By 
July 16th, 2016
Curiosity Mastcam Left image taken on Sol 1400, July 14, 2016
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars is now in Sol 1402 activities, a weekend plan of duties ahead defined at “hefty.”
According to Lauren Edgar, a research geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, “we knew it would be a big plan going into the weekend.”
The plan jelled as it was confirmed that the rover’s drive of roughly 85 feet (26 meters) went well.
Curiosity Mastcam Right image taken on Sol 1400, July 14, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Bedrock observations
On Sol 1401, the first task by Mars researchers was to evaluate the local bedrock and select a target for contact science.
Science teams selected a target named “Uku” for Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam), Mastcam, Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) activities to assess the texture and composition of the Murray formation, Edgar adds. “We also planned a ChemCam observation on the target “Songo,” a disturbed block which looks more red than some of the surrounding rocks.”
The plan also includes some Mastcam mosaics of the “Bimbe” blocky deposit to see if researchers want to pursue some additional observations there next week.
Curiosity Mastcam Left image taken on Sol 1400, July 14, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Working with MAVEN
In unwrapping weekend plans, Edgar reports in the first and third sols some environmental monitoring observations are to be coordinated with observations from NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft. It has been orbiting Mars since September 2014.
“This will give us a great dataset from the ground looking up, and from orbit looking down,” Edgar notes.
Teamed up with Curiosity, NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission.
Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Power-hungry plan
Also in the weekend plan is MAHLI imaging of the Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction/X-Ray Fluorescence Instrument inlet, as well as a Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite geochronology experiment.
“Not surprisingly, this is a very power-hungry plan,” Edgar says. “But we managed to get almost everything into the plan, and have set ourselves up for the possibility of more contact science on Monday. Should be a fun weekend in Gale crater!”
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.
Posted in Space News
