Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity rover’s Front Hazcam Right B acquired this image on Sol 1269, March 2, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now in Sol 1270 and wheeling its way toward the Naukluft Plateau. Monday’s plan was full of driving and remote sensing.

Curiosity was slated to take Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) and Mastcam observations of the target “Swartpunt.”

Curiosity Navcam Right B image taken on Sol 1269, March 2, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Then the plan was to drive toward the Naukluft Plateau, and acquire post-drive imaging to prepare for future targeting and document the Murray formation along the way, explains Lauren Edgar, a research geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff and a member of the rover mission’s science team.

Atmosphere above Mount Sharp

Also on the “to do list” was a number of ChemCam calibration activities, and a Navcam movie to monitor the atmosphere above Mount Sharp.

“We’ll also acquire a large Mastcam mosaic to study the stratigraphy exposed on the east side of the Naukluft Plateau,” Edgar reports.

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, on March 2, 2016, Sol 1269.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Dates of planned rover activities are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.