In addition to driving towards the Murray Buttes gap in the dunes, and our path onto Mt. Sharp, we stop sometimes to do contact science. The image gives an example of what this entails. We have to get the APXS detector head as close as possible to a target of interest (in this case one of the ‘float’ rocks scattered on the surface) so that the intensity of the X-rays given off by the sample after bombardment by the alpha paticles from APXS does not diminish. In this image you can see how the robotic arm turret head has been rotated to bring the APXS clsoe to the target rock.
14th July 2014 Sol 688
About jbridges
This blog is a record of my experiences and work during the Mars Science Laboratory mission, from the preparation, landing on August 5th 2012 Pacific Time, and onwards... I will also post updates about our other Mars work on meteorites, ExoMars and new missions. You can also follow the planetary science activities with @LeicsPlanets Professor John Bridges, School of Physics and Astronomy
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