NASA’s Curiosity rover reached its new 10-meter crater Antofagasta in April 2026, however found that the crater ground had turn into coated with Martian sand carried by wind. Scientists had hoped to drill there, however the sandy infill hid older layers and posed a danger of entrapment. The staff shifted its work to check close by layered bedrock whereas they established a brand new drilling location. The mission of Curiosity now extends its Mars operations by a number of evaluation aims that help future Mars exploration.
Antofagasta’s Sand-Stuffed Crater
In keeping with NASA’s Curiosity staff, Antofagasta (~10 m huge) appeared recent, however its ground was stuffed with ‘darkish rippled sand’ that buried the layers scientists hoped to pattern. The staff thought-about driving into the sand, however the danger of getting caught was deemed ‘a lot too excessive’. In addition they checked close by rocks for potential crater ejecta, however discovered no clear targets. Ultimately, Curiosity didn’t drill at Antofagasta. As an alternative, the rover examined uncovered outcrops across the rim with its cameras and devices.
Subsequent Drill Goal: the ‘Atacama’ Sulfate Block
As famous by the Curiosity staff, their rover’s future sampling web site will likely be on sulfate-bearing strata greater up on the ‘boxwork’ space. The Curiosity rover noticed a ‘drillable’ rock formation on Sol 4870. The rover named the location ‘Atacama’. The scientists would analyze the location utilizing instruments like APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam. Ought to it end up beneficial for drilling, they’d conduct a ‘preload’ check, after which the rover would take a core pattern from this web site. This new sulfate-bearing bedrock pattern would assist perceive the geological historical past of Mars.
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