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Curiosity has almost reached an ingress point into Armargosa
Valley.
To get into the valley, Curiosity will have to cross some fairly
rough terrain , but this also provides an opportunity to analyze the
bedrock as we go. The plan today includes ChemCam and Mastcam
observations of the targets "Silver King" and "Warm Springs." We are
also planning a ~30 m drive, which should place us close to the edge of
Armargosa Valley. After the drive, Curiosity will acquire some standard
post-drive imaging, and a 360-degree Mastcam mosaic to document the
terrain from our vantage point. Early on the morning of Sol 740,
Curiosity will acquire another Mastcam mosaic to characterize the
Pahrump Hills, an interesting patch of bright rocks where we hope to do a
more detailed investigation.
Dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.
Written by Lauren Edgar, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center