As soon as the NASA team visualized this rock they backed up NASA’s Curiosity Mars to investigate this high-silica target dubbed "Elk" in more detail. The decision was made after they analyzed data from two instruments, the laser-firing Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam) and Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN), which show elevated amounts of silicon and hydrogen, respectively. The high levels of silica found indicate perfect condition for preserving ancient organic material, if present, so the science team wants to take a closer look.
"One never knows what to expect on Mars, but the Elk target was interesting enough to go back and investigate," said Roger Wiens, the principal investigator of the ChemCam instrument from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Provided by: Andy Chavez, Valentina d'Empaire, Victoria Lella.