Planetary Society logo
  • “Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan

Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Curiosity's turret (key and detail images)

Curiosity's turret (key and detail images)
Curiosity's turret (key and detail images) On sol 32, Curiosity used its Mastcams to thoroughly visually check out the robotic arm turret and its many components, including the MAHLI and APXS science instruments, the drill, the Dust Removal Tool (DRT) and CHIMRA. Visit the full detail page (by clicking on the image) to see many more pictures of parts of the turret. NASA / JPL / MSSS / annotations by Emily Lakdawalla

Here are some detail images of the hardware, explained more thoroughly in these blog posts:

Curiosity's Turret: APXS detail views
Curiosity's Turret: APXS detail views Several different angles on the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) taken on sol 32.Image: NASA / JPL / MSSS
Curiosity's Turret: CHIMRA angle view
Curiosity's Turret: CHIMRA angle view CHIMRA is the sample sieving and portioning mechanism on Curiosity's turret. It is the assembly on the upper left of the turret as seen in this picture from sol 32.Image: NASA / JPL / MSSS
Curiosity's Turret: CHIMRA animation (scoop hardware)
Curiosity's Turret: CHIMRA animation (scoop hardware) This animation shows the CHIMRA soil scoop in its fully open position, and the scoop 1-millimeter sieve hardware in two different poses, plus the internal surfaces behind the sieves.Image: NASA / JPL / MSSS / Emily Lakdawalla
Curiosity's Turret: CHIMRA animation (150-micrometer sample path)
Curiosity's Turret: CHIMRA animation (150-micrometer sample path) This animation shows the 150-micrometer sieve and parts of the 150-micrometer sample path inside CHIMRA in two different poses.Image: NASA / JPL / MSSS / Emily Lakdawalla
Curiosity's Turret: Drill front and side views
Curiosity's Turret: Drill front and side views Curiosity has a percussive drill that pulverizes rock as it penetrates several centimeters into it. An auger mechanism delivers powdered rock from the drill to the CHIMRA sample handling system (to the right of the drill in the top view).Image: NASA / JPL / MSSS
Curiosity's Turret: Dust Removal Tool (DRT)
Curiosity's Turret: Dust Removal Tool (DRT) Curiosity's DRT is two wire brushes on a rotating turntable.Image: NASA / JPL / MSSS
Curiosity's Turret: several views of MAHLI
Curiosity's Turret: several views of MAHLI The Mars Hand Lens Imager or MAHLI is a high-resolution camera. In all views, its red-tinted dust cover is on. In the top view, four white LEDs are shining; these will help MAHLI illuminate shadowed targets. The bottom left view shows the spring-loaded contact sensors. The three wire baskets mechanically isolate MAHLI from the vibrating mechanisms of CHIMRA and the drill.Image: NASA / JPL / MSSS