Navigating Mars Science Mission’s Sol 13: Overcoming Challenges and Incorporating New Scientific Observations

As SOWG Chair, I was tasked with planning out activities for Sol 13 of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). The tactical planning team has been making improvements in their efficiency, allowing us to incorporate more new scientific observations into our plan. Steve Squyres, an expert in geology and the Principal Investigator for the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, led the science team today.

Throughout the planning process, we faced a challenge when we learned that the SAM instrument checkout planned for Sol 14 would need to be split into two Sols. This was because we needed to analyze the results from the first part on Earth before proceeding with the second part. To avoid wasting an extra sol, we had to quickly reorganize our plan to fit the first part of the checkout in Sol 13. It was a challenging task, but we were able to come up with a new plan and passed it onto the second shift for implementation.

Despite facing challenges during planning, having experts like Steve Squyres on our team made a significant difference in putting together a successful plan for Sol 13. The Opportunity mission, which is still operating on the floor above us, provided ongoing support and guidance as well.