Mudstone for silt (63 μm). On December 13, 2016, NASA reported further evidence supporting habitability on the planet Mars as the "Curiosity" rover climbed higher, studying younger layers, on Mount Sharp. Also reported, the very soluble element boron was detected for the first time on Mars. In June 2018, NASA reported that "Curiosity" had detected kerogen and other complex organic compounds from mudstone rocks approximately 3.5 billion years old. Mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to with individual grains too small to be distinguished without
Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory to the drill mechanism and the rover started moving again on December 9. The robotic arm is functional, and the "Curiosity" team performed diagnostics on the drill mechanism throughout 2017. On June 4, 2018, NASA announced that "Curiosity" ability to drill has been sufficiently restored by changing the drilling methods. Since September 15, 2018, a glitch in "Curiosity"'s active computer (Side-B) has prevented "Curiosity" from storing science and key engineering data. On October 3, 2018, the JPL began operating "Curiosity" on its backup computer (Side-A). "Curiosity" will store science and engineering data normally using its Side-A computer until the cause