Sol 805 Update on Curiosity from USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Tight Sol

MSL planning is no longer restricted, but today's commands must be sent to the spacecraft earlier than usual, so tactical planning started 1 hour earlier than usual.  The Sol 803 drive put the rover in a good position for examination of fine-scale layering using the arm instruments.  The science team proposed several arm activities on various targets, but time limitations required reducing the observations to APXS measurements and MAHLI imaging of two targets, "Ricardo" and "Pelona."  The Dust Removal Tool will be used to brush dust off of the target Pelona before imaging it with MAHLI and placing the APXS on it for overnight integration.  It was a hectic morning for me as SOWG Chair as we prioritized science targets and determined what could be included in the plan and reviewed before the deadline for uplink to the rover. 

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.