NASA's Curiosity Mars rover is currently conducting two distinct drilling operations in different regions of Mount Sharp, focusing on layered sulfate bedrock and organic molecule analysis. The activities, reported from separate planning periods, involve the characterization of rock materials and environmental monitoring.
Drill Campaign at the Atacama Site
Following the rover's departure from the boxwork terrain, the Curiosity Science Team initiated a drill campaign at the Atacama site. The objective is to characterize the first Mount Sharp layered-sulfate bedrock encountered since leaving that area.
The goal is to compare the mineralogy of this layered sulfate unit to a site nearly 160 meters below the rover's current position.
Recent Observations (Sols 4873-4875)
A three-sol plan included:
- A pre-load test on the drill target.
- Repeated observations of the Atacama drill target using the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS).
- Images captured by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) under different lighting conditions to detect possible changes.
- Stereo mosaics of the drill site assembled by Mastcam.
- Mastcam investigation of bedrock variations at a target named "Kimsa Chata."
- Mastcam characterization of layering within a butte named "Paniri."
Subsequent Activities (Sols 4876-4878)
A following three-sol plan contained full drilling and sample portion characterization activities.
Rock Observations
Mastcam planned stereo mosaics of rocks in the workspace, including:
- A laminated rock with an exposed edge named "Queen of the Andes."
- A rock with polygonal fractures broken by the rover drive named "Curaco."
- Additional coverage of a target named "El Almendrillo."
Environmental Monitoring
The environmental theme group monitored dust in the atmosphere, studied cloud movements, and documented dust devils. The rover is scheduled to autonomously select two targets for the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument.
Next Steps
The subsequent step involves delivering a portion of the Atacama target to the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument for analysis. According to Sharon Wilson Purdy, a Planetary Geologist at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the science team intends to compare the mineralogy of the layered sulfate unit at this location to that at the Mineral King site, approximately 160 meters below the rover's current position.
Drill Campaign at the Nevado Sajama Site
Curiosity resumed activities following the planet's emergence from solar conjunction. On January 25, 2026 (Sol 4789), an image of the "Nevado Sajama" drill site was acquired using the Mast Camera.
Recent Activities
Recent activities prior to drilling included:
- Examining a broken white rock using APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam's laser spectrometer.
- Imaging a sandy area to observe potential wind motion.
- Executing a 2-meter drive to the new drill location.
New Drill Location and SAM Experiment
The new drill site is situated a few centimeters from the "Nevado Sajama" site, which was previously drilled in November. The primary objective for this return is to conduct a rare experiment using the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument. This experiment will utilize the instrument's final container of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) to mix with a sample from Nevado Sajama, aiming to identify organic molecules. A rehearsal of the sample handoff to SAM was completed prior to the scheduled drilling.
This rare experiment will use the last of the SAM instrument's TMAH container to search for organic molecules.
Power and Environmental Observations
The TMAH experiment requires significant energy from the rover, limiting the availability of power for other scientific operations. Despite this, environmental observations have been incorporated into the plan, including monitoring for dust devils and assessing dust levels within the crater and the broader atmosphere, as the region is currently in its dusty season.