Exploring Mars’ Rocks with Rover’s Arm: ChemCam, APXS and MAHLI Investigate Textures and Chemistry of Bedsrock Nodules

This weekend, the rover’s arm and remote sensing instruments will be used to explore the textures and chemistry of rocks near the contact between the clay-bearing “Glen Torridon” unit and the “Greenheugh” pediment. The rover is currently parked at a mission-record setting tilt of 26.9°.

On the first sol of this weekend’s plan, ChemCam will be used to gather chemical information from a bedrock target called “Garron Point” filled with nodules. Additionally, a dark float rock that potentially originated from the Greenheugh pediment, named “Mull of Galloway,” will also be investigated. The team plans to use the DRT (Digital Raster Transmission) and collect APXS (Atomic Pixel X-ray Spectrometer), MAHLI (Multispectral Imager for Hazardous Environment), and ChemCam observations of “Berwickshire,” a standard piece of bedrock in the area. APXS and MAHLI will also focus on “Cairnbulg,” a location with nodules, while MAHLI captures images of a vein known as “Ross and Cromarty.”