Curiosity's science objectives are to explore the habitability of Mars by studying the geology, environment, and potential for past life. It landed in Gale Crater, which preserves a record of diverse sedimentary environments and contains Mount Sharp. Analysis of rocks and sand at Yellowknife Bay found evidence of a ancient habitable environment with sustained water interaction and minerals that could have supported microbial life. Curiosity will continue exploring Mount Sharp to understand the planet's climate history recorded in its layers.

1. Results from the
Mars Science Laboratory
Allan Treiman
MSL Science Team
6/05/2013
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

2. Curiosity’s Science
Objectives
Curiosity’s primary scientific goal is
to explore and quantitatively assess
a local region on Mars’ surface as a
potential habitat for life, past or
present
• Biological potential
• Geology and
geochemistry
• Role of water
• Surface radiation
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/images/PIA16764_selfie2ndfincrop-br2.jpg

3. A field of approximately 54 different landing sites was
ultimately narrowed down to Gale Crater
Martian Landing Sites
PHOENIX
PATHFINDER
VIKING 2
VIKING 1
OPPORTUNITY
SPIRIT

4. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA15958

5. Gale is part of a family of craters with a complex history
Why Gale Crater?
Becquerel
Noachis region
Henry

6. Gale Crater has intriguing large-scale geomorphic features
Why Gale Crater?
• Enclosed basin at -4070 meters
defined by canyon near ellipse
and a prominent change in slope
Distinct changes in “base level”
are suggested by channel suites
• Enclosed basin at -3510 meters
defined by Grand Canyon mouth
and a prominent change in slope
• Base level at -2290 meters defined
by rim-breeching canyon, a change
in slope, and initiation point of
the Grand Canyon
• Reference point at -735 meters
that marks the elevation of breech
along the southern crater rimSumner (2011) LSWG

7. More than 5 km of strata are preserved in the central mound
Why Gale Crater?

8. Why Gale Crater?
Strata show evidence for diverse sedimentary environments
HiRise Mosaic
2 km

9. Target: Gale Crater and
Mount Sharp
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/MSSS
NASA/JPL-Caltech

10. Curiosity’s Science Payload
ChemCam
(Chemistry)
Mastcam
(Imaging)
REMS
(Weather)
DAN
(Subsurface
Hydrogen)
SAM
(Chemistry
and Isotopes)
CheMin
(Mineralogy)
MARDI
(Imaging)
APXS
(Chemistry) MAHLI
(Imaging)
RAD
(Radiation)
Drill
Scoop
Brush
Sieves

11. THE PATH TO MARS THE PATH TO THE SURFACE
Nov. 26, 2011…

12. Heat shield separation captured
by Curiosity’s Mars Descent Imager
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

13. Curiosity on parachute, imaged by
HiRISE on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

14. Mastcam mosaic of Mount Sharp, descent
rocket scours, and rover shadow
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

15. Trek toward Glenelg and
Discovery of Conglomerate

16. Curiosity progressed toward Glenelg, where
three distinct terrain types meet
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

17. The conglomerate “Link” with associated
loose, rounded pebbles
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

18. The conglomerate reveals an ancient
streambed, likely originating at the northern
NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA

19. Rocknest Scooping Campaign

20. Sand dune (“shadow”) at the Rocknest site
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

21. Curiosity self-portrait
at Rocknest
Assembled from 55
MAHLI images
Shows four scoop
trenches and wheel
scuff
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

22. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
MAHLI view of coarse (0.5 to 1.5 mm) sand
from the ripple’s surface, and fine (< 0.25
mm) sand on wall and floor of trench

23. SAM and
CheMin
analyses
of
Rocknest
Sand made of
basalt minerals
(olivine, pyroxen
es
plagioclase), sim
ilar to soils on
Mars
X-ray
diffraction
pattern
from
CheMin
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames
Gases
released
during SAM
experiments
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard
Evidence for
sulfates, carbonates, and
(possibly) perchlorates; lots
of adsorbed water.

