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 144 pixelsFull resolution (6398 Ã— 1150 pixel, file size: 546 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 144 pixelsFull resolution (6398 Ã— 1150 pixel, file size: 546 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover ... Red sandstone interior of Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, worn smooth due to erosion by flash flooding over millions of years Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. ... Weathering is the process of breaking down rocks, soils and their minerals through direct contact with the atmosphere. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) by the agents of ocean currents, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement...

A picture received on February 10 (taken on Sol 16) showed that the thin layers in the bedrock converge and diverge at low angles, suggesting that some "moving current" such as volcanic flow, wind, or water formed these rocks. The discovery of these layers was significant for scientists who had planned this mission to test the "water hypothesis" rigorously. is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

El Capitan outcropping

On February 19 the survey of "Opportunity Ledge" was declared successful. A specific target in the outcrop (dubbed "El Capitan"), whose upper and lower portions appeared to differ in layering and weathering characteristics, was selected for further investigation. El Capitan, about 10 centimeters (4 inches) high, was named after a mountain in Texas. Opportunity reached "El Capitan" on Sol 27, and took a first picture of the rocks with her panoramic camera. Close up of El Capitan in the Opportunity Ledge region on Mars (JPL/NASA/Cornell) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Close up of El Capitan in the Opportunity Ledge region on Mars (JPL/NASA/Cornell) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) No Official Language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ...

On Sol 30, Opportunity used her Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) for the first time to investigate the rocks around El Capitan. The image on the right-hand side shows a close up view taken after the drilling and cleaning process was complete. Due to chance, two spherules were also cut partially, and seem to show scratches and other marks made by the diamond-crusted grind tool. The black areas are artifacts of the imaging process, when parts of the picture are missing. The Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) is a grinder and brush installed on the MER-A (Spirit) and MER-B (Opportunity) Mars rovers that brushes and grinds rock surfaces. ... Spheules still in their originating strata Martian spherules, also known as blueberries, are the abundant spherical hematite inclusions discovered by the Mars rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum on the planet Mars. ...

During a press conference on March 2 mission scientists discussed their conclusions about the bedrock, and the evidence for the presence of liquid water during their formation. They presented the following reasoning to explain the small, elongated voids in the rock visible on the surface and after grinding into it (see last two images below).^[6] is the 61st day of the year (62nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

These voids are consistent with features known to geologists as "vugs". These are formed when crystals form inside a rock matrix and are later removed through erosive processes, leaving behind voids. Some of the features in this picture are "disk-like", which is consistent with certain types of crystals, notably sulfate minerals. In the lower left, a spherule, or sphere-shaped grain, can be seen penetrating the interior of a small cavity called a vug. ...

Additionally, mission members presented first data from the Mossbauer spectrometer taken at the bedrock site. The iron spectrum obtained from the rock El Capitan shows strong evidence for the mineral jarosite. This mineral contains hydroxyl radicals, which indicates the presence of water when the minerals were formed. Mini-TES data from the same rock showed that it consists of a considerable amount of sulfates. Mössbauer spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique based on the Mossbauer effect. ... Jarosite is a basic hydrous sulfate of potassium and iron with a chemical formula of KFe3(OH)6(SO4)2. ... // Hydroxyl group The term hydroxyl group is used to describe the functional group -OH when it is a substituent in an organic compound. ...

Opportunity digs a trench

The rover alternately pushed soil forward and backward out of the trench with its right front wheel while other wheels held the rover in place. The rover turned slightly between bouts of digging to widen the hole. "We took a patient, gentle approach to digging", Biesiadecki said. The process lasted 22 minutes. Picture by NASA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Picture by NASA File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Blueberries_eagle. ... Image File history File links Blueberries_eagle. ...

The resulting trench—the first dug by either Mars Exploration Rover—is about 50 centimeters (20 inches) long and 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep. "It came out deeper than I expected", said Dr. Rob Sullivan of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., a science-team member who worked closely with engineers to plan the digging.^[7]

Two features that caught scientists' attention were the clotty texture of soil in the upper wall of the trench and the brightness of soil on the trench floor, Sullivan said.

By inspecting the sides and floor of a hole it dug, Opportunity is finding some things it did not see beforehand, including round pebbles that are shiny and soil so fine-grained that the rover's microscope cannot make out individual particles.

"What's underneath is different than what's at the immediate surface", said Dr. Albert Yen, rover science team member at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.^[8]

Initial scientific results from the Opportunity rover were published in the journal Science ^[9]

Endurance Crater

On April 30, 2004 Opportunity reached Endurance crater, which was known to have many layers of rocks. In May the rover circumnavigated the crater, and made observations with Mini-TES and the panoramic camera. The rock "Lion Stone" was investigated and found to be similar in composition to the layers found in Eagle crater. Endurance is a crater on Mars that was visited by the Opportunity rover from May until December, 2004. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Endurance is a crater on Mars that was visited by the Opportunity rover from May until December, 2004. ...

