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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesNASA does not pick a rock for Curiosity to drill simply because it looks interesting. The team starts with a geological question, compares candidate targets using remote and close-up observations, and then checks whether a promising rock can be reached and drilled safely. A target must be useful to science and workable for the rover; if the best candidate is physically unsuitable, the team can consider another site or keep backups.
What makes a rock worth drilling?
A drill campaign is part of a larger investigation. Curiosity follows a traverse through geological terrain, and the team looks for targets that can help explain what the rover is seeing along the way. A sampling plan might focus on a change in rock chemistry, a geological unit, or a transition between units. The aim is not to collect a sample from every interesting-looking surface, but to choose a location where the result can answer a worthwhile question.
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Drilling can be especially useful when observations of a rock’s surface do not settle what it is made of. In 2025, after Curiosity crossed from a layered-sulfate unit into boxwork terrain, APXS and ChemCam measurements showed geochemical changes. Those readings alone could not identify the mineral assemblage, so the team decided to collect a drill sample. The case illustrates a key distinction: measuring elements is not always enough to determine which minerals are present. NASA’s account of the boxwork bedrock drill campaign describes the reason for moving from surface measurements to sampling.
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Where a target sits in the traverse can matter, too. During the clay-sulfate transition campaign described in 2021, the team planned to drill after roughly 25 meters of elevation gain. NASA identified the planned target as Zechstein and described the broader goal as documenting compositional changes while moving toward rocks that could contain salty minerals. That interval was a strategy for that campaign—not a standard distance Curiosity travels between all drill sites. NASA’s 2021 planning account gives the campaign context.
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The 25-meter figure describes elevation gain, not a required distance along the ground or a mission-wide sampling schedule. It is an example of how scientists can plan a series of samples to follow a geological change while also taking the rover’s limited resources into account. The right interval depends on the purpose of a particular campaign; NASA’s example does not establish a universal quota or rule for how often Curiosity must drill.
How the team narrows down candidates
1. Survey from a distance
Before committing the rover’s arm and drill to a site, scientists can use ChemCam to investigate rocks remotely. It fires a laser at a rock or patch of soil and analyzes light from the resulting plasma to identify chemical elements. NASA/JPL reported that ChemCam can make these measurements from as far as about 7 meters (23 feet). That range helps the team screen targets and decide which merit more detailed investigation; a remote reading is a way to gather evidence, not a final decision to drill. NASA/JPL’s description of ChemCam explains the technique and reported distance.
Remote reconnaissance helps direct attention, but it answers only part of the question. A laser measurement can provide elemental information from a target without placing the arm against it. The team can use that result to decide which candidates deserve closer examination, then combine it with other evidence. In the boxwork example, even measurements from APXS and ChemCam did not identify the mineral assemblage by themselves; that gap helped motivate a drill sample.
Some ChemCam observations can use autonomous target selection. NASA/JPL reported in 2016 that AEGIS uses onboard image analysis and criteria set by scientists—such as a target’s size or brightness—to select laser targets. This lets Curiosity collect some ChemCam measurements without waiting for Earth-based scientists to select each laser target in real time. It does not mean the rover independently chooses a drill location: selecting a target for a laser observation and approving a drilling site are different tasks. NASA/JPL’s AEGIS account describes the autonomous ChemCam capability.
2. Examine promising rocks up close
Remote chemistry and distant images are only part of the picture. Curiosity can bring arm instruments close to a candidate so the team can assess its surface, texture, structures, and chemistry. NASA describes MAHLI as a close-up imager for examining minerals, textures, and structures; APXS and ChemCam contribute chemical information. The instruments used, and the combination of observations, vary by target and campaign. NASA’s Curiosity interactive describes the rover’s instruments.
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Those close-up observations help put candidate rocks into context rather than treating a distant appearance or a single chemical reading as a complete description. Imaging can show texture and structure, while contact or close-range measurements add other evidence about the target. The combination is not necessarily identical from one campaign to another: NASA’s accounts describe different instruments and checks being used at different sites.
The first drilling site at John Klein shows how several candidates can be assessed rather than choosing a spot from a single image. NASA’s 2013 annotated account identifies four locations in the drill area and records different checks at each:
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- Wernecke: brushed and examined with APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam.
- Thundercloud: used for a drill “percuss on rock” checkout.
- Drill: examined with APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam as the selected drill location.
This sequence shows that a drill site is evaluated and prepared. The visually striking candidate is not automatically the final choice; different targets can be investigated for different reasons before the team settles on a location. The checkout at Thundercloud, for example, was distinct from the observations made at the final drill location. NASA’s annotated John Klein drill-area account identifies the targets and observations.
3. Check whether the rock can withstand the operation
A scientifically attractive rock can still be a poor drill target if it is unstable, too small, or hard to reach with the arm. In a 2023 search near Encanto, NASA described looking for large, flat, thick blocks that had not fractured or moved when Curiosity drove over them. The team discussed several possible sites, selected a favorite, and identified other blocks as backups. That choice reflects the practical value of a stable target and the importance of having alternatives if the preferred site proves unsuitable. NASA’s account of the Encanto drill-site search describes those criteria.
The stability check is about more than whether a rock looks solid in an image. NASA’s described criteria include blocks that remained intact and did not move under the rover. A large, flat, thick block is a more promising physical candidate in that example, but the account does not give a universal minimum size or thickness. It documents practical criteria used in a particular search rather than a numeric pass/fail threshold for every Curiosity drill target.
