NEWS Space and Aerospace
Curiosity's 48th drill: prospecting for minerals at Basque Lakes in the new Cache Creek quad
Retrospective coverage of Curiosity's 48th drill in Gale crater, at "Basque Lakes" in the newly entered Cache Creek quad of Mount Sharp, planned around an Earth planning date of Sept. 25, 2026 and published by NASA on Oct. 4, 2026. The rover handed powdered rock to its onboard labs; CheMin X-ray diffraction results were pending, with SAM analysis to follow, and the mineral answer will speak to how unusual the area's ancient lakes may have been.