Curiosity’s 42 Drill Holes

This composite brings together all 42 drill holes made by NASA’s Curiosity rover while collecting powdered rock samples in Gale Crater on Mars. Arranged as a chronological grid, the sequence begins with “John Klein,” drilled in February 2013, and concludes with “Kings Canyon,” drilled in August 2024.

Each opening is slightly more than 16 millimeters wide and was photographed by the Mars Hand Lens Imager mounted on Curiosity’s robotic arm. Variations in color, powder, cracks, chips, and surrounding rock transform the repeated circular form into a compact record of more than eleven years of Martian geological exploration.

Artwork Details

• Artist / Creator: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
• Title: Curiosity’s 42 Drill Holes
• Original title: Curiosity’s 42 Drill Holes
• Series: Mars Science Laboratory — Curiosity
• Date: Images acquired February 9, 2013–August 3, 2024; composite released September 3, 2024
• Period: Contemporary
• Place of Origin: Gale Crater, Mars
• Medium: Composite digital mosaic of MAHLI rover photographs

Framed Print Details

• Fine art printing: Professional 12-color fine art printing technology produces vivid, accurate colors with strong tonal depth and significantly greater nuance than standard 4-color inkjet printing.
• Paper: Smooth premium matte paper with a clean, glare-free finish.
• Paper weight: 200 gsm (80 lb).
• Paper thickness: 0.26 mm (10.3 mils).
• Frame material: Durable pine wood.
• Frame dimensions: Approximately 20 mm (0.79 in) deep and 10–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide.
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