The general sample analysis strategy begins with high-resolution cameras to look for features of interest. If a particular surface is of interest,
Curiosity can vaporize a small portion of it with an infrared laser and examine the resulting spectra signature to query the rock's elemental composition. If that signature is intriguing, the rover uses its long arm to swing over a
microscope and an
X-ray spectrometer to take a closer look. If the specimen warrants further analysis,
Curiosity can drill into the boulder and deliver a powdered sample to either the
Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) or the
CheMin analytical laboratories inside the rover.
Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) The SAM instrument suite analyzes
organics and gases from both atmospheric and solid samples. It consists of instruments developed by the NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center, the NASA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory the
Laboratoire atmosphères, milieux, observations spatiales (LATMOS), the
Laboratoire Inter-Universitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA) (jointly operated by France's
CNRS and Parisian universities), and
Honeybee Robotics, along with many additional external partners.
Dust Removal Tool (DRT) The Dust Removal Tool (DRT) is a motorized, wire-bristle brush on the turret at the end of
Curiosity arm. The DRT was first used on a rock target named
Ekwir_1 on January 6, 2013.
Honeybee Robotics built the DRT.
Radiation assessment detector (RAD) The role of the
Radiation assessment detector (RAD) instrument is to characterize the broad spectrum of radiation environment found inside the spacecraft during the cruise phase and while on Mars. These measurements have never been done before from the inside of a spacecraft in interplanetary space. Its primary purpose is to determine the viability and shielding needs for potential human explorers, as well as to characterize the radiation environment on the surface of Mars, which it started doing immediately after MSL landed in August 2012. Funded by the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at
NASA Headquarters and Germany's Space Agency (
DLR), RAD was developed by
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the extraterrestrial physics group at
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany.
Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) The DAN instrument employs a
neutron source and detector for measuring the quantity and depth of
hydrogen or ice and water at or near the Martian surface. The instrument consists of the detector element (DE) and a 14.1 MeV pulsing neutron generator (PNG). The die-away time of neutrons is measured by the DE after each neutron pulse from the PNG. DAN was provided by the
Russian Federal Space Agency and funded by Russia.
Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) MARDI is fixed to the lower front left corner of the body of
Curiosity. During the descent to the Martian surface, MARDI took color images at 1600×1200 pixels with a 1.3-millisecond exposure time starting at distances of about to near from the ground, at a rate of four
frames per second for about two minutes. MARDI has a pixel scale of at to at and has a 90° circular field of view. MARDI has eight gigabytes of internal buffer memory that is capable of storing over 4,000 raw images. MARDI imaging allowed the mapping of surrounding terrain and the location of landing.
JunoCam, built for the
Juno spacecraft, is based on MARDI.
Robotic arm (
John Klein rock,
Yellowknife Bay, February 2, 2013). The rover has a long
robotic arm with a cross-shaped turret holding five devices that can spin through a 350° turning range. The arm makes use of three joints to extend it forward and to stow it again while driving. It has a mass of and its diameter, including the tools mounted on it, is about . It was designed, built, and tested by
MDA US Systems, building upon their prior robotic arm work on the
Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander, the
Phoenix lander, and the two
Mars Exploration Rovers,
Spirit and
Opportunity. Two of the five devices are
in-situ or contact instruments known as the
X-ray spectrometer (APXS), and the
Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI camera). The remaining three are associated with sample acquisition and sample preparation functions: a
percussion drill; a brush; and mechanisms for scooping, sieving, and portioning samples of powdered rock and regolith. The diameter of the hole in a rock after drilling is and up to deep. The drill carries two spare bits. The rover's arm and turret system can place the APXS and MAHLI on their respective targets, and also obtain powdered sample from rock interiors, and deliver them to the
SAM and
CheMin analyzers inside the rover. Since early 2015 the percussive mechanism in the drill that helps chisel into rock has had an intermittent electrical short. On December 1, 2016, the motor inside the drill caused a malfunction that prevented the rover from moving its robotic arm and driving to another location. The fault was isolated to the drill feed brake, and internal debris is suspected of causing the problem. By December 9, 2016, driving and robotic arm operations were cleared to continue, but drilling remained suspended indefinitely. The
Curiosity team continued to perform diagnostics and testing on the drill mechanism throughout 2017, and resumed drilling operations on May 22, 2018. == Select geochemical discoveries ==