Curiosity’s SAM Instrument

“Selfie” of the Curiosity rover with inset showing the SAM instrument prior to installation on the rover. In this image, the rover is in front of Mount Mercou, a 19.7-foot (6-meter) tall outcrop, and next to the “Nontron” sampling site. This area is in the transition region between the “clay-bearing unit” that the rover has finished exploring and the “sulfate-bearing unit” that the rover is now exploring.