Curiosity uses last drop of solvent to test for organics on Mars

NASA’s Curiosity rover has used its last drop of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) in methanol to analyze a Martian rock sample that may contain organic molecules. The rare experiment, performed only once before in Curiosity’s 13-year mission, mixes the solvent with powdered rock to help reveal certain carbon-based compounds that standard tests might miss.

The sample came from a site near a hole drilled in November at Nevado Sajama, a patch of fine-grained sedimentary rock thought to have formed in watery conditions. Curiosity is exploring a boxwork region there — low ridges imaged from orbit that could have formed as groundwater trickled and dried — and scientists had hoped the discovery of clay minerals made it a promising place to run the final TMAH test.

To reduce risk the team rehearsed the sample transfer. "We want to be very certain that everything will go well," said Alex Innanen. "We did a rehearsal of the handoff of the sample." The rover began the experiment on Monday, Feb. 2, Ashwin Vasavada said.

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