Curiosity is but 1 sol away from a major mission milestone, but work always comes before celebrations.
Curiosity is but 1 sol away from a major mission milestone, but work always comes before celebrations. Today our major decision was whether to perform contact science at the current location and conduct a short drive, or make a longer drive toward stop #12 on the Vera Rubin Ridge campaign (in the middle distance on the right side of the image). Today's team decided quickly to choose the latter option. But prior to the drive, we had room for a short science block that included ChemCam and Mastcam analysis of a bedrock target termed "Mangersta", measurements of dust in the atmosphere, and a search for dust devils. Then Curiosity will boogie toward stop #12, and after getting there, conduct a ChemCam AEGIS activity.
Written by Scott Guzewich, Atmospheric Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
