NASA’s Mars Rover Completes Successful Planned Drive and Prepares for Two Days of Activities

On Saturday, the Mars rover, MSL, completed its planned drive with success. The rover was positioned just under 6 meters for contact science on rocks that were broken by the rover wheels. Due to scheduling constraints this week, activities for two Martian days (sols) are being planned.

The first sol, 1344, is packed with a lot of tasks for the Rover Planner team as both arm activities and a drive are scheduled. To accommodate these tasks, the team had to prioritize scientific observations and select a target for a ChemCam observation of the rock surface named “Impalila.”

Following the observations, the rover will drive westward in hopes of returning to its Sol 1311 location. Sol 1345 activities will involve routine sky measurements by the ChemCam and Mastcam instruments as observations cannot be specifically targeted due to the drive scheduled beforehand.

Please note that the dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to various factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays, and rover status.