Curiosity brings its Basque Lakes sample into the onboard lab
Curiosity’s latest Mars work plan turns to onboard analysis of material drilled at Basque Lakes. Mineral measurements helped the team choose the next investigation of volatile substances. A single NASA mission update also describes imaging and chemical observations around the drill site, fitted around the laboratory’s power needs. The update announces work on the sample without presenting a final compositional finding.
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The drilled sample reaches the next instrument
NASA’s Curiosity rover is examining rock collected from the Basque Lakes drill hole on Mars. A single mission work-plan update describes the transition into its onboard laboratory. CheMin, the rover’s mineral-analysis instrument, supplied measurements that helped the Sample Analysis at Mars team decide on further examination. That instrument suite, shortened to SAM, studies volatile substances with a laser spectrometer tuned to different wavelengths. An additional mass-spectrometry investigation depends on the laser results.[1]
Power needs shape the surrounding observations
Laboratory operations consume a large part of the daily power allocation, leaving less for the other instruments during drilling campaigns. The team nevertheless planned images to establish the sample’s geological setting. Mastcam’s full-circle mosaic gave colour and finer spatial detail for choosing closer views. ChemCam’s remote imager observed the Cordillera butte, a raised landform near the rover’s workspace.[1]
Changing sunlight helps interpret the terrain
Mastcam and the navigation cameras were assigned seven photometry observations at different Sun angles. ChemCam was also scheduled to investigate the drill hole, French Creek sand ripples and grey fragments named Wooley and Fireside. The origin of those fragments remains unknown. Regular dust, cloud and dust-devil monitoring continues alongside the sample work. The plan has yet to report a final composition for the drilled material.[1]
