Curiosity - The Next Mars Lander

  • Thread starter FoolKiller
  • 478 comments
  • 40,702 views
Opportunity has operated on Mars 36 times longer than the planned three months.

Curiosity will outlive us all.
 
Oppo and Spirit are just proofs that NASA still has unmatched competence on the planetary science front. I'd bet that Curiosity will still be rovin' and samplin' when the next rover arrives in 2020-2021.

Anyway, congrats Oppo! :cheers:
 
At the center of this image from NASA's Curiosity rover is the hole in a rock called "John Klein" where the rover conducted its first sample drilling on Mars. The drilling took place on Feb. 8, 2013, or Sol 182, Curiosity's 182nd Martian day of operations. Several preparatory activities with the drill preceded this operation, including a test that produced the shallower hole on the right two days earlier, but the deeper hole resulted from the first use of the drill for rock sample collection.

725705main_pia16726-946.jpg
 
I'm just fascinated how the planet is so red but you dig into it and it's definitely not the same as the exterior...
 
I'm just fascinated how the planet is so red but you dig into it and it's definitely not the same as the exterior...

Keep in mind, it is red due to oxidization (rust). Ever sand a rusted spot before applying a sealant or paint?
 
Wow. Follow that link in the above post, then follow the link in the article for the interactive 360. You can zoom right down into things linke reflections on the lenses, follow cables and wiring.... very cool.
 
Results coming out from Curiosity at the moment on NASA Tv.

linky

Apparently Curiosity has found some of the key ingredients for life! Finding water and a chemical energy source.

Here is the JPL report
 
An habitable environment found. I've been watching the press conference and all of it is just so amazing!

There was a "comparative" question just now, about the WHEN was that environment habitable (compared to Earth) and the answer is that they still can't tell but they suspect the "habitability" of Mars (at least, in that location) could've happened at around the same time similar conditions started to happen on Earth.

For anyone interested in following the conference, here the link:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html
 
You'd swear from that second Mars pic is from somewhere like the Sahara.
 
Back