Opportunity rover timeline for 2004 April

• Spirit rover timeline
  • Spirit rover timeline for 2004 March
  • Spirit rover timeline for 2004 April
  • timelines for 2004 May to 2005 February unavailable
  • Spirit rover timeline for 2005 March

• Opportunity rover timeline
  • Opportunity rover timeline for 2004 March
  • timelines for 2004 May to 2005 February unavailable
  • Opportunity rover timeline for 2005 March

Opportunity timeline for 2004 April

week starting 2004 April 5

April 5 (Sol 69)

sol 68-69, Apr 05, 2004: Bidding Adieu to 'Bounce'

Over the weekend, Opportunity completed its observations at "Bounce Rock" rock and prepared for its trek toward "Endurance Crater."

On sol 68, which ended at 4:00 a.m. PST on April 3, the rover backed away from Bounce, then re-approached the rock in preparation for an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer read on the right side of it. The wake-up tune chosen for the sol was "Got to Go Back" by Van Morrison.

Opportunity made observations with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer during the martian morning. Then it took set of microscope images before backing away from the rock. More images were taken from that vantage point before Opportunity made a 10-degree turn in place and drove the 0.85 meters (2.8 feet) back to Bounce.

On sol 69, which ended at 5:40 a.m. PST on April 4, Opportunity completed its instrument arm work on Bounce. It also examined soil targets with its microscopic imager and Mössbauer spectrometer. The wake-up song for the sol was "Little Maggie" by Tom Adams, chosen for the soil target named "Maggie."

In coming sols Opportunity will make progress in a 750-meter (nearly a half mile) drive to Endurance Crater. The rover team plans to make pit stops along the way at scientifically interesting sites and will pause other activities for a few sols while the rover gets new flight software.

April 6 (Sol 70)

sol 70, Apr 06, 2004: 100-Meter Dash

Opportunity "dashed" away from the rim of its "Eagle Crater" landing-site on sol 70, which ended at 6:20 a.m. PST on April 5. The roughly 100-meter (about 328 feet) drive led the rover to a target area dubbed "Anatolia," along a sinuous crack in the plains of Meridiani Planum defined by deep impressions in the sand sprinkled with Eagle Crater-like rocks. In the coming sols Opportunity will further investigate the rocks in this "mini-outcrop."

Before leaving the vicinity of Eagle Crater, Opportunity performed a maneuver on "Bounce" rock lightheartedly called "crush and go" by the rover engineers. In order to gather further information about the rock's hardness, the intentional drive over Bounce was an attempt to fracture it. The science team is awaiting images from the rover's rear hazard avoidance camera to see the results.

An appropriate tune - "Truckin'" by The Grateful Dead - woke Opportunity this sol.

April 7 (Sol 72)

sol 72, Apr 07, 2004: Traveling Around the Trough

"The Wanderer" by Dion and the Belmonts woke Opportunity on its 72nd sol, which ended at 7:39 a.m. PST on April 7. The rover drove around the sinuous trough in a long dogleg pattern. Remote sensing to examine the crevice was conducted on the 50-meter (164 feet) drive to its ultimate position for the sol, at the northeast extreme of "Anatolia."

On sol 73, the rover will perform a trenching operation in the soil. During the following sol, the instrument's arm will be placed on the trenched area.

The planned flight software upload will begin on Opportunity's 75th sol.

April 8 (Sol 73)

sol 73, Apr 08, 2004: Trough Tour Continues

Opportunity was on the move again on sol 73, which ended at 7:39 a.m. PST on April 7. The rover toured and examined the trough remotely.

Opportunity woke up to "Let the Good Times Roll" by B.B. King - a nod to Spirit's successful primary mission of 91 sols and a call for more good times during the coming sols.