A look back: The drilling campaign of the Curiosity rover during the Mars Science Laboratory's Prime Mission

Abbey, W. J.; Anderson, Robert C.; Beegle, L. W.; Hurowitz, J. A.; Williford, K. H.; Peters, G. H.; Morookian, John Michael; Collins, Curtis; Feldman, Jason; Kinnett, R.; Jandura, Louise; Limonadi, D.; Logan, C.; McCloskey, Scott; Melko, Joseph; Okon, Avi; Robinson, M.; Roumeliotis, Chris; Seybold, C.; Singer, Jaime; Warner, Noah

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2018.09.004

Cited by 21 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Voice‐Coil Level 1 is the lowest energy and 6 the highest. In FED‐uP drilling, the drill bit begins in rotary‐only mode and then autonomously steps up and down through the different voice‐coil levels based on the drill bit's measured rate of vertical progress (Abbey et al, 2019; Okon, 2010). The Duluth drilled sample, below the ridge, only required Voice‐Coil Level 2 for the drill to make sufficient rate of progress, qualitatively indicating that rock was not extremely hard (Table 4).…”

Section: Brief Overview Of Curiosity's Activities At Vrrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for a Diagenetic Origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and Synthesis of Curiosity's Exploration Campaign

et al. 2020

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This paper provides an overview of the Curiosity rover's exploration at Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) and summarizes the science results. VRR is a distinct geomorphic feature on lower Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) that was identified in orbital data based on its distinct texture, topographic expression, and association with a hematite spectral signature. Curiosity conducted extensive remote sensing observations, acquired data on dozens of contact science targets, and drilled three outcrop samples from the ridge, as well as one outcrop sample immediately below the ridge. Our observations indicate that strata composing VRR were deposited in a predominantly lacustrine setting and are part of the Murray formation. The rocks within the ridge are chemically in family with underlying Murray formation strata. Red hematite is dispersed throughout much of the VRR bedrock, and this is the source of the orbital spectral detection. Gray hematite is also present in isolated, gray-colored patches concentrated toward the upper elevations of VRR, and these gray patches also contain small, dark Fe-rich nodules. We propose that VRR formed when diagenetic event(s) preferentially hardened rocks, which were subsequently eroded into a ridge by wind. Diagenesis also led to enhanced crystallization and/or cementation that deepened the ferric-related spectral absorptions on the ridge, which helped make them readily distinguishable from orbit. Results add to existing evidence

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Section: Brief Overview Of Curiosity's Activities At Vrrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence for a Diagenetic Origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and Synthesis of Curiosity's Exploration Campaign

et al. 2020

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“…Abbey et al. ( 2019 ) discusses drilling requirements and triage in greater detail. Approval for drilling and sample collection comes from a group of engineers, scientists, and project management.…”

Section: Performance Of Curiosity’s Sampling Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mission Overview and Scientific Contributions from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover After Eight Years of Surface Operations

Vasavada

2022

Space Sci Rev

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NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission, with its Curiosity rover, has been exploring Gale crater (5.4° S, 137.8° E) since 2012 with the goal of assessing the potential of Mars to support life. The mission has compiled compelling evidence that the crater basin accumulated sediment transported by marginal rivers into lakes that likely persisted for millions of years approximately 3.6 Ga ago in the early Hesperian. Geochemical and mineralogical assessments indicate that environmental conditions within this timeframe would have been suitable for sustaining life, if it ever were present. Fluids simultaneously circulated in the subsurface and likely existed through the dry phases of lake bed exposure and aeolian deposition, conceivably creating a continuously habitable subsurface environment that persisted to less than 3 Ga in the early Amazonian. A diversity of organic molecules has been preserved, though degraded, with evidence for more complex precursors. Solid samples show highly variable isotopic abundances of sulfur, chlorine, and carbon. In situ studies of modern wind-driven sediment transport and multiple large and active aeolian deposits have led to advances in understanding bedform development and the initiation of saltation. Investigation of the modern atmosphere and environment has improved constraints on the timing and magnitude of atmospheric loss, revealed the presence of methane and the crater’s influence on local meteorology, and provided measurements of high-energy radiation at Mars’ surface in preparation for future crewed missions. Rover systems and science instruments remain capable of addressing all key scientific objectives. Emphases on advance planning, flexibility, operations support work, and team culture have allowed the mission team to maintain a high level of productivity in spite of declining rover power and funding.

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“…Geophysical data are comparatively scarce for these planets, but missions have allowed measurements of the gravity and magnetic fields, and imaging and spectroscopy have allowed geological mapping and analysis of the compositions of surface rock and of the atmospheres. Information on planetary composition comes in addition from samples from Mars that we have in our meteorite collection, but also from in-situ measurements from lander and rover missions on Mars (e.g., Abbey et al 2019) and Venus (e.g., Surkov et al1984). Most recently, Mars has been the target of a dedicated geophysical observatory mission, InSight (Banerdt et al 2020), that placed an extremely sensitive seismometer with broadband and short period sensors on the surface of the planet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interiors of Earth-Like Planets and Satellites of the Solar System

Breuer¹,

Spohn

Hoolst

et al. 2021

Surv Geophys

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The Earth-like planets and moons in our solar system have iron-rich cores, silicate mantles, and a basaltic crust. Differentiated icy moons can have a core and a mantle and an outer water–ice layer. Indirect evidence for several icy moons suggests that this ice is underlain by or includes a water-rich ocean. Similar processes are at work in the interiors of these planets and moons, including heat transport by conduction and convection, melting and volcanism, and magnetic field generation. There are significant differences in detail, though, in both bulk chemical compositions and relative volume of metal, rock and ice reservoirs. For example, the Moon has a small core [~ 0.2 planetary radii (RP)], whereas Mercury’s is large (~ 0.8 RP). Planetary heat engines can operate in somewhat different ways affecting the evolution of the planetary bodies. Mercury and Ganymede have a present-day magnetic field while the core dynamo ceased to operate billions of years ago in the Moon and Mars. Planets and moons differ in tectonic style, from plate-tectonics on Earth to bodies having a stagnant outer lid and possibly solid-state convection underneath, with implications for their magmatic and atmosphere evolution. Knowledge about their deep interiors has improved considerably thanks to a multitude of planetary space missions but, in comparison with Earth, the data base is still limited. We describe methods (including experimental approaches and numerical modeling) and data (e.g., gravity field, rotational state, seismic signals, magnetic field, heat flux, and chemical compositions) used from missions and ground-based observations to explore the deep interiors, their dynamics and evolution and describe as examples Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Ganymede and Enceladus.

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A look back: The drilling campaign of the Curiosity rover during the Mars Science Laboratory's Prime Mission

Cited by 21 publications

References 24 publications

Evidence for a Diagenetic Origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and Synthesis of Curiosity's Exploration Campaign

Evidence for a Diagenetic Origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and Synthesis of Curiosity's Exploration Campaign

Mission Overview and Scientific Contributions from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover After Eight Years of Surface Operations

Interiors of Earth-Like Planets and Satellites of the Solar System

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