It was another fun day of operations as we planned Curiosity’s continued investigation of the Pahrump Hills.
It was another fun day of operations as we planned Curiosity’s continued investigation of the Pahrump Hills. Ken Herkenhoff was the SOWG Chair and I was the Geology STL. The drive on Sol 787 placed Curiosity approximately 18 m from the Gilbert Peak outcrop, and 8 m from what is now named the "Alexander Hills" outcrop. This Navcam image from Sol 787 shows the Alexander Hills as a small cliff in the middle of the frame, and the Gilbert Peak outcrop as the thin dark beds a little higher up on the hill. The goal in the 3-sol weekend plan is to characterize the outcrop in front of us and drive closer to the Alexander Hills. The plan includes several ChemCam observations of the rock targets "Skyline," "Barstow," and "San Gabriel." Curiosity will also acquire several high-resolution Mastcam mosaics to characterize the local geology. After the drive we’ll acquire standard post-drive imaging to prepare for targeted observations on Sol 792. The plan also includes several Navcam observations to monitor atmospheric activity. Looking ahead to next week, we will continue working our way up the Pahrump Hills toward the Chinle outcrop (an outcrop to the west of Gilbert Peak).
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
