By 
May 2nd, 2020
Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Right B photo taken on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now performing 2751 Sol duties.
An image of a rock on Mars called Glasgow (visible in the center of the above image. NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, on April 30, 2020, Sol 2749.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Mars researchers are preparing to drill in this weekend’s plan, a target named “Glasgow,” reports Abigail Fraeman, a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
“Combined with ‘Hutton,’ these three drilled samples will give us a wonderful snapshot of the range of compositions of the three major geologic units we’ve explored in this region,” Fraeman notes.
Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Right B image acquired on Sol 2749, April 30, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Go to continue
Last Wednesday’s pre-load test on Glasgow was successful, Fraeman points out, “and even created a small divot where the drill tip pressed down onto the rock which suggests this rock might be somewhat soft.”
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The chemical data from Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) and Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) also were in family with other rocks in this area, so the team quickly decided they were go to continue with the full drill, which will execute in the second sol of the three-sol (Sols 2751-2753) weekend plan.
New perspective
“On the first sol of the plan, we will take Mastcam images of the rover’s deck, some sand-filled troughs in the area, and a mosaic to capture the view of nearby Tower Butte and Greenheugh pediment with a new perspective from our current location,” Fraeman says.
Curiosity Chemistry & Camera image acquired on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL
Also on the plan is taking some additional Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) images of areas in our workspace.
Curiosity Rear Hazard Avoidance Camera Left B photo taken on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Fingers crossed
The third sol of the plan has a lot of remote sensing, including Mastcam and Navcam environmental science observations, a Mastcam multispectral image and ChemCam passive spectral observation in the expected location of the drill tailings, a ChemCam z-stack of the expected drill hole, and ChemCam Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) observations of an area near the drill spot, “Glasgow_2”, and “Canongate.”
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
As always, dates of planned rover activities are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.
“Fingers crossed,” Fraeman concludes, “at least some socially-distant team members will be able to enjoy the traditional post-drill donut holes during planning on Monday morning!”
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 2750, May 1, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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