The MSL team is celebrating the first Earth year of operations on the surface of Mars, at JPL, on NASA TV , and at participating institutions around the world. In addition, the New York Times launched their Curiosity Tracker , which makes it easy to review previous results of the mission and keep up to date on the latest activities. Planning is "restricted" this week because Mars and Earth are out of sync, with today's plan for Sol 357 including some untargeted remote sensing. ChemCam and Mastcam will make observations of the ground near the rover, and we'll see what we get.

MSL landed on Mars one Earth year ago tonight, so there were cheers and applause during the SOWG meeting today. There are some nice products on the MSL web page celebrating the first of (hopefully) many anniversaries to come. Today the tactical operations team is planning targeted remote sensing and another drive. During the drive, the rover will pause to take images of its tracks after crossing a windblown ripple .

The latest drive covered over 80 meters, and we are planning another drive on the second sol of the 3-sol weekend plan. In addition, more of the Cumberland drill sample will be dropped into SAM on the first sol, for analysis overnight. This is the first time arm activities and a drive have been included in the same plan--we are hoping it is not so ambitious that the tactical team will be working late into the night! I'm MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead today, planning the post-drive images that are routinely acquired to document the terrain along the long traverse to Aeolis Mons.

The Sol 345 drive went well, totaling 60 meters. We've received some nice (although a bit hazy) images of the traverse goal at the base of Aeolis Mons . We still have a long way to go, but are making good progress. I'm MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead again, planning 3 sols to get the rover through the weekend. As usual, we'll be taking MAHLI and MARDI images after the next drive, planned for Sol 347.

We were happy to see that the long drive planned for last weekend went well , but don't expect to drive so far every sol until more software capabilities are checked out and cleared for use. I'm MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead today, planning single images after each drive that are becoming standard practice. Images and ChemCam measurements of nearby targets are also being planned as we make steady progress toward Aeolis Mons.

I'm SOWG Chair again, planning three sols to get the rover through the weekend. This typically means a long Friday shift, and today is no exception. The 3-sol plan is complex, with lots of science observations and a 100-meter drive. The use of visual odometry (VO) was approved, so this capability is being used to ensure that the rover stays on path and avoids hazards. VO allows the rover to measure its progress by taking images of the terrain during the drive. In addition, the rover is currently on a relative topographic high, so visibility of the terrain ahead is better than usual . So while we are unlikely to be able to drive 100 meters every sol, it's nice to be able to plan such a long drive today

I've been SOWG Chair for the last three days of this week, planning drives every sol. We continue to experiment with various types of observations during and after the drive, to see which give us the most information for the time and data volume required. The team has been discussing the priorities of various observations, so that we can plan accordingly depending on the resources available each sol. The current plans include pre-drive targeted remote sensing, DAN neutron spectroscopy at multiple locations during the drive, and as much post-drive imaging as we can fit into the available downlink volume. The checkout of advanced (autonomous) driving software is going well, and we hope to be able to use it soon to extend the drive distance.

MSL passed one kilometer total drive odometry during the Sol 335 drive! Hopefully the two kilometer mark will be passed much more quickly, as we are halfway through the nominal mission of one Mars year (669 sols). Like yesterday, I'm MAHLI/MARDI payload uplink lead today, planning images that we have been taking at the end of each drive: A MAHLI image from the stowed position and a MARDI image taken during twilight . These images are examples of the recurring observations that are being planned on drive sols, to document the terrain during the long traverse to Mt. Sharp (Aeolis Mons).

The first few drives toward Mt. Sharp have been limited in length because some of the mobility software has not yet been checked out on the B computer. There are separate Hazcam and Navcam stereo pairs connected to each side of the computer, and the B Navcams behave a bit differently than the A Navcams. The camera pointing changes slightly with temperature, and had to be measured by taking images at various times of day. An improved model for the B Navcams has been loaded onto the rover, so now the software can be tested. Similar tests were required on the A computer early in the mission. In the meantime, drives have been limited to about 40 meters or less, depending on how much terrain is visible in the Navcam images from each location.

I'm MAHLI/MARDI uplink lead today, planning Sol 329, which includes another drive toward Aeolis Mons ("Mt. Sharp"). We are planning MAHLI and MARDI images after the drive, to document the terrain in the new location. On Sol 318, we took MARDI images at various times of day to determine when to best acquire such images. The images show that images taken in twilight (right after sunset) best show details of the terrain next to the left front wheel. Because dust was deposited on MARDI's lens during landing, the contrast in MARDI images is reduced. During twilight, less light is scattered off the dusty optics.

MAHLI images of the view to the left of the rover can be acquired while the arm is stowed, by simply opening the MAHLI dust cover, taking an image, then closing the dust cover. These images include the horizon as well as terrain closer to the rover, so should be useful in documenting changes as we drive along.