The rover is searching for evidence that ancient Mars had the conditions necessary for microbial life, if such life existed at all, billions of years ago, when lakes and rivers existed on the Red Planet. The Gediz Valley channel, located at the foot of the 5-kilometer (3-mile) high Mount Sharp, may help tell the story: what this area looked like when Mars’s water disappeared.
On July 29, 2024, drill preload tests at the Kings Canyon target (shown in the attached MAHLI image) failed to yield the full range of data needed to continue drilling. Examples of bedrock slabs or outcrops were observed with a flat, paler center and a rim of darker, gray material surrounding the base slab.
This was also observed about 50 days ago at the Mammoth Lakes drill site, and a similar pattern is visible here. The relationships between the slab’s center and rim are intriguing, and the interaction between the two textures should be understood. Mastcam will create two large mosaics in this area. “Sam Mack Meadow” is a 7×4 mosaic (i.e., four rows of seven images) on an area of crushed gray material, while “Merced Grove” is a 7×6 mosaic on the more coherent rim material. ChemCam also performed LIBS analysis of Merced Grove and one on “Clinch Pass” in the block’s center.
MAHLI image with Kings Canyon brushed over. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
ChemCam conducted a passive measurement of “Wilts Col,” a small, dark floating rock located approximately 4 meters from the rover, as part of an ongoing campaign to assess the nature of the floating rocks (loose rocks) scattered around this part of the crater. ChemCam also acquired two 10×1 RMI (Remote Medium Image) mosaics, studying the stratigraphy and layering of the distant hills.
The Environment and Atmosphere (ENV) Thematic Group also filled its section of the plan with numerous activities. Since the landing (almost 12 years ago!), ENV has published reports on environmental conditions in the Gale region, and this plan is no exception.
This image was taken by the left navigation camera aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars Day 4255 (July 26, 2024, 05:09:58 UTC). NASA/JPL-Caltech
The science team monitored the light-colored rocks first using orbital data, then using scanning data as they approached them. Variables such as the rover’s pitch and roll are crucial to ensure not only safe drilling but also the ability to deliver samples to the two interior instruments, CheMin and SAM. Furthermore, the rover’s heading must be precise to maintain clear communications with Earth. Specially certified rover planners, called Sample Collection CampaRPs (SCaRPs), begin work on the first day of drilling to ensure all specific drilling conditions are met, including searching for the surface target.
Left image of the navigation camera: the retracted tower, including the installation, at rest between exercises. NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity continues its remote science observations, acquiring a ChemCam LIBS image and a Mastcam image of Peeler Lake, a dark, knobby feature that appears to be more resistant to erosion than nearby rocks. By comparing Peeler Lake with Kings Canyon (which also contains nodules), the science team may be able to learn more about their relative compositions. ChemCam is also capturing RMI images of drill tailings in Kings Canyon. There’s also a ChemCam RMI mosaic of the Gediz Valley and a Mastcam image of Sky High Lake, a rock feature with a gray coating. The final step in this science block is an image from the mouth of the CheMin River before sample delivery to the instrument.
Curiosity. NASA/JPL-Caltech
To further characterize the Kings Canyon block and adjacent areas, three ChemCam LIBS analyses were obtained. The “Gabbot Pass” target is located in the same light-colored rock as the drill target. For the “New Army Pass” study, the edge of the drilled block was examined; its texture and tone are similar to the interesting previous APXS target, “Discovery Pinnacle.”
This image of Discovery Pinnacle, a NASA rover target, is taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover’s Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) from a height of about 5 centimeters (about 2 inches). Curiosity used the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on a turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, to take two to eight images of the target and then use an onboard focusing system to combine them into one. This image was taken on July 24, 2024, at 03:10 (UTC), on Martian day 4253—the 4253rd Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
In early August 2024, the research plan focused on continuing the analysis of the retrieved sample, including preliminary preparations for Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) using SAM. The Environmental Science (ENV) and Geology and Mineralogy (GeoMin) Thematic Groups planned two days of science observations. The ENV science team will use Curiosity’s time spent stationary to conduct two Mastcam observations of tau to measure the amount of dust in the atmosphere, and will also capture three Navcam movies of dust devils—one on Sol 1 and two on Sol 2. They will also observe clouds in the Martian atmosphere using Navcam movies in the over-the-horizon and zenith ranges.
