Staying put for science: Curiosity Rover explores the mysteries of Mars while remaining grounded

On the first day of our weekend exploration, we decided to stay at the same location as we had been studying all week. Although we were eager to discover new terrain, there were still plenty of intriguing science targets that kept us busy.

On Sol 1961, we began our science block with a series of ChemCam observations. We took LIBS measurements on two bedrock targets, “Glenfinnan” and “Skara Brae,” captured a long-distance RMI image of the lower slopes of Mount Sharp, and conducted a passive measurement of “Bloodstone Hill.” We also planned to take Mastcam images to document the LIBS targets and another Mastcam image for change detection. We scheduled repeat Mastcam images over multiple sols to monitor any changes or movements in the target area. Lastly, we aimed to capture a Navcam movie to observe dust devils in the region.

In the evening, we scheduled MAHLI nighttime images of Glenfinnan and Skara Brae to examine small-scale features within the rocks. The dust cleared by our LIBS observations during the day would provide a clearer view of these features. The MAHLI image above shows Skara Brae rock target.

On Sol 1962, we planned to drive to our next VRR location and take post-drive images before preparing for an exciting week ahead with contact and remote science activities.