Sol 1046-1047, July 15, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ken Herkenhoff: The 8.5-meter Sol 1044 drive completed as planned, leaving the rover in a relatively flat and smooth area [image at right] that is suitable for imaging of the wheels. Wheel imaging is done periodically to assess wear, and it’s time to acquire new data, so the Sol 1046 includes 5 sets of MAHLI, Mastcam, and MARDI images separated by short rover bumps to allow the entire surfaces of the wheels to be viewed.
Today I helped pick targets on a nearby outcrop for ChemCam observations. The team selected a target dubbed “Mustang” near the left side of this image [at right] for a 10-spot LIBS raster (plus a Right Mastcam color image), to be acquired before the wheel imaging on Sol 1046. After the wheel imaging is complete, the usual post-drive images will be acquired, along with additional Navcam stereo images of the outcrop and a Mastcam observation of the Sun. [More at link]