A hole drilled by NASA’s Curiosity rover, dubbed Kings Canyon, on the Red Planet yielded a soil sample that the mission team is studying. This image was taken by Curiosity’s Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Martian day 4263—the 4263rd Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—August 3, 2024, at 07:56:55 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
At the end of August, the plan was to conduct in-person science observations of some interesting, brightly colored, rocky rocks in the work area, shown in the image below. These rocks were located just a few steps from the site of the last sampling campaign, and the team had been observing them for several weeks, capturing details of their composition, as revealed by the APXS instrument, and their morphology, as revealed by MAHLI. However, before the robotic arm was released to conduct these observations, rover planners and surface properties specialists would conduct a “slip risk assessment.” This assessment is used to determine the stability of the rover’s wheels on the surface, allowing for the safe release of the heavy robotic arm and the placement of its instruments very close to the surface. If the science team is interested in observing the brightly colored rocks in the work area, this would require adjusting the rover’s position and conducting observations in the next planning cycle, which would impact the overall mission timeline.
This image was acquired by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on sol 4284—Martian day 4284—of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, August 24, 2024, at 20:32:43 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
One of the many challenges of operating a rover on another planet is that explorers don’t always know where they’ll end up before beginning each day’s planning. Curiosity doesn’t blindly follow directions. If it detects a dangerous situation—for example, if the wheels are slipping too much in sand or the rover is attempting to navigate an excessively steep slope—it will abort the mission prematurely and wait to assess the situation.
This image was taken by the left navigation camera aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars Day 4282 (August 22, 2024, 23:39:35 UTC). NASA/JPL-Caltech
In early September 2024, scientists planned to study the various colors and tones visible in the bedrock using a specialized suite of instruments. This image shows some of these tones, including gray areas, lighter areas, and brown patches of bedrock, taken with the MAHLI instrument, Curiosity’s onboard handheld lens.
This image was taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on a turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, on August 21, 2024, day 4280 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission at 00:18:12 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
APXS targeted “Campfire Lake,” a lighter region, and “Gemini,” a grayer region located in front of the rover. MAHLI also captured a series of close-up images of these targets. ChemCam then captured two LIBS measurements of “Crazy Lake” and “Foolish Lake,” both of which appear to have lighter tones. Mastcam documents this entire region using a workspace mosaic and an 8×2 “Picture Puzzle,” named after the rock in the image.
Using an onboard focus fusion process, the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover created this product by merging two to eight images previously acquired by MAHLI, which is located on a turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. Curiosity performed the fusion on September 4, 2024, at 06:30:48 UTC—sol 4294, or Martian day 4294, of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Onboard focus fusion is sometimes performed on images acquired on the same sol as the fusion, and sometimes using earlier images. Focus fusion is a method of creating a composite image of the same target, acquired at different focus positions, to focus as much detail as possible in a single image. MAHLI focus fusion also serves as a means of reducing the number of images sent back to Earth. Each focus merger produces two images: a color image with the best focus, and a black-and-white image, which scientists can use to estimate the focal position of each best-focused element. Up to eight images can be merged in this way, but only two images will be sent back to Earth. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity returned to McDonald Pass, a block in the Gediz Valley. The block exhibits interesting zonation—the distribution of textures and colors across different areas, or zones.
