22 August 2017
Sol 1795: Skirting around Vera Rubin Ridge
Curiosity is now tantalizingly close to climbing up Vera Rubin Ridge. For the past several weeks we have been skirting around the ridge, documenting sedimentary structures and bedrock composition along the way as we work toward our intended ascent route.
21 August 2017
Sol 1794: A Simple Plan
We had a nice long pre-drive science block which we stuffed with 2 ChemCam observations to measure the chemistry of targets ‘Boiler’ and ‘Biljim’ as well as a ChemCam image mosaic of the Vera Rubin Ridge
20 August 2017
Sol 1793: It’s Always Sunny in Gale Crater
Not to be overshadowed by other goings on in the solar system, we planned a full day of activities for Curiosity on Monday.
18 August 2017
Sols 1790-1792: A Science-Filled Weekend
Even though Curiosity did not drive the planned 15 meters yesterday evening (she only made it about 11 meters), she moved far enough down the road to get in good position to acquire a full high-resolution mosaic of Vera Rubin Ridge (VRR) over the weekend…
Sol 1789: Inching Closer
As Curiosity inches closer towards ascending Vera Rubin Ridge (VRR), the science team is continuing to be diligent in both characterizing the local surroundings while also looking ahead and imaging the ridge upon approach.
17 August 2017
Sol 1788: Continuing up the Vera Rubin Ridge
I was the Surface Properties Scientist, or SPS, on staff today. After completing a successful drive back to the strategic route to continue up the Vera Rubin Ridge, Curiosity arrived at a workspace filled with sand and a lone rock outcrop dubbed ‘Dumplings Island’ seen in the center of the included image.
16 August 2017
Sol 1787: Less Driving, More Science
At the start of operations, we discovered that the drive yestersol faulted prematurely after about only 15 m, which was roughly half the expected distance. The drive halted because one of the middle wheels experienced a large up and down motion as if going over a large rock.
15 August 2017
Sol 1786: ChemCam anomaly
Curiosity Rover drove over 32 meters last weekend, to a sandy area with a few bedrock blocks, but ChemCam suffered an anomaly and was marked sick after the acquisition of the first RMI mosaic of Vera Rubin Ridge.
12 August 2017
Sols 1783-1785: Taking in the view
Curiosity sidled up to the base of the Vera Rubin Ridge (VRR), whose proximity is evidenced by the 12 degree upward tilt of the rover’s parking position, for an extended suite of imaging of the ridge and its surroundings.
11 August 2017
Sol 1782 Blog: Touch and go, two days in a row!
Yesterday’s drive brought us 6 meters higher in elevation, so another touch and go for today it is! We’ll analyze the Murray target ‘Thorne’ with APXS and MAHLI, followed by a short ChemCam observation on the same target.
