1 August 2016
Sol 1418: Preparing to drill Marimba
Today’s plan was all about setting up for our next drill hole. Originally there was going to be no science block at all, but we ended up with a little bit more power than expected, so we managed to fit in a ChemCam observation of the expected drill target, called “Marimba” along with Mastcam documentation.
29 July 2016
Sols 1416-1417: Approaching the next drill target
MSL drove another 44 meters on Sol 1414, into an area with larger blocks of bedrock. This looks like a good area to drill into the Murray Formation, so nearby targets were selected and we are planning a short drive to position the vehicle for drilling. But first, ChemCam and Mastcam will observe bedrock targets “Chibia” and “Dondo.” Mastcam will also measure the dust in the atmosphere and take an image of the Sol 1414 ChemCam AEGIS target.
27 July 2016
Sols 1414-1416: Keep on truckin’
MSL drove over 45 meters on Sol 1412, to a location with lots of bedrock exposed but most of it is coated by dust. So again we decided not to deploy the arm and acquire lots of ChemCam data instead. LIBS observations of targets named “Okahandja,” “Swakopmund,” and “Walvis Bay” will be followed by another long-distance RMI mosaic. Then the Right Mastcam will image the ChemCam targets and acquire a 5-image mosaic of the Murray Buttes. The Left Mastcam will take a 7-image mosaic of the bedrock in front of the rover before the Sol 1414 drive.
25 July 2016
Sols 1412-1413: No touch, just Go!
The Right Mastcam will also acquire a 14-image mosaic of the Murray Buttes early in the morning, and we finally were able to plan the long-distance RMI mosaic!
24 July 2016
Sols 1409-1411: Finishing up at Bimbe
I am starting to think this observation is cursed! I’ll have to try again next week.
21 July 2016
Sol 1405-1408: Bimbe Conglomerates
“…we found ourselves in an awesome place to study the blocks and conglomerates at ‘Bimbe.’”
16 July 2016
Sols 1402-1404: A juicy weekend plan for Curiosity
Not surprisingly, this is a very power-hungry plan, so we had to trim down some activities during the SOWG meeting. But we managed to get almost everything into the plan, and have set ourselves up for the possibility of more contact science on Monday. Should be a fun weekend in Gale crater!
14 July 2016
Sol 1401: Curiosity checks out blocky deposits
The drive on Sol 1400 went well, and Curiosity drove approximately 13 meters along the edge of the blocky deposit “Bimbe.” Today’s plan involves a number of ChemCam and Mastcam observations to assess the composition and textural properties of three large blocks in the deposit. We’ll also acquire a Mastcam mosaic to document the eastern edge of the deposit, and a Navcam observation to search for dust devils. Then Curiosity …
13 July 2016
Sol 1400: Curiosity approaching the “Bimbe” blocky deposit
Today’s plan starts with some Mastcam mosaics…
12 July 2016
Sol 1399: Curiosity rover on the road again
We’re back in our familiar drive pattern, with a short science block followed by a drive. In today’s pre-drive science block, ChemCam and Mastcam will be used to study the target “Arandis” to document the chemistry of the local bedrock. Then we’ll acquire several Mastcam mosaics to study some blocky deposits and document laminations in the Murray formation. A drive of about 45 meters is planned, followed by post-drive imaging …
