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Curiosity Navcam Proper B picture acquired on Sol 2095, June 28, 2018.
Credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Now performing Sol 2096 duties, NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has made a steep drive on Sol 2094 and is again over the crest of Vera Rubin Ridge and having fun with the view of flatter terrain forward.
That’s the report from Lauren Edgar, a planetary geologist on the USGS in Flagstaff, Arizona.
“Every thing was going easily and we have been excited to plan some potential contact science, till we discovered a rock below the left entrance wheel that may make Curiosity unstable throughout arm actions,” Edgar explains.
Weekend plan
On the final minute Mars scientists swapped out Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)
MAHLI and Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) actions for some further distant sensing.
“We nonetheless packed numerous science into the two-sol plan, and we’ll have one other alternative to do contact science within the weekend plan,” Edgar explains.
The primary sol plan included a Chemistry and Digicam (ChemCam) and Mastcam observations of “Crosby” and “Hekkla Lake” to characterize the bedrock at this location.
“This plan can be stuffed with atmospheric observations to watch the continuing mud storm, which is able to present some nice knowledge from the floor concerning this distinctive occasion,” Edgar provides.
Curiosity Mastcam Left picture acquired on Sol 2094, June 27, 2018.
Credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Rover deck
“We additionally deliberate Mastcam imaging of the rover deck to watch the buildup and motion of wonderful materials,” Edgar continues, “in addition to a lot of ChemCam calibration actions below excessive atmospheric opacity circumstances.”
The plan requires the robotic to proceed driving to the south and it’ll purchase post-drive imaging to organize for the weekend plan.
Curiosity Navcam Proper B picture acquired on Sol 2095, June 28, 2018.
Credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Hoping for clear skies
In a single day, the rover’s Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction/X-Ray Fluorescence Instrument (CheMin) was slated to hold out the final evaluation of the Duluth drill pattern.
A second sol plain outlined extra atmospheric monitoring and calibration actions, together with a ChemCam Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Elevated Science (AEGIS) statement to autonomously goal bedrock within the rover’s new location.
“Hoping for clearer skies,” Edgar concludes, “and fewer free rocks below our wheels!”
New map!
Credit score: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
In the meantime, a brand new Curiosity Rover location map for Sol 2094 has been issued.
The map reveals the route pushed by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity by means of the 2094 Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s mission on Mars (June 28, 2018).
Numbering of the dots alongside the road point out the sol variety of every drive. North is up. From Sol 2092 to Sol 2094, Curiosity had pushed a straight line distance of about 114.27 toes (34.83 meters).
Since touching down in Bradbury Touchdown in August 2012, Curiosity has pushed 11.91 miles (19.17 kilometers).
The bottom picture from the map is from the Excessive Decision Imaging Science Experiment Digicam (HiRISE) in NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
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