This image was acquired by the Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on sol 4293—the 4293rd Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—September 3, 2024, at 04:09:27 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
The return trip to McDonald Pass became stranded on the steep slopes of Fairview Dome. MAHLI and APXS teamed up on two different DRT targets—more or less rugged bedrock sections in Lower Scout Lake and Upper Scout Lake. The Navcam image above shows a wheel track and a broken group of rocks just beyond the bedrock slab where the rover landed. A piece of rock broke off as the rover reversed, leaving a beautiful view of the rock, including some intriguing, brightly colored interiors. ChemCam targeted one of these bright rock faces in North Palisade, while Mastcam captured a mosaic image across the entire field of broken rocks in Ritter-Banner Saddle. The churned sand of Ritter-Banner Saddle also provided a convenient target for change detection.
This image was acquired by the left navigation camera of NASA’s Curiosity rover on August 30, 2024, at 03:48:38 UTC. To the left of the crescent-shaped formation in the lower center of the image is a tire track and an “intriguing” group of rock fragments that Curiosity previously drove over. NASA/JPL-Caltech
ChemCam is a laser and imaging instrument atop Curiosity’s mast. It’s one of the instruments in the “head” that gives Curiosity that cute look, as if it’s looking around, tilting its head down toward the rocks near the rover’s wheels. On Monday, August 19, the ChemCam team at CNES in France planned its millionth image, and Curiosity captured it at the Lac Reuss target site on sol 4281 on Mars. 1,000,000 images! ChemCam is the champion of remote chemistry data—and high-resolution images.
In early September 2024, NASA’s Curiosity rover explored a diverse landscape: boulders, slabs, and layered walls.
ChemCam presents an image taken with its remote microcamera, revealing details of a distant landscape. This image was acquired by the Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on Martian day 4302—the 4302nd Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—September 12, 2024, at 09:20:51 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
The rover was en route from the Wolfram Hills site to the next priority exploration site, the Gediz Valley Channel, where it planned to approach close enough to conduct ARM-based studies of one of the numerous large, dark, “floating” blocks in the channel, as well as one of the lighter slabs. The rover’s robotic arm provided the opportunity for modern research into the aeolian nature of the sand ripples, Sandy Meadow. Mastcam stereo images will document the ripple shape, and a series of high-resolution MAHLI images will reveal the particle size within them. The modern environment will also be monitored using supra-horizon observations, dust devil imaging, and imaging of the rover’s deck to track dust movement.
The workspace included small samples of dark floating blocks, so the composition of one of these was measured with both APXS and ChemCam LIBS, targeting samples at “Lucy’s Foot Pass” and “Colt Lake,” respectively. Communication remains a challenge for the rover at this location. During planning, the rover’s drive was moved from sol 2 to sol 1 to increase the amount of data available for post-drive imaging, allowing for better planning.
This image from NASA’s Curiosity rover shows a low, dome-shaped structure formed by light-colored, plate-like rocks. This image was taken by Curiosity’s left navigation camera on Martian sol 4301—the 4301st Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—September 11, 2024, at 09:14:42 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
In mid-September 2024, the Curiosity rover moved through Gediz Valley, encountering a section of the channel covered in a mixture of loose gravel and other debris filling the bed. However, amid this chaotic scene, brightly colored rocks caught the eye. At previous work sites in Gediz Valley, similar brightly colored rocks were associated with very high or nearly pure sulfur content. However, as all good geologists know, color is not a diagnostic indicator, so it’s impossible to confirm whether these are the same sulfur-rich rocks the rover encountered previously. The only way to know for sure is to collect data.
