MISSION UPDATES | October 23, 2019

Sols 2564-2566: The Early Rover Gets the Frost?

Written by Ryan Anderson, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center
Sols 2564-2566: The Early Rover Gets the Frost?

We’ve planned a busy next few sols for Curiosity! Sols 2564 starts off with ChemCam observations of the bedrock targets “Shetland” and “Pitmedden” and the vein “Gloup.” Mastcam will document those observation locations, and then take a small stereo mosaic of an outcrop named “Rock Nab.” These remote sensing observations will then be followed by contact science. MAHLI will observe the soil target “Clackmannanshire” as well as Shetland and Pitmedden, and will also take some routine monitoring pictures of the CheMin inlet. APXS will do a short observation of Clackmannanshire and an overnight observation on Shetland.

On Sol 2565 Curiosity will wake up extra early to do a ChemCam observation of the target Kinnordy, looking for any evidence of frost. This will be followed by Navcam movies watching for clouds and Mastcam observations to measure the dust in the atmosphere. After napping for a bit, ChemCam will repeat the observation of Kinnordy to compare with the early morning data, and Mastcam will document the target. We’ll then drive ~35 meters to the south and collect post-drive imaging, including some extra Navcams of the strata ahead and a Mastcam drive-direction panorama. Mastcam will also repeat its atmospheric dust observations.

Finally, on Sol 2566 Navcam will collect a dust devil movie and another cloud movie and ChemCam will make an autonomous measurement of a target in front of the rover. In the evening of sol 2566, MARDI will take a documentation image of the ground beneath the rover.