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1 March 2016
Sols 1269-1270: Approaching Naukluft Plateau
Here is Monday’s blog post (can we blame the delay on leap day?). Curiosity is currently making her way toward the Naukluft Plateau, and Monday’s plan was full of driving and remote sensing. On the first sol, Curiosity will acquire ChemCam and Mastcam observations of the target “Swartpunt.” Then we’ll drive toward the Naukluft Plateau, and acquire post-drive imaging to prepare for future targeting and document the Murray formation along …
28 February 2016
Sols 1266-1268: Taking Stock of Stockdale
Today’s plan has a nice mix of science and driving. The rover will start off on Sol 1266 with ChemCam observations of the targets “Ugab,” “Rooibank” and “Stockdale.” We will zap the Rooibank target using two different laser energies to see if that helps us figure out the amount of hydrogen in the target. Afterwards, Mastcam has some documentation images of the ChemCam targets, and then we will do some …
24 February 2016
Sols 1264-1265: Halfway to Naukluft Plateau
We had a successful ~70 meter drive toward the Naukluft plateau, and the drive in today’s plan should put us about halfway to the base of the plateau. The Sol 1264 plan starts with some targeted science: first we have a Mastcam mosaic of the scarp that forms the edge of the plateau, and then ChemCam will analyze the two targets “Awahab” and “Awa Gamteb”. After the targeted science, the …
22 February 2016
Sols 1262-1263: Driving Toward Naukluft Plateau
We’re gearing up for a nice long drive toward the “Naukluft Plateau” in today’s plan! The sol 1262 plan starts off with ChemCam of the bedrock targets “Gemsboktal” and “Ghaub”, with Mastcam documentation. Mastcam will also take a picture of the interesting wind-blown ripples of the target “Hoachanas”. After that, we will drive 70 meters or so to the northwest, stopping on a small ridge. After the drive, the rover …
21 February 2016
Sols 1256-1261: Driving Around the Dune
Apologies for the lateness of this week’s update: The rover is fine, gradually working its way around the north end of a large dune. I’m just an absent-minded blogger with too many other things going on! We started this week on Tuesday with the Sol 1256 plan. This included some long distance ChemCam RMi images of a location on Mt. Sharp that I have been advocating for, plus some small …
14 February 2016
Sols 1253-1255: Full plan
The dune sand samples were dumped onto the ground, but it appears that the sample was partly blown by the wind. There is enough sample left to investigate with various instruments, so the Sol 1253 plan starts with ChemCam passive spectra and Mastcam multispectral observations of the dump piles and brushed spot. Later that sol, MAHLI will take pictures of the APXS calibration target and both dump piles before the …
13 February 2016
Sols 1251-1252: Dumping sand samples
The short Sol 1250 drive completed successfully, placing the rover in position for contact science on the bedrock outcrop of interest. We’re planning 2 sols today and 3 sols tomorrow to get the rover through the upcoming holiday weekend. On Sol 1251, ChemCam will observe a bright vein called “Fiskus” and the sieved sand samples will be dumped onto the bedrock. Mastcam will take stereo images of the dump piles, …
10 February 2016
Sol 1250: Dumping for Contact Science
The Sol 1249 drive went well, leaving the rover in an area with many nice outcrops of bright bedrock. A large outcrop, partly visible at the left side of the image above, was chosen as the target for dumping the sand sample and examining it this weekend. So, after ChemCam and Mastcam observations of the bedrock target “Kuiseb,” the vehicle will back up, turn a bit to the left, then …
9 February 2016
Sol 1249: Twelve kilometers and counting
The rover has traversed over 12 km since landing, and another drive is planned for Sol 1249. The tactical planning team decided to forgo targeted remote science observations before the drive to allow more time for driving. The goal is to get the vehicle to a location that will allow the remaining dune sample to be dumped and examined in detail this weekend, and this will require more drive time …
8 February 2016
Sol 1248: Re-planning a Drive
It’s not Groundhog Day, but the drive planned for Sol 1247 will be attempted again on Sol 1248. Due to a minor sequencing error, the arm activities that were planned for the morning of Sol 1247 were precluded. Because the arm was not stowed that sol, the drive did not execute and the rover has not moved. We were not able to recover the MAHLI imaging of the REMS UV …
