NASA's Curiosity Team Decides to Explore Gediz Vallis Over Pinnacle Ridge

NASA's Curiosity team had to choose between Gediz Vallis and Pinnacle Ridge, and they decided on the former. The rover has been shadowing Gediz Vallis for the past month.

NASA's Curiosity Rover Moves Along Gediz Vallis

Curiosity traveled last week to the northern edge of Pinnacle Ridge, a portion of the sheer rock wall that towers over Gediz Vallis. After navigating over uneven terrain, Curiosity discovered that the south side of the ridge is passable.

This presented a decision for Curiosity's managers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. They were torn between sticking to their original route and traveling along Gediz Vallis until they reached a location where the rover could cross or taking a detour to investigate the southern side of Pinnacle Ridge.

Curiosity could provide its overseers with a close-up view of the rocks on Pinnacle Ridge if it remained there. These rocks might have been in contact with flowing water in the past.

However, the rocks on the southern flank of Pinnacle Ridge might not reveal much that they had not already noticed by examining the mountain's northern flank. In the interim, they could explore more of Mars by traveling down Gediz Vallis. However, leaving Pinnacle Ridge may mean passing up a once-in-a-lifetime chance to discover more about prehistoric Martian running water.

According to Abigail Fraeman, a planetary geologist at JPL, in a blog post, they discussed the rocks they could see from the rover's current location compared with those they already investigated on the north side. Eventually, the team decided to move along on the Gediz Vallis path.

ALSO READ: NASA's Curiosity Rover Detects Polygon-Shaped Cracks on Mars Suggesting Red Planet Had Earth-Like Conditions 3.6 Billion Years Ago

Curiosity Rover Successfully Reaches Mt. Sharps After Multiple Attempts

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover achieved a milestone last year. It successfully reached Mr. Sharp's Bermuda Triangle after several attempts. Too steep a slope and "gator-back" boulders with sharp edges have foiled previous attempts.

On Aug. 14, 2023, after completing one of the hardest climbs the expedition has ever encountered, Curiosity reached a point where it could use its 7-foot (2-meter) robotic arm to probe the long-sought ridge.

According to Ashwin Vasavada, the mission's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, after three years, they finally found a perfect spot for the rover. Vasavada added that reaching out and touching rocks sent down from high up on Mount Sharp that Curiosity would never be able to reach was a wonderful experience.

The rover has been exploring the lower, 3-mile (5-kilometer) peak of Mount Sharp since 2014 to discover evidence of prehistoric lakes and streams. The mountain's many layers represent different eras in Martian history.

As Curiosity rises, scientists are discovering more about how the landscape has changed. Gediz Vallis Ridge is one of the newest geological time capsules Curiosity finds amid its exploration.