Apologies for the lateness of this week’s update: The rover
is fine, gradually working its way around the north end of a large dune. I’m just an absent-minded blogger with too many other things going on!

We started this week on Tuesday with the Sol 1256 plan. This
included some long distance ChemCam RMi images of a location on Mt. Sharp that
I have been advocating for, plus some small Mastcam mosaics of targets "Chuos",
"Guinas", "Aroab", and the rover deck. This was followed by a ~30 m drive and
post-drive imaging.

The 1257 plan was more challenging than we would have liked
because we didn’t get the data expected from Sol 1256 due to an issue with the
Deep Space Network (the data isn’t lost, just delayed). With most of our data
missing, Sol 1257 ended up being mostly untargeted observations. ChemCam did an
RMI calibration target observation, followed by a long-distance RMI mosaic of
the Peace Vallis alluvial fan. Navcam had an atmospheric observation to look
for clouds and measure wind direction right above us. After that, the rover did
a "turn for comms" where we turn in place to improve our ability to uplink and
downlink data, followed by some post "drive" imaging.

On Sol 1258 we had a bunch more untargeted observations.
Navcam had several atmospheric observations, watching for clouds over Mt. Sharp
and straight above the rover, plus watching for dust devils. ChemCam had a
passive sky observation to measure the atmospheric composition, and Mastcam had
an observation of the crater rim to measure the dust in the atmosphere and a
tau measurement of the sun for a similar purpose.

In the second science block on Sol 1258, ChemCam repeated
the passive sky observation, and Mastcam repeated the observation of the crater
rim and the sun. These Mastcam observations were repeated one more time later
in the day to see whether the amount of dust changes with time of day.

For today’s weekend plan, there was some uncertainty about
whether the rover would be level enough to allow for contact science, but we
were happy to find out that it is! We start out on Sol 1259 with ChemCam
observations of the targets "Gross Aub", "Groot Aub", "Gorob", and "Grosskopf",
with Mastcam images to document. Navcam also has an atmospheric observation.
Then later in the day we will brush the dust off of the target "Gorob", with
MAHLI images before and after. MAHLI
will also take some images of "Groot Aub". APXS will then measure the
composition of "Groot Aub" and then do an overnight measurement of "Gorob". On Sol
1260 we will drive a few meters, then take some pictures of the wheels with
MAHLI, and then continue driving for another hour or so, followed by post-drive
imaging. Finally, on Sol 1261, ChemCam will do some calibration target
observations, and Navcam has a few more atmospheric observations. by Ryan Anderson -Ryan is a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the ChemCam team on MSL. 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.

The dune sand samples were dumped onto the ground, but it appears that the sample was partly blown by the wind. There is enough sample left to investigate with various instruments,

so the Sol 1253 plan starts with ChemCam passive spectra and Mastcam multispectral observations of the dump piles and brushed spot. Later that sol, MAHLI will take pictures of the APXS calibration target and both dump piles before the APXS is placed on the pile of sieved sand for a short integration. After sunset, the APXS will be moved to a bedrock target named "Bergsig" for another short integration, then to the pile of unsieved sand for a long, overnight integration.



The rover will wake up before dawn on Sol 1254 for an attempt to

detect surface frost using ChemCam. This is the best time of year for

water frost to form, so we're hoping that ChemCam will see the

hydrogen in the water. Later that sol, ChemCam and Mastcam will

observe the unsieved dump pile and the brushed spot, this time using

ChemCam's laser to measure chemical composition. Mastcam will also

image the frost target, the sun, and the distant crater rim to measure

the amount of dust in the atmosphere. Then MAHLI will image Bersig,

the sieved dump pile to look for the imprint of APXS's contact sensor,

and the brushed spot. Overnight, CheMin will analyze the dune sand

again, to improve the accuracy of the mineralogical measurement.



Finally, on Sol 1255, the rover will drive toward the north, to get

around the sand dune to the west of the vehicle. In addition to the

usual post-drive imaging, the Navcam will take a couple images of

Mount Sharp to enable planning of future long-distance imaging.

Another full plan that has kept the tactical team busy today!



by Ken Herkenhoff 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.

The short Sol 1250 drive completed successfully, placing the rover in
position for contact science on the bedrock outcrop of interest . We're planning 2 sols today and 3 sols tomorrow
to get the rover through the upcoming holiday weekend. On Sol 1251,
ChemCam will observe a bright vein called "Fiskus" and the sieved sand
samples will be dumped onto the bedrock. Mastcam will take stereo
images of the dump piles, then MAHLI will image the dump piles and a
separate brush target named "Kuiseb." After the DRT brushes Kuiseb, the
APXS will be placed on the brushed spot for an overnight integration.
SAM will also measure the composition of the atmosphere overnight.



The Sol 1252 plan starts with lots of remote sensing: A multispectral
Mastcam observation of Fiskus, ChemCam LIBS and Mastcam observations of
bumpy features "Vingerklip" and "Buntfeldschuh" on the bedrock, ChemCam
RMI mosaics of distant targets, and a Navcam search for clouds. Then
the APXS will be placed on its calibration target for an overnight integration. Whew--a busy planning day!



by Ken Herkenhoff
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.