Mastcam and ChemCam RMI captured “Bright Dot Lake” and “Sheep Creek” in the middle right portion of the image. Mastcam captured an example in the lower right corner of the image near “Marble Falls,” and ChemCam LIBS captured one of the small bright fragments at the bottom of the image near “Blanc Lake.” There was also a small patch of bright material in the target area, but unfortunately, it was not accessible to APXS. APXS analyzed an area near the bright material near “Frog Lake,” and MAHLI was able to add several additional images around this feature, which should have captured the bright material. MAHLI also captured a cavernous feature in the target area near “Grasshopper Rock.” The broader context of the channel was also of interest for imaging, so one Mastcam mosaic was captured across the entire channel length, while another focused on the hills scattered along the channel at the “Copper Creek” destination.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this image while exploring the rock-strewn Gediz Valley on the Red Planet. Mission scientists were particularly intrigued by several bright rocks (in the middle right, lower right, and lower center of the image), similar to rocks Curiosity had encountered previously and found to be unexpectedly rich in sulfur. This image was acquired by Curiosity’s left navigation camera on Martian sol 4306—the 4306th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—September 16, 2024, at 12:47:18 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
The rover then parked in front of a large, fractured bedrock slab, visible in this image. This slab was the target of contact science as part of a plan that included surveys with the DRT and APXS on The Minster. The mosaics captured various aspects of the ridge and channel margin of the Gediz Valley, including sedimentary rocks, white sulfate materials, gravel, and fine-grained materials. ChemCam also examined the bedrock slab, conducting a survey with the LIBS on Grand Sentinel and creating a mosaic of several white rocks in the distance.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this image of a large, fractured piece of bedrock using the right-hand navigation camera aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on sol 4307—the 4307th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—September 17, 2024, at 15:50:36 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
This image was acquired by the left navigation camera aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on sol 4329—the 4329th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—on October 10, 2024, at 05:35:08 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
On September 22, 2024, “Burst Rock” was examined—an object with an interesting texture, brightly colored fragments, and a gray coating. It is part of the channel deposits of the Gediz Valley Ridge and will help better understand the channel’s structure. Unfortunately, it was too rough to be brushed, but it is clean enough to obtain high-quality scientific data.
A view of NASA’s Curiosity rover’s right middle wheel, one of its six well-studied wheels. Curiosity acquired this image using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on a turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, on September 22, 2024, sol 4312 (Martian day 4312) of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 18:37:41 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Navigating the rugged, unforgiving Martian terrain is always challenging, and the attempt to reach the Sheep Creek target highlighted this. Researchers targeted small, distant, bright rocks, but from a distance of 50 meters (about 164 feet), the limited image resolution made it difficult to fine-tune the navigation. After an ambitious drive, the rover came close, stopping just outside these small, bright rocks. The rocks, with their characteristic rounded and pitted “weathering” pattern (pictured), closely resemble blocks of elemental sulfur. Unfortunately, although the target rocks were directly beneath the front wheel and clearly visible to our navigation cameras, they remained out of reach of the rover’s hand.
Although the rover’s robotic arm couldn’t reach the bright rocks of Ship Creek, it was decided to use other onboard instruments to analyze their composition, texture, and context before moving on to the next location. To determine the composition of the rocks at Ship Creek, we used ChemCam (an onboard laser) to observe two promising rocks, which we named “Arch Rock” and “Ash Mountain.” Another bright rock in the area, named “Beryl Lake,” also caught our attention. It had an interesting, brightly colored, crusty appearance, and since it was within reach of the rover’s arm, we used the APXS instrument (also known as a chemical scanner) to determine its composition and the presence of traces of sulfur.
This image was captured by the left navigation camera (NavCam) on NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory rover. It shows bright rocks at the Sheep Creek feature, just above the rover’s wheel, that are very similar to blocks of elemental sulfur discovered earlier during the traverse. The image was acquired on September 24, 2024, at 20:24:50 UTC (Sol 4314, Mars Science Laboratory mission day 4314). NASA/JPL-Caltech
At the end of September 2024, the long-awaited survey of the white rocks of “Sheep Creek” concluded its stay in the English Channel. The previous plan to rearrange the rocks was successful. MAHLI and APXS selected three targets for study: “Cloud Canyon,” “Moonlight Lake,” and “Angora Mountain.” All the names sound so beautiful and delicate, they evoke associations with these light-colored rocks, which stand out so brightly against the background. ChemCam is also studying another white rock, “Pee Wee Lake.” Mastcam takes a close-up view of some other light-colored rocks in the middle distance, named “Orchid Lake,” and also obtained a little more information about an old target, “Marble Falls.”
