MSL drove almost 40 meters over the rough terrain on the Naukluftplateau, as planned, and again there are many interesting features nearthe rover.
MSL drove almost 40 meters over the rough terrain on the Naukluft
plateau, as planned, and again there are many interesting features near
the rover. Many of the rocks appear to have been abraded by windblown
sand, resulting in some bizarre shapes in places. The chemical and morphological diversity of these nearby rocks will be sampled before the rover drives toward the west on Sol 1284: ChemCam and Mastcam will observe outcrop targets named
"Rooirand," "Grootberg," and "Gratzplatz." The Left Mastcam will also
acquire mosaics of the outcrop around Rooirand and sedimentary
structures to the south of the rover. After the drive, the usual post-drive imaging is planned, including a MARDI twilight image (my only responsibility today).
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
