For the 4th time Curiosity’s drill fails to penetrate marker layer
Click for original image.
For the fourth time this past weekend Curiosity’s drill was unable to penetrate the hard rock of what scientists have labeled “the marker layer”, a distinct feature seen at approximately the same elevation at many places on the flanks of Mount Sharp on Mars.
The image to the right, cropped and reduced to post here, shows that the drill was once again only able to drill a eighth to a quarter inch, not enough to gather samples for testing.
This was our fourth attempt to drill this marker band, and we gave it our best shot from both a geology and engineering perspective. Unfortunately these rocks do not want to cooperate – they’re hard and they weather into resistant and recessive beds which make them very challenging to drill. So the team made the difficult decision to get back on the road, without a drill sample from this location
Click for interactive map.
The rover was then programmed to travel about 300 feet south to another spot on the marker layer. This new location is indicated by the blue dot on the map to the right.
Whether the science team will make another attempt to drill into this tough geological layer, indicated by the arrows on the overview map, is not clear at the moment, as the rover is now only a short distance from the southern edge of the layer. From here it could quickly climb up, continuing its journey along its planned route (as indicated by the red dotted line). I suspect, however, if the science team sees a good flat spot conducive to drilling at this location they will try again. The marker layer was one of the mission’s long term major geological targets prior to launch, and to leave it without at least one drill success would be a great disappointment.
The Curiosity team however has generally shown perseverance in these drill efforts. When Curiosity had similar drill issues as it crossed Vera Rubin ridge, the team tried and failed several times to drill, moved on off of the ridge, and then when they had another opportunity to drive downhill again to try again, they did so, finally achieving success. I suspect this determined spirit will compel them to apply the same determination here.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Click for original image.
For the fourth time this past weekend Curiosity’s drill was unable to penetrate the hard rock of what scientists have labeled “the marker layer”, a distinct feature seen at approximately the same elevation at many places on the flanks of Mount Sharp on Mars.
The image to the right, cropped and reduced to post here, shows that the drill was once again only able to drill a eighth to a quarter inch, not enough to gather samples for testing.
This was our fourth attempt to drill this marker band, and we gave it our best shot from both a geology and engineering perspective. Unfortunately these rocks do not want to cooperate – they’re hard and they weather into resistant and recessive beds which make them very challenging to drill. So the team made the difficult decision to get back on the road, without a drill sample from this location
Click for interactive map.
The rover was then programmed to travel about 300 feet south to another spot on the marker layer. This new location is indicated by the blue dot on the map to the right.
Whether the science team will make another attempt to drill into this tough geological layer, indicated by the arrows on the overview map, is not clear at the moment, as the rover is now only a short distance from the southern edge of the layer. From here it could quickly climb up, continuing its journey along its planned route (as indicated by the red dotted line). I suspect, however, if the science team sees a good flat spot conducive to drilling at this location they will try again. The marker layer was one of the mission’s long term major geological targets prior to launch, and to leave it without at least one drill success would be a great disappointment.
The Curiosity team however has generally shown perseverance in these drill efforts. When Curiosity had similar drill issues as it crossed Vera Rubin ridge, the team tried and failed several times to drill, moved on off of the ridge, and then when they had another opportunity to drive downhill again to try again, they did so, finally achieving success. I suspect this determined spirit will compel them to apply the same determination here.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
I can not wait until we get a real AI tool up there.
Like a real human.
That’s not a carbide drill bit?
Weighs too much or costs too much…..I know, on a billion dollar mission….
I seem to remember some experimentation where rocks were made much harder by baking the water out of them. I searched the web looking for data on this but to no avail.
Ring any bells?
Its not the hardness of the rock.
I have used a coring drill do drill through large quartz rocks used as aggregate in cement. Took forever but it worked.
The problem here is that the drill is on a long arm and gets no leverage. In fact I am not even sure if its own weight is allowed to push on the drill head.
They didn.t sharpen it