The 22-meter Sol 780 drive completed as planned, placing the rover near "Book Cliffs" (visible at the right side of this image ). Sol 781 planning was interrupted this morning by the " Great Shakeout " earthquake drill,
but the tactical team recovered and stayed on schedule the rest of the
day. After making ChemCam and Mastcam observations of "Delta," "San
Rafael Swell," and "Castle Valley" (all named after places in Utah), the
drill sample will be dumped onto the ground
and CHIMRA cleaned out. Then the APXS will be placed on the dump pile
for an overnight integration. Finally, before dawn on Sol 782, Mastcam
will attempt observations of Comet Siding Spring and Mars' satellites Phobos and Deimos.
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.
Written by Ken Herkenhoff, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center
