Photo credit: science.nasa.gov

Exploring the Terrain of Mars: A Journey Past Devil’s Gate

The Mars exploration team is making significant strides in understanding the planet’s geologic features. As of April 4, 2025, our objective is to further ascend Mount Sharp, where each day unveils new and breathtaking vistas of towering buttes that shape the Martian landscape.

To progress toward our next destination, we need to navigate the northern flank of a small ridgeline known as “Devil’s Gate,” visible to the right in the accompanying image. The rocky outcrops surrounding this area present not only obstacles for our rover’s movements but also a rich source of fascinating geological formations, prompting us to create a detailed RMI mosaic of the ridge.

While these scattered rock blocks hinder efficient rover parking—critical for deploying instruments like the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)—the geologic complexities at Devil’s Gate motivate our ongoing investigations. During our last maneuver, the rover’s front wheels were not fully stable on solid ground, which caused us to delay planned arm operations over the weekend. Nevertheless, the enticing views around us allowed for alternative imaging opportunities beyond Devil’s Gate. Our ChemCam team captured an additional RMI mosaic along the base of the “Texoli” butte, located on the left side of the mentioned image. Concurrently, our Mastcam conducted a mosaic examination of an area referred to as “Maidenhair Falls,” where bedrock formations resemble frozen waves.

Directly in front of the rover, the rocky textures present intriguing variations. ChemCam has identified two distinctive textures within our workspace: one showcasing fine layering at “Arroyo Burro” and the other displaying rough, platy gray material at “Arroyo Conejo.” To enhance our understanding of these formations, Mastcam is documenting a block that contains both targets using a stereo mosaic technique, allowing us to generate a three-dimensional representation of the site’s structures.

Looking ahead, we’ve planned a maneuver to advance further around the base of Devil’s Gate. Following this, we will execute an autonomously targeted ChemCam LIBS raster scan and capture early morning mosaics with Navcam and Mastcam that will reflect on the trail we’ve covered. Additionally, the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) instrument is scheduled for about seven hours of data collection throughout the mission, encompassing both science activities and rover driving. The atmospheric conditions will be closely monitored during this phase, with extensive observations scheduled at two different times—midday and early morning—to capture the day’s variability. These observations will include Navcam dust-devil and cloud movies and measurements of atmospheric dust levels. The early morning session particularly emphasizes cloud dynamics, with comprehensive sky coverage documented.

Stay tuned for updates on our expedition as we continue our journey beyond Devil’s Gate!

Source
science.nasa.gov