The rover has a full toolbox, equipped with all the tools it needs to search for signs of ancient water and
climate. Pancam (a camera) and Mini-TES (an infrared
spectrometer) will survey the scene around the rover and look for the most interesting rocks and soils.
Three more instruments -- a Microscopic Imager and two spectrometers, the
Mössbauer and the APXS -- can be
placed against these rock and soil targets to learn about them in greater detail. The Rock
Abrasion Tool (a.k.a the RAT) can then be used to scrape away the outer layers of a rock to see what lies beneath.
