Mars Explorer Climbs Record-Breaking Mars Incline
NASA's Mars Rover Opportunity Continues Exploration in Marathon Valley
As of March 31, 2016, NASA's Mars rover Opportunity was actively exploring Marathon Valley on the western rim of Endeavour Crater on Mars. The rover, which has been operational since 2004, was investigating new scientific targets in this location after having driven there late in 2015.
Opportunity's mission in Marathon Valley focused on studying clay-rich bedrock, which indicated past habitable environments. The rover continued to operate and send data back from this area through March 2016 and beyond, before its mission ended in 2019 due to a dust storm.
On March 10, Opportunity made a significant drive, surpassing its own record for the steepest slope ever driven by any Mars rover. However, the vehicle came up a few inches short of its intended target. The new target is located on the hillside forming the southern edge of "Marathon Valley."
Both the previous and current targets are in areas where clay minerals, which form in the presence of water, have been identified. These areas have also been the subject of mineral-mapping observations by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
For more information about Opportunity's mission, please contact:
- Dwayne Brown (NASA Headquarters): [email protected]
- Laurie Cantillo (NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory): [email protected]
- Guy Webster (JPL): [email protected]
You can find updates about Opportunity on the NASA rovers website (http://www.nasa.gov/rovers) and the Mars rovers website (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov).
The wheels of Opportunity turned enough to have carried the rover about 66 feet (20 meters) if there was no slippage, but slippage was so great the vehicle progressed only about 3.5 inches (9 centimeters). Despite this setback, Opportunity continued its journey, providing valuable data about Mars' past and potentially present water activity.
As of March 31, 2016, Opportunity was indeed in Marathon Valley and operational, as confirmed by established NASA mission timelines. The rover's images from March 21, 2016, show streaks of dust or sand on the vehicle's rear solar panel after a series of drives, evidence of the challenging Martian terrain it continues to navigate.
In summary, Opportunity was actively exploring Marathon Valley, analyzing rocks and terrain features, as of March 31, 2016. The rover's mission in this location focused on studying evidence of past water activity, furthering our understanding of Mars' history and potential for life.
In the study of Mars' past water activity, the NASA rover Opportunity continues to utilize science and technology in its exploration of Marathon Valley, focusing on investigating areas where clay minerals, a sign of past habitable environments, have been identified. As the rover sends back valuable data from its location, it further contributes to the field of space-and-astronomy.