On June 4, 2004 mission members announced their intention to drive Opportunity into Endurance, even if it should turn out to be impossible to get back out, targeting the various rock layers that were identified in the pictures from the crater rim. "This is a crucial and careful decision for the Mars Exploration Rovers' extended mission", said Dr. Edward Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space science. Dr Squyres, principal investigator from Cornell University said: "Answering the question of what came before the evaporites is the most significant scientific issue we can address with Opportunity at this time."^[10] Image File history File links Burns_cliff. ... Image File history File links Burns_cliff. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

A first drive into the crater was executed June 8 and Opportunity backed out again the same day. It was found that the angle of the surface was well inside the safety margin (about 18 degrees), and the full excursion towards the rock layer of interest was started. During Sols 134 (June 12), 135, and 137 the rover drove deeper and deeper into the crater. Although some wheel slip was observed, driving was discovered to be possible even at slope angles up to 30 degrees. June 8 is the 159th day of the year (160th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Wispy clouds, similar to Earth's cirrus clouds, were spotted. This article is about clouds in meteorology. ... Cirrus can refer to: a type of cloud, cirrus cloud a car produced by DaimlerChrysler, Chrysler Cirrus a German rocket, cirrus (rocket) a trance music group, Cirrus (music group) an interbank network (ATM network) by MasterCard, Cirrus (interbank network) a British aircraft engine company, Cirrus Engine an aircraft company, Cirrus...

Opportunity spent roughly 180 sols inside the crater, before backing out of it again in late December 2004. Scientific results of the sedimentary geology of the crater were published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters ^[11]

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 157 pixelsFull resolution (5621 Ã— 1100 pixel, file size: 5. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 157 pixelsFull resolution (5621 Ã— 1100 pixel, file size: 5. ...

2005 explorations, difficulties

Heat Shield Rock

After exiting Endurance crater, in January 2005 Opportunity went to examine its own discarded heat shield. While in the vicinity of the heat shield, it happened to come upon an object which was immediately suspected and soon confirmed to be a meteorite. The meteorite was promptly named Heat Shield Rock, and is the first meteorite identified on another planet or moon. Heat shield, with Heat Shield Rock just above and to the left in the background (click to enlarge) Heat Shield Rock is a basketball-sized iron-nickel meteorite found on Mars by the Mars rover Opportunity in January 2005. ... Image File history File links PIA07269-Mars_Rover_Opportunity-Iron_Meteorite. ... Image File history File links PIA07269-Mars_Rover_Opportunity-Iron_Meteorite. ... Heat shield, with Heat Shield Rock just above and to the left in the background (click to enlarge) Heat Shield Rock is a basketball-sized iron-nickel meteorite found on Mars by the Mars rover Opportunity in January 2005. ... In aeronautics, a heat shield is a protective layer on a spacecraft or ballistic missile that is designed to protect it from high temperatures, usually those that result from aerobraking during entry into a planets atmosphere. ... Willamette Meteorite A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives an impact with the Earths surface without being destroyed. ...

After about 25 Sols of observations Opportunity headed south for a crater named Argo, nearly 300 m from the heat shield. Argo Crater is a crater in Meridiani Planum on Mars that was visited by the Opportunity rover on around its 365th Martian sol. ...

Southern transit

The rover was commanded to dig another trench on the vast plains of Meridiani Planum, on Sol 366, and observations continued until Sol 373 (February 10, 2005). The rover then passed the craters "Alvin" and "Jason", and by Sol 387, approached a "crater triplet" on its way to Vostok Crater. Along the way, Opportunity set a distance record for one-day travel by either rover: 177.5 meters (582 feet), on February 19, 2005. On Sol 389 (February 26, 2005), the rover approached one of the three craters, dubbed Naturaliste. A rock target named "Normandy" was chosen for investigation on Sol 392, and Opportunity remained there until Sol 395. is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The location of Vostok crater as shown on this traverse map. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Opportunity reached Vostok Crater on Sol 399, finding it mostly filled with sand and lined by outcrops. It was then ordered south into what has been called "etched terrain", to search for more bedrock.
Download high resolution version (1861x1057, 1313 KB)Discarded heat shield from Mars rover Opportunity on the surface of Mars, imaged on Sol 335 of the mission, or January 2, 2005. ... Download high resolution version (1861x1057, 1313 KB)Discarded heat shield from Mars rover Opportunity on the surface of Mars, imaged on Sol 335 of the mission, or January 2, 2005. ... Heat shield, with Heat Shield Rock just above and to the left in the background (click to enlarge) Heat Shield Rock is a basketball-sized iron-nickel meteorite found on Mars by the Mars rover Opportunity in January 2005. ...