24. Measurements of Mars’
Atmosphere and Environment

25. Curiosity’s Rover Environmental Monitoring
Station is taking weather readings 24 7
REMS’ ground and
air temperature
sensors are located
on small booms on
the rover’s mast
The ground
temperature
changes by 90 C
(170 degrees
Fahrenheit)
between day and
night
The air is warmer
than the ground at
night, and cooler
during the
morning, before it is
heated by the
groundNASA/JPL-Caltech/CAB(CSIC-INTA)

26. REMS pressure measurements detect
local, regional, and global weather phenomena
Each day the
pressure varies by
over 10%, similar to
the change in
pressure between
Los Angeles and
Denver
Solar heating of the
ground drives a
pressure “tidal
wave” that sweeps
across the planet
each day
NASA/JPL-Caltech/CAB(CSIC-INTA)/FMI/Ashima Research
Earth’s atmosphere = 101,325
Pascals, or about 140 times the
pressure at Gale Crater
Overall, the pressure
is increasing as
carbon dioxide
sublimates from the
southern seasonal
polar cap

27. Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector
measures high-energy radiation
RAD observed
galactic cosmic
rays and five solar
energetic particle
events traveling
from Earth to Mars
Mars’ atmosphere
partially shields the
surface from
radiation. When the
atmosphere is
thicker (higher
REMS
pressure), RAD
measures less
radiation.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI

28. The SAM Tunable Laser Spectrometer and Mass
Spectrometer measure atmospheric composition
SAM found that
argon, rather than nitrogen
is the second most
abundant gas
SAM also found that Mars’
atmosphere is enriched in
the heavy versions of
isotopes, indicating that
atmospheric loss has
occurred
Methane has not been
definitively detected
TLS uses infrared lasers
and mirrors to measure the
absorption of light by
atmospheric gases
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard
Atmospheric Gas
Abundances
Measured by SAM

29. The Glenelg Region
and Yellowknife Bay

30. Curiosity is currently exploring Yellowknife
Bay, a basin within the Glenelg region
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

31. Nested, hand-lens imaging of the 25-cm (10”)
high rock Jake Matijevic
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

32. Jake Matijevic studied by Mastcam
(image), APXS, and ChemCam
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
LANL/IRAP/CNES/IAS/LPGN
Composition is similar to alkaline
basalts on Earth produced by
partial melting of the mantle
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
0.01
0.1
1
10
BrZn
Ni
Fe
Mn
Cr
Ti
CaK
Cl
S
P
Si
Mg
Al
Na
countspersecond
Energy [keV]
sol34 Caltarget 90 min
sol46 JakeMatijevic 30 min
NASA/JPL-Caltech/U. Guelph
APXS Spectra

33. “Shaler” rocks just outside Yellowknife Bay show
inclined, fine layers that indicate sediment transport
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

34. Heading into Yellowknife Bay
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

35. Postcards from
Yellowknife Bay
showing a diversity of
rock
types, fractures, and
veins
NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

36. “Sheepbed” rocks contain many
spherules, concretions, suggesting that water
percolated though pores
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

37. “Sheepbed” rocks also contain 1 to 5-mm fractures
filled with calcium sulfate minerals that precipitated
from fluids at low to moderate temperatures
NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/IAS/
LPGN/CNRS/LGLyon/Planet-Terre
ChemCam spectra from sol 125
“Crest” and 135 “Rapitan”
ChemCam Remote
Micro-Imager

38. Drill Campaign at
John Klein, Yellowknife Bay

39. John Klein drill site showing fractured bedrock
and ridge-forming veins
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

40. Targets studied to prepare for drilling
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

41. APXS and the dust-removing brush
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
APXS sees higher sulfur and
calcium in vein-rich rock
Removing the dust results in
slightly lower sulfur
NASA/JPL-Caltech/
U. Guelph

42. Arm deployed at John Klein
NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Bouic

43. Curiosity’s 1.6-cm drill bit, drill and test
holes, and scoop full of acquired sample
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/IAS/LPGN
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

44. X-ray diffraction patterns from Rocknest (left)
and John Klein (right)
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames The drill powder contains abundant
phyllosilicates (clay minerals), indicating
sustained interaction with water

45. Major gases released from John Klein sample
and analyzed by SAM
NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC
SAM analysis of the drilled rock sample reveals water, carbon
dioxide, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide released on heating. The
release of water at high temperature is consistent with smectite clay minerals.

46. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
An Ancient Habitable Environment
at Yellowknife Bay
• The regional geology and fine-grained rock suggest that the
John Klein site was at the end of an ancient river system or
within an intermittently wet lake bed
• The mineralogy indicates sustained interaction with liquid
water that was not too acidic or alkaline, and low salinity.
Further, conditions were not strongly oxidizing
• Key chemical ingredients for life are present, such as
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur
• The presence of minerals in various states of oxidation would
provide a source of energy for primitive organisms

47. Mount Sharp,
The Ultimate Destination

48. Curiosity’s ultimate goal is to explore the
lower reaches of the 5-km high Mount Sharp
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

49. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

50. Layers, Canyons, and Buttes of Mount Sharp
This boulder is the
size of Curiosity
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS