Sol 665 Update On Curiosity From MSL Scientist Lauren Edgar: The Road Not Taken
19 June 2014On Sol 665 Curiosity is planning to drive through Robert Frost Pass into Moosilauke Basin. There is an hour of time for targeted science on Sol 665, which includes several ChemCam and Mastcam observations to characterize the local geology. The plan also includes some systematic DAN and REMS… Read More
Sol 662 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Resuming MSL Blog
18 June 2014I’m hoping to be able to resume blogging about MSL soon, but it will be difficult to report very frequently because of continuing personal and professional commitments. Fortunately, two other members of the MSL science team have volunteered to help with this blog: Ryan Anderson and Lauren… Read More
THEMIS Geodetically Controlled Mosaics Available from the USGS
3 June 2014THEMIS infrared geodetically controlled mosaics, updated spacecraft pointing and orientation information (i.e., preliminary smithed SPICE kernels), and supporting documentation are available for download and public use from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science… Read More
Sol 630 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: End of The Kimberley Campaign
14 May 2014Apologies for not blogging more frequently--my personal life has become more exciting and I'm going to have to take a break from this blog, at least for the next few months. So this will be my last blog for a while. MSL is completing the intensive investigation of The Kimberley, having… Read More
Sol 620 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Drill Hole Completed
6 May 2014I was SOWG Chair early last week, when we planned the mini drill hole. This complex operation required many hours for the tactical team to plan and review, so I was pretty exhausted when we were done. I've also had a lot of other business and personal work to do, so it's been difficult for me to… Read More
The 2014 Annual Planetary Geologic Mappers Meeting
28 April 2014Registration is now open for the 2014 Annual Planetary Geologic Mappers Meeting. Attendance by current NASA geologic mapping project PI’s is required, and other scientists and students interested in cartography, geologic mapping, and map related topical science are welcome! For more… Read More
Sol 611 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Selfie
25 April 2014The data returned from Sol 610 showed that the rover is stable, so the weekend plan includes lots of arm activities. On Sol 612, APXS and MAHLI will study the planned drill target before the Dust Removal Tool (DRT) brushes it off. Then MAHLI will image the brushed area before the APXS is placed… Read More
Sol 611 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Checking Stability
24 April 2014The rover bump went well, and the selected drill target is within reach. So the science team started planning various observations of the target, including MAHLI and APXS, to document its chemical composition and morphology before drilling. However, there were enough concerns about the rover… Read More
Sol 610 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Western Sky
23 April 2014The Sol 610 plan contains fairly simple, untargeted observations, including Mastcam and Navcam mosaics and a series of Navcam images of the western sky right after the sun sets behind Mt. Remarkable. Overnight, ChemCam will point at the dark sky and obtain calibration data, measuring thermal… Read More
Sol 608 - 609 Update On Curiosity From USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Waiting on Post-Drive Data
22 April 2014Sol 608 Planning: The drive and other activities planned for last weekend went well, and lots of nice images of the outcrop in front of the rover were received early Monday morning. While the strategic rover planners analyzed the data and began evaluating various candidate drill targets, the… Read More
