• About
  • FAQ
  • Glossary
  • Shop
  • Cart
  • Checkout
Tours in Space
  • Home
  • Preparation
    • Mental Preparation
    • Physical Preparation
    • Weightlessness Training
    • What to Pack
    • What Not to Pack
  • Vehicles
  • Excursions
    • Spacewalks
  • Pricing
    • Space Travel Insurance
  • News
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Preparation
    • Mental Preparation
    • Physical Preparation
    • Weightlessness Training
    • What to Pack
    • What Not to Pack
  • Vehicles
  • Excursions
    • Spacewalks
  • Pricing
    • Space Travel Insurance
  • News
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Tours in Space
No Result
View All Result
Home Uncategorized

On the Cusp of Drilling: Sol 3511

Ensign Grainger by Ensign Grainger
June 23, 2022
in Uncategorized
0
On the Cusp of Drilling: Sol 3511
189
SHARES
1.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

It has been almost 8 months to the day since Curiosity powered up its drill and extracted tailings from a Gale crater rock. Today, we prepared a single-sol plan for sol 3511. Our initial intent was to acquire APXS before the afternoon decisional pass, which would relay data from Mars to Earth in time for tomorrow’s delayed start.

Unfortunately, as previously reported, temperatures this time of year in Gale crater are not overly conducive for quick, high-resolution APXS measurements, which prove particularly useful in assessing drill target suitability in short order.

In lieu of decisional APXS data, we will utilize recent evening measurements on APXS targets “Omai” (a brushed rock face) and “Opadai” (as-is rock face) to help us make a decision tomorrow if we want to drill here. We have not moved a significant distance and the rock composition in this area is very well constrained.

The sol 3511 plan kicked off with a DAN passive activity followed by images and ChemCam LIBS on the potential drill target, “Avanavero,” located in the polygonal area above the arm and “CURIOSITY” in today’s blog image. We then acquired MAHLI images of Avanavero before and after brushing the rock with the DRT.

Our final activity before the MRO decisional pass was a drill pre-load test, where we deploy the arm and place the drill bit in contact with the rock face, applying pressure (as well as our due diligence) to ensure the rock is safe to drill. These data will be needed for tomorrow’s GO/NO-GO decision to drill.

As APXS PUDL (Payload Uplink/Downlink Lead) tosol, my shadow (trainee) and I were primarily responsible for assessing APXS data received over the long weekend (Opadai) and planning/executing tosol’s APXS activities. Specifically, after the decisional pass in today’s plan, Curiosity conducted APXS analyses on the main Avanavero DRT spot as well as on a location slightly offset.

Acquiring APXS data on the central DRT location as well as offset slightly provides us with additional means to mitigate dust signatures in APXS spectra. We then lifted APXS from its placement 5 mm above Avanavero and positioned the arm up and to the side but in a drill-ready state.

Curiosity completed a series of periodic tests throughout the night before waking up on sol 3512, which could mark an exciting return to drilling operations at Gale crater. We are certainly looking forward to the opportunity to drill in tomorrow’s two-sol plan, something we have not done since sol 3289 (early November 2021).

Related Links

Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory

Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more



Thanks for being here;

We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook – our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don’t have a paywall – with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.


SpaceDaily Contributor

$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal


SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly

paypal only



Related articles

On the Cusp of Drilling: Sol 3511

Curiosity latest drilling attempt a success – Sols 3514-3516

June 26, 2022
The Aonia Terra region of Mars in colour

Multiple Lab Analyses of Antarctic Minerals Offer a Better Understanding of Mars

June 26, 2022


MARSDAILY
NASA’s Curiosity Captures Stunning Views of a Changing Mars Landscape

Pasadena CA (JPL) Jun 23, 2022


Striking rock formations documented by the rover provide evidence of a drying climate in the Red Planet’s ancient past.

