NASA's Opportunity Mars rover is nearing a place called Spirit Point on the edge of the 14-mile wide Endevour Crater on the red planet. Spirit Point, named in honor of its sister rover which ceased communication and was declared lost May 24, 2011.
Opportunity has about 2-miles to traverse to the crater rim. Nonetheless, it will be in the fall of this year before it will send images from Endeavour Crater's rim. Upon arrival at the largest Mars crater Opportunity has visited, it will have rolled about 15-miles from its 2004 landing zone.
Oobservations of Endeavour's rim by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed the presence of clay minerals. This finding makes the site an even more compelling science destination. Clay minerals, which form exclusively under wet conditions, have been found extensively on Mars from orbit, but have not been examined on the surface.
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