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Sols 2856-2857: In Between Drill Holes

Part of Curiosity's arm on the surface of Mars

This image was taken by Left Navigation Camera onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 2854.

NASA/JPL-Caltech.

On this Earth day in Mars exploration history 15 years ago, Spirit was approaching the summit of ~100-meter tall “Husband Hill” in "Gusev Crater," which it conquered by the end of that month. Meanwhile, Opportunity was analyzing targets named after various berries and fruits on its way to “Erebus” crater in Meridiani Planum. At that point in time, Curiosity was little more than a gleam in a lot of engineers’ eyes and a pile of engineering drawings. You’ve come a long way, baby!

Today’s activities direct the arm to investigate a target off to the side of the first drill hole and prepare for eventual analysis of a second drill hole. SAM will do a cleaning of gas chromatograph #4 along with collecting diagnostic information. ChemCam will do a 10-point laser raster on “Tom Molach,” and Mastcam will image this target. APXS will do an overnight integration on “Ayton,” and MAHLI will image the target. It is on the same block as the drill hole and is characterized by some

MAHLI image of "Mary Anning" drill hole from Sol 2851.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS.

dark nodules that were observed several times

with ChemCam). The Hazcams will take several images, Mastcam will take a sun tau image and a crater rim extinction image, and Navcam will take a movie looking for dust devils. REMS and RAD will also take data.

Written by Roger Wiens, Geochemist at Los Alamos National Laboratory