The Sol 960 drive went as planned, for a total ofover 102 meters! The rover has driven far enough since the last fullset of MAHLI images were acquired that it's time to take another fullset to look for more wheel w
The Sol 960 drive went as planned, for a total of
over 102 meters! The rover has driven far enough since the last full
set of MAHLI images were acquired that it's time to take another full
set to look for more wheel wear. So my focus
today as MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead was on planning wheel images. MARDI
images are typically taken at each wheel-imaging position as well, but
all of these images were well planned strategically, so it was an easy
day for me. Wheel images will be taken at 4
spots, separated by short drives to ensure that all of the wheel
surfaces can be examined. This takes enough time that there wasn't much
room for other observations: Sol 962 begins with Mastcam mosaics of
distant outcrops
and images of the Sun and sky. After the rover stops moving, Mastcam
and Navcam will take pictures of the terrain near the new rover
position, and the Left Navcam will image the sun just before it sets to
measure the distribution of dust in the atmosphere. by Ken Herkenhoff 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 Ken Herkenhoff, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center
