Written by Natalie Moore, Mission Operations Specialist at Malin House Science Techniques
Earth planning date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
We’re again in our customary “contact and go” plan regime in the present day, the place we sandwich a noon distant science block between morning-APXS and afternoon-MAHLI contact science arm blocks. We had our first late-slide 9 a.m. PDT begin in fairly some time as a consequence of our “remoted nominal” plan on Monday! This meant the entire staff was prepared and “patiently” (learn: not-so-patiently) ready for our drive knowledge to return down round 8:40 this morning. Fortunately, every little thing we have been ready for got here right down to Earth and instructed us Curiosity was proper the place we wished her to be! The planning begins…
Sol 4527 comprises most of our actions on this plan. We begin off about 10:00 native Gale time with a DRT and APXS evaluation of contact science goal “Tamarack Valley,” a tough however brushable bedrock goal in our workspace. We go away the arm unstowed (and out of the way in which) for our distant science block spanning the hours of about 12:35-13:45. That block begins with a big, 76-frame stereo Mastcam mosaic overlaying the boxwork constructions to the west whereas ChemCam’s instrument cools down to permit for LIBS.
After Mastcam is completed, ChemCam shoots their LIBS on a rougher bedrock goal named “Aguanga,” and an RMI mosaic of the boxwork constructions included within the Mastcam mosaic. About 14:00 native time, MAHLI finishes the contact science with a full suite of Tamarack Valley (25-centimeter, 5-centimeter stereo, and 1-centimeter pictures). Then we drive! Hopefully about 30 meters nearer (about 98 toes) to the boxwork constructions for our weekend plan.
Curiosity takes the second sol simpler with some Navcam dust-devil and horizon motion pictures, together with a rover-decided LIBS goal at our new location to start out off science selections for Friday.
