Curiosity is currently exploring the Blunts Point member of the Murray formation and searching for a suitable location to drill in the near future. The SOWG Chair led the team in putting together a busy weekend plan focused on completing contact science at the current location and driving further north into the Blunts Point member.
The plan includes several exciting experiments, including a ChemCam water adsorption experiment to investigate seasonal variations in hydrogen in the soil at different times of day. On Sol 2048-2049, Mastcam multispectral images will be taken around midday to document the activities conducted. Additionally, ChemCam LIBS will be used on the “Mountain Iron” target to assess the composition of dark nodules.
After completing contact science activities and an overnight APXS integration on Sol 2049, Curiosity will conduct another ChemCam water adsorption observation early in the morning on Sol 2050. Data volume for this plan is tight due to recent downlink volumes, but efforts are being made to manage data usage effectively for the upcoming activities scheduled.
