Enjoying the Climb: Sols 3916-3918
by Michelle Minitti – Planetary Geologist | Framework
Pasadena CA (JPL) Aug 15, 2023
Earth planning date: Friday, August 11, 2023: In this weekend’s plan, Curiosity is behaving much as you would as you climb a mountain. You pause occasionally to look around at what lies beneath your boots – the reward for your hard work up to that point. You also take time to enjoy the view and turn your gaze uphill to the path ahead – the unknown enticing you forward.
To do the former, Curiosity will appreciate the chemistry, mineralogy and texture of two targets in the workspace. “Ntourntourvana” is on beautifully layered bedrock with a vein cutting through it, and “Agridi” is a spindly, almost flower-like, resistant feature poking out of the bedrock.
One could say we are stopping to smell the flowers. The latter will be achieved by acquiring multiple mosaics of the terrain of Gediz Vallis Ridge swelling ahead of us (as featured in the above image) and an appreciative look to the east toward “Kukenan” butte.
Kukenan once towered above us as we entered “Marker Band Valley,” but our steady climb has brought us high enough to now look edge on at some of its layers. Our weekend drive will travel into the scene above, and after that drive we will once again image the terrain ahead to plot the next steps forward. Both before and after the next leg upward, we will keep a constant eye on the weather, to ensure we stay safe and warm in the chilly Gale winter. Onward and upward!
Related Links
Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more