This image from NASA’s Curiosity rover shows brightly colored rocks near the Sheep Creek target site, intriguingly similar to previous features containing unexpectedly high levels of elemental sulfur. Curiosity’s left camera captured this image on Martian day 4316—the 4316th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—on September 26, 2024, at 21:10:13 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
Over the past few years, Curiosity has been wrapping up its science campaign in Gediz Valley, completing its analysis of the white rocks found at the channel’s exit before continuing along the western edge of Gediz Valley.
This image was acquired by the Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on sol 4319—the 4319th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—September 29, 2024, at 21:31:07 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
In early October 2024, the mission successfully returned the rover from the channel back to the magnesium sulfate layer into which the channel is embedded. The long-awaited exploration of the channel proved fruitful: Curiosity made the first definitive detection of elemental sulfur on Mars, and over the past 4.5 months, numerous interesting lithological structures and relationships within the deposit have been studied.
This image taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover shows the western edge of the Gediz Valley deposit (upper left) and the channel wall of a sulfate horizon with loose sand-soil deposits in the foreground. This image was acquired by Curiosity’s left guidance camera on Martian day 4321—the 4321st Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—on October 2, 2024, at 02:13:27 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
On October 9, 2024, Curiosity continued its steady progress down the western edge of the Gediz Valley channel, offering a new perspective on this region explored for months. The journey proceeded as planned, and the rover arrived approximately 30 meters (approximately 98 feet) north of its last position. Unfortunately, the rover’s right front wheel ended up on top of an unstable rock, so it was decided to leave the robotic arm in place to avoid the risk of wheel slippage while the robotic arm was still in place.
This image, taken after a drive by NASA’s Curiosity rover, shows the rover’s two front wheels. The right front wheel is perched on top of a rock, which changed the science team’s plan for the day. This image was acquired by the Front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Front Hazcam) aboard Curiosity on sol 4328—the 4328th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—October 9, 2024, at 02:30:55 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
On October 10, 2024, Curiosity continued along the western edge of the upper Gediz Valley. It turned north to photograph the “back side” of the deposits it had explored on the eastern side before crossing the channel. Members of the Channel Surfers working group believe that obtaining these images will help further understand the geometry, nature, and evolution of these landforms. However, the rough terrain plays a role in determining our route and the duration of the trip. The rover planners on the team always do a fantastic job plotting the course for this unique road trip.
NASA’s Curiosity rover acquired this image using its left navigation camera on sol 4329—the 4329th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—October 10, 2024, at 04:19:55 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
This image demonstrates the diverse and interesting terrain in the area currently being explored by NASA’s Curiosity rover. Curiosity acquired this image using the rover’s Remote Microscope (RMI) Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) on sol 4329—the 4329th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—on October 10, 2024, at 02:30:12 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL
October 19, 2024 – ChemCam observation of Oslinoe Lake. This is bedrock with open layered structures. In geology, layering is a sequence of small, nested, thin layers of sedimentary rock. Next, RMI mosaics and Mastcam images were taken on the Fascination Turret to document the boulder configuration to study both debris flows and rock deposition processes.
This image was acquired by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) aboard NASA’s Curiosity rover on sol 4338—the 4338th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—on October 19, 2024, at 08:29:23 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA’s Curiosity rover acquired this image using its right-hand navigation camera on sol 4343—the 4343rd Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—on October 24, 2024, at 15:26:28 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
On October 29, 2024, scientists completed in-situ scientific observations over Red’s Meadow Lake and began a second set of in-situ scientific measurements over Ladder Lake. Both features are bedrock, and the APXS and MAHLI observations continued to study changes in the composition and morphology of the bedrock in the area.
