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January 6th, 2017
Curiosity Front Hazcam Left B image taken on Sol 1571, January 6, 2017.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The NASA Curiosity Mars rover is now in Sol 1571, with ground controllers ready to drive the robot from its investigation of “Old Soaker.”
Curiosity Navcam Left B image taken on Sol 1571, January 6, 2017.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Ken Herkenhoff of the USGS Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona reports that prior to the drive, the plan calls for Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) and Right Mastcam observations of darker bedrock patches named “Gilley Field” and “Fresh Meadow” and a dark clast called “North Bubble.”
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) image acquired on Sol 1570, January 5, 2017. MAHLI is located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Dark spherule
The rover’s Mastcam is also slated to acquire a multispectral set of images of a dark spherule dubbed “Greening Island” before the drive, Herkenhoff adds.
“After the drive, the arm will be unstowed to allow Navcam and Left Mastcam to take pictures of the area in front of the rover to aid planning for this weekend,” Herkenhoff notes.
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) image acquired on Sol 1570, January 4, 2017. MAHLI is located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity’s Navcam is also set to search for dust devils and clouds, “then the rover will sleep overnight and recharge her batteries,” Herkenhoff concludes.
Posted in Space News
