* Astronomy

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RE: The Opportunity rover

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Image taken of Duck Bay by the Opportunity rover on September 11, 2007 (Sol 1291)

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Credit NASA

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After surviving the harshest dust storm in its nearly four-year trek on Mars, the rover Opportunity got back to work Tuesday, dipping its toe into 260-foot-deep Victoria Crater.

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Today, NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity entered Victoria Crater for the first time. It radioed home information via a relay by NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, reporting its activities for the day. Opportunity drove far enough in -- about four meters -- to get all six wheels past the crater rim. Then it backed uphill for about three meters. The driving commands for the day included a precaution for the rover to stop driving if its wheels were slipping more than 40 percent. Slippage exceeded that amount on the last step of the drive, so Opportunity stopped with its front pair of wheels still inside the crater.

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Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

"We will do a full assessment of what we learned from the drive today and use that information to plan Opportunity's descent into the crater" - John Callas, rover project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, US.

Once Opportunity begins its extended exploration inside the crater, the rover will investigate layered rocks exposed on the interior slope.

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Panorama of Victoria crater taken by the Opportunity rover at Duck bay, on 6th September, 2007 (Sol 1286).

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Credit NASA

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Two months after sky-darkening dust from severe storms nearly killed NASA's Mars exploration rovers, the solar powered robots are awake and ready to continue their mission.
Opportunity's planned descent into the giant Victoria Crater was delayed, but now the rover is preparing to drive into the 800-meter-diameter crater as early as Sept. 11.

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Image of Duck Bay taken by the Opportunity rover on September 1, 2007 (Sol 1281).

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Image taken by the Opportunity rover on Sol 1280

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Credit NASA

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Panorama by the Opportunity rover of duck bay at Victoria crater, Mars, taken on Aug 22, 2007 (Sol 1271).

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This is a closeup image of rock outcrop near Duck Bay on rim of Victoria crater, on Mars, that was taken by the Opportunity rover on Sol 1274 (Aug 25, 2007).

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Credit NASA