Mars Travel: Mars Science Laboratory

Showing posts with label Mars Science Laboratory. Show all posts

Mars Science Laboratory's First Autonomous Drive

On Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity's 376th sol on Mars (August 27 2013) the rover completed its first autonomous drive on Mars, when its computers chose a route and drove the rover for 10 meters (33 feet) through previously uncharted terrain before stopping. This feature analyzes photos taken by MSL to determine a safe path ahead, enabling the rover to safely and efficiently cover ground on its own, without guidance from human controllers. This technology can identify safe routes beyond what human controllers are able to assess; thus MSL can move further every drive.

As Mark Maimore, MSL driver and mobility engineer, explained "Curiosity takes several sets of stereo pairs of images, and the rover's computer processes that information to map any geometric hazard or rough terrain. The rover considers all the paths it could take to get to the designated endpoint for the drive and chooses the best one."

Below is a mosaic of many images taken immediately following that drive. Click the image to see it in high resolution.

Mosaic of images taken by MSL on its 376th Sol on Mars. East is left and North is right (Southwest is center)
Source: NASA/JPL (Click Image for High Resolution Version)

The large mound in the left of the image is not Mount Sharp, but rather it is called Discovery Ridge and contains rocks no larger than .3 meters (1 foot) in diameter. The rise to the right of Discovery Ridge is wind-deposited material that has accumulated on the surface. This accumulation of material is approximately 4 meters (13 feet) long and lies approximately 10 meters (33 feet) from Curiosity.

MSL Curiosity - One Year on Mars

One year ago today Mars Science Laboratory touched down on Mars. Since August 5th 2012 Curiosity has transmitted over 190 gigabits of data, sending more than 70,000 images back to Earth. Not only that, but Curiosity has driven over one mile and fired its laser 75,000 times at 2,000 different targets.

Click for larger image from NASA/JPL

With all that activity, many discoveries have been made, the most important of which have been identified in NASA's infographic on the right. Click the image to see the larger version from NASA.

While MSL's overall mission is to scale Mount Sharp at the center of Gale Crater and study it's various layers, the science team decided to examine nearby outcrops Glenelg and Yellow Knife which is where many of the discoveries to date have been made.

One of the most significant discoveries was that Mars once had an environment that was conducive to microbial life, but that Mars somehow lost most of it's atmosphere "through processes that occurred at the top of the atmosphere" (NASA)

The next NASA mission to Mars, Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN), launches in November of this year and will attempt to determine what caused the atmosphere to bleed into space billions of years ago.

MSL Curiosity has also discovered evidence of an ancient streambed in the form of smooth, rounded sedimentary rocks, that likely rolled with a current for many miles. Bedrock, made up of millions of smaller compacted sediments has been discovered. This type of compaction is only known to occur in the presence of flowing water.

Further evidence that Mars once contained water has been found in the form of "gravels, streambed deposits, an unusual type of possibly volcanic rock, water-transported sand dunes, mudstones, and cracks filled with mineral veins." (NASA)

For a better understanding of MSL Curiosity's one mile journey, take a look at the below annotated image from NASA.

Click to see a larger version of this annotated image from NASA

MSL Curiosity's journey began one year ago today, and in that time it has traveled one mile and made numerous discoveries. The next year will see the rover complete its primary goal of scaling Mount Sharp and provide even more insight into the past and current environment on Mars. Who knows what amazing discoveries will be made in the next year!

Mars Photo of the Day - 30 Sep 2012

Today's Image of Mars was taken by MSL Curiosity; it shows further evidence that water once existed on Mars. What you see here are remnants of an ancient riverbed on Mars, including the prominent rock outcrop Hottah, named after Hottah Lake in Canada's Northwest Territories.

Click to see full size original
Source: NASA/JPL

This rock outcrop is a sedimentary conglomerate, meaning that it is comprised of small fragments cemented together. The outcrop is tilted up due to some sort of disruption, most likely as a result of nearby impacts and their associated tremors.

We can tell that this used to be an ancient stream because of the size and rounded shape of the small rocks/gravel and the fact that small bits of the gravel and sand sized grains are cemented into the outcrop. Because some of the cemented gravel is round and too large to have been transported by the wind, scientists believe that it was transported by fast moving water, which is further evidence for this once having been a stream/river.

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Mars Photo of the Day - 26 Sep 2012

Today's image of Mars is of the first rock examined in earnest by Mars Science Laboratory, Jake Matijevik. The odd, 25cm tall pyramid shaped rock is named after the late surface operations systems chief engineer, who passed away on 20 Aug 2012. He had worked on all three other rovers, Sojourner, Spirit, and Opportunity.

The rock Jake was used to test and calibrate some of Mars Science Laboratory's many tools, including the laser attached to the rover's ChemCam instrument, which determines the rocks chemical composition by analyzing the vaporized particles.