NASA’s Curiosity rover acquired this image using its right-hand navigation camera on sol 4348—the 4348th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—October 29, 2024, at 14:20:08 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
On November 3, 2024, approximately 64 images of Epidote Peak and the Millie Trail were captured. Most of the images were taken in full shadow, ensuring uniform illumination and image saturation.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this image of the Black Bear Lake touchdown feature from a distance of about 7 centimeters (about 3 inches) using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI). MAHLI, located on a turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm, used a built-in focusing process to combine multiple images of a single feature into a composite image on November 3, 2024—sol 4353, or Martian day 4353, of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—at 21:36:01 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
On November 5, 2024, Curiosity was only about halfway to its destination. The trip was terminated early because the rover exceeded one of its “suspension limits.” This refers to the rocker-and-bogie suspension system, which allows the rover to climb over obstacles while minimizing body movement. In this case, the right middle wheel was in a trench, and the right rear wheel was resting on a rock, causing the bogie angle connecting the two wheels to exceed the maximum allowable value. Furthermore, ending the trip early also meant that no imaging was available, which is typically used to determine whether the rover is sufficiently stable.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this image of the middle and right rear wheels using its left navigation camera (Navcam). The difference in elevation between these two wheels at this location led to the premature end of the trip scheduled for Monday, November 4, 2024. Curiosity captured the image on November 5, 2024, on Martian Sol 4355—the 4355th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—at 23:35:56 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
On November 8, 2024, the drive out of Gediz Valley was completed successfully, and the rover did not get stuck on rocks or in any other hazardous areas. If you look at the front of the rover, at what we call the “work area” (part of which you can see in the image), you’ll see a lot of rocks. Take a look at the polygonal faults of Coliseum Mountain and marvel at the structures of Tyndall Creek and the Cascade Valley.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this image of its work area, which includes several study sites: Buttress Tree, Forester Pass, Crater Mountain, Mahogany Creek, and Philly Lake. Curiosity used its left navigation camera on November 8, 2024—sol 4357, or Martian day 4,357, of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—at 00:06:17 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
On November 11, 2024, after a successful 23-meter (about 75 feet) drive as planned, the rover encountered rocks with an unusual dark, plate-like surface. It resembled material seen previously, including when MAHLI photographed the “Buttress Tree.”
A curious curved crack along a rock face in the work area became the target of ChemCam LIBS laser images dubbed “Pioneer Basin.” ChemCam then took a long-range RMI image, looking back toward the Gediz Valley channel from which it was traveling. Mastcam is focused on capturing two mosaics of rock regions from orbit, displaying light and dark bands. As Curiosity moves away from the Gediz Valley channel, exploration of the sulfate horizon continues.
NASA’s Curiosity rover acquired this image with its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on November 11, 2024—sol 4360, or Martian day 4360, of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—at 00:06:13 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
On November 14, 2024, difficult terrain caused the wheel to become awkwardly positioned at the end of the journey, preventing researchers from risking extending the robotic arm from that position. Two planned LIBS observations measured the composition of a flat, reddish material in the work area, cut into a polygonal pattern (“Blood Canyon”), and a nearby rock cover, the composition of which is thought to vary with depth (“Burnt Creek Camp”). One idea is that the reddish material may be an early version of the thicker, darker coverings.
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The large Mastcam mosaic (Yosemite) was designed to capture a very interesting view north of the rover. Near and below the rover is a layer of rock where the “Mineral King” deposit was drilled in March on the opposite side of the channel. This layer of sulfate-bearing rock appears dark from orbit. Above, the Yosemite mosaic also captures some deformation features that may indicate past water activity, and some terrain features associated with the Gediz Valley ridge.
This image was acquired by NASA’s Curiosity rover using its right-hand navigation camera on November 14, 2024—sol 4363, or Martian day 4363, of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—at 02:55:34 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech
Before leaving the Gediz Valley channel, which NASA’s Curiosity rover explored throughout 2024, the rover took a 360-degree panorama.
