Curiosity Drives Uphill for New Drill Attempt After Freeing Drill From Atacama Rock
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · May 12
Curiosity Drives Uphill for New Drill Attempt After Freeing Drill From Atacama Rock
3 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · May 12
Curiosity confirmed its drill and robotic arm are healthy, then headed to a new workspace with a larger rock block for another drilling attempt.
After engineers freed the drill from the “Atacama” target, the rover immediately imaged the tool and drill hole and examined freshly broken rock faces and newly exposed sand.
Uphill, Curiosity studied a contact between two rock types at “Toro” and “Inca de Oro,” a boundary that could mark changing formation conditions or a gap in Martian time.
ChemCam, Mastcam, MAHLI and APXS also surveyed nearby buttes, polygonal fractures, a possible meteorite and wind-shaped sand, while REMS, RAD, DAN and cameras kept tracking weather and radiation.
How will this incident change Curiosity's future drilling strategy on Mars?
After 13 years and major damage, is NASA pushing the aging Curiosity rover beyond its safe operational limits?
The original rock sample was lost; what unique Martian secrets might have been lost along with it forever?