Curiosity Sols 4798-4803: Back for More Science

Curiosity returned to the “Nevado Sajama” drill site to probe the rock more deeply with SAM (the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite). The team used the second vial of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), a reagent that helps make molecules detectable to SAM that would otherwise be undetectable.

This week the focus was on completing the coordinated steps to apply TMAH to the drill powder and then analyze the treated sample. Drilling and delivery of the sample to SAM were successful; the team is awaiting results from the first part of the analysis and is running the second part in the weekend plan.

With limited spare power, additional observations were included. ChemCam attempted two targets at the Nevado Sajama2 drill-hole interior, analyzed “Tiquipaya,” and made a passive sky atmospheric chemistry measurement, and planned an RMI mosaic of layers near the base of the “Mishe Mokwa” butte.

curiosity, nevado sajama, sam instrument, tmah, tetramethylammonium, drill powder, chemcam, tiquipaya, mishe mokwa, rmi mosaic