Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity Mastcam Left image acquired on Sol 1805, September 3, 2017.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

As for NASA’s Curiosity robot busy at work on Mars, “someone get that rover a water bottle and some trail mix!”

That’s the view of Michelle Minitti, a planetary geologist at Framework in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Now in Sol 1807, Curiosity is on a steep trail, driving up 20 degree slopes on the flank of Vera Rubin Ridge. “Curiosity will acquire an amazing variety of science observations of the ridge rocks,” Minitti reports.

Long list of tasks

There’s a long list of science tasks assigned to Curiosity directly related to the long list of geologic features surrounding the rover on the ridge.

“The rover is now parked on many of the bedding structures observed from farther down the ridge, and the science team selected several particularly nice examples – the targets “Jordans Delight,” Mount Waldo,” and “Three Bush Island” – for detailed Mastcam imaging,” Minitti notes. “Other features of interest were the gray, rounded nodules observed all around the rover.”

Curiosity Front Hazcam Right B photo taken on Sol 1806, September 4, 2017.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Inspecting nodules

On the plan was use of the Chemistry and Camera to shoot a collection of those nodules embedded in the bedrock at “Toothacher Island.”

The robot’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) were to acquire images and chemistry data from a collection of loose nodules at “Gunning Rocks,” followed by a Mastcam multispectral observation of the target.

Mastcam will also image “Cobscook Bay,” another collection of loose nodules.

Bedrock veins

Minitti adds that the ChemCam will gather data from an example of the long, straight, veins apparent in the bedrock in front of the rover at “Narragaugus,” and keep track of the bedrock chemistry at a small vertical exposure of bedrock, “Phoebe Ledge.”

Curiosity Navcam Left B image acquired on Sol 1806, September 4, 2017.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

ChemCam, APXS and MAHLI will uniquely analyze another bedrock target, “Robinson Rock.” Both before and after ChemCam shoots the target, MAHLI will acquire tightly spaced, overlapping images of the target which will be used to build a small-scale digital elevation model (DEM) of the surface.

“The goal is to be able to measure the ChemCam laser pits in the DEM,” Minitti notes. “Of course, the ChemCam shots will also provide chemistry of Robinson Rock complementary to the APXS analysis of the target.”

Dust load in atmosphere

After a drive of roughly 88 feet (27 meters), Curiosity will be in a spot right below the smooth bedrock cap on the lower part of the Vera Rubin Ridge. Before and after that drive, the robot will tear her eyes off the rocks and scan the skies above Gale, Minitti reports.

“At both early morning and late afternoon times, Curiosity will assess the dust load in the atmosphere, and acquire images and movies seeking dust devils and clouds,” Minitti adds.

The plan calls for Curiosity to utilize its Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS), the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) and make passive Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) measurements. DAN will actively sense the Vera Rubin Ridge subsurface after the drive, Minitti concludes.