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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

"Rocknest," Curiosity sol 55

"Rocknest," Curiosity sol 55
"Rocknest," Curiosity sol 55 This sand drift, named Rocknest, became the target for Curiosity's first soil sampling. After taking this panorama on sol 55, Curiosity drove slightly to the right and then took a sharp left turn to prepare to position a front wheel on top of the nearest sand drift. Click through for the sol 56 view. NASA / JPL / Damia Bouic

Here's the same drift seen on sol 57, after Curiosity stepped on it:

Curiosity's bootprint on "Rocknest," sols 56-57
Curiosity's bootprint on "Rocknest," sols 56-57 On sol 55, Curiosity rolled up to a sand drift called "Rocknest." On sol 56, the rover rolled its right front wheel onto the drift's peak, locked the other five wheels, then "scuffed" the drift by rotating the right from wheel 30 degrees. Then it backed up and surveyed the result.Image: NASA / JPL / Emily Lakdawalla