In today’s plan, the rover will be positioned to study some interesting knobby textures. Before driving, the rover will use Navcam to take atmospheric measurements and ChemCam to analyze the targets “Duruchaus,” “Eiseb,” and “Aranos.” Mastcam will document the ChemCam targets as well as capture images of fine laminations in the rock at the Murray-Stimson contact, extend coverage of the contact with a mosaic, and take a small mosaic of Mirabib and nearby veins using all of Mastcam’s science filters.
After completing these tasks, the rover will drive towards the knobby texture and conduct post-drive imaging. However, due to its position, it is unlikely that the rover will be able to continue driving past this point. The rover is expected to return to its current position before proceeding onto the Naukluft plateau.
Ryan Anderson, a planetary scientist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center and member of the ChemCam team on MSL, provided this update. The dates of planned rover activities are subject to change due to factors such as the martian environment, communication relays, and rover status.