On the last quarter of 2023 the rover continued the climb up Gediz Vallis but did not drive a lot. Curiosity executed its 39th successful drill campaign and Mars went into conjunction.
The beginning of Curiosity's 7th martian year (on sol 4011) was another milestone of the quarter.

Here is a visualization of Curiosity's travels on the fourth quarter of 2023. In all images North is at the top.

The path for sols 3964 to 4053 (October 1st to December 31th, 2023):



The above in a wider context (since sol 2899, October 1st, 2020):




Finally, the full path for the year of 2023. Over 2km!



For the route summaries of previous quarters and their contexts please see:

• 3Q 2023 Post #2043
• 2Q 2023 Post #1973
• 1Q 2023 Post #1924
• 4Q 2022 Post #1873
• 3Q 2022 Post #1828
• 2Q 2022 Post #1779
• 1Q 2022 Post #1725
• 4Q 2021 Post #1634
• 3Q 2021 Post #1608 (includes mission-wide and Gale-crater-wide contexts).

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

KML file update to sol 4044.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4044_2023DEC26.kmz ( 1.53MB ) Number of downloads: 70

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Here is the drive on sol 4044, with a lot of initial zigzagging.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Curiosity's middle right wheel was up in the air after sol 4040 drive (see Mission Updates.)
Hopefully the minor adjustment on sol 4042 corrected the problem.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

A new drive on sol 4040.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Just learned of the new targets for this weekend. Update to sol 4039.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Update of the KML file to sol 4039.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4039_2023DEC16.kmz ( 1.53MB ) Number of downloads: 49


Edit: replaced the file with a new one that includes sol 4038/39 targets.

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Route and target update, with the drives for sols 4035 and 4037.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Update to sol 4032 (sol 4030 location).

This update includes data from the PDS MSL Release 34:

• Route localization data for sols 0-3905
• Analyst's Notebook data for sols 1-3902

It also includes the latest target names.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4030_2023DEC12.kmz ( 1.53MB ) Number of downloads: 68


Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Curiosity's location after the drive on sol 4030.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Two new targets on the new location. Hopefully another drive tosol.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

First move after conjunction, on sol 4028. A little over 5m.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Mars Science Laboratory Release 34

The NASA Planetary Data System announces Release 34 of data from the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) mission.
This release contains raw and derived data products covering the time period from March 24 through July 29, 2023 sols 3779-3902).
Several instruments have begun archiving their data in accordance with the PDS4 standard. The data are archived at various PDS nodes.

APXS (Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer) at the Geosciences Node
ChemCam at the Geosciences Node
CheMin at the Geosciences Node
DAN at the Geosciences Node
Engineering Cameras at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
MAHLI (Mars Hand Lens Imager) at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
Mastcam at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
PLACES Database at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
RAD (Radiation Assessment Detector) at the PPI Node
REMS (Rover Environmental Monitoring Station) at the Atmospheres Node
SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) at the Geosciences Node
SPICE at the NAIF Node

The data may be accessed from
https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/

or for a dataset-oriented perspective:
https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscriptio...-20231205.shtml

The next MSL release is scheduled for March 15, 2024.

The PDS Team
Mailto: pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov
Phone: (818) 393-7165

So it seems that Curiosity is (or will shortly be) on the move again. Here is an update on target names.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

The maneuver went well, according to today's news from ESA.

JUICE is now positioned for a first: a double Moon-Earth gravity assist flyby on August 2024.

Link to ESA article: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operat...arth-Moon_flyby


Fernando

Waiting for the conjunction to end (on November 25). Meanwhile here is an update with all the target names mentioned in the Mission Updates up to sol 4003.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4008_2023NOV16.kmz ( 1.51MB ) Number of downloads: 88

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Thank you Neville for all the wonderful image processing you do, a real highlight of this forum.
Fernando

The 39th drill hole, Sequoia 2 (the load test at the first location led to a location change) as well as several other targets is included in this KML file update to sol 3986. On GE's left panel look for Science -> Locations and Targets -> Drill Locations -> Sequoia 2 Open the twistie and double-click on "Sequoia 2" (make sure the option "Terrain" in "Layers" is unchecked.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_3986_2023OCT23.kmz ( 1.46MB ) Number of downloads: 111


Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Update of the KML file to sol 3974 location. The file now has the remaining data (route) from PDS Release 33.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_3974_2023OCT15.kmz ( 1.46MB ) Number of downloads: 75

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

A very small positional adjustment on sol 3974. Added a few target names.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

A short drive on sol 3972. Fingers crossed for the filter wheel troubles in Mastam Left get fixed soon.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Update of the KML file to sol 3967 location plus a few new target names.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_3967_2023OCT08.kmz ( 1.5MB ) Number of downloads: 87

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gal

A 13m zigzag drive on sol 3967.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

The third quarter of 2023 saw Curiosity continue its route up the Gedis Vallis and successfully approach its ridge.
Here is a visualization of Curiosity's travels on the third quarter of 2023. In all images North is at the top.

The path for sols 3875 to 3964 (July 1st to September 30th, 2023):



The above in a wider context (since sol 2809, July 1st, 2020):




For the route summaries of previous quarters and their contexts please see:

• 2Q 2023 Post #1973
• 1Q 2023 Post #1924
• 4Q 2022 Post #1873
• 3Q 2022 Post #1828
• 2Q 2022 Post #1779
• 1Q 2022 Post #1725
• 4Q 2021 Post #1634
• 3Q 2021 Post #1608 (includes mission-wide and Gale-crater-wide contexts).

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Update of the KML file to sol 3964.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_3964_2023SEP30.kmz ( 1.5MB ) Number of downloads: 94


Fernando
____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater