A Geologist in a Rock Shop: Sols 3859-3860

A Geologist in a Rock Shop: Sols 3859-3860
by Alivia Eng, Graduate student at Western Washington University
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 14, 2023

It appears that Curiosity's recent traverse has turned a new leaf as this is the second successful drive after lots of slipping and sliding. The new workspace is full of goodies for us to target and fill our 2-sol plan with, in addition to new perspectives of features off in the distance. The rover passed the "Slip Risk Assessment Process" (SRAP) which means we can unstow the arm and use its instruments. With lots of science time available, I think many of us planning today felt like a kid in a candy shop... or shall I say, "A geologist in a rock shop?"

On the first sol of the plan, Mastcam will document "Pisori," a large fractured rock, to get a closer look at the fresher surfaces. Additionally, Mastcam will capture some laminated rocks in "Petacas."

Given the change in route, we won't be able to drive past the crater cluster as soon as we'd hoped, so the team also prioritized a large mosaic to capture one of the pits in all its glory from our current position.

The drive placed Curiosity right in front of "Macapa," a lumpy float rock that APXS and MAHLI will analyze in attempt to derive its origin and document texture, respectively. ChemCam will assess the composition of a laminated bedrock target called "Chiribiquete" with Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and capture a long-distance mosaic of the crater rim with its Remote Microscopic Imager (RMI).

Flatter rocks not only give Curiosity an easier time on the road, but also provide scientists with plenty of options for a "Dust-Removal Tool" (DRT) target. However, we wanted to avoid prominent nodules to maximize dust-removal and assess the bedrock composition. The team settled on "Rio Madeira" as our DRT target to assess bedrock composition with APXS on sol 3859 and a Mastcam multispectral observation on sol 3860. MAHLI will also take a closer look at the textures of Rio Madeira.

One of the first things I noticed in the workspace were the intriguing protruding veins along the edges of some of the blocks. Luckily, the team decided on a target that I selected called "Njam." Curiosity will assess Njam with ChemCam LIBS on sol 3560 to illuminate the processes surrounding the formation of these features. ChemCam will also acquire a long-distance RMI on a possible exposed stratigraphic layer in the distance. Lastly, Mastcam will acquire a small mosaic that covers the DRT and surrounding targets.

Twas a fun day of planning with few obstacles- let's hope Curiosity's next drive of 30 meters has a similar outcome!

Success on a New Path: Sol 3858
by Abigail Knight | Graduate Student - WUSL
Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 13 - After several attempts to drive through difficult terrain, Curiosity successfully completed a drive of about 11 m on Sol 3857! We have a straightforward plan today primarily focused on driving farther as well as several observations of both nearby and distant targets.

After the recent drive, we have a new area to scope out targets of interest and have selected "Terebito," which is located on a flat block of bedrock within reach of the rover's arm. Curiosity will first brush away the dust from Terebito with its Dust Removal Tool (DRT) before performing a quick "Touch-and-Go" observation with APXS to assess the elemental composition of the bedrock. In addition to APXS, Curiosity will also investigate Terebito with MAHLI and Mastcam in this plan.

A second nearby target named "Boa Esperanca" is in an area with possible "duricrust," a hard crust of soil that forms in dry places like Mars. ChemCam and Mastcam will assess the composition of and document Boa Esperanca. The rover will also use Mastcam to document nearby regolith with interesting surface disruption features.

Mastcam will document textures of Gediz Vallis ridge off in the distance as well as churned up terrain behind Curiosity from its previous drive attempts. This rear-view imagery will inform and support potential future drives through tricky terrain.

Later on Sol 3858, Curiosity will drive a planned distance of about 17 m and acquire the usual post-drive imagery to document its new location. We're hopeful for another successful drive and smoother sailing as Curiosity skillfully traverses the Martian terrain!