Sol 2658: Quick and Light Touch

The Sol 2657 drive was successful, and now we have new bedrock exposures to explore on Sol 2658. Today’s goal is to gather good chemical and remote sensing data in this location before moving uphill towards the south. The plan for today involves a “touch-and-go” sol, which will begin with a short APXS integration on a bedrock slab called “Marchmont.” Following this, MAHLI will capture some images of Marchmont, with the arm then being moved out of the way for ChemCam observations of both Marchmont and “Inverness Shire,” a darker block on the bedrock surface. The Right Mastcam will take images of the ChemCam targets and “Whitelaw Moss,” another slab of bedrock. Additionally, Mastcam will create a 13×3 stereo mosaic of the west side of Tower Butte to study its sedimentary structures. After a 23-meter drive and the usual post-drive activities, ChemCam will use AEGIS to automatically select a bedrock target in the new location of the rover. Lastly, MARDI will capture an image during twilight.

The tactical planning team did an excellent job, resulting in a smooth day for the SOWG Chair.