Sols 4241–4242: We Can’t Go Around It…We’ve Got To Go Through It!
Curiosity Navigation
Curiosity
Mission Overview
Where is Curiosity?
Mission Updates
Science
Overview
Instruments
Highlights
Exploration Goals
News and Features
Multimedia
Curiosity Raw Images
Mars Resources
Mars Missions
Mars Sample Return
Mars Perseverance Rover
Mars Curiosity Rover
MAVEN
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Mars Odyssey
More Mars Missions
All Planets
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto & Dwarf Planets
2 min read
Sols 4241–4242: We Can’t Go Around It…We’ve Got To Go Through It!
This image was taken by the Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) aboard NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 4237 – Martian day 4,237 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission – on July 7, 2024 at 14:46:38 UTC.
Earth planning date: Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Curiosity is currently trekking across Gediz Vallis channel because, as my nephew’s favorite book says, if we can’t go around it… we’ve got to go through it! Recently we’ve been parked for a while on the channel to drill “Mammoth Lakes,” (https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sols-4222-4224-a-particularly-prickly-power-puzzle/) and are now on the move once again exploring the rubbly rocks. Today the science team planned two sols of activity for Curiosity as we venture on through and across Gediz Vallis channel.
On the first sol we undertake nearly two hours of planned science. This includes Navcam deck monitoring and a Mastcam tau, to measure dust in the atmosphere as part of our atmospheric and environmental activities, alongside some geology-focused observations. MAHLI is taking a close up image of “Donohue Pass” that we targeted with ChemCam LIBS and Mastcam imagery in the previous plan (https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/sols-4239-4240-vuggin-out/). ChemCam will take a LIBS on a rock named “Negit Island” that caught the team’s eye with a lighter base and a darker upper section. ChemCam will also take two RMIs of Gediz Vallis, one to document the wall of Gediz Vallis channel that we can see up ahead of us, and one looking at the rocks that sit within the channel. Mastcam is also taking a look at the wall of Gediz Vallis, as well as continuing a mega-mosaic started in the last plan that took 54 images of “Stubblefield Canyon.” Today we planned another 48 images to document the rest of this area named “Echo Ridge.”
ChemCam will take a passive observation of an interesting rubbly target in this region called “Wishbone Lake,” prior to a five-meter drive (about 16 feet) over to this feature. Once we have arrived, Curiosity will take some post-drive Navcam imaging and a MARDI image of our left-front wheel. After a well-deserved sleep, on the second sol of this plan Curiosity will automatically choose a LIBS target in our new workspace, before taking a dust-devil and suprahorizon movie to round off this plan.
Written by Emma Harris, Graduate Student at Natural History Museum, London
Share
Details
Last Updated
Jul 12, 2024
Related Terms
Blogs
Explore More
2 min read
Sols 4239-4240: ‘Vuggin’ Out’
Article
2 days ago
2 min read
Sols 4236-4238: One More Time… for Contact Science at Mammoth Lakes
Article
6 days ago
2 min read
Sols 4234-4235: And That’s (Nearly) a Wrap on Mammoth Lakes!
Article
1 week ago
Keep Exploring
Discover More Topics From NASA
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It’s the only planet we know of inhabited…
All Mars Resources
Explore this collection of Mars images, videos, resources, PDFs, and toolkits. Discover valuable content designed to inform, educate, and inspire,…
Rover Basics
Each robotic explorer sent to the Red Planet has its own unique capabilities driven by science. Many attributes of a…
Mars Exploration: Science Goals
The key to understanding the past, present or future potential for life on Mars can be found in NASA’s four…
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings