Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Earth planning date: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026
After completing the Basque Lakes drilling campaign, Curiosity has positioned itself just a few meters from the “Chiu Chiu” block to begin its next drilling effort. Although “Chiu Chiu” proved unsuitable for drilling, the adjacent block showed promising “disc‑ and needle‑” shaped features, prompting the team to target it during Monday’s planning session. As Geology and Mineralogy Science Theme Lead on Friday, I reviewed post‑drive images that revealed abundant disc‑ and needle‑shaped lumps on the neighboring block. The team quickly approved drilling preparations for the newly named “Nazca” site.
One leading hypothesis for the disc‑ and needle‑shaped textures is that they formed as crystal growths. Minerals crystallize into characteristic shapes dictated by their internal structure, similar to kitchen salt crystals. The relatively large crystal forms at “Nazca” and “Chiu Chiu” offer insights into the temperature and fluid conditions present during their formation. However, later mineral alteration can produce pseudomorphs—minerals that retain the original shape but have a different composition—so modern compositions may not reflect the original minerals.
In preparation for the drill preload test, we have scheduled detailed imaging of the crystal forms. MAHLI will capture a Quantitative Relief Model (QRM) consisting of five overlapping images at varied angles, and will double the number of focus steps for ultra‑high‑resolution imaging. These observations will generate a high‑resolution three‑dimensional model of the features.
ChemCam LIBS will also perform a depth‑profile experiment on a nearby crystal‑rich target named “Toucan.” Instead of the usual five‑point raster of 150 laser shots, all 150 shots will be concentrated on a single spot, potentially penetrating five times deeper than a typical observation. This will allow us to compare deeper compositions with surface layers, shedding light on post‑formation alterations and the original formation environment.
Additional surface characterization at the “Nazca” drill site will be conducted using LIBS, DRT, and APXS prior to the preload test. A third LIBS observation will target “Condor,” a neighboring block displaying finely layered textures.
We continue to monitor the Martian twilight environment as cloud season begins. Nighttime imaging of Phobos, Mars’ larger moon, will capture sunlight reflected off the satellite and scattered in the atmosphere, providing data on cloud particle sizes. These observations are expected to reveal high‑altitude carbon dioxide (CO₂) clouds.