Tag Archives: Apikuni Mountain

Curiosity update: ‘Closing in on high-silica targets’

Sol 1055-1056, July 24, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ryan Anderson: The main priority in today’s plan is to nudge the rover a bit closer to the target “Buckskin”, which is in the area where we have discovered rocks high … Continue reading

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Curiosity: Outcrop scouting near Lion

Sol 1053, July 24, 2015. The Hazcam records the approach to the outcrop standing above the Lion target (light area in the center of the upper image), with Mt. Sharp in the background. At closer range (lower image), the outcrop … Continue reading

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Curiosity: Contact at Missoula

Sol 1051, July 22, 2015. Released as part of the news about Curiosity’s instruments finding silica-rich rocks is this mosaic of MAHLI images of the Missoula outcrop. Pale mudstone (bottom of outcrop) meets coarser sandstone (top) in this geological contact … Continue reading

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Curiosity: High-silica rocks found at Marias Pass

Approaching the third anniversary of its landing on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover has found a target unlike anything it has studied before — bedrock with surprisingly high levels of silica. Silica is a rock-forming compound containing silicon and oxygen, … Continue reading

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Curiosity: Mastcam at the Lion

Sol 1051, July 22, 2015. The Mastcam (using its 34mm wide-angle optics) shot a mosaic of frames covering the approach the Lion outcrop (lighter area at top left). Click the image for a larger version in a new tab. Sol … Continue reading

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Curiosity update: ‘Approaching Lion’

Sol 1051-1054, July 22, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ken Herkenhoff: After driving just over 20 meters, the rover stopped 4.4 meters short of the Sol 1049 drive goal because the vehicle pitch exceeded the 15-degree limit set by the … Continue reading

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Curiosity: Mt. Sharp & Marias Pass

Sol 1051, July 22, 2015. The Navcam has profiled the outcrops at Marias Pass, with Mt. Sharp in the background at left. The light-toned deposits in its upper elevations make it look snow-capped. (Click on the image above to load … Continue reading

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Curiosity update: ‘Test drill and drive’

Sol 1048-1050, July 17, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ken Herkenhoff: The Sol 1046 wheel imaging completed nominally, and the rover is a little over 1 meter from its previous location.  So the outcrop to the right of the vehicle … Continue reading

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Curiosity: ChemCam on sediments

Sol 1046, July 16, 2015. ChemCam shot a profile up and down a set of sedimentary layers (right) while the Navcam needed five frames to portray the wall of layers facing the rover. (Both images enlarge into new tabs when … Continue reading

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Curiosity update: ‘Wheel imaging’

Sol 1046-1047, July 15, 2015, update from USGS scientist Ken Herkenhoff: The 8.5-meter Sol 1044 drive completed as planned, leaving the rover in a relatively flat and smooth area [image at right] that is suitable for imaging of the wheels.  … Continue reading

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