For the past year, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has been traveling through a transition zone from a clay-rich region to one filled with a salty mineral called sulfate. While the science team targeted the clay-rich region and the sulfate-laden one for evidence each can offer about Mars’ watery past, the transition zone is proving to be scientifically fascinating as well. In fact, t … read more


Tags: Mars
Share76Tweet47

Related Posts

The Aonia Terra region of Mars in colour

Multiple Lab Analyses of Antarctic Minerals Offer a Better Understanding of Mars

by Ensign Grainger
June 26, 2022
0

Results of multiple and complementary lab analyses of minerals found in samples of material from Antarctica could give scientists a...

On the Cusp of Drilling: Sol 3511

Curiosity latest drilling attempt a success – Sols 3514-3516

by Ensign Grainger
June 26, 2022
0

The MSL team is very happy this week, because our first drill attempt since last November was successful! This Front...

On the Cusp of Drilling: Sol 3511

Drilling Again – Sols 3512-3513

by Ensign Grainger
June 24, 2022
0

Today was an exciting day of planning (and not just because of the thunderstorms here in southern California!). We planned...

Fine-grained rocks at Hogwallow Flats

Fine-grained rocks at Hogwallow Flats

by Ensign Grainger
June 24, 2022
0

Perseverance's exploration of the Hawksbill Gap area of the Jezero Delta continues! The rover has abraded at two different locations...

NASA Mars Orbiter Releasing One of Its Last Rainbow-Colored Maps

NASA Mars Orbiter Releasing One of Its Last Rainbow-Colored Maps

by Ensign Grainger
June 24, 2022
0

Scientists are about to get a new look at Mars, thanks to a multicolored 5.6-gigapixel map. Covering 86% of the...

Load More
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
picture of mars from UAE Space Agency

Check out this bangin’ photo of Mars from the UAE Space Agency

February 20, 2021
artistic-rendering-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-perseverance-rover

That escalated quickly — we’re one step closer to colonizing space

March 6, 2021
Is Space Tourism a Good Idea?

Is Space Tourism a Good Idea?

August 25, 2021
Is Mars Too Inhospitable for Hospitality?

Is Mars Too Inhospitable for Hospitality?

August 25, 2021
Earth-Size, Habitable Zone Planet Found Hidden in Early NASA Kepler Data

Earth-Size, Habitable Zone Planet Found Hidden in Early NASA Kepler Data

0
Kepler-1649c: Earth-Size, Habitable Zone Planet Hides in Plain Sight

Kepler-1649c: Earth-Size, Habitable Zone Planet Hides in Plain Sight

0
AAS Names 29 NASA-Affiliated Legacy Fellows

AAS Names 29 NASA-Affiliated Legacy Fellows

0
NASA’s TESS Enables Breakthrough Study of Perplexing Stellar Pulsations

NASA’s TESS Enables Breakthrough Study of Perplexing Stellar Pulsations

0

NASA to Cover Northrop Grumman Cygnus Departure from Space Station

June 27, 2022
The Aonia Terra region of Mars in colour

Multiple Lab Analyses of Antarctic Minerals Offer a Better Understanding of Mars

June 26, 2022
On the Cusp of Drilling: Sol 3511

Curiosity latest drilling attempt a success – Sols 3514-3516

June 26, 2022
Fine-grained rocks at Hogwallow Flats

Fine-grained rocks at Hogwallow Flats

June 24, 2022

Toursinspace.com is private publisher of all things space, but in particular — the commercialization of space travel and future tours in space made available to civilians.

Categories

  • Excursions
  • Kepler Mission
  • NASA
  • NASA Breaking News
  • Physical Preparation
  • Preparation
  • Space News
  • Space Station News
  • Spacewalks
  • Uncategorized
  • Weightlessness Training
  • What Not to Pack
  • What to Pack

Tags

axiom space Curiosity Emirates Mars Mission EMM Jezero Crater Mars Mars 2020 Mars Exploration Program Advisory Group Mars Helicopter MEPAG Percy Perseverance Rover Red Planet Sarah Al Amiri Sky Crane space adventures space travel SpaceX UAE Hope Spacecraft yusaku maezawa

Newsletter

© 2013-2021 toursinspace.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Contact Us
  • Homepages

© 2013-2021 toursinspace.com