Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity Chemistry & Camera Remote Micro Imager (RMI) photo taken on Sol 2715, March 26, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is now performing Sol 2716 duties.

Curiosity Chemistry & Camera Remote Micro Imager (RMI) photo taken on Sol 2715, March 26, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL

Reports Fred Calef, a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory:

As the Edinburgh drill campaign continues, and the Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction/X-Ray Fluorescence Instrument (CheMin) instrument awaits the first taste of the bedrock in front of the rover, the science team is focused on filling out Greenheugh pediment observations as well as responding to early results they’ve already received.

“Having multiple observations of the same rocks and expanding datasets to cover more area helps put high value results from the drill campaign in context,” Calef adds. “We don’t get to do this too often, except when we stop for a few sols.”

Curiosity Chemistry & Camera Remote Micro Imager (RMI) telescope image acquired on Sol 2715, March 26, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL

Interesting chemistry

Curiosity Chemistry & Camera Remote Micro Imager (RMI) telescope image acquired on Sol 2715, March 26, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL

Also, it makes sense, Calef continues, to keep the other instruments busy and get the most science we can while we wait for instruments like the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite and CheMin to process data, which usually takes a few days (it’s complicated!).

“On sol 2715, after finding some interesting chemistry on target “Eaglesham,” it would’ve been a shame if we didn’t take another look!,” Calef notes.

A Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) observation called “Eaglesham2” takes a vertical sample over the crossbedding (rock layers that intersect by angle) in that rock.

Curiosity Chemistry & Camera Remote Micro Imager (RMI) telescope image acquired on Sol 2715, March 26, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL

There will also be ChemCam shots into the drill hole to sample ever so slightly below the surface, including an Remote Micro Imager (RMI) Z-stack (makes a very clear image).

Washboard-like pattern

“Mastcam will takes some images of these targets too. There’s great interest to document the washboard-like pattern we see from orbit on the Greenheugh pediment as well as the prominent ridge on top of it, since we have such a unique and amazing view,” Calef points out.

Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Left B image taken on Sol 2715, March 26, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Curiosity’s ChemCam will take more long distance Remote Micro Imager (RMI) telescope images of the washboard pattern and the interface between the ridge and the washboard, which is called “Skelkirkshire.”

“Skelkirkshire shows layers of boulders and probable light-toned sandstones, which tells us something about how the ridge formed,” Calef reports.

Deimos imaging

CheMin is slated to get its first Edinburgh sample portion.

The robot’s Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) and the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) are making observations too.

Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera Left B photo acquired on Sol 2714, March 25, 2020.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

“On Sol 2716, we get a chance to image Mars’ dreadful moon Deimos with Mastcam and extend previously taken mosaics across the Greenheugh pediment ridge and surrounding bedrock in front of us,” Calef concludes. “Atmospheric observations include Mastcam tau (measures dust in the martian air), crater rim extinction, Navcam super horizon cloud search, and REMS observations for temperatures, winds, and pressure. Just like our rover instruments, stay safe and healthy!”