Curiosity completes first soil analysis, finds volcanic soils
« Back to Article
Rock "Et-Then" as seen by Curiosity's MAHLI imager (Image: ASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
Rock "Burwash" as seen by Curiosity's MAHLI imager (Image: ASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
A conventional X-ray diffraction instrument (left), the 10 inches (25 cm) cube of the CheMin (circled upper right) and the commercial spin-off in the orange case(lower right) (Image: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech)
Postage stamp-size charged couple device (CCD) from the CheMin instrument for imaging x-ray diffraction patterns (Image: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech)
CheMin soil sample containers for x-ray diffraction (Image: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech)
Animated GIF image showing dust devils on the surface of Mars (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Texas A&M)
Terrestrial olivine crystals with the same composition as the mineral found on Mars (Image: Caltech)
X-ray diffraction image of first Martian soil sample showing presence of crystalline feldspar, pyroxenes and olivine mixed with some amorphous (non-crystalline) material - similar to volcanic soils in Hawaii. (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames)
Bite mark and scooped sample taken by Curiosity at "Rocknest" site (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
A pair of images showing a wind-blown deposit at "Rocknest" with one in natural Martian light and the other corrected to appear in Earth light (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
Article Summary
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has completed its first soil analysis of the Red Planet. The unmanned explorer used an advanced, miniaturized X-ray diffraction instrument that is part of the Chemistry and Mineralogy instrument (CheMin) of its internal laboratory. The soil, collected at a site designated “Rocknest” in Gale Crater, reveals that Martian soil is a weathered volcanic type similar to soils found in the Hawaiian Islands.
« Back to Curiosity completes first soil analysis, finds volcanic soils
Other Images from this Gallery
Related Articles
-
Curiosity rover takes its first Martian soil samples
22nd October, 2012
-
Curiosity prepares for first soil sample
7th October, 2012
-
Curiosity suspends sampling, may have dropped a bit of itself
9th October, 2012
-
Update: Curiosity object probably plastic
10th October, 2012
-
Touchdown! Curiosity lands safely on Mars
6th August, 2012
-
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity getting "brain transplant"
11th August, 2012
