Curiosity Rover Continues its Exploration of Ancient Mars Climate
After spending a whopping 4,000 days on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover is still going strong. The rover recently drilled its 39th sample from the sulfate-rich “Sequoia” region, despite facing obstacles like a jammed camera filter wheel.
The Curiosity mission team has been working tirelessly to ensure the rover remains in good condition during its fourth extended mission. Since its arrival in Gale Crater on August 5, 2012, Curiosity has been conducting groundbreaking scientific research.
One of Curiosity’s main objectives is to study whether ancient Mars had the potential to support microbial life. To achieve this, the rover has been gradually ascending the base of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall mountain with layers that provide a record of Mars’ changing climate over time.
In its latest sampling endeavor, Curiosity collected a sample from a target nicknamed “Sequoia.” Scientists hope that this sample will shed light on how Mars’ climate and habitability evolved as the region became enriched in sulfates billions of years ago. These minerals likely formed in salty water that was evaporating as Mars began drying up.
“The types of sulfate and carbonate minerals that Curiosity’s instruments have identified in the last year help us understand what Mars was like so long ago. We’ve been anticipating these results for decades, and now Sequoia will tell us even more,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
One significant finding from Curiosity’s research is the discovery of a magnesium sulfate mineral called starkeyite. This mineral is associated with dry climates, providing further evidence of Mars’ transition to its present arid state.
Despite enduring the harsh Martian environment for 11 years and covering almost 20 miles, Curiosity has remained resilient. However, engineers are currently addressing an issue with one of the rover’s main cameras, the Mastcam. The left camera’s filter wheel has been stuck between positions since September 19, affecting the quality of images captured. Efforts are underway to nudge the filter wheel back into its standard setting.
If the issue persists, Curiosity will rely on the right Mastcam as its primary color-imaging system. This would impact the team’s ability to scout for science targets and rover routes, as well as observe detailed color spectra of rocks from a distance.
In addition to dealing with technical challenges, engineers are closely monitoring the rover’s nuclear power source, which is expected to provide enough energy for many more years of operation.
As Mars is about to go through a solar conjunction, where it disappears behind the Sun, Curiosity will have a break in communications from November 6 to 28. Engineers will leave the rover with a to-do list during this period.
Curiosity’s discoveries and resilience continue to provide valuable insights into the ancient climate and potential habitability of Mars. The rover was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is managed by the California Institute of Technology. Mastcam, one of Curiosity’s instruments, is operated by Malin Space Science Systems.