The MSL project has concluded that the bright object on the ground is not harmful, allowing the team to proceed with their highly anticipated first sample manipulation activities. These activities are intricate and require careful planning, which led to the exclusion of any “opportunistic science” in Sol 64. Instead, the science team focused on preparing for future sols.
As a journalist, I collaborated with the long-term planning team to determine the best time to schedule a ChemCam decontamination (heating) activity. While Sol 66 appears to be the most suitable time for this task, plans may change in the future.