Exploring Mars: A Groundhog Day-like Experience on Sols 4086-4088 in Gale Crater

In the latest update from NASA’s Curiosity rover, it seems like Groundhog Day has made its way to Mars. Mission Operations Specialist Natalie Moore shares the team’s progress and challenges as they navigate through Gale crater.

The team faced some software issues, forcing them to make a critical decision between conducting contact science or moving to a new location. Ultimately, they chose to drive away in order to take advantage of the unique flat terrain, allowing them to capture images of all the rover wheels using the MAHLI instrument during the drive.

As the Mastcam Uplink Lead, Moore’s role was highly productive. The team planned over 220 images to be taken over the weekend, making the most of their time on Mars. Additionally, a new science member joined the Mastcam team, adding excitement and challenges to the day’s tasks.

The first sol involved a standard midday remote science block, utilizing instruments such as ChemCam LIBS, RMI, and Mastcam. One notable activity was a massive mosaic of the upper Gediz Vallis. The second sol continued with similar activities, but the team also tested out the Mastcam Left camera, which had been occluded by its own filter wheel. By subframing the CCD, the team hoped to capture in-focus images that excluded the occluded area.

On the third sol, the team embarked on a drive away from their current location. Along the way, they planned to use MAHLI, Navcam, and Mastcam Right to get a full look at the wheels. This routine inspection is conducted every kilometer or so to ensure wheel integrity. The rover will drive a short distance and capture images five times, making sure all sides of the wheels are properly imaged.

During this wheel imaging process, they also utilized MARDI (Mars Descent Imager) to capture additional ground coverage. MARDI would take a single image at each wheel imaging stop, providing more data for further analysis. After completing the wheel imaging, the team will continue driving towards their final destination and capture the necessary post-drive images for Monday’s plan.

Moore notes that although it may not seem like a lot when written down, every member of the team worked diligently throughout the day to ensure the success of the mission. In a lighthearted comment, she expresses her hope that Curiosity isn’t a fan of Groundhog Day so that they will not have to repeat the planning process.

As the team continues their exploration of Gale crater, they are making important discoveries and pushing the boundaries of our knowledge about Mars. With each step forward, they overcome challenges and contribute valuable data to our understanding of the Red Planet. Stay tuned for more updates on Curiosity’s exciting journey through Gale crater!