21st May 2015 Sol 992

In a  first for the mission we have successfully climbed a slope at Mt. Stimson.  This is to look at a  contact between two types of rock which show a change in environment as coarser material was channeled into the fine muds of the the Pahrump rocks.

Having seen the Curiosity ‘scarecrow’ in action at the jpl Mars yard in Pasadena, I know that the rover is capable of going up steep slopes e.g. 20 degrees.  As we progress through the Mt. Sharp foothills we will do more driving like this.  However, it will always be slow as the rover planners who check and plan the daily drive are cautious about slippage over sandy terrain.

You can see the Mars Yard on my sol 48 entry:

http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/physics/research/src/res/planetary-science/mslblog/monday-24th-september-sol-48