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November 21st, 2019
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photo produced on Sol 2592, November 21, 2019.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is wrapping up Sol 2592 duties.
“Curiosity is continuing her exploration of Central Butte, focusing on characterizing the lithology of ledge-forming rocks in this area,” reports Lauren Edgar, a planetary geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.
A recently drafted plan has the robot carrying out several Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) observations of “Ard Neakie” to assess a gray fractured zone, “Glen Doll” to characterize more typical bedrock adjacent to the fractured zone, and “Isle Ristol” to assess vertical changes in chemistry.
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photo produced on Sol 2592, November 21, 2019.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Characterizing the bedrock
Edgar adds that the plan involves a lot of contact science as well, including Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and a Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) full suite on “Glen Doll” and “Ard Neakie,” and a Dust Removal Tool (DRT), MAHLI full suite and overnight APXS on “Muckle Flugga” to characterize the bedrock at the rover’s location.
The Geology theme group also planned a Mastcam mosaic of “Muckle Flugga” and documentation of the ChemCam targets, Edgar notes.
Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH
The plan also includes typical Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) and Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) observations and a Navcam atmospheric movie.
Edgar concludes: “I’m looking forward to seeing the results from all of the great contact science!”
Posted in Space News
