NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is on the move this month, but it continues to make observations as it traverses the Red Planet's terrain. On April 16, the mission passed 10 kilometers (6.214 miles) of total driving including 310 meters (one-fifth of a mile) so far this month.
Currently, Curiosity is traveling through a series of shallow valleys between the "Pahrump Hills" outcrop, which it investigated for six months, and its next destination known as "Logan Pass" which is still about 200 meters ahead to the southwest.
"We've not only been making tracks, but also making important observations to characterize rocks we're passing, and some farther to the south at selected viewpoints," said John Grant of the National Air and Space Museum, Washington. Grant is a Curiosity science team member who has been the team's long-term planner in recent days.
A drive of 63.5 meters (208 feet) during the mission's 957th Martian day too marked a great achievement in that Curiosity passed the 10 kilometer mark of total distance traveled on Mars.
Curiosity is examining the lower slopes of the layered mountain known as Mount Sharp in an attempt to learn how the region's ancient environment evolved from lakes and rivers to the much drier conditions of today. Sites at the "Pahrump Hills" exposed the mountains basal geological layer providing insights into this evolution. Nearby, high standing buttes are examples of terrain known as the Washboard unit, from its corrugated appearance as seen from orbit.
"The trough we're driving through is bounded by exposures of the Washboard unit, with gaps at some places that allow us to see farther south to higher exposures of it," Grant says. "At Logan Pass, we hope to investigate the relationship between the Murray formation and the Washboard unit, to help us understand the ancient depositional setting and how environmental conditions were changing. The observations we're making now help establish the context for what we'll see there."
"The rover's mobility has been crucial, because that's what allows us to get to the best sites to investigate. The ability to get to different sections of the rock record builds more confidence in your interpretation of each section."
Observations made by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have classified topographically ridged terrain as the Washboard unit and has mapped many locations around Mount Sharp and on the south flank of the mountain as well as the northern flank that Curiosity is climbing.
"Understanding the Washboard unit and what processes formed it could put what we've been studying into a wider context."
