MISSION UPDATES | September 25, 2015

Sols 1116-1118: Small drill, Big Sky

Written by Ryan Anderson, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center

It’s time to drill again! After much deliberation, we have
decided to try drilling the target "Big Sky" at our current location, in hopes
of getting a good sample of relatively unaltered bedrock to compare with some
of the altered rocks we have seen nearby.

Sol 1116 is dedicated to doing the mini-start hole, which is
how we test if the rock is safe to drill. MAHLI will take documentation images
before and after, and APXS will analyze the hole overnight.

On Sol 1117, we have a bunch of targeted observations. ChemCam
will analyze the targets "Beartooth Pass" and "Bear Trap Canyon", and Mastcam will
take some pictures of two drifted sand targets ("Bozeman" and "Billings" - we’re
on a Montana naming theme right now), as well as a 2x1 mosaic of an interesting
altered vein, and a 7x1 mosaic of a nearby outcrop. MAHLI will also take some
more images of the mini-start hole.

In the morning on Sol 1118, Mastcam and Navcam have some
atmospheric monitoring observations. These are repeated at around noon, and
then ChemCam will analyze "Beaverhead", "Birdbear", and "Buffalo Flat". Mastcam
will take pictures of the mini-start hole, and a 3x1 mosaic to document the
location of the ChemCam targets. By Ryan Anderson -Ryan is a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the ChemCam team on MSL. 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.