Curiosity update: Skirting around Vera Rubin Ridge

Sol 1795, August 22, 2017, update by MSL scientist Lauren Edgar: Curiosity is now tantalizingly close to climbing up Vera Rubin Ridge. For the past several weeks we have been skirting around the ridge, documenting sedimentary structures and bedrock composition along the way as we work toward our intended ascent route. Today’s plan provided another opportunity for touch-and-go contact science, followed by a ~31 m drive. I’ll be on duty later this week to help with planning the Vera Rubin Ridge campaign and acting as SOWG chair, so it was helpful to dial in to planning to prepare for my upcoming shifts.  [More at link]