MISSION UPDATES | October 5, 2016

Sols 1482-1483: Another touch and go

Written by Ken Herkenhoff, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center

MSL drove another 35 meters on Sol 1480, stopping at a location with a layered bedrock exposure right in front of the rover.
So the tactical planning team decided to take advantage of the touch
and go option again. MAHLI will take pictures of the layered target
"Cassongue" and of the rover wheels before the arm is stowed in
preparation for another drive on Sol 1482. ChemCam and Mastcam will
observe bedrock targets named "Coutada," "Cuangar," and "Cacuso," and
the Right Mastcam will acquire mosaics of more distant targets dubbed
"Lucusse" and "Lumeje." The Left Mastcam will be used to image the
wheels on the right side of the rover and to extend the coverage of the
terrain in the direction we plan to drive.

Because we don't expect to receive as much data as usual in time for planning on Friday ,
the volume and downlink priorities of post-drive imaging data had to be
carefully scrubbed. On Sol 1483, AEGIS will again be used to
autonomously select a target for a ChemCam observation. Navcam will
search for clouds and Mastcam will take an image of the rover deck to
look for changes in the distribution of dust and other debris. Finally,
the Right Mastcam will take a look toward the east and acquire a
5-image mosaic of the Murray Buttes in the distance.

by Ken Herkenhoff Dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.