Curiosity finds disc-shaped minerals and preps first drill above Mount Sharp boundary

NASA's Curiosity rover has spotted 3–4 mm disc-shaped mineral features on Mount Sharp, possibly gypsum crystals from ancient brines. It will drill its first sample above a major geological boundary for analysis by the CheMin X-ray diffractometer.

• Discs are 3–4 mm across and about 1 mm thick, imaged by MAHLI at a site called Salar de Vacas
• Curiosity is preparing its first drill sample above a major geological boundary on Mount Sharp
• CheMin, the first planetary X-ray diffractometer, needs about 85 mg of powdered rock
• In August 2026 the rover passed 1 km of elevation gain and 5,000 Martian days