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- CRISM: Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars
- CTX: Context Camera
- HiRISE: High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment
- MARSIS: Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding
- SHARAD: Shallow Radar
- THEMIS: Thermal Emission Imaging System
missions
- All Mars missions list
- Curiosity rover
- ExoMars
- Hope (al-Amal) orbiter
- InSight
- Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission (MAVEN)
- Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)
- Mars Express (MEX)
- Mars Odyssey
- Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) / Mangalyaan
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)
- Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
- Perseverance Rover
- Tianwen-1 orbiter/rover
news
Weather at Gale Crater
Posted in Reports
Tagged Curiosity, Gale Crater, Mars Science Laboratory, MSL, NASA, temperature, weather
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Curiosity update: Science and good times at Rock Hall
Sol 2264, December 18, 2018, update by MSL scientist Kristen Bennett: We are still very excited and happy that the final drill hole, “Rock Hall,” on Vera Rubin Ridge was successful over the weekend. Now we get to analyze the drilled sample with rover instruments. We are planning one sol today, and the big event will be delivering some of the Rock Hall sample to the CheMin instrument.
Additionally, ChemCam LIBS is planned to target the drill hole to understand the chemistry, and a Mastcam 360-degree mosaic is planned to document the surroundings around the drill hole…. [More at link]
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Jura, Lairig Ghru, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Rock Hall, Vera Rubin Ridge
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THEMIS: Faulting and collapse in Sirenum Fossae
THEMIS Image of the Day, December 19, 2018. The linear depressions in this VIS image are part of Sirenum Fossae.
These depressions are called graben, which form by the down drop of material between two parallel faults. The faults are caused by tectonic stresses in the region.
Posted in Reports
Tagged Arizona State University, ASU, collapse features, faulting, graben, Mars Odyssey, NASA, Sirenum Fossae, tectonics, THEMIS, THEMIS Image of the Day, Thermal Emission Imaging System
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Curiosity: Scoping out Lairig Ghru
Sol 2262, December 16, 2018. A 1o x 2 raster pattern of Remote Micro-Imager (RMI) frames makes a composite picture of Lairig Ghru, a distant target on the slopes of Mt. Sharp. Click the image (4 MB) to enlarge it.
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Lairig Ghru, layers, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, sedimentary deposits, Vera Rubin Ridge
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InSight: Building a Mars Rock Garden
NASA’s InSight lander is due to set its first science instrument on Mars in the coming days. But engineers here on Earth already saw it happen — last week.
Like NASA’s Curiosity rover, InSight has a full-scale working model at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. This sister lander, aptly named ForeSight, lets the team test all operations before they happen on Mars.
To practice how InSight will place its instruments, JPL engineers built a Martian rock garden modeled on images from the spacecraft’s cameras. The team raked, shoveled and patted down a bed of crushed garnet intended to simulate Martian sand. They call the shaping of this gravel-like material “Marsforming.” [More at link]
[Ed. note: The above is a 360° video.]
Posted in Reports
Tagged Elysium Planitia, InSight, Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, NASA
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HiRISE: Chryse Chaos
Chryse Chaos. In planetary nomenclature, the term chaos means “distinctive area of broken terrain.” The general morphology of chaos is steep-sided mesas in close proximity. The interconnected channel forms erode, and mesas are created by erosion of the bounding channels.
Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]
Posted in Reports
Tagged Beautiful Mars, chaos, chaotic terrain, Chryse Chaos, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, mass wasting, MRO, NASA, University of Arizona
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Curiosity update: We have sample!
Sol 2263, December 18, 2018, update by MSL scientist Dawn Sumner: At the end of last week, the team made the call to drill the rock “Rock Hall,” and Curiosity had no problems drilling the target. The science team had been worried that this rock type, red Jura, might be particularly hard based on the observation that it commonly caps the highs on Vera Rubin Ridge. However, the drill reached its full commanded depth on our first attempt, and we are celebrating!
Today, the team planned a portioning test to make sure that there is sample powder in the drill and that it comes out in reliable volumes when Curiosity shakes its arm. This is the next step before delivering sample to the CheMin instrument for mineralogical analysis. The rover planners included an extra portioning activity consisting of sample delivery to one of SAM’s sample inlets with the cover closed. Based on prior SAM data… [More at link]
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Arnage, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Jura, Lairig Ghru, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Rock Hall, Vera Rubin Ridge
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THEMIS: Clouds on a summer’s day
THEMIS Image of the Day, December 18, 2018. During southern summer, clouds are a common occurrence over the south polar cap.
These dust clouds started as small dust devils visible near the top right corner of this VIS image.
Posted in Reports
Tagged Arizona State University, ASU, dust, dust clouds, dust devils, Mars Odyssey, NASA, south polar ice cap, south polar layered deposits, THEMIS, THEMIS Image of the Day, Thermal Emission Imaging System
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HiRISE: In Tikhonravov Crater
In Tikhonravov Crater. Tikhonravov is 386 kilometers in diameter and was named after Mikhail Tikhonravov, a Russian rocket scientist. It’s thought to have once held a giant lake that drained into the 4,500-kilometer long Naktong-Scamander-Mamers lake-chain system.
Beautiful Mars series. [More at links]
Posted in Reports
Tagged Beautiful Mars, crater lakes, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, HiRISE, Mamers Valles, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, Naktong Vallis, NASA, Scamander Vallis, Tikhonravov Crater, University of Arizona
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Curiosity: Drilling down on Rock Hall
Sols 2261-62, December 15-16, 2018. Curiosity’s drill sank into the slab of red Jura rock dubbed Rock Hall, excavating a nice pile of tailings. Click either image to enlarge it.
Posted in Reports
Tagged Aeolis Mons, Curiosity, Gale Crater, Mars Science Laboratory, Mount Sharp, MSL, Murray Formation, NASA, Rock Hall, Vera Rubin Ridge
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