Sol 1822: Onward and upward!
20 September 2017On Sol 1821, Curiosity successfully completed contact science activities at “Pennessewassee” and “Passadumkeag.” Perhaps in an effort to get to more easily pronounceable rock targets, today’s tactical team planned a nice long drive towards our next waypoint on… Read More
Sols 1818-1819: Brushfest
15 September 2017We are planning only 2 sols today because there will be a soliday on Sunday to get us back in sync with "Mars time" in Gale Crater. The focus of science planning this morning was on observations of the current workspace, including an experiment to acquire APXS and MAHLI data on a bedrock… Read More
Bittersweet Departure of Cassini Tomorrow
14 September 2017USGS Scientist Emeritus Randy Kirk reminisces about the Cassini spacecraft’s journey and discusses the end of the twenty-year mission in a KNAU interview. Artist Rendition of Cassini diving between Saturn and its innermost ring as part of the Grand Finale. Image Credit: NASA
NASA’s Verdict: Say Your Goodbyes to Cassini
11 September 2017On September 15, 2017, the Cassini spacecraft will be put to death. Scientists preplanned the spacecraft to crash into Saturn and Cassini will disintegrate in a burst of searing flame. Sadly, this will end its phenomenal journey of the exploration of the Saturn system. The demise of Cassini… Read More
The Science of Dunes: Where to Get Involved!
8 September 2017During this past May, many of the world’s leading dune authorities met in St. George, Utah to attend the Fifth International Planetary Dunes Workshop. If you weren’t there--then you missed out on some fun. Scientists and students meet at this biannual workshop to engage in… Read More
The Autobiography of Oppenheimer Crater
25 August 2017Oppenheimer crater, at 35.2°S, 166.3°W on the far side of the Moon, shows features such as cracks and low, dark-haloed volcanoes that suggest it must have lived an interesting young life to a ripe-old crater age. During its youth, I imagine it would rumble, swell, crack, hiss, blow smoke,… Read More
Sol 1795: Skirting around Vera Rubin Ridge
23 August 2017Curiosity is now tantalizingly close to climbing up Vera Rubin Ridge. For the past several weeks we have been skirting around the ridge, documenting sedimentary structures and bedrock composition along the way as we work toward our intended ascent route. Today’s plan provided… Read More
Upcoming Full Solar Eclipse in the U.S.
18 August 2017Monday, August 21, 2017, is drawing near when you can see the Moon completely cover the blazing sun, casting a shadow on Earth’s surface in a Total Solar Eclipse! This rare and spectacular view can be seen across the entire continent, although most people in the U.S., if not in the path of… Read More
Sol 1786: ChemCam anomaly
14 August 2017MSL drove over 32 meters last weekend, to a sandy area with a few bedrock blocks, but ChemCam suffered an anomaly and was marked sick after the acquisition of the first RMI mosaic of Vera Rubin Ridge. The instrument is in a safe state and turned off, but no other ChemCam observations were… Read More
Watching a Sleeping Giant
14 August 2017Sleeping giants, like the supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park, can reawaken even after many thousands of years have passed since their last eruption. Cataclysmic eruptions, like the one 630,000 years ago, could severely damage human infrastructure across half a continent and… Read More
