Exploring the Sulfate Splendor of Mars with Curiosity’s Imagery and Chemical Analysis

As part of our weekend plan, Curiosity will use ChemCam to analyze several bedrock targets near the rover in order to understand the variety of geologic materials present along our driving route. We will start by using Mastcam to take a multispectral observation of a target called “Ben Hee” close to the rover. The following two sols will be dedicated to capturing stunning views from our current location.

We will begin by using Mastcam to take larger stereo mosaics that document the edge of the Greenheugh pediment and nearby sulfate unit buttes. Additionally, we will utilize the ChemCam Remote Micro Imager (RMI) to capture long-distance mosaics of interesting areas within the sulfate unit in the distance.

As we look ahead, we anticipate completing our scientific observations at this spot and beginning our journey to the next location early next week.