By 
June 28th, 2023
Curiosity’s location as of Sol 3871. Distance driven to date: 18.78 miles/30.22 kilometers.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at Gale crater is now performing Sol 3873 duties.
A recent drive by the robot was successful, reports Alex Innanen, Atmospheric Scientist at York University; Toronto, Ontario, Canada. “This put us in a perfect position for our split touch-and-go plan – lots to see, and no need to worry that we might be on unsteady footing, like we were on Friday.”
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3872, June 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Nearby targets
Two nearby targets are bedrock blocks: the nodular bedrock ‘Lousoi,’ which researchers will be investigating up close (the ‘touching’ in the touch-and-go) with the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), as well as the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) target, ‘Valvousi,’ which is on the face of another block.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3872, June 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“Adjacent to Valvousi is a small trench, which Mastcam will take a look at. Mastcam and ChemCam will also be looking further afield,” Innanen notes. “Mastcam is taking a mosaic of the ridge to our south, and ChemCam is looking behind us towards the Gediz Vallis Ridge. After we finish up, we’re taking a late afternoon drive southeast along our alternate route.”
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3872, June 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Planned nap
After this busy sol, Sol 3871, Curiosity was slated to spend most of the second sol of the plan (Sol 3872) napping, but will wake up for a few observations around noon.
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo acquired on Sol 3872, June 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
ChemCam will use AEGIS to autonomously look for a post-drive target. AEGIS stands for Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science) – a software suite that permits the rover to autonomously detect and prioritize targets.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3871, June 27, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Mars scientists on the environment team also has normal atmospheric monitoring activities, including a suprahorizon cloud movie, a tau observation to monitor dust, and a 360 degree dust devil survey, Innanen concludes.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3871, June 27, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3871, June 27, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Posted in Space News
