Our rover has demonstrated impressive performance in autonomous navigation, allowing us to venture further into uncharted territory. Today, we are confident enough in our view of the path ahead to plan a drive of over 100 meters, with the last approximately 45 meters using AutoNav. However, this leaves little time for targeted scientific observations, limiting our ability to study intriguing features along the way.
Despite this trade-off between distance and observations, some scientists are eager to spend more time studying these features. This was one of the reasons why Gale crater was chosen as the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). The ultimate scientific objective is to reach the base of Aeolis Mons (“Mt. Sharp”) with minimal delays and prioritize studying its intriguing geological layers.