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30 April 2017
Sol 1681-1683: Kicking the Tires
After a drive of almost 29 meters, we are parked at a site suitable for a busy plan full of contact science on the Murray formation. GEO focused mainly on characterizing nearby flagstone – “Duck Brook Bridge” was like the typical Murray formation that was tan in color, and “Cliffside Bridge” and “Waterfall Bridge” were more coarse-grained and gray.
27 April 2017
Sol 1680: Mesmerized by the Murray Formation
After a 30 meter drive on Sol 1679, we find ourselves near diverse outcrops of the Murray formation. We plan to drive on today across the Murray formation towards Vera Rubin Ridge.
25 April 2017
Sol 1679: Another day of TAG (Touch and Go)
Our drive yestersol went as planned and added another 28.3 meters to Curiosity’s odometer. The science team was pleased to see that more interesting outcrop would be reachable by Curiosity’s arm from our new location, so we decided to plan contact science followed by an afternoon drive in the Sol 1679 plan.
Sol 1678: A smooth planning day
Curiosity drove another 33 meters on Sol 1677, and again is surrounded by rocky outcrops partly covered by dark sand.
23 April 2017
Sol 1677: Some Murray in hand
This morning we woke up to fresh images from Curiosity that showed our surroundings after an ~17 m Sunday afternoon drive. I always really enjoy days like this because, even after 1,676 sols and just under 16.1 kilometers of driving, it still thrills me to look at images from unexplored areas of Mars.
20 April 2017
Sol 1674: Slipping into a new plan
In the Sol 1673 drive, the rover planners aimed us for a nice curb of Murray bedrock which we could investigate with targeted science (with Mastcam and ChemCam) and contact science (with APXS, MAHLI and the dust removal tool (DRT)) over the weekend.
19 April 2017
Sol 1673: Planning with plenty of "Moxie"
There’s nothing like a day of technical difficulties to make you appreciate when it all works! The science team bounced back from yesterday’s challenging planning day with a vengeance, planning an amazingly full suite of observations of the rock – and sky! – around us.
18 April 2017
Sol 1672: If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done!
On Tuesday, the science team had a “soliday“, a day without planning to allow the time when the science team plans activities on Earth to realign favorably with when the rover is ready to accept and execute those plans.
17 April 2017
Sol 1671: More Rocks Out the Front Window
Meanwhile, back on Mars, Curiosity nailed the 34 meter drive to another rock exposure identified in orbital images. Ever since we observed possible mud cracks at Old Soaker the rover team has been pursuing the idea that Curiosity is exploring strata that represent occasional dry-lake periods.
14 April 2017
Sols 1666-1667: Moosehead Lake
Curiosity’s drive on Sol 1664 was halted after the rover had driven less than 2 meters because the angle of the left bogie slightly exceeded the suspension limit.
