This picture was taken by Left Navigation Digicam onboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4155. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Earth planning date: Monday, April 15, 2024
On most sols of planning, the science staff does their greatest to steadiness gathering new observations of the “typical” with the “uncommon.” The dividing line between these is subjective, however knowledgeable by the collective imaging and chemistry observations of the rover over weeks, months, and even years of time. We wish “typical” observations to verify we’re capturing the dominant lithology sort and conserving systematic monitor of it. We wish “uncommon” observations as a result of they could point out a change within the rock sort or chemistry that reveals a brand new geologic course of or regime on Mount Sharp.
Immediately’s planning was no completely different. “Typical” bedrock was captured within the DRT goal, “Tioga Cross,” by MAHLI and APXS, and in a number of Mastcam and ChemCam RMI mosaics of each the bedrock alongside the trough surrounding the higher Gediz Vallis Ridge and the ridge itself. “Uncommon” bedrock within the workspace was focused by MAHLI, APXS, and ChemCam. MAHLI and APXS will work collectively on the “Surprise Lakes” goal which had a a lot rougher, holey texture than typical bedrock, and MAHLI alone will picture a block, “Peppermint Cross,” whose pink and white mottled coloration stood out. ChemCam focused a separate rough-textured block with a darker-than-typical coloration at “The Hermit.” However the true eye-opener of the day was the goal “Sawblade.” Sawblade is among the many blocks seen alongside the highest of the picture above with the feel that was described by staff members with phrases like “wavy,” “tire tracks,” and “dragon scales.” We’ve seen quite a lot of layered rocks during the last 12 years on Mars, however these ones actually stand out by the dizzying sample they hint on the rock surfaces. ChemCam will try the chemistry and texture of Sawblade and Mastcam will purchase a mosaic over this complete set of blocks so we will get a better have a look at these wild new wonders.
Even atmospheric observations may be labeled by “typical” and “uncommon” classes. Uncommon is reserved for occasions like monitoring growth of mud storms that move over Gale, as we did final month. This plan had a typical environmental science suite, with REMS, RAD, and DAN passive dispersed judiciously via the sols, and three separate blocks of observations monitoring clouds, mud devils, mud within the environment, and adjustments within the important quantity of sand and dirt on our rover deck.
After the drive in as we speak’s plan, who is aware of what we’ll discover subsequent??