NASA’s Curiosity rover is preparing for the next leg of its journey—a months-long trek to a formation known as the “box,” a web-like pattern on the Martian surface that stretches for miles. It will soon leave behind the Gediz Valley Channel, a region shrouded in mystery. How the channel formed so late, during the transition to a drier climate, remains a major question for the science team. Another mystery is the field of white sulfur rocks discovered by the rover in the summer of 2024.
Scientists believe ancient groundwater formed this web-like structure of ridges, called a box structure, which was photographed by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on December 10, 2006. NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Before approaching the channel’s western edge in late September, Curiosity captured a 360-degree panorama of the rocks, as well as features inside the channel.
The rover is searching for evidence that ancient Mars had the conditions necessary for microbial life, if such life existed at all, billions of years ago, when lakes and rivers existed on the Red Planet. The Gediz Valley Channel, located at the foot of the 5-kilometer (3-mile) high Mount Sharp, may help tell the story: what this area looked like when Mars’s water disappeared. Although older layers on the mountain formed in a dry climate, the presence of the channel suggests that water periodically passed through this area as the climate changed.
This web-like crystal structure, called a box structure, was discovered on the ceiling of Elks Russ Cave, part of Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. NASA’s Curiosity rover is preparing to explore the box structure, which stretches for miles across the surface of Mars.
Scientists are still trying to reconstruct the processes that formed the various features within the channel, including the debris mound dubbed “Pinnacle Ridge,” visible in the new 360-degree panorama. It appears that rivers, wet mudflows, and dry avalanches left their mark. The scientific team is currently compiling a timeline of events based on Curiosity’s observations.
The science team is also trying to answer several important questions about the vast field of sulfur rocks. Images of the area taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) revealed an unremarkable patch of light-colored surface. The sulfur rocks turned out to be too small to be seen by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), and the Curiosity team was intrigued to discover them when the rover reached the site. They were even more surprised when Curiosity drove over one of the rocks, crushing it and discovering yellow crystals inside.
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this final image of a field of bright white sulfur rocks on October 11, before leaving the Gediz Valley channel. It was in this field that the rover first discovered pure sulfur on Mars. Scientists are still unsure why these rocks formed there.
The rover’s scientific instruments confirmed that the rock is composed of pure sulfur—something never before observed on Mars. The team has no ready explanation for why the sulfur formed there; on Earth, it is associated with volcanoes and hot springs, while on Mount Sharp, there is no evidence to support either of these causes.
“We looked at the sulfur field from all angles—from above and from the side—and looked for anything mixed in with the sulfur that might give us clues about how it formed. We’ve collected a ton of data, and now we have an interesting puzzle to solve,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
This panorama was captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover’s Mastcam as it moved westward from the Gediz Valley channel on November 2, 2024, the 4352nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The rover’s tracks in the rocky terrain are visible on the right. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
The next target is a box-shaped, web-like structure spread across the surface. It is believed to have formed when minerals carried by the last waves of Mount Sharp’s waters settled in cracks in the surface rock and then hardened. As parts of the rock eroded, the minerals left behind cemented the cracks, forming a web-like box-shaped structure.
On Earth, box-shaped formations have been observed on cliff slopes and in caves. But the box-shaped formations of Mount Sharp stand out among them not only because they formed during the disappearance of water from Mars, but also because they are so extensive, covering an area of 10 to 20 kilometers.
This image shows a block under the left front wheel of NASA’s Curiosity rover, which Curiosity ran over and may have broken in half. This image was acquired by the rover’s Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) on sol 4396—the 4396th Martian day of the Mars Science Laboratory mission—December 18, 2024, at 06:03:35 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
“These ridges contain minerals that crystallized underground, where it was warmer and where saltwater flowed,” said Kirsten Zibach of Rice University in Houston, a scientist on the Curiosity mission studying the region. “Microbes on early Earth could have survived in similar conditions. That makes this an interesting place to study.”
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