On Sol 1284, Curiosity completed a drive of about 27 meters on the Naukluft Plateau, bringing its total traverse distance to approximately 12,549 meters. Today’s plan is to continue characterizing the bedrock in the area by using Mastcam and ChemCam to study targets named “Mulden” and “Koigab.” A Mastcam mosaic will also be taken to analyze the local stratigraphy. After this, Curiosity will resume driving towards the northwest and take post-drive images to prepare for contact science activities over the weekend.
Tomorrow morning, several observations will be conducted including Navcam, Mastcam, and ChemCam scans to monitor atmospheric composition and opacity and search for any clouds. The team is excited about planning some contact science activities during the weekend. As the Geology Science Theme Lead (GSTL) on duty tomorrow, there will be an opportunity to contribute to the planning process and further explore the area with Curiosity’s instruments.
