Sol 15 Summary

Science Assessment Meeting Summary

The rover successfully executed all 120 commands in the Sol 14 command load and the rover and instruments are healthy. High temperatures in the afternoon are causing some blurriness in the left front hazcam.

Preliminary examination of the Sol 13 UHF and Sol 14 DTE data show that the rover is currently resting on an outcrop/bedrock with extremely large crossbeds, large than those found in Kaibab. This suggests that the crossbeds are aeolian rather than fluvial in origin because aeolian crossbedding is usually larger than fluvial. IPS calibration target data from Sol 14 has very low signal, possibly due to cloudiness at the site. All sol 14 IPS spectra may need to be repeated. The moon shot created by the Atmospheres STG showed only clouds, so it’s unknown if we correctly targeted the moon.

The general consensus is to make Sol 15 a Panorama sol, staying on place to collect extensive remote sensing data to help verify the hypotheses about the stratigraphy in the area. We will also try to image the rover tracks or lack thereof leading onto the outcrop from our last position. If possible we will also try to the Moon observations again since Friday (sol 20) is the last opportunity to do this. Since we are immobile this sol, there is interest in ratting the outcrop we are resting on as a target of opportunity. We would then obtain a full in-situ analysis including CMI, APXS, and MB of the ratted area. This ratting operation would possibly expose crossbedding extending below the immediate surface.

Although the Atmosphere STG planned on requesting no MiniTES observations today to allow more time critical observations), the Mineralogy group would prefer sky MiniTES on a frequent basis to allow the removal of downwelling radiance from surface spectra.

SOWG Meeting and Sequence Summary

Sol 15 was a panorama sol, so the rover did not move. The sol was dedicated to extensive remote sensing observations to better characterize the stratigraphy in the area. This will allow further testing of the hypotheses suggesting the area was a progradational fluvial or deltaic system with late submergence.

The command sequence contained many remote sensing observations, many of which captured observations lost or in need of repeat from Sol 14. MiniTES and IPS observations of Bonneville Flats, Bob (the potential basalt in front of the rover), Dweezel Bottoms, and Barsoom Bottoms were acquired with supporting Navcam, Pancam, and IPS calibrations. IPS of Bonneville and Bob were at 2000 coadds with one spot each. MiniTES observations were also made of Diamond Point and the sky at 30deg elev toward the north. IPS observations from Sol 14 of Huron and Stoney Point with only one spot were repeated due to low signal in the Sol 14 measurements.

Pancam mosaics were acquired of Barsoom, Bunker, and Field Goal with supporting Pancam calibrations. The Bunker observation recaptures a requested panorama of the area to the left of Stoney Point that was dropped on Sol 14, and the Field Goal area is a traverse target for which we needed Pancam imaging. The Atmosphere STG’s attempt to image the Moon was repeated.

Several observations approved by the SOWG were dropped during the IST meeting to fit the sequence within the available field time. IPS remeasurements of Erie and Hudson, Pancam coverage of the rover tracks, and extra attempts to image the Moon and other sky observations were dropped. A target of opportunity ratting and in-situ spectroscopy of the outcrop the rover is sitting on was also removed. Some IPS observations were shortened by decreasing the number of spots from two to one: Bob, Bonneville, Huron, and Stoney Point.

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