ChemCam: Thanksgiving on Mars

We just received our first data from ChemCam after a two-week break in the action for our instrument. Two weeks ago on Friday, data we received from the rover earlier in the week showed that the optical power on our continuous wave laser was dropping steadily each time it was turned on. This is not the main laser we use to zap rocks and soils. Rather, it is a little laser quite like that in a laser pointer. Typically we turn it on while we adjust the focus of the telescope. A little sensor at the back of the telescope records… [More at link]