Analyzing Trekkopje on Sol 1386, Inspecting the Wheels

In the Sol 1385 plan, our drive took us 66 meters, continuing our path south between the “Baynes Mountains” and “Helgas Dune”. The plan for Sol 1386 will start with APXS and MAHLI observations of the target “Trekkopje”, followed by a short science block. Mastcam will begin the block with atmospheric measurements, and ChemCam will analyze Trekkopje as well. Mastcam will document these observations along with the AEGIS observation from Sol 1385, and then take a couple of small mosaics to study the rim of a nearby crater. Instead of driving, MAHLI will be used to check up on the wheels in today’s plan.

Ryan Anderson, a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the ChemCam team on MSL, provided this information. Dates of planned rover activities discussed in these reports are subject to change due to various factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays, and rover status.