On 24 Sep 2012 MSL Curiosity finished up it's examination of Jake and began its longest drive thus far on the Mars, 42 meters. Over the next few days and weeks, scientists hope to test the rest of Curiosity's instruments, including it's scooping system and drill, which scientists hope will give them unprecedented insight into the composition of surface materials on Mars, as well as material that may lie right below the surface.

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Studying MSL's Tracks Will Help Future Missions to Mars

Take a look at this remarkable image from HiRISE showing Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity and the tracks it made during the first few drives in Gale Crater. Scientists will be keeping a close eye on these tracks so as to track the rate of surface change on Mars.

Click to see high resolution version from HiRISE.

Unlike Earth's Moon, Mars does have wind and other weather, so tracks will get covered up. Examining these tracks will let scientists determine the quantity and frequency of dust deposits in Gale Crater, as well the rate of erosion. Knowing how often features on the surface of Mars can change or be covered up will help current and future missions to Mars; let me explain how:

Imagine a Mars rover takes a long distance shot and sees something slightly protruding out of the surface. If we have a good idea of the rate of change on Mars then we can determine how long that feature will be there before getting covered up. If it will be covered up in a matter of days then it would become a higher priority then something that might be visible for a few weeks or months.

If you send a manned mission to Mars it is essential that they are knowledgeable about the rate of surface change. If you were going to take a walk on Mars you would make some reference points so as not to get lost. If you weren't aware of the rate of change you might use a field of hematite (blueberries) to the right of base camp as a reference point, not realizing that it might be covered up in a couple hours. You could get lost because you didn't know how fast something could get covered up!

As you can see, images like the one above are essential to our understanding of Mars and could help us save the lives of future explorers and billions in hardware!

See Other Images of Tracks on Mars!

Mars Photo of the Day - 25 Aug 2012

Today's Image of Mars shows the first tracks left by Mars Science Laboratory since it's arrival in Gale Crater. On 22 Aug 2012 MSL made it's first drive, moving to a spot 4.5m from it's landing site before rotating 120 degrees and reversing 2.5m. The rover is now 6m away from it's landing site, which is now called Bradbury Landing.

Unlike on the Moon, these tracks will likely be covered up in the weeks and months to come because of weather on Mars. The most likely ways these tracks will be erased is by a dust devil or dust storm, a weather phenomena that is a frequent occurrence on Mars.

To the left and right of the track marks you can see marks left from the descent stage landing. At the top of this image close to the center you can see the lower slopes of Mount Sharp, MSL's ultimate destination. Clicking on this image will take you to the original high resolution image from NASA.

Credit: NASA/JPL

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Mars Photo of the Day - 19 Aug 2012

Today's Image of Mars shows Mars Science Laboratory's landing site and it's most immediate destination, Glenelg. This area was chosen because it marks the area where three different types of terrain intersect:

Credit: HiRISE with overlays from NASA. Click for high resolution version

1. In the top right you see the brighter terrain, which scientists are interested in because it may be a type of bedrock that Curiosity can eventually try and drill into.

2. The bottom right shows terrain that scientists believe is harder and older than the surrounding terrain. Scientists know this because the terrain has many more small impact sites from meteors, which is generally an indicator of an older surface area.

3. The next type of terrain is found at MSL's landing site and scientists are interested to see if it is duplicated at Glenelg.

But why was the name Glenelg chosen? Because MSL will be visiting the area twice, both coming and going, and the word glenelg is a palindrome, meaning it is spelled the same backward as it is forward.

Following MSL's examination of Glenelg, the rover will begin its southward drive toward the base of Mount Sharp!

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Mars Photo of the Day - 15 Aug 2012

Today's Image of Mars shows Mars Science Laboratory and the surrounding terrain in color, as taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera. The blue in this image would look grey to the human eye, but the color was enhanced to make differentiating terrain easier.

Mount Sharp, MSL's ultimate destination is outside of this frame to the southeast, where up is North. To give you an idea of scale, MSL is about 300m from the bottom of the image. As MSL moves south toward Mount Sharp, it will encounter much different terrain, including dune fields. In the days, weeks, and months to come MSL will study this terrain and the material that makes it up, providing us an unprecedented close up look at the clays and sulfates making up the base of Mount Sharp.

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The View From MSL Curiosity's Gale Crater Landing Site

As Mars Science Laboratory looks around its landing spot in Gale Crater, what does it see? This!

You need to click on the image to see it in magnificent high resolution! Just looking at it you can see that the terrain looks very similar to something you might see in the southwestern United States. This mosaic combines 79 different images taken by MSL's Mastcam since the rover's arrival on Mars. The black overlays you see are areas that were unable to be processed or which were lost during transmission back to Earth.

What can we see of note in this image?

We can see the area excavated by the blast of MSL's descent stage engines. Of most interest to scientists is the uppermost layer of fine material embedded with rock fragments. The characteristics of the exposed sediments will tell scientists a lot about the conditions under which they formed and will give them a greater understanding of the past Martian environment.

