Earth planning date: Friday, Sept. 5, 2025
Curiosity is currently engaged in the boxwork campaign, aiming to understand the distinctive ridges and hollows found in this section of Mount Sharp. Initially identified from orbit, scientists speculated that these ridges might have formed through the cementation caused by circulating fluids, followed by the erosion of the softer bedrock in between, giving rise to the hollows we now see.
Our exploration of the boxwork terrain involves documenting its textures, structures, and composition to determine potential differences between the ridges and the hollows. One interesting detail we’ve noted is the presence of nodules in varying quantities. This week, our focus was on examining the transition from the smoother bedrock found atop a boxwork ridge to the more nodular bedrock near the edge of a shallow hollow.
In our three-sol plan on Tuesday, we analyzed the smoother bedrock on the ridge. We documented its textures using MAHLI, Mastcam, and ChemCam RMI, and examined its chemistry with ChemCam LIBS and APXS. Then, Curiosity successfully moved closer to the edge of the ridge/hollow to explore the more nodular bedrock. On Friday, our three-sol plan involved similar observations but concentrated on the nodular bedrock. The planned drive will take us to another boxwork ridge and bring us nearer to a location where we intend to drill into one of the ridges.
As the APXS strategic planner this week, I played a key role in selecting safe rock targets for analysis, ensuring they aligned with the scientific goals of the boxwork campaign. I also communicated the latest findings from our APXS compositional analyses to the team, which will inform our upcoming decision about the drilling site.
Both plans included long-distance imaging with Mastcam and ChemCam of other distant features such as more boxwork ridges, hollows, buttes, the yardang unit, and the rim of Gale Crater. We also continued monitoring environmental conditions, including atmospheric dust, dust-devil activity, and clouds. Standard activities from REMS, RAD, and DAN rounded off our week’s work.
Written by Lucy Thompson, Planetary Scientist and APXS Team Member, University of New Brunswick, Canada.
Summary: As of September 5, 2025, the Curiosity rover is exploring the distinctive boxwork terrain of Mount Sharp. The mission aims to understand the formation of ridges and hollows by documenting various rock textures and compositions. This week’s efforts included analyzing both smoother and more nodular bedrock, and preparing for upcoming drilling sites as part of the ongoing investigation into this intriguing Martian landscape.
