I've been SOWG Chair for the last three days of this week, planning drives every sol.
I've been SOWG Chair for the last three days of this week, planning drives every sol. We continue to experiment with various types of observations during and after the drive, to see which give us the most information for the time and data volume required. The team has been discussing the priorities of various observations, so that we can plan accordingly depending on the resources available each sol. The current plans include pre-drive targeted remote sensing, DAN neutron spectroscopy at multiple locations during the drive, and as much post-drive imaging as we can fit into the available downlink volume. The checkout of advanced (autonomous) driving software is going well, and we hope to be able to use it soon to extend the drive distance.
Written by Ken Herkenhoff, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center
