Tag: MSL
-
Year In Review, 2017 (Part II): Rovers, orbiters peel away Mars’ secrets & reveal new mysteries
For solar and space weather science, 2017 was a major boon to understanding how Coronal Mass Ejections form, travel through space, and affect Earth. But Earth wasn’t the only planet this year that gave scientists a front row seat to solar storms. Thanks to the fleet of orbiters and rovers at Mars, the Red Planet…
-
Mars 2020 rover receives upgraded eyesight for tricky skycrane landing
When NASA’s next Mars rover – Mars 2020 – arrives at the red planet in four years, it will sport a new and upgraded vision to aide its onboard systems and targeting parameters for the all-important, incredibly technical, and somewhat heart pounding skycrane and winch landing onto the surface of Mars. The rover is currently…
-
Mars 2020 Rover builds momentum via contract awards
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is making progress with the build up of Mars 2020 Rover, with contract awards for instrumentation and hardware. Following the recent announcement Space Systems Loral (SSL) will design and build the camera focus mechanisms, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has been tasked with the design and manufacture the Skycrane descent brake. Mars 2020 Rover:…
-
Year In Review, Part 3: The Waters of Mars herald future exploration goals
With the abundance of discoveries in planetary science this year, none was truly more important to the future of human exploration of other planets than the long-awaited confirmation that liquid water flows on the surface of present-day Mars. The discovery by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter came during a year of increased public attention toward Martian exploration…
-
Curiosity confirms organics on Mars; Opportunity’s 10 year anniversary
Mars dominated planetary research headlines in 2014 as an international fleet of orbiters and NASA’s two rovers returned unparalleled scientific research on the Red Planet. In 2014, scientists marked Opportunity’s 10-year anniversary on Mars, watched the near miss of comet Siding Spring, and announced Curiosity’s groundbreaking confirmation of the presence of organics on the surface…
-
Mars rover detects methane spike, organic molecules
STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS “SPACE PLACE” & USED WITH PERMISSION Artist’s concept of the Curiosity rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Carefully analyzing data collected by NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover, scientists discovered a sudden, unexpected spike in methane levels in the martian atmosphere over a two-month period one year ago, researchers announced Tuesday. The roving science lab also has…
-
Curiosity EDL data to provide 2020 Mars Rover with super landing skills
Lessons learned from the impressive Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) are set to provide the next NASA Rover with improved landing skills. Although the 2020 Mars Rover will have a similar appearance to Curiosity, she will sport new scientific payloads and additional capabilities – not least the potential to…
-
Curiosity marks completion of first Martian year of operations
Tuesday marks a milestone anniversary for NASA’s Curiosity rover – one full Martian year on the surface of the red planet. In the span of just 687 short Earth-days, Curiosity has marked several firsts and important scientific discoveries on Mars as she heads toward her primary scientific target of Mount Sharp in the Gale Crater.…
-
Large international interest in riding with NASA’s next Rover
The next NASA rover to be sent to the surface of Mars has received twice the usual amount of proposals for carrying science and exploration technology instruments. The agency is reviewing a total of 58 submitted proposals, 17 of which came from international partners, ahead of a proposed mission in 2020. The 2020 Rover: Announced…
-
YIR (Part III) – Mars exploration continues; India joins an elite club
2013 was another year dominated by the increase in robotic exploration of humanity’s most sought-after and elusive terrestrial neighbor. With two active rovers, a fleet of orbiting vehicles, and two new missions in 2013, Mars exploration continues to pave the way for the next generation of crewed space exploration. ESA’s Mars Express: For the European…