Sol 2550: Last Views of the Glen Etive 2 Drill Sample

In the sol 2250 plan, we are focusing on cleaning out the remaining sample within the drill and doing contact science analysis on the dumped sample. While the arm is still out of the way, we have about an hour for targeted observations. Both ChemCam and Mastcam will be taking a look at “Penicuik,” a pebble target, and “Monach Isles,” a potential small meteorite, seen in the Mastcam image attached. We’re also doing some standard environmental observation suite: a Mastcam crater rim extinction and tau, and a Navcam supra-horizon movie.

After the targeted observations, the Rover Planners are dumping out the drill sample, and then taking MAHLI images of the dumped sample, the drill hole and tailings, and the SAM Inlet 1. Using proximity mode to avoid touching the surface, we’ll finally do some APXS integrations on two positions over the dump pile.

Written by Ashley Stroupe, Mission Operations Engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory