Tag Archives: MSL

Curiosity update: Atop another (smaller) ridge

Posted on February 1, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2308-10, February 1, 2019, update by MSL scientist Vivian Sun: Curiosity successfully completed her drive yesterday and is currently parked on top of one of the ridges (“Knockfarril Hill”) in the clay-bearing unit. One of the mysteries of the … Continue reading →

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Weather at Gale Crater

Posted on February 1, 2019 by rburnham
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Curiosity: Looking ahead, and farther ahead

Posted on February 1, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2306, January 31, 2019. Curiosity’s Navcam took a composite showing the rolling surface of the clay-bearing unit directly before the rover (above), while the Remote Micro-Imager looked off into the distance to profile a hill (below).  Click either image … Continue reading →

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Curiosity measures a Mars mountain’s gravity

Posted on January 31, 2019 by rburnham

Ed. note: More about this result here, here, and here. Apollo 17 astronauts drove a moon buggy across the lunar surface in 1972, measuring gravity with a special instrument. There are no astronauts on Mars, but a group of clever … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Stepping up to the edge

Posted on January 31, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2306-07, January 30, 2019, update by MSL engineer Ashley Stroupe: In today’s plan, Curiosity is venturing further into the clay unit territory. Prior to departure, we’ll be looking at several targets with Mastcam color and ChemCam to try to … Continue reading →

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Curiosity: Scoping Greenheugh

Posted on January 30, 2019 by rburnham

Sol 2304, January 29, 2019. Curiosity used its Remote Micro-Imager to scope out a distant butte dubbed Greenheugh. Note the layers of sedimentary rocks. Click the image to enlarge it. Sol 2304 raw images (from all cameras).

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Curiosity update: In the clay unit

Posted on January 30, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2304-05, January 29, 2019, update by MSL scientist Christopher Edwards: Today’s plan found Curiosity solidly in new territory and the view couldn’t be more different than the patchy bedrock of the Vera Rubin Ridge. The workspace for the next … Continue reading →

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Weather at Gale Crater

Posted on January 30, 2019 by rburnham
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Curiosity: Farewell to Vera Rubin Ridge

Posted on January 28, 2019 by rburnham

NASA’s Curiosity rover has taken its last selfie on Vera Rubin Ridge and descended toward a clay region of Mount Sharp. The twisting ridge on Mars has been the rover’s home for more than a year, providing scientists with new … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Looking forward to the clay-bearing unit

Posted on January 28, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2301-03, January 28, 2019, update by MSL scientist Ryan Anderson: This weekend’s plan started off on Sol 2301 with some Mastcam atmospheric observations, followed by ChemCam analysis of “Loch Ness” and “Loch Skeen,” examples of brown and gray bedrock. … Continue reading →

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