The post-drive imaging on Sol 1352 showed that there are sandy ripples ahead, but with enough rocky patches for the rover to successfully drive towards the southwest. This is great news as we were planning to head in that direction on Sol 1353. Before the drive, Mastcam will take stereo mosaics of the Murray-Stimson contact and a couple of areas to the west with nodular features. ChemCam will autonomously analyze the chemistry of a target chosen by the AEGIS software after the drive.
In preparation for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, two sols are being planned on this day to get a head start. We expect to receive the necessary data from Sol 1352 tomorrow morning and continue planning for the weekend activities. However, since the activities on Sol 1353 cannot be precisely targeted, Navcam will search for clouds and Mastcam will measure dust levels in the atmosphere at various times that sol. Additionally, ChemCam will carry out a routine calibration activity.
As a MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead, my day was fairly straightforward with just planning an MARDI twilight image. It’s important to note that dates mentioned in these reports may be subject to change due to factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays, and rover status.
In anticipation of Sol 1352’s imaging results, we have been closely monitoring our rover’s progress towards its next destination. While there are some sandy ripples ahead, we believe there are enough rocky patches for it to safely navigate towards its goal. This means that we can plan our rover’s movements accordingly on Sol 1353.
To ensure that our rover is fully prepared for its next mission phase, we have taken steps like conducting routine calibration activities through ChemCam and carrying out nodular feature analysis through Mastcam’s stereo mosaics. We also plan to measure dust levels in the atmosphere using Navcam during this time period.
We understand that any changes could occur due to factors related to communication relays or rover status which might affect our planned dates of rover activities mentioned in these reports. As such, we remain flexible and ready for any adjustments that may arise during our mission.
Overall, while there may be some uncertainties regarding future plans due to various factors beyond our control, we remain committed to ensuring that our rover continues its mission with success and precision!
