Written by William Farrand, Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute
Earth planning date: Friday, June 12, 2026
Instead of navigating through musical stages, Curiosity has been ascending Mount Sharp, exploring sequential layers of exposed rock that exhibit distinct textures and tones.
During sols 4920 and 4921, the rover was positioned within a unit characterized by a rougher texture and dark‑toned bedrock. Brushing was infeasible, so APXS chemistry and MAHLI micro‑imaging were performed directly on the bedrock at “Salto La Cascada” and “Puerto de Rosas.” ChemCam executed LIBS spectroscopy on the bedrock target “Kishuara” and the small, layered float rock “La Rosita.” ChemCam’s Remote Micro‑Imager captured views of the “Mishe Mokwa” butte and dunes exhibiting tonal variation. Mastcam mosaics were taken of the “Valle Grande” channel, the “Kimsa Chata” butte, adjacent troughs, and the aircraft‑carrier‑shaped rock “El Matir.”
A subsequent drive brought Curiosity closer to the upper border of the dark‑toned band. Again, brushing was impossible, but APXS and MAHLI sampled dark‑toned bedrock at “Santa Gracia” and “Laguna San Rafael,” while ChemCam LIBS targeted the same bedrock. Mastcam mosaics were captured of a layered rock, nearby troughs, and the smaller butte “Miraflores,” which displays a striking layered structure with ragged dark‑toned rocks on one side and a dust pile on top. Additional activities included a long‑distance RMI mosaic of bright material on “Mishe Mokwa” and Navcam dust‑devil surveys on both sols.
Although routine, communication with Earth can still pose challenges, as demonstrated on Friday when a delayed downlink of data for the planned Sol 4923 drive occurred. Without these images, subsequent driving, in situ examinations, or targeted remote sensing could not be planned. Nevertheless, the three‑sol strategy (sols 4924‑4926) encompassed a 360‑degree Mastcam mosaic, automatic AEGIS targeting of LIBS measurements each sol, a Navcam dust‑devil survey, APXS atmospheric measurements, and several other environmental observations.
On Monday, the delayed downlink will inform the planning of the first investigation of the next band of surface materials—a smooth‑textured, light‑toned layer—as well as a follow‑up drive to continue surveying the bands.