By Aahil
October 25, 2022
NASA's Curiosity rover has had much in the way of its triumphant arrival at what it calls a "sulfate-bearing unit" of Gale Crater.
This fascinating place is full of salty minerals, and is a treasure trove for scientists investigating the history of water on the Red Planet.
NASA described the sulfate-rich region as a "long-sought area" and "special" in a statement Wednesday.
The space agency's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft scoured the region well before Curiosity's arrival at Gale Crater in 2012.
The rover recently drilled into a tantric rock - named "Canima" - to take a closer look at its chemistry and composition.
Curiosity is like a science laboratory on wheels, so it is using on-board equipment to analyze samples taken from the rock.
Curiosity will look for signs of any organic molecules that may be present. Organic matter on Mars has been a hot topic lately.
Just keep in mind that the discovery of organic molecules doesn't necessarily prove microbial life once existed on Mars.