Sol 1650 activities completed as expected, so it’s time to start scooping.  Today’s plan is focused on acquiring Scoop #1 and dropping off a portion of the sample to SAM.  This is the first of four intended scoops at this location, aimed at sampling different grain sizes and their composition. The plan begins with a Mastcam mosaic of “Kennebago Divide” to document some possible layering exposed by the wheel scuff on the right side of the workspace.  We’ll also take several Mastcam images for change detection to monitor active sand movement.  Then the arm backbone starts by retracting the arm and a vibe to clean APXS.  After that we’ll take a few MAHLI documentation images of the “Flanders Bay” and Scoop #1 locations (prior to scooping), and a very close-up image of the “Avery Peak” ripple crest.  Next up, we’ll acquire Scoop #1!  The sample will be sieved, and the fine-grained portion (<150 microns) will be delivered to SAM.  These are all very power intensive activities so there wasn’t much room for other science today, but tomorrow’s plan should accommodate more activities and context observations.  In the meantime, sitting on “Ogunquit Beach” is providing a pretty great view.

By Lauren Edgar