By 
August 27th, 2021
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mastcam to capture this 360-degree view near “Rafael Navarro Mountain.”
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at Gale Crater is now performing Sol 3220 duties.
Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Left B image taken on Sol 3219, August 26, 2021.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Ryan Anderson, a planetary geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona reports that the robot should be about 23 feet (7 meters) from its next drill location.
Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Left B image taken on Sol 3219, August 26, 2021.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Texture change
“We’ve noticed a change in the texture of the rocks over the last few drives,” Anderson adds, “so we are eagerly collecting data as we approach the drill site to help understand what caused the change.”
A Sol 3219 plan called for Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) observations of the target “Smailholm” followed by a Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) measurement on the bedrock target “Dunlop.”
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 3219, August 26, 2021.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“ChemCam will also use its telescope to take a long distance mosaic of the layers on “Rafael Navarro Mountain.” Mastcam will then document the area around targets Dunlop and Smailholm, and collect two more mosaics covering a layered outcrop named “Dunnideer” and the layers at the base of the more distant “Siccar Point.” After that, we’ll drive and collect all the usual post-drive images,” Anderson notes.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 3219, August 26, 2021.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Watching for clouds
On Sol 3220, the plan calls for the rover’s Navcam to make several observations, measuring the amount of dust in the atmosphere and watching for clouds and dust devils. Mastcam will also make an atmospheric dust measurement, Anderson reports.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 3219, August 26, 2021.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
After the atmospheric observations, ChemCam will autonomously target a patch of bedrock and analyze it. Overnight APXS will measure the atmospheric composition and ChemCam will run some passive calibration activities.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 3219, August 26, 2021.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 3219, August 26, 2021.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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