NASA's veteran Mars rover driving to new spot
NASA's veteran Mars rover driving to new spot
Friday June 7, 2013, 3:58 PM
BY ALICIA CHANG
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — NASA's Opportunity rover is rolling across the Martian surface again, leaving behind a clay-rich rock in search of more discoveries.
Mission managers said Friday that the plan calls for arriving at its new destination — 1 1/2 miles to the south — by August so that the solar-powered rover can be in a favorable spot before the next Martian winter.
Opportunity has been exploring Endeavour Crater since 2011. It's the largest of five craters examined by the six-wheel rover so far and contains some of the oldest deposits dating back to the first billion years of Mars' history.
Before trekking off last month, Opportunity used a grinder to scrape away the top layer of a light-colored rock for a peek inside. The rock was so lumpy and covered with crud that it took the rover several tries to crack open its secrets.
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