Update on Curiosity mission by USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Stellar Team

Today, I held the role of SOWG Chair, leading the planning of activities for Sol 13 for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). The tactical planning team has been improving their efficiency in completing tasks on time, allowing us to include more new scientific observations in today’s plan. I was fortunate to work with a top-notch science team, with Steve Squyres serving as the Geology Science Theme Lead. Steve, the Principal Investigator of the science payload on the Mars Exploration Rovers, has been a mentor to me as I worked with him on the Microscopic imager for the MER instrument arms. It was amusing to have a role reversal today, with me leading the science team as the SOWG Chair. Despite this change in dynamics, Steve reminded me that upstairs, where the Opportunity mission is operated, he is still my boss. With his expert support, we were able to develop a solid plan for Sol 13.

In the midst of planning, we found out that the SAM instrument checkout scheduled for Sol 14 would need to be extended over two Sols. This was because the results of the first part of the checkout needed to be analyzed on Earth before proceeding with the second part. To prevent the need for an additional Sol, we worked quickly to incorporate the first part of the checkout into the Sol 13 plan. Although it was a challenging task, we managed to make the necessary adjustments. The new plan was passed on to the second shift, and we are hopeful that they will be able to successfully implement it.