By 
July 5th, 2024
Curiosity Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Left B image taken on Sol 4235, July 5, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at Gale Crater is now performing a number of duties.
Abigail Fraeman, a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, reports that researchers received data from the robot’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite focused on the Mammoth Lakes sample late Monday afternoon of this week.
“After chewing over the results,” Fraeman notes, “the team declared we are very happy with all of the analyses we’ve done with this sample, and we are ready to move on to greener pastures… er, redder rocks!”
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photo produced on Sol 4235 July 5, 2024.
Image credits NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Drill tailings
This decision means that Curiosity handlers will go ahead and clear out the drill assembly, and subsequently use the arm to collect Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) observations of the pile of drill tailings around the drill hole.
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 4235, July 5, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“We’ll also have some time for remote sensing activities that use our mast-mounted instruments,” Fraeman adds. “Even though we’ve been parked at this location for several weeks, we’re still finding lots of things to look at!”
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo acquired on Sol 4234, July 4, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
What’s around the corner?
A new plan has the rover using its Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) collecting Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) observations on a light-toned rock target named “Finger Peaks,” as well as a bumpy rock named “Glen Aulin.”
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo acquired on Sol 4234, July 4, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
“We’ll also collect some additional Mastcam images of interesting features in the area, and a long-distance Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) mosaic of a target named ‘Rock Island Pass.’ Several kinds of environmental monitoring activities will round out the plan,” Fraeman reports.
“It’s been a very productive drill sampling campaign here at Mammoth Lakes, our first after crossing into Gediz Vallis channel, and I’m excited to start getting ready to move on,” Fraeman concludes. “What’s around the corner in this fascinating area of Mt. Sharp?”
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera photo acquired on Sol 4234, July 4, 2024.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Posted in Space News
