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Earth planning date: Friday, July 12, 2024<\/p>\n
Curiosity, now heading uphill from the Mammoth Lakes drill site, has focused on a very interesting exposure of conglomerate rocks, consisting of pebbles cemented together by a fine-grained matrix material. On Earth, conglomerate rock is associated with downhill flows of rock and soil mixtures, often in a water-rich environment, so our science team is excited to find similar rocks on Mars.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The local exposure of this unusual Martian deposit has been named \u201cStubblefield Canyon,\u201d honoring the headwaters of the stream forming Rancheria Falls, which tumbles into Yosemite National Park\u2019s Hetch Hetchy reservoir. All targets in this area of Mount Sharp are named after geological features near the town of Bishop, California, which sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Owens Valley of California. Curiosity\u2019s last drive<\/a> ended at a detached, rubbly conglomerate slab, dubbed \u201cWishbone Lake\u201d after a Y-shaped lake in upper Lamarck Lake Canyon near Mono Lake. The image above shows the Wishbone Lake slab of conglomerate rock in the rover workspace. Over the weekend, the team will investigate this target and image the surrounding terrain, collecting evidence about the formation of conglomerate rocks on Mars.<\/p>\nOn Wednesday, Curiosity successfully completed its MAHLI imaging of \u201cDonohue Pass\u201d and ChemCam laser spectroscopy of \u201cNegit Island,\u201d followed by a 3-meter drive (about 10 feet) to Wishbone Lake. During the current plan, APXS will analyze two pebbles within the Wishbone Lake slab, \u201cArrowhead Spire\u201d and \u201cCattle Creek.\u201d Arrowhead Spire honors a 100-foot vertical spike of granite near Yosemite Point, above Yosemite Valley. Cattle Creek is named for a stream that flows from a hanging valley into the Twin Lakes canyon near Bridgeport, California. MAHLI will image Cattle Creek, then do a 4\u00d71 mosaic from a distance of 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) along the edges of Wishbone Lake, centered on the Arrowhead Spire pebble. ChemCam will take laser spectra of Arrowhead Spire, as well as the \u201cEocene Peak\u201d matrix material target, named for an 11,500-foot peak in the Sawtooth Ridge along the northeastern boundary of Yosemite National Park. <\/p>\nUsing its telescopic RMI camera, ChemCam will image upper Gediz Vallis Ridge and a distant ridgeline along our future drive path. Mastcam will photograph the ChemCam laser targets, as well as interesting portions of the Stubblefield Canyon conglomerate exposure, the Mammoth Lakes drill site as seen from our new location, and an interesting linear ridge. On sol 4244, Curiosity will drive 20 meters (about 66 feet) along our path toward \u201cFairview Dome,\u201d followed by post-drive imaging and AEGIS observations. Atmospheric studies during the current plan include a Navcam dust devil movie and large dust devil survey, early morning Navcam zenith and suprahorizon cloud movies, Navcam deck imaging, Navcam and Mastcam dust opacity measurements, and a late afternoon Mastcam sky survey. Next week, we expect to explore Fairview Dome, then resume our climb up Mount Sharp.<\/p>\nWritten by Deborah Padgett, Curiosity Operations Product Generation Subsystem Task Lead at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/circle><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nDetails<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\nLast Updated<\/div>\n<\/div>\nJul 16, 2024<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nRelated Terms<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\nBlogs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nExplore More<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n2 min read<\/div>\n\nSols 4241\u20134242: We Can\u2019t Go Around It\u2026We\u2019ve Got To Go Through It!<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArticle<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n2 min read<\/div>\n\nSols 4239-4240: \u2018Vuggin\u2019 Out\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArticle<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n2 min read<\/div>\n\nSols 4236-4238: One More Time\u2026 for Contact Science at Mammoth Lakes<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tArticle<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 week ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\nKeep Exploring<\/div>\nDiscover More Topics From NASA<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMars<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/circle><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\nMars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It\u2019s the only planet we know of inhabited\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAll Mars Resources<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/circle>
On Wednesday, Curiosity successfully completed its MAHLI imaging of \u201cDonohue Pass\u201d and ChemCam laser spectroscopy of \u201cNegit Island,\u201d followed by a 3-meter drive (about 10 feet) to Wishbone Lake. During the current plan, APXS will analyze two pebbles within the Wishbone Lake slab, \u201cArrowhead Spire\u201d and \u201cCattle Creek.\u201d Arrowhead Spire honors a 100-foot vertical spike of granite near Yosemite Point, above Yosemite Valley. Cattle Creek is named for a stream that flows from a hanging valley into the Twin Lakes canyon near Bridgeport, California. MAHLI will image Cattle Creek, then do a 4\u00d71 mosaic from a distance of 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) along the edges of Wishbone Lake, centered on the Arrowhead Spire pebble. ChemCam will take laser spectra of Arrowhead Spire, as well as the \u201cEocene Peak\u201d matrix material target, named for an 11,500-foot peak in the Sawtooth Ridge along the northeastern boundary of Yosemite National Park. <\/p>\n
Using its telescopic RMI camera, ChemCam will image upper Gediz Vallis Ridge and a distant ridgeline along our future drive path. Mastcam will photograph the ChemCam laser targets, as well as interesting portions of the Stubblefield Canyon conglomerate exposure, the Mammoth Lakes drill site as seen from our new location, and an interesting linear ridge. On sol 4244, Curiosity will drive 20 meters (about 66 feet) along our path toward \u201cFairview Dome,\u201d followed by post-drive imaging and AEGIS observations. Atmospheric studies during the current plan include a Navcam dust devil movie and large dust devil survey, early morning Navcam zenith and suprahorizon cloud movies, Navcam deck imaging, Navcam and Mastcam dust opacity measurements, and a late afternoon Mastcam sky survey. Next week, we expect to explore Fairview Dome, then resume our climb up Mount Sharp.<\/p>\n
Written by Deborah Padgett, Curiosity Operations Product Generation Subsystem Task Lead at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/p>\n
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Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun, and the seventh largest. It\u2019s the only planet we know of inhabited\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAll Mars Resources<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/circle>
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAll Mars Resources<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/circle>