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July 24th, 2024
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its left Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture this 180-degree view of Gediz Vallis channel, taken on March 31, released on July 18. This area was likely formed by large floods of water and debris that piled jumbles of rocks into mounds within the channel and created a long ridge downhill (Gediz Vallis ridge). The region, rich in salty minerals called sulfates, is in the foothills of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain within Mars’ Gale Crater.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at Gale Crater is now performing a slate of science duties.
Lauren Edgar, a planetary geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, reports that the robot wrapped up activities at Fairview Dome.
Curiosity has started heading south towards its next potential drill location in the Upper Gediz Vallis ridge campaign.
Typical bedrock in the rover’s workspace, as seen by this Curiosity image taken by the Front Hazard Avoidance Camera on Sol 4251, July 22, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Bedrock chemistry
Last weekend, Curiosity made a drive of about 95 feet (29 meters)which set it up for contact science and remote sensing tasks, Edgar notes.
Curiosity Chemistry & Camera Remote Micro-Imager took this photo on Sol 4253, July 24, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL
A recent two-sol plan (Sols 4253-4254) includes Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) observations on a gray rock named “Discovery Pinnacle” to assess variations in bedrock chemistry and compare it to what Mars researchers have seen recently.
Also planned was a Chemistry and Camera Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) look at “Miguel Meadow” to evaluate the typical bedrock in the rover workspace.
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 4252 July 22, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Variations in lithology
“The plan also includes a Mastcam mosaic covering the large patch of light-toned rocks in front of the rover to look for variations in lithology,” Edgar explains. The lithology of a rock unit is a description of its physical characteristics visible at outcrop, in hand or core samples, or with low magnification microscopy.
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 4252, July 22, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Two ChemCam long-distance Remote Micro-Imager (RMIs) were also planned to evaluate the stratigraphy exposed by a channel cut into the Gediz Vallis ridge deposit, and to look more closely at a well-laminated dark-toned boulder on the channel floor.
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 4252, July 22, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Post-drive imaging
“Then Curiosity will drive about 52 feet (16 meters) farther south,” Edgar reports, “and will take post-drive imaging to help us evaluate another patch of light-toned bedrock in the next plan.”
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo taken on Sol 4252, July 22, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
In addition to targeted remote sensing, the recent plan includes observations of atmospheric opacity, searching for dust devils, an autonomously selected ChemCam AEGIS target, and standard Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) and Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) activities.
Curiosity Mast Camera Left image taken on Sol 4251, July 22, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
AEGIS stands for (Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science) – a software suite that permits the rover to autonomously detect and prioritize targets.
“We’re all curious to see what Wednesday’s workspace will hold,” Edgar concludes, “as we start thinking about the next place to drill!”
Curiosity Mast Camera Left image taken on Sol 4251, July 22, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
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