A report on work planning for sols 5029 through 5035 has been published on the NASA blog dedicated to the Curiosity rover, prepared by Michelle Minitti, deputy principal investigator of the MAHLI instrument. According to the report, compiled on October 1, 2026, the majority of the rover's current plans include creating mosaic images using Mastcam and ChemCam cameras, conducting chemical analysis of samples using ChemCam and APXS, imaging the surface with MAHLI and MARDI instruments, as well as systematic measurements using the REMS meteorological suite, the RAD radiation detector, and the DAN neutron detector. It is noted that the most intensive work phases begin when the rover stops to drill the soil—it is then that the science team has the opportunity to conduct more detailed analysis of Martian rocks. In the current planning cycle, Curiosity is spending time in the "laboratory" again, performing routine but important scientific operations without stopping for drilling. The Curiosity rover has been operating on the surface of Mars since 2012 as part of a NASA mission to study the planet's geology and climate, as well as to search for evidence of conditions suitable for microbial life in the past. Regular planning reports are published by mission scientists to inform the public about the rover's current activities and scientific objectives.