NASA’s Curiosity rover is gearing up for a fresh phase of exploration on Mars, targeting a striking patch of surface features resembling spiderwebs. These structures, referred to as “boxwork deposits,” extend over an area of 10 to 20 kilometres and are believed to hold clues about the Red Planet’s ancient water systems, according to reports from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The investigation is expected to offer critical insights into Mars’ potential to have supported life in its distant past.

Insights from Boxwork Features

The rover recently concluded its exploration of Gediz Vallis, a channel on Mount Sharp’s slopes within Gale Crater, where it spent the last year. The JPL revealed that the region provided significant findings, including the discovery of pure sulphur crystals and wave-like rock formations, suggesting an ancient lake once existed there. A 360-degree panoramic image taken by the rover marked the completion of this leg of the mission.

Boxwork formations, according to a Live Science report, form when mineral-rich water fills rock crevices, hardens, and later erodes. Kirsten Siebach, a Curiosity mission scientist at Rice University, explained in the JPL statement that these formations “include minerals that crystallized underground, where salty liquid water once flowed.” It was highlighted that such conditions may have supported microbial life on early Earth, making this exploration a key step in studying Mars’ history.

On Earth, similar features are observed in caves, including those in Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. However, Martian boxwork structures are significantly larger, stretching for miles, and were shaped by ancient mineral-rich lakes and oceans instead of groundwater seepage, reports suggest.

Mission Timeline

Curiosity, which landed on Mars in 2012, has travelled over 33 kilometres and outlived its initial mission timeline by a decade. Its exploration of the boxwork region is set to begin in early 2025, with researchers aiming to uncover evidence of Mars’ watery past and assess the planet’s potential for having harboured life.