Sols 1293-1295: Contact science and driving

25 March 2016

On Sol 1292, Curiosity drove 6 m to the northwest, which put us in a good position for contact science over the weekend. The three-sol plan starts with ChemCam and Mastcam observations of the targets “Gobabis” and “Zerrissene” to assess the composition of the local bedrock. We also planned several Mastcam mosaics to investigate nodules, fractures, and sedimentary structures within the Stimson formation. In the afternoon, we’ll use the DRT to clean the surface of the target “Brukkaros,” to prepare for MAHLI and APXS observations. This region of the Naukluft Plateau exhibits high thermal inertia signatures from orbit, so we want to see if those signatures are related to cementation. Then we’ll leave APXS on “Brukkaros” for an overnight integration. On the second sol we’ll drive further to the west, and take standard post-drive imaging. The third sol includes a long distance RMI mosaic to characterize part of Peace Vallis. We’re on a topographically high part of the Naukluft Plateau, so it’s a great place to survey the landscape in all directions.

By Lauren Edgar

--Lauren is a Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the MSL science team.