Sol 3858: Success on a New Path!

Earth planning date: Tuesday, June 13, 2023

After several attempts to drive through difficult terrain, Curiosity successfully completed a drive of about 11 m on Sol 3857! We have a straightforward plan today primarily focused on driving farther as well as several observations of both nearby and distant targets. After the recent drive, we have a new area to scope out targets of interest and have selected “Terebito,” which is located on a flat block of bedrock within reach of the rover’s arm. Curiosity will first brush away the dust from Terebito with its Dust Removal Tool (DRT) before performing a quick “Touch-and-Go” observation with APXS to assess the elemental composition of the bedrock. In addition to APXS, Curiosity will also investigate Terebito with MAHLI and Mastcam in this plan.

A second nearby target named “Boa Esperanca” is in an area with possible “duricrust,” a hard crust of soil that forms in dry places like Mars. ChemCam and Mastcam will assess the composition of and document Boa Esperanca. The rover will also use Mastcam to document nearby regolith with interesting surface disruption features. Mastcam will document textures of Gediz Vallis ridge off in the distance as well as churned up terrain behind Curiosity from its previous drive attempts. This rear-view imagery will inform and support potential future drives through tricky terrain.

Later on Sol 3858, Curiosity will drive a planned distance of about 17 m and acquire the usual post-drive imagery to document its new location. We’re hopeful for another successful drive and smoother sailing as Curiosity skillfully traverses the Martian terrain!