Monthly Archives: April 2018

Curiosity: Edge of the ridge and outcrops

Posted on April 30, 2018 by rburnham

Sol 2036, April 29, 2018. Curiosity drove about 28 meters (92 feet) to the northwest along the ridge. In the center distance of this Navcam end-of-drive composite stand outcrop faces, targets for this week if all goes as planned. Click … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Channeled southern highlands

Posted on April 30, 2018 by rburnham

This enhanced color image shows the heavily channeled and ancient southern highlands of Mars. The elongated and jagged features are windblown dunes, perhaps hardened and eroded. [More at link]

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Opportunity: Aiming at Allende

Posted on April 30, 2018 by rburnham

Sol 5070, April 29, 2018. On the weekend, Opportunity turned to square up to its next target, a rock dubbed Allende (arrow), seen in the Navcam view above. At right is a false-color (Holger Isenberg) Pancam view showing Allende in … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Tracking dune-alcove changes within Chasma Boreale dunes

Posted on April 30, 2018 by rburnham

Tracking dune-alcove changes within Chasma Boreale dunes. Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]

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THEMIS: Winding channel in Arabia Terra

Posted on April 30, 2018 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, April 30, 2018. This VIS image shows one of the numerous unnamed channels located in northern Arabia Terra. More THEMIS Images of the Day by geological topic.

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InSight launch set for May 5

Posted on April 28, 2018 by rburnham

NASA’s next mission to Mars, Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight), is scheduled to launch Saturday, May 5, on a first-ever mission to study the heart of the Red Planet. Coverage of prelaunch and launch activities … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: Down the ridge she comes

Posted on April 28, 2018 by rburnham

Sols 2036-37, April 27, 2018, update by MSL scientist Michelle Minitti: Curiosity continues to pick her way downhill off the “Vera Rubin Ridge” and onto the Murray formation rocks below. This weekend’s plan only covers two sols, to give Earth … Continue reading →

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MAVEN: Deep-dip campaign #9 begins

Posted on April 27, 2018 by rburnham

MAVEN has begun its ninth deep dip campaign by performing two entry maneuvers to place the spacecraft into a corridor where Mars’ atmospheric density is between 2.0 – 3.5 kg/km³. The two deep dip entry maneuvers consisted of a 4.5 … Continue reading →

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Opportunity: Moving into place

Posted on April 27, 2018 by rburnham

Sol 5068, April 27, 2018. Mission controllers have been driving Opportunity to where the rover can examine both the vesicular rocks and the tabular ones with comparative ease. So they drove the rover uphill, then turned, and went to the … Continue reading →

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Mars 2020 rover: Heat shield cracked in testing

Posted on April 27, 2018 by rburnham

A post-test inspection of the composite structure for a heat shield to be used on the Mars 2020 mission revealed that a fracture occurred during structural testing. The mission team is working to build a replacement heat shield structure. The … Continue reading →

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