Curiosity is insearch of the next drill target, and the main activity in today’s plan is to"bump" closer to a rock outcrop for contact science.
Curiosity is in
search of the next drill target, and the main activity in today’s plan is to
"bump" closer to a rock outcrop for contact science. Curiosity will
perform a short drive, which will set us up to use the instruments on the
rover’s arm to assess the potential for drilling here. The plan also includes several ChemCam and
Mastcam observations of the targets "Emery" and "Elbert" to characterize the
outcrop and a nearby vein. We will also
acquire a Mastcam mosaic of the outcrop named "Newspaper Rock" to understand
the local stratigraphy. After the drive
Curiosity will acquire Navcam images for future targeting, and a Mastcam image
for a systematic clast survey. The
second sol of this plan is untargeted, so Curiosity will monitor the atmosphere
with Navcam and Mastcam, and perform some ChemCam calibration activities. I’m on MER duty today, and Opportunity is
also "bumping" to a location overlooking Marathon Valley. Another busy day on
Mars! By Lauren Edgar
--Lauren is a
Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of MSL
science team.
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
