Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity view of Namib Dune, taken by rover’s Mastcam Right camera on Sol 1190, December 11, 2015.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Mars scientists continue to be delighted with imagery from the Curiosity rover of sand dunes, “and the view is pretty spectacular,” explains Lauren Edgar of the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Last weekend, the Mars machinery drove nearly 140 feet (42 meters) closer to “Namib Dune,” Edgar reports. We’ve received a lot of beautiful Mastcam and Navcam images.”

The plan calls for Curiosity to continue its drive around Namib Dune to get to the lee side.

Curiosity recently acquired ChemCam and Mastcam observations of targets named “Karfenkliff” and “Grillental” to characterize some of the local bedrock and veins, Edgar adds.

Curiosity Navcam Right B Sol 1192 December 13, 2015
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Ripples and grain flows

Also on the schedule is obtaining a Mastcam stereo mosaic of Namib Dune “to better understand the morphology of the ripples and grain flows,” Edgar explains. The plan also includes a Mastcam image of the rover deck to monitor the movement of particles.

The plan is scripted to drive the rover for roughly 155 feet (47 meters) and take post-drive imaging to document the local geology and prepare for targeting in Wednesday’s duties.