Sol 713 Update on Curiosity from USGS Scientist Ryan Anderson: High Road or Low Road?

The plan for Sol 713 is to do some brief ChemCam and Mastcam observations of a target called

Thorndike, and then drive. The goal of the drive is to move the rover a short distance back in the

direction we came from to get out of the sand that has been causing driving difficulties recently. Once

we’re on more stable ground, we will weigh science and engineering considerations and decide what

our driving strategy will be: do we keep trying to drive in the sand in Hidden Valley, or do we drive on

the rocky surface of Zabriskie plateau?


Dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.