Space

Curiosity Blog, Sols 5050-5055: It’s Nazca, Our 49th Drill Hole

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 10/11/2026, 01:50:24 UTC.

Briefings

NASA's Curiosity rover successfully drilled the 49th drill hole named 'Nazca' on Sol 5050 (October 20, 2026) at the Nazca drill site on Mars. The mission involved passing stability and preload tests before extending the drill arm to extract a sample. Post-drill, the sample was sent to CheMin for analysis, while ChemCam conducted LIBS measurements on nearby rocks like 'Palpala' and 'Llama'. The team is awaiting results from the sample's journey to Earth.

Key points

• Curiosity drilled the 49th hole named 'Nazca' on Sol 5050 (October 20, 2026) using the Mast Camera.
• The drill campaign included passing stability and preload tests before extending the drill arm.

Context

This blog post details the 49th drill hole at the Nazca site, where Curiosity returned to investigate disc-shaped inclusions interpreted as potential crystals. The sample was sent to CheMin for analysis, with results expected over the coming weekend.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to a single blog post from November 2026. It lacks data on the sample's arrival at Earth, analysis results, or the specific environmental conditions of the Nazca site.

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