Sol 262: Conjunction over!

Conjunction is over! Communications have been re-established and after such a long hiatus, I think we're in need of a recap.

The rover Curiosity is currently parked besides an outcrop dubbed John Klein, the site of the mission's first drilling. Plenty of science was accomplished along with some samplings taken for analysis in the SAM and CheMin instruments from the drill hole.

Now what is the rover going to do? The mission team announced during the beginning of conjunction that they will decide on a new drilling target over the period of conjunction. But right now science ops are taking a back sit so that mission engineers can upload new flight software for the rover according to the USGS's mission update. This could take about a week to verify (brain transplants are always a tricky thing to do whether you're dealing with a human or a machine!). Let me leave you with this panorama taken a day after operations resumed on sol 261 (that was May day) by the rover's navigation cameras.

Navigation panorama taken on sol 262 (NASA.JPL/panorama by Abraham Samma)