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Placement is checked at the rover as well as at the rock. NASA’s drill-placement description explains that engineers first position the drill’s two stabilizing prongs near the intended target, then assess where the prongs sit before choosing the final drill position. That check helps the team aim accurately and avoid unstable ground or pebbles. The intended spot must therefore work not only as a geological sample but also as a location where the rover’s equipment can make stable contact. NASA’s annotated contact-point account shows this placement check.
Operational checks can also be part of a campaign’s early work. NASA’s April 2026 update from the Atacama site reports a pre-load test on the target alongside repeated APXS observations coordinated with MAHLI imaging. The update describes these activities as initial steps in characterizing the first Mount Sharp layered-sulfate bedrock since Curiosity left boxwork terrain. It shows that target evaluation includes planned checks at the site, though it does not state that every target follows an identical sequence.
What the team is weighing
NASA’s published examples point to several practical questions the team has to consider together. They are useful ways to understand the decision, but they are not a published, mission-wide scoring formula or a fixed ranking in which one factor always wins.
- Scientific relevance: Does the rock help address the current geological question, or provide a meaningful comparison along the traverse?
- Information gained: What can remote and close-up observations establish, and could a drill sample resolve something those measurements cannot, such as mineralogy?
- Physical stability: Is the candidate a sufficiently large, thick block that has remained stable under the rover?
- Access and placement: Can the arm and drill reach the target with stable contact points, without problematic pebbles or unstable ground?
- Campaign resources and alternatives: Does sampling this target fit the broader plan, and are there other suitable candidates if the preferred site cannot be used?
These considerations interact. A target may be scientifically informative but fail a placement check; a stable block may not be the best match for the campaign’s geological question. Keeping multiple candidates in view gives the team room to respond to both kinds of constraint rather than treating a first choice as guaranteed.
Resources shape the plan, but NASA’s examples do not provide a fixed price per drill, a universal number of samples, or a formula for trading science value against operational demands. The clay-sulfate plan’s roughly 25 meters of elevation gain between intended samples is one documented way to manage a campaign’s sampling strategy. It should not be recast as an exact cost calculation or as a rule applied to every mission phase.
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From a selected site to a drill sample
Once a target has made it through the scientific and operational checks, Curiosity can collect powdered material from inside the rock for further analysis. The point is to examine material from within the target, especially when surface observations leave a question unresolved. The boxwork campaign is a clear example of that logic: surface and remote measurements indicated geochemical change, but did not by themselves reveal the mineralogy, so the team chose drilling to obtain a sample that could be analyzed further.
The choice is therefore not simply “which rock looks most unusual?” The team needs to know what question a sample would address, what observations have already established, and whether the rover can safely place the drill. A candidate can be scientifically interesting without being the right sample, and another candidate may be retained as a backup in case the first choice is not workable.
NASA’s April 2026 account of the Atacama site describes another campaign context. Curiosity began work to characterize the first Mount Sharp layered-sulfate bedrock it had encountered since leaving boxwork terrain. Initial activities included a pre-load test on the target and repeated APXS observations coordinated with MAHLI imaging. The reported sequence shows that a campaign can begin with target checks and coordinated observations; it does not make every later drill decision identical. NASA’s Atacama drill-target update describes those initial activities.
What Curiosity does—and does not—decide on its own
Curiosity can autonomously select some ChemCam laser targets using AEGIS and criteria supplied by scientists. That capability helps gather particular remote observations, but it should not be confused with choosing which rock to drill. NASA’s accounts describe a broader process involving a science question, candidate observations, close-up assessment, and engineering checks of the target and contact points. The cited mission accounts do not establish a single automated drill-selection system or a universal numerical threshold for accepting a rock.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →That is why reports of a “potential drill target,” a search for a site, or a “best possible drill site” should be read as part of a staged evaluation. The team can gather evidence, prepare the rover, compare sites, and preserve backups before committing to a sample. The final choice has to serve the investigation and be physically achievable with the rover at that location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Curiosity choose its own drill targets?
No autonomous drill-site selection is described in NASA’s accounts cited here. Curiosity can use AEGIS to select some ChemCam laser targets using scientist-set criteria such as size or brightness, but that is different from selecting a rock to drill. Drill-site decisions involve scientific observations and checks of the target and rover placement.
How far away can ChemCam examine a rock?
NASA/JPL reported that ChemCam can analyze a rock or soil patch from as far as about 7 meters (23 feet). The laser measurement helps screen candidates; it does not by itself decide whether a target should be drilled.
Does Curiosity drill every 25 meters?
No. In a 2021 clay-sulfate transition campaign, the team planned a sample after roughly 25 meters of elevation gain to document compositional changes while managing limited rover resources. That was a campaign strategy, not a mission-wide spacing rule.
Why might the team reject a scientifically interesting rock?
A target also has to be physically workable. NASA has described favoring large, flat, thick blocks that did not fracture or move under the rover, and checking that the drill’s stabilizing prongs can make suitable contact without unstable ground or pebbles. A promising candidate may be passed over if it cannot be reached or drilled safely.
Is there an official score or formula for ranking candidates?
The NASA accounts described here give concrete examples of scientific, physical, and placement considerations, but do not publish one universal weighted scorecard or numerical acceptance threshold for all drill targets.
The Bottom Line
NASA chooses Curiosity’s drill targets by matching a geological question with evidence from remote and close-up observations, then checking that the rock and drill placement are physically workable. ChemCam can help narrow candidates, but AEGIS’s autonomous laser targeting is not autonomous drill selection. Stable rocks, suitable contact points, campaign resources, and backup options all matter—and no single published scorecard governs every target.
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