As reported last week, the planet-encircling dust storm on Mars is showing indications of peaking and perhaps decaying. Dust lifting sites have decreased in extent and some surface features are starting to become visible.
The storm has sustained high atmospheric opacity conditions over the Opportunity site, although there are some preliminary indications that the opacity might be decreasing there.
Since the last contact with the rover on Sol 5111 (June 10, 2018), Opportunity has likely experienced a low-power fault and perhaps, a mission clock fault and now an up-loss fault.
The science team is continuing to listen every day for the rover either during the expected fault communication windows or listening over a broader range of times using the Deep Space Network Radio Science Receiver.
For the near term, the project will continue to send a command three times a week to elicit a beep if the rover happens to be awake.
The science team does not expect to hear anything from Opportunity until there has been a significant reduction in the atmospheric opacity over the rover site.
Total odometry is 28.06 miles (45.16 kilometers).
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