The Sol 1249 drive went well, leaving the rover in an area with many
nice outcrops of bright bedrock. A large outcrop, partly visible at the
left side of the image above, was chosen as the target for dumping the
sand sample and examinin g
it this weekend. So, after ChemCam and Mastcam observations of the
bedrock target "Kuiseb," the vehicle will back up, turn a bit to the
left, then drive forward to get the large outcrop into the arm
workspace. Lots of images of the workspace will be acquired after the
drive, to allow dump and contact science targets to be selected
tomorrow.



by Ken Herkenhoff 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.

The rover has traversed over 12 km since landing, and another drive
is planned for Sol 1249. The tactical planning team decided to forgo
targeted remote science observations before the drive to allow more time
for driving. The goal
is to get the vehicle to a location that will allow the remaining dune
sample to be dumped and examined in detail this weekend, and this will
require more drive time than originally planned. With only a few
science observations in the plan, it was an easy
day for the team. I'm MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead again today, planning
another MARDI twilight image.

by Ken Herkenhoff 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.

It's not Groundhog Day, but the drive planned for Sol 1247 will be attempted again on Sol 1248. Due to a minor sequencing error, the arm activities that were planned for the morning of Sol 1247 were precluded. Because the arm was not stowed that sol, the drive did not execute and the rover has not moved. We were not able to recover the MAHLI imaging of the REMS UV sensor that was planned for Sol 1247 because it will be in shadow by the time the Sol 1248 activites start at about 11:00 . So it was an easy day for me as MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead, with only a MARDI twilight image to plan. We were able to squeeze in some ChemCam and Mastcam observations of "Nil Desperandum" before the drive, in addition to the usual drive-related observations.



by Ken Herkenhoff 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.

On Sol 1244,
Curiosity bumped 2 meters forward to get to a nice patch of bedrock. The focus of the weekend plan is to study typical Murray formation bedrock, do some targeted remote sensing, and then drive towards the Naukluft Plateau.

The 3-sol weekend plan starts by using the DRT to clear off the dust on the target "Kudis." Then we’ll acquire MAHLI images of this typical Murray formation bedrock. Nearby, there’s an interesting patch of nodules, so the science team decided to go for a second MAHLI target named "Tinkas." In addition to all of the contact science on "Kudis" and "Tinkas," MAHLI will also be used for wheel imaging and to check out the REMS UV sensor. Overnight, we’ll acquire APXS data on both targets, to compare the typical bedrock composition to the nodule-rich composition. On the second sol, Curiosity will wake up early for some atmospheric monitoring observations. Around midday, we’ll acquire Mastcam multispectral imaging of "Kudis," followed by a ChemCam passive observation of the sky. ChemCam will also be used to assess the composition of typical bedrock and the nodule-rich rock, and Mastcam will document the local geology. On the third sol, Curiosity will drive towards the Naukluft Plateau, and acquire post-drive imaging to prepare for next week. Sounds like a busy weekend!

By Lauren Edgar

--Lauren is a Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the MSL science team.

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.

Today’s plan is focused on bumping towards a bedrock target to set us up for contact science in the weekend plan. As we bump forward, we’ll use the rear wheels to create one last scuff in Namib Dune, which we’ll image as we drive away.
I was the GSTL today, and we had a busy morning deciding where to drive to and how to image the scuff that we’ll create. We decided to bump just a few meters away to a target that will allow us to characterize typical Murray formation bedrock (the intended target is in the lower half of the above Navcam image). Before the drive, we planned a ChemCam passive observation of a distant crater to characterize the material that makes up the Gale crater walls. We also planned a Mastcam image of a freshly broken rock named "Askevold," and Mastcam deck monitoring to search for the movement of fines. Then we’ll drive forward slightly, turn the wheels to undermine a ripple, image it with Mastcam, and then drive towards the contact science target. After the drive we’ll acquire imaging to prepare for contact science and targeting in the weekend plan, and we’ll also do some ChemCam calibration activities. Looking forward to being back on bedrock! By Lauren Edgar

--Lauren is a Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the MSL science team.

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.

The contact science activities on Sol 1242 were successful, which completed our investigation at the Namib Dune sampling location. I love the above Navcam image, which shows just how close we were able to get MAHLI to the dump piles, followed by the really high-resolution MAHLI image! Now it’s time to leave Namib Dune and head off in search of the next drill location.

I was the GSTL today, and it was a pretty straightforward day. Due to additional CHIMRA diagnostics, there wasn’t much time for additional science. The plan includes turning and backing up to allow a DAN active measurement over the dune sampling location. In the geology theme group, we focused our attention on post-drive imaging, to prepare for the possibility of contact science or drilling in an upcoming plan. In addition to all of the great science on active dunes, it’s exciting to think about the bedrock and where we might drill next!

By Lauren Edgar

--Lauren is a Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the MSL science team.

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.

Today was the last day for science activities at Namib Dune, as we’re planning to drive away on Sol 1243. It’s fun looking at the disturbed sand in the workspace, and realizing how much we’ve done here (is it just me, or does it look like a big sandbox full of scoops, dumps and wheel scuffs?). While it might look like Curiosity has just been playing in the sand, we’ve managed to accomplish a lot of really great science here.

Today’s plan includes additional CHIMRA diagnostics, and a number of MAHLI and APXS observations of the dump piles. It’s impressive how close we’re able to get MAHLI to the sand, which should enable some really high-resolution studies of the grain properties. The plan also includes several Mastcam and ChemCam RMI observations of the ripples to look for changes. I’ll be on duty tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to driving off in search of the next drill target! By Lauren Edgar

--Lauren is a Research Geologist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the MSL
science team.

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.