Successful Sampling and Exploration: Mars Rover Adds 40 Extra Minutes for Scientific Observations

The Sol 26 drive was a success and post-drive images revealed intriguing outcrops in front of the rover. The focus of Sol 27’s plan was to sample Mars’ atmosphere with the SAM instrument. However, as ChemCam was operational again, the top priority was to acquire better observations of its calibration target. Upon discovering a new outcrop target, the science team wanted to investigate further with ChemCam’s laser. Steve Squyres, the Mineralogy Science Theme Group Lead, requested the Tactical Uplink Lead, Pauline Hwang, to consider adding more time for additional scientific observations. Pauline agreed to grant the team an extra 40 minutes for their work.

This decision was met with excitement and Mastcam observations were included in the plan. As I left JPL a few hours ago, it seemed likely that these observations would be approved and sent to MSL early the next morning. Although I wasn’t scheduled for a tactical role that day, I couldn’t resist spending most of my time at JPL as I find MSL mission operations to be incredibly engaging. With less focus on planning, I was able to catch up on tasks such as processing new MARDI images for compression analysis and reviewing older ChemCam RMI images for size reduction potential.

The analysis of compressing images is crucial for maximizing data transmission efficiency from MSL to Mars orbiters. It is essential to preserve image details for geological interpretation while optimizing file sizes. Completing this analysis promptly is vital for ensuring efficient data transmission and utilization of resources.