By Sol 415, Opportunity stopped by some soil ripples to investigate the differences between soil in the trough of a ripple and its crest. Various soil targets included "Mobarak" in the trough, named in honor of Persian New Year, and "Norooz" and "Mayberooz" on the crest. By Sol 421, the rover left the ripple for "Viking" crater. Download high resolution version (3947x500, 179 KB)Naturaliste Crater in Meridiani Planum, Mars File links The following pages link to this file: Opportunity rover Mars photos Categories: NASA images ... Download high resolution version (3947x500, 179 KB)Naturaliste Crater in Meridiani Planum, Mars File links The following pages link to this file: Opportunity rover Mars photos Categories: NASA images ... Norouz (also spelled Norooz, Noruz, Naw-Rúz or Nowrouz) is the traditional Iranian festival of the New Year which starts at the exact moment of the vernal equinox, commencing the start of the spring. ...

Opportunity gets stuck

On April 26, 2005 (Sol 446) Opportunity inadvertently dug itself into a sand dune: Mission scientists reported that images indicated all four corner wheels were dug in by more than a wheel radius, just as the rover attempted to climb over a dune about 30 centimeters (12 inches) tall. The sand dune was designated "Purgatory Dune" by mission planners. Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... See also: April 25, 2005 - April 2005 - April 27, 2005 April 26, 2005 was a Tuesday Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Israeli soldier killed in the West Bank on Monday night was shot by his comrades. ...

The rover's condition was simulated on Earth prior to any attempt to move, out of concern that the rover might become permanently immobilized. After various simulations intended to mimic the properties and behavior of Martian sand were completed, the rover executed its first wheel movements on May 13, 2005 (Sol 463), intentionally advancing only a few centimeters, after which mission members evaluated the results. Heavy exchanges of fire in the Israeli-Lebanese border. ...

During Sol 465 and 466 more drive commands were executed, and with each trial the rover moved another couple of centimeters. At the end of each movement, panoramic images were acquired to investigate the atmosphere and the surrounding dune field. The sand dune escape maneuver was successfully completed on June 4, 2005 (Sol 484), and all six wheels of Opportunity were on firmer ground. After studying "Purgatory" from sol 498 to sol 510, Opportunity proceeded southwards towards "Erebus crater". Download high resolution version (1024x1024, 114 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1024x1024, 114 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... June 4, 2005 (Saturday) In the context of the Parti QuÃ©bÃ©cois National Congress, Bernard Landry announces his surprise resignation as leader of the Parti QuÃ©bÃ©cois, the major party in Quebec that advocates national independence for Quebec. ...

Erebus crater, mild mechanical problems

Opportunity studied Erebus crater, a large, shallow, partially buried crater and a stopover on the way south towards Victoria crater, between October 2005 and March 2006. Erebus Crater is located near the center of this satellite image. ...

New programming to measure the percentage of slip in the wheels was successful in preventing the rover from getting stuck. Another "Purgatory"-like incident was averted on sol 603, when onboard slip check software stopped a drive after slip reached 44.5%.^[12] It proceeded over many ripples and 'half-pipes' taking photographs after each sol's journey.

On sol 628 (November 3, 2005) Opportunity woke up in the midst of a mild dust storm that lasted three days. The rover was able to drive in self protective auto-mode during the storm but could not take any post drive images. Less than three weeks later, another cleaning event cleared the dust off of the solar array so as to produce around 720 watt-hours (80% of max). On sol 649 (December 1, 2005), it was discovered the motor used to stow the robotic arm for travel was stalling. This problem took nearly two weeks to fix. Since then, the arm is only stowed for travel and is extended at night to save the arm from getting stuck. is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

2006/2007

Opportunity observed numerous outcroppings around Erebus crater. It also collaborated with ESA's Mars Express by using the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and panoramic camera, and took images of a transit across the sun by Phobos. On sol 760 (March 22, 2006), Opportunity began the journey to its next destination, "Victoria" crater. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x790, 522 KB) Summary Erebus crater. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3000x790, 522 KB) Summary Erebus crater. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (5295x1950, 2104 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Erebus (crater) ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (5295x1950, 2104 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Erebus (crater) ... Established: 1974 Administrator: Jean-Jacques Dordain Budget: â‚¬2. ... Concept model of the Mars Express spacecraft Main Engine Thrust for braking manouevre Mars Express is a Mars exploration mission of the European Space Agency and the first planetary mission attempted by the agency. ... For other uses, see Heat (disambiguation) In physics, heat, symbolized by Q, is energy transferred from one body or system to another as a result of a difference in temperature. ... A spectrometer is an optical instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. ... March 22 is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Latest status

