Sols 2172-74, September 17, 2018, update by MSL scientist Vivian Sun: Last night we learned that our drill attempt on “Inverness” was not successful, reaching only 4 mm into the rock. Today’s tactical team bounced back from this news and quickly assembled a plan to move on. This proved to be a busy day for the whole team, including me as the Geology Keeper of the Plan!
Our first order of business was discussing where to drive next. The grey Jura member is a top priority for sampling and understanding the geologic history of the Vera Rubin Ridge, so we felt it was imperative to try again. We ultimately decided to return to the “Lake Orcadie” region, where we previously attempted to drill on Sol 1977. In the past attempt, we were able to reach 10 mm depth using rotary only, so we are hopeful that this next attempt will reach sampling depths with the new percussion-enhanced drill capabilities…. [More at link]