Exploring the Chemical Composition of Gale Crater: The SAM Experiment and Instruments of NASA’s Mars Rover

The SAM experiment is a complex one that requires a dedicated sol in the plan, but the second sol of the plan was kept available for other observations. ChemCam, a powerful instrument on board the rover, focused on two cobbles, “Quoy” and “Skor,” which are similar to the larger rock fragments seen in the image above. These cobbles were targeted to compare their chemistries to that of the coherent bedrock slabs in the area.

ChemCam also targeted a white patch, “Lealt,” resembling the white vein materials encountered during exploration of Gale crater. Additionally, “Le Ceasnachadh” was targeted for a ChemCam passive observation. The gray bulbous materials at the top of this target are difficult to hit from more than 5 meters away, so efforts will be made to capture more data on these features.

Navcam will continue to scan the skies above for clouds and dust devils, as well as measure the dust load in the atmosphere. REMS will monitor radiation levels and RAD will measure cosmic rays while DAN continues to monitor temperature and humidity levels around and below the rover throughout the plan.