NASA’s Curiosity Rover Finds Crater Filled With Sand, Alters Drilling Plans

NASA’s Curiosity rover reached its new 10-meter crater Antofagasta in April 2026, but discovered that the crater floor had become covered with Martian sand carried by wind. Scientists had hoped to drill there, but the sandy infill hid older layers and posed a risk of entrapment. The team shifted its work to study nearby layered bedrock while they established a new drilling location. The mission of Curiosity now extends its Mars operations through multiple analysis objectives that support future Mars exploration.

Antofagasta’s Sand-Filled Crater

According to NASA’s Curiosity team, Antofagasta (~10 m wide) looked fresh, but its floor was filled with ‘dark rippled sand’ that buried the layers scientists hoped to sample. The team considered driving into the sand, but the risk of getting stuck was deemed ‘much too high’. They also checked nearby rocks for possible crater ejecta, but found no clear targets. In the end, Curiosity did not drill at Antofagasta. Instead, the rover examined exposed outcrops around the rim with its cameras and instruments.

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Next Drill Target: the ‘Atacama’ Sulfate Block

As noted by the Curiosity team, their rover’s future sampling site will be on sulfate-bearing strata higher up on the ‘boxwork’ area. The Curiosity rover spotted a ‘drillable’ rock formation on Sol 4870. The rover named the site ‘Atacama’. The scientists would analyze the site using tools like APXS, MAHLI, and ChemCam. Should it turn out favourable for drilling, they would conduct a ‘preload’ test, after which the rover would take a core sample from this site. This new sulfate-bearing bedrock sample would help understand the geological history of Mars.