Hard to tell if this is the same core imaged a few sols ago. Watch this space for updates. But this one looks ready to cap / seal
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The textures visible in the tube on the two sets of images (from 1497 and 1492) look quite similar (there are dark grains/spherules visible in both, in similar quantities), and the outcrop before the rover has changed very little in the last week (comparing NavCam images from 1490 and 1497), so I’m fairly certain Percy hasn’t tried coring again. This should be the same core.
I’m wondering if they’re going to take any close-up images of the tailings from the borehole… but I think your priorities are the correct ones, Paul 😉
Agreed! from the image sets it’s not a new core. I’ve been wearing readers for >40 years with increasing levels of power :) Even with the readers, my eyes are not what they used to be. I’m hoping they’ll acquire some 4-tile CacheCam images that I can stitch together and actually use to compare the two faces :) Looks like they have more than enough space in the tube to cap / seal the core. A few sols of post coring activities, including those close up images of the tailings, and they should be ready to move on. :)
It appears they finally have moved on “today” (1502) - quite a drive. I was beginning to wonder if they were going to insist on sealing the tube before leaving the Hare Bay site/ridge, but here we are.
The direction caught me by surprise :) I imagined a drive to the southeast (shows how much I know) They’ve had a few issues with sealing samples during the mission, so I guess they’re taking their time to understand the issues. I’ll put together the drive data etc and post ASAP :)
I don’t blame you for being surprised. I’ve been trying (unsuccessfully) to find an official source for the planned future route of the rover down to the level of Nili Planum/Lac de Charmes. All I can see online is the original animation from the AGU presentation last year. Route information doesn’t turn up in this year’s LPSC abstracts, unless I’ve missed something.
In any case, my understanding always was that they were going to drive down to the edge of the ripple/TAR field at the base of the rim, so they seem to following the plan for now.
I’d missed the bit about the TAR… They drove again on 1503, no details yet, I’m assuming that they carried on WSW :)