The Curiosity rover on Mars is in the midst of its ninth drilling campaign since landing on the Red Planet a little over three years ago. The drilling operation is part of the rover’s ascent of the slopes of Mount Sharp to present scientists with a look at the different periods of ancient Martian environments that – even for extended periods – provided all ingredients needed for harboring life.

NASA’s MSL Curiosity rover passed the 1,000-Sol mark on Saturday, having been roving the Martian surface for 1,000 Mars days since its landing in August 2012. The rover remains in very good condition in the midst of its extended science mission that aims to explore the different layers of Aeolis Mons, the large mountain in the middle of Gale Crater, to obtain a detailed record of a changing Martian environment over the planet’s evolution from a warm and wet world that may have harbored life to the deserted and cold place Curiosity can observe today.