Expert Guidance and Efficient Tactical Planning: Mars Science Laboratory Sol 13

As SOWG Chair, I planned activities for Sol 13 on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) today. The tactical planning team has been improving their efficiency, allowing us to include more scientific observations in our plan. The science team was particularly strong today, led by Steve Squyres who is an expert in geology and has served as the Principal Investigator for the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. It was a fun role reversal as I usually work under Steve as a science lead for the Microscopic imager on the MER instrument arms.

During the planning process, we encountered a challenge when we learned that the SAM instrument checkout planned for Sol 14 would need to be split into two Sols. This was due to the need to analyze the results from the first part on Earth before proceeding with the second part. To avoid wasting an extra sol to complete this, we had to quickly reorganize our plan to fit the first part of the checkout in Sol 13. It was a difficult task, but we managed to come up with a new plan and passed it onto the second shift for implementation.

Having experts like Steve Squyres on our team made a significant difference in putting together a successful plan for Sol 13. The Opportunity mission, which is still operating on the floor above us, provided ongoing support and guidance throughout our planning process. Despite facing challenges during planning, we were able to overcome them thanks to individuals like Steve’s expertise and dedication towards creating successful plans for MSL missions.