I forgot to mention previously that, unlike at other NASA Centers, JPL employees work for Caltech, not NASA directly.
I forgot to mention previously that, unlike at other NASA Centers, JPL employees work for Caltech, not NASA directly. So they were not as immediately affected by the government shutdown as NASA and USGS employees. Therefore, because many of the people responsible for operating the rovers are at JPL, tactical operations could continue during the shutdown. So progress has been good, and the plan for this weekend includes another SAM measurement and a drive, among other observations. Again, the activities planned for this weekend are primarily constrained by power, but MSL can still do a lot as temperatures drop during the Martian (southern) autumn.
Written by Ken Herkenhoff, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center
