As the SOWG Chair, I was tasked with planning two sols to kick off the holiday weekend. During this process, I considered various options for activities such as mobility and contact science, which made for an exciting day as we finalized our plans.
Our first decision was not to move the rover, with our top priority being to brush and investigate a potential drill target located just to the right of the Newmachar brush spot. Although we won’t be finalizing the drill target today, the area to be brushed on Sol 1966, known as “Lake Orcadie,” is likely to include it.
Before using the DRT on Lake Orcadie, ChemCam will measure its elemental composition at nine points in a 3×3 raster. Additionally, MAHLI will take images from 25 and 5 cm above the surface. ChemCam will also shoot its laser at another contact science target named “Forties” to clean some of the dust off the surface before MAHLI and APXS examine it later in the day.
MAHLI will acquire a full suite of images of the brushed spot before APXS is placed on it for an overnight integration. Today’s activities are varied and require careful planning to ensure that we collect all necessary data for our investigations.
Overall, planning these two sols has been challenging but rewarding. We are eagerly anticipating carrying out these activities and collecting valuable data that will help us better understand Mars’ geology and history.