Rover Investigates Uncharted Territory on Mars: Exploring the Chemistry and Texture of Hidden Rock Formations

This weekend, the rover is parked at a mission-record setting tilt of 26.9˚ near the contact between the clay-bearing “Glen Torridon” unit and the “Greenheugh” pediment. The team plans to use the rover’s arm and remote sensing instruments to explore the textures and chemistry of rocks in this area.

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 and collect APXS, MAHLI, 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.”