Victoria Crater is an impact crater located at 5. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1941x1230, 1174 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Victoria (crater) Cape Verde (Mars) ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1941x1230, 1174 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Victoria (crater) Cape Verde (Mars) ... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ... October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in Leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 345 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 345 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 364 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 364 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 108 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 108 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 362 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 362 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 442 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1000x634, 442 KB)This part of HiRISE image (PSP_001414_1780_RED.jp2) shows the landing site of the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity http://hiroc. ... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2352x2732, 1937 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Vostok (crater) Victoria (crater) Erebus (crater) Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2352x2732, 1937 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Opportunity rover Vostok (crater) Victoria (crater) Erebus (crater) Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Rover activities

Victoria crater is a massive impact crater approximately 7 kilometers from the original landing site. Victoria's diameter is six times larger than Endurance crater. Scientists believe that rock outcrops along the walls of Victoria will yield more information about the geologic history of Mars, if the rover survives long enough to investigate them. Victoria Crater is an impact crater located at 5. ... This article is about the crater on Mars. ...

On Sol 951 (September 26, 2006) Opportunity reached the rim of Victoria Crater^[13] and transmitted the first substantial views of Victoria, including the dune field at the bottom of the crater. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently photographed Opportunity at the rim of the crater. [2] is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a multipurpose spacecraft designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars from orbit. ...

Rover status

A series of cleaning events beginning on Sol 1151 (2007-04-20) have allowed Opportunity's solar energy production to rise to above 800 watt-hours per Sol. By Sol 1164 (2007-05-04) the solar array current was peaking above 4.0 amps, values not seen since Sol 18 (2004-02-10).^[14] However, with the recent advent of extensive dust storms on Mars (in-line with Mars' six Earth-year global dust storm cycle), power levels have dropped to 280 watt-hours.^[15] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Current can be measured by a galvanometer, via the deflection of a magnetic needle in the magnetic field created by the current. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Opportunity's total odometry as of sol 1225 (July 13, 2007) was 11,424.67 meters (7.1 miles). [3] is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Future plans

After undertaking a partial reconnaissance of the perimeter of Victoria crater Opportunity was steered back to its original encounter point at Duck Bay in June 2007. This is seen as the most likely place to attempt an entry to the crater floor. The plan is to undertake a study of the crater from within and eventually exit again to continue to work on the plain above. A risk assessment of the descent to the floor and chance of return is currently (June 2007) being undertaken. ^[16]

Scientific findings

Opportunity has provided substantial evidence in support of the mission's primary scientific goals: to search for and characterize a wide range of rocks and soils that hold clues to past water activity on Mars. In addition to investigating the "water hypothesis", Opportunity has also obtained astronomical observations and atmospheric data. NASAs 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission has amassed an enormous amount of scientific information related to the Martian geology and atmosphere, as well as providing some astronomical observations from Mars. ... This balancing rock, Steamboat Rock stands in Garden of the Gods park in Colorado Springs, CO The rocky side of a mountain creek near OrosÃ, Costa Rica. ... Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Technically, soil forms the pedosphere: the interface between the lithosphere (rocky part of the planet) and the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. ...

Honors

Honoring Opportunity's great contribution to the exploration of Mars, the asteroid 39382 has been named Opportunity. The name was proposed by Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld who along with Cornelis Johannes van Houten and Tom Gehrels discovered the asteroid on September 24, 1960. 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... Asteroid 39382 Opportunity was discovered on September 24, 1960 by Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld, Cornelis Johannes van Houten and Tom Gehrels. ... Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld is a Dutch astronomer. ... Cornelis Johannes van Houten (1920 – August 24, 2002) was a Dutch astronomer. ... Tom Gehrels is a Dutch-American astronomer. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

Contents

Mission overview

2004: Landing and initial surveys

Landing site: "Eagle" crater

"Opportunity Ledge" outcroppings

El Capitan outcropping

Opportunity digs a trench

Endurance Crater

2005 explorations, difficulties

Heat Shield Rock

Southern transit

Opportunity gets stuck

Erebus crater, mild mechanical problems

2006/2007

Latest status

Rover activities

Rover status

Future plans

Scientific findings

Honors

See also

References

External links

Contents

Mission overview GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

2004: Landing and initial surveys

Landing site: "Eagle" crater

"Opportunity Ledge" outcroppings

El Capitan outcropping

Opportunity digs a trench

Endurance Crater

2005 explorations, difficulties

Heat Shield Rock

Southern transit

Opportunity gets stuck

Erebus crater, mild mechanical problems

2006/2007

Latest status

Rover activities

Rover status

Future plans

Scientific findings

Honors

See also

References

External links

Mission overview