29 August 2016


The
MSL activities planned for last weekend went well, and the rover’s batteries have enough energy to proceed with another drive on
Sol 1446. We started the day looking at the beautiful new
Mastcam images of the
nearby buttes, then got down to planning the details of the 2-
sol plan. On
Sol 1446,
Mastcam will extend coverage of previously-planned mosaics, and
ChemCam will use its laser to measure the chemistry of “Muchinda” on a
large outcrop block. After the drive,
ChemCam will autonomously make another observation using the AEGIS software. Overnight,
CheMin will prepare and analyze an empty sample cell in anticipation of a new drill sample. Early on
Sol 1447,
Mastcam and
Navcam will measure the dust in the atmosphere and search for clouds. Most of these observations will be repeated just before local
noon and late in the afternoon to look for short-term changes.
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.
Posted in:
Curiosity, Field Work