On Sol 685, the rover has a packed schedule. The day begins with a pre-drive science block that includes environmental monitoring tasks such as ChemCam passive spectroscopy of atmospheric composition and a Mastcam measurement of atmospheric dust opacity. This is followed by 2.5 hours of driving, during which the rover is expected to cover approximately 60 meters due to the loose sand in the area.
After navigating through the ripples, the rover will ascend the Zabriskie Plateau, which is named after a sandstone formation near Shoshone, California. Tomorrow will be a restricted sol as the team waits for data to be transmitted back to Earth. Following this, they are anticipating engaging in possible contact science activities and more driving over the weekend.
It’s important to note that these plans may change due to various factors such as the Martian environment, communication relays, and the status of the rover itself.