It is sol 669 and this equals 1 martian year since our landing in August 2012.\u00a0 At the moment we are doing a lot of driving –\u00a0frequently over 100 m per day\u00a0in this\u00a0phase of the mission.\u00a0 It has been a remarkable mission, and although there is much to do we have already radically moved forward our understanding of Mars.\u00a0 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\u00a0a dark oxidised surface, which from a distance masks the diagnostic textures.<\/p>\n
My highlights so far\u00a0include when the first MastCam images came down\u00a0from 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.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n
Here is a movie, made by William Rapin of the ChemCam team, based on\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n