By 
August 30th, 2023
Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Left B Camera image take on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity is wrapping up its mini-campaign of science collection at the upper Gediz Vallis Ridge reports Emma Harris, a graduate student at the Natural History Museum in London.
“Before we leave however, we want to collect as much data as we can! Next, Curiosity will be driving back to the nominal Mount Sharp Ascent Route (MSAR). We diverted from the MSAR back in June in order to navigate some tricky terrain, and then again briefly here at the uGVR [Gediz Vallis Ridge].”
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Jam-packed plan
According to a recent plan, there’s a jam-packed two sols [Sols 3930-3931] in wrapping up at the ridge, Harris explains.
On tap is documenting five float rocks in the rover’s workspace that the robot “bumped” to in driving roughly 23 feet (7 meters) previously.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Over the next 2 sols, the rocks “Styx,” “Knossos,” and “Stravia” will be documented by Mastcam multispectral analysis.
ChemCam Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) observations will be undertaken on Styx and on another float rock named “Elafonisos.”
Curiosity Mast Camera Right photo acquired on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
“Elafonisos also receives complimentary Mastcam documentation,” Harris adds. “The terrain around here has been tricky to navigate, making it precarious to unstow Curiosity’s arm if we are perched on unstable rocks, but tosol was successful!”
Further afield
The arm was to be unstowed for Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) documentation of Knossos and the fifth and final float rock documented in this plan named “Meteora.”
“Aside from the immediate workspace, we also had time in the plan to look further afield,” Harris notes.
Curiosity Mast Camera Right photo acquired on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
A Mastcam mosaic of the Mount Sharp Ascent Route and future drive direction will be taken, as well as two Mastcam mosaics of blocks and float rocks higher up within the Gediz Vallis Ridge, Harris reports.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Back to ascent route
The rover’s Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument is to take the lead for making two Long Distance Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) photo shoots of a block named “Argos” in the Gediz Vallis Ridge, and a second long distance RMI of the yardang unit higher up on Mount Sharp, Harris adds.
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photo produced on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
“Finally, the plan is rounded off with a Navcam dust devil survey and some morning atmospheric observations. Whilst I’m sure there are many folks that wish we could hang out at the uGVR [Gediz Vallis Ridge] for a while longer, Mount Sharp won’t climb itself, and it’s time to get back to the Mount Sharp Ascent Route,” Harris concludes. “Thanks Gediz Vallis Ridge!”
As always, dates/details of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.
Curiosity Mast Camera Left image taken on Sol 3931, August 28, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
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