Sol 158 Update on Curiosity from USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: An Exciting Sol

14 January 2013

I was SOWG Chair for Sol 158 planning, and it was an exciting sol. On Sol 156, there was a minor problem with the arm that caused the team to preclude more arm contact science until the anomaly was better understood. Fortunately, good work in the testbed at JPL yesterday verified that the problem was well understood, and we got the go ahead for contact science on Sol 158 just in time to make it happen. This includes APXS and MAHLI observations of two targets, plus a nice MAHLI mosaic of the rock ledge in front of the rover.