Sol 706 Update on Curiosity from MSL Scientist Lauren Edgar: Scenic Route

31 July 2014

Today we planned contact science (APXS and MAHLI) on a rock target named Thimble, and an extra MAHLI image of an adjacent rock named Poleta. These observations will give us good chemical and textural information for the rocks that we’ve been driving across. We also planned a ~30 m drive down into Hidden Valley, with additional ChemCam and Mastcam observations of a blind target, and standard post-drive imaging. We’re looking forward to some beautiful scenery in the coming weeks as we work our way through the valleys.

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.