Curious Pioneers: Two Sols of Holiday Weekend Preparation on the Mars Rover

We have planned two sols to kick off our holiday weekend preparations. As the SOWG Chair, I had to weigh several options for activities, including mobility and contact science with or without brushing. Our day was filled with excitement as we finalized our plans.

Our first decision was not to move the rover, and our top priority was to brush and investigate a potential drill target just right of the Newmachar brush spot. Although we won’t be making a final call on the drill target today, the area to be brushed on Sol 1966, known as “Lake Orcadie,” is likely to include it.

Before we use the DRT on Lake Orcadie, ChemCam will measure its elemental composition at nine points in a 3×3 raster, and MAHLI will take images from 25 and 5 cm above the surface. Additionally, ChemCam will shoot its laser at another contact science target named “Forties” to clean some dust off the surface before MAHLI and APXS examine it later in the day.

MAHLI will also acquire a full suite of images of the brushed spot before APXS is placed on it for an overnight integration. Today’s activities are varied and require careful planning to ensure that we collect all necessary data for our investigations.

In summary, we have planned two sols for holiday weekend preparation and made significant decisions regarding mobility and contact science activities. Our focus has been on brushing and investigating potential drill targets while collecting important data through various instruments such as ChemCam, MAHLI, and APXS.