The Opportunity Microscopic Imager and engineering cameras (Hazcams and Navcams) have been a challenge to operate on Mars, but it is a good problem to have. As the uplink lead for the mission, I have been unable to closely follow the MSL planning, especially since there are two rovers to manage simultaneously.
The weekend plan includes conducting more MAHLI imaging of the rover wheels and taking a short drive to a promising location for dumping and examining the drill sample. If everything goes smoothly, most of next week will be dedicated to upgrading the rover flight software. This upgrade will require suspending scientific observations temporarily, but it will ultimately enhance the rover’s capabilities.
The timing for this upgrade could not be better as many MSL scientists will be attending the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco next week. This meeting provides an opportunity for scientists to discuss recent science findings and discoveries during a press briefing.
