24th June 2014 Sol 669

It is sol 669 and this equals 1 martian year since our landing in August 2012.  At the moment we are doing a lot of driving – frequently over 100 m per day in this phase of the mission.  It has been a remarkable mission, and although there is much to do we have already radically moved forward our understanding of Mars.  Before MSL, we thought there might have habitable lacustrine deposits but the reality is until we got right up close to make analyses with ChemCam, CheMin and all the other instruments we couldnt be sure because the Mars rocks usually have a dark oxidised surface, which from a distance masks the diagnostic textures.

My highlights so far include when the first MastCam images came down from Yellowknife Bay and the debates we had been having in the science team about igneous or sedimentary rocks were resolved: Mars had mudstones that formed in lakes, and was habitable.  But I think my favourite is the wonderful image of the Peace Vallis conglomerate, the rounded clasts showing that we had come across an ancient riverbed.

Here is a movie, made by William Rapin of the ChemCam team, based on  Navcam images, showing our progress over much of the mission. We have come a long way and hopefully will continue for many years to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SirS4de9_LI&feature=youtu.be