Curiosity Conducting Mini-Drill Test at ‘Mojave’

This view from the wide-angle Hazard Avoidance Camera (Hazcam) on the front of NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows the rover's drill in position for a mini-drill test to assess whether a rock target called "Mojave" is appropriate for full-depth drilling to collect a sample. It was taken on Jan. 13, 2015, during the 867th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars.

The rover team selected Mojave as the mission's second drill-sampling candidate on Mount Sharp. A higher portion of the mountain is visible on the horizon. A key appeal of this target is an abundance of crystal-shaped features evident when Curiosity used its dust-removal tool here in November 2014, as shown in PIA19077. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19077 The target is in the "Pink Hills" area near the lower edge of the "Pahrump Hills" outcrop in the basal layer of Mount Sharp.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover and the rover's Hazcams.