Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity’s location as of Sol 3531. Total distance driven by that sol is 17.54 miles/28.23 kilometers.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at Gale Crater is now performing Sol 3532 duties.

The robot has finished up “Avanavero” drill activities and is “officially back on the Martian road to the layered sulfate-bearing unit,” reports Abigail Fraeman, a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Curiosity Mast Camera (Mastcam) Left image taken on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The rover recently filled the day with contact science, remote sensing, and a drive of over 164 feet (50 meters-plus).

The remote sensing and contact science activities include use of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam).

Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Left B photo acquired on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Vein-rich rock

MAHLI and ChemCam Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) observation of a bedrock target named “Uai Uai,” as well as Mastcam regular and multispectral images of a vein-rich rock target named “Las Nieves” and a layered rock named “Luepa.”

Also on tap was using both Mastcam and Navcam to monitor the atmosphere.

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Fraeman served a tactical role as Surface Properties Scientist. “I helped the rover drivers assess whether Curiosity’s parking spot was stable enough to retract the arm for the MAHLI observations, and any terrain hazards that might affect the drive.”

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Several of Curiosity’s wheels were perched on rocks recently which made the stability assessment particularly interesting, Fraeman adds, “but after a lot of discussion with the rover drivers, we all agreed there was minimal risk of the rover shifting when we unstowed the arm.”

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

APXS data

In an earlier report, Ken Herkenhoff, a planetary geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona said MAHLI images acquired on Sol 3528 confirm that the rover’s Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) was well placed over the Avanavero drill tailings, “and the APXS data look good so we are ready to drive away from this location. But first, we are planning a few more MAHLI and remote sensing observations.”

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

ChemCam as slated to shoot its laser at a vein target named “Chiung” on the right side of the rover, then will acquire another Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) mosaic to extend the coverage of a bright mound with numerous veins.

Outcrop coverage

Mastcam was scheduled to also extend stereo coverage of the “Amacuro” outcrop, document ChemCam’s Chiung target, and monitor changes in the distribution of material on the rover deck.

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

“After Navcam searches for dust devils, Mastcam will look for changes in nearby rover tracks at Kamana,” Herkenhoff adds. “The arm will then be deployed to acquire another MAHLI image of the drill tailings to determine whether the APXS touched the tailings during the overnight integration planned on Sol 3528.”

Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 3531, July 13, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Also in the plan, MAHLI was set to take images from 25 and 5 centimeters of a vein named “La Laja.” Then the arm will be stowed for the drive.

“We are not expecting to receive as much data as usual for future planning, so downlink priorities were carefully reviewed, especially for the post-drive images,” Herkenhoff reports.

As always, 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.