MISSION UPDATES | October 17, 2016

Sol 1493: Cleaning CHIMRA

Written by Ken Herkenhoff, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center



The activities planned for last weekend went well, so preparations for
drilling continued on Sol 1493. In the morning, a Right Mastcam mosaic
of a ridge to the west of the rover will be followed by a passive
ChemCam spectral measurement of the sieved fraction
of the Quela drill sample. ChemCam and the Right Mastcam will also
observe a nearby bedrock exposure named "Mavinga," and Mastcam will
acquire a full multispectral set of images of "Cahama." In the
afternoon, Mastcam will measure the amount of dust in the
atmosphere and Navcam will search for dust devils north of the rover.
Later, CHIMRA will be cleaned out and MAHLI will image the Quela dump
pile up close. Finally, the APXS will be placed on the dump pile for an
overnight integration.

by Ken Herkenhoff

Dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.