Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity Mastcam Left image taken on Sol 1305, April 8, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA’s Curiosity rover is just entering Sol 1307, recently experiencing some power and driving problems.

The robot’s drive on Sol 1303 stopped during wheel steering, apparently due to a short in the rover’s nuclear power source.

Reports Ken Herkenhoff of the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona: “On Sol 1305, the rover straightened its wheels in preparation for a drive, but then the fault that prevented driving earlier this week occurred again, and the vehicle did not move. The engineers are preparing to send parameter changes that will eliminate mobility actuator sensitivity to the transient power spikes.”

Rocks within arm’s reach

Meanwhile, the plan for Sol 1307 is to deploy the rover’s robotic arm to accomplish contact science of rocks in front of Curiosity.

Curiosity Mastcam Right image taken on Sol 1305, April 7, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

But first, Herkenhoff reports that the Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) and Mastcam will examine a bedrock target named “Divundu” and rock target “Kapako.”

Curiosity’s Mastcam is slated to acquire a full multispectral set of images of a distant bright ridge called “Ruacana.”

Dust brush

Also on tap is use of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to acquire a couple images of Divundu before dust removal brushes are used on the target.

MAHLI is then to acquire a full suite of images of the brushed spot and smaller sets of images of a rock named “Gaio” and a bedrock target called “Lucira.”

The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) is to be placed on Gaio and then on Divundu for detailed study of the rocks.

Mosaic of Mt. Sharp

Herkenhoff adds that early on the morning of Sol 1308, the Right Mastcam will acquire a mosaic of the north side of Aeolis Mons (“Mt. Sharp”).

Curiosity Mastcam Left image taken on Sol 1305, April 7, 2016.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Later that morning, Navcam will search for clouds and dust devils, and Mastcam will image the crater rim to determine how much dust is in the air within Gale crater.

In the afternoon, the arm will be stowed before Mastcam acquires a multispectral observation of the Divundu brush spot before the rover attempts to drive again.

After taking the usual post-drive images, the rover will go to sleep and recharge its batteries in preparation for Monday’s set of activities, Herkenhoff notes.

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.