In the mosaic you can also see the rim of Gale Crater about 18 km north of MSL. There you can see where a network of valleys are thought to have entered into Gale Crater in the distant past.

This is actually the first time that a river system has been imaged from the surface of Mars! MSL will not be investigating this particular fluvial system because it's main target, Mount Sharp, is to the south, but the images it provides from this distance are still the most detailed images we have and will tell us a lot about Martian river systems!

In the days and weeks to come there will be much more to discover about Gale Crater! Keep checking back for the latest and greatest!

Mars Photo of the Day - 10 Aug 2012

Today's Image of Mars shows where all the hardware for Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) ended up 24 hours after landing. If you click on this image you can see the HiRISE high resolution image, in which you can spot the parachute, back shell, heat shield, sky crane, and MSL itself!

The reason you see dark patches is because the impact and/or the thrusters blew away the light surface layering of dust, revealing the darker soil underneath.

[See a related caption from HiRISE]

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Mars Photo of the Day - 6 Aug 2012

Today's Image of Mars comes from Mars Science Laboratory and shows Mount Sharp, the 5.5km high central uplift of Gale Crater. MSL will be studying Mount Sharp as it attempts to determine whether Mars once did, or still does have the building blocks for life.

Click to see the high res image from MSL Curiosity
Source: NASA/JPL

Mount Sharp's base is thought to be at least 2 billion years old and it is contains numerous layers of clays and sulfates, two materials that are only known to form in the presence of water. The layers directly on top of those are comprised primarily of sulfates, with very few clays, which implies that they were formed in an environment where Mars was becoming drier and water was evaporating.

By studying these layers scientists can verify that Gale Crater once contained a lake of water. They will also give us insight as to the time frame the water begin disappearing from the surface of Mars! There is so much that MSL will learn from examining Mount Sharp; what it will find only time will tell!

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First Two MSL Images of Mars

The first two images from Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity Mars' Gale Crater are of the rover's wheel and the other is of it's shadow! This is incredible! Within minutes of MSL touching down it sent back these images! The landing went off remarkably well!

See all raw images sent back by MSL Curiosity!

Mars Science Laboratory Lands - Live Updates

UPDATE: MSL Landing was successful! The first two images returned can be seen by following this link. The post landing News Conference can be viewed below around 0230EDT, where I have changed the video to that of SpaceFlight Now's Live Streaming one!

. Mars Travel will be live tweeting the Entry Descent and Landing of Mars Science Laboratory, as well as the subsequent NASA news conference. You can watch NASA TV below for video updates, while following live tweets in the right sidebar! The first commentary for the mission will be aired live at 2330EDT, just over 2 hours before touch down!

Touchdown will be confirmed at 0131EDT on 6 Aug 2012! Alan Chen will be the voice of mission control.

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Watch live streaming video from spaceflightnow at livestream.com

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MSL Curiosity - The First Week

MSL Curiosity - The First Week

When Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity begins its entry, descent and landing (EDL) it will go through 7 minutes of terror, as the largest payload ever to touch down on Mars slows from over 21,000 to 3.6km/hr as it maneuvers to the surface. If all goes to plan we will get confirmation of MSL touchdown at 0131:37EDT (0531:37UT) in Gale Crater near the base of Mount Sharp, thus beginning the most heavily anticipated Mars mission since Mariner 4 first imaged the Red Planet in July 1965.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express will be in position to image MSL during the different stages of EDL. It will begin monitoring MSL 45 minutes prior to it entering the Martian atmosphere and continue to do so after touchdown. The ESA will be working extensively with NASA throughout MSL's mission. [Details of ESA-NASA cooperation]

Click for larger image with stages of MSL's Entry, Descent & Landing
Credit: ESA/Mars Express

Upon landing MSL will remain in position for approximately 5 days, during which time mission control will ensure the ground right below the rover is safe to drive on. They will also use this time to deploy the high gain antenna, mast and sampling system, while ensuring that everything else deployed properly and is in working order. To get an idea of what MSL is carrying, click the image to your right.

Following the initial system checks MSL will make its first drive through uncharted Martian terrain and begin work to determine if the conditions on Mars were or still are favorable to life.

As many scientists have proclaimed. The most exciting aspect of MSL's mission is that we really don't know what we'll find in Gale Crater! One thing is for sure; MSL's journey will be new, informative, and exciting, as exploration of the unknown always is!

So what exactly is MSL looking for on Mars?

What is Mars Science Lab Looking for?

Below is an image pointing out clays and sulfates in the lower portion of Mount Sharp within Gale Crater. Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity is set to land in Gale Crater on Monday 6 Aug at 0100ET. From there MSL will begin examining the surrounding terrain, with special emphasis on the clay minerals and sulfates because those were likely formed during a period when Mars was more hospitable to life as we know it.

Source: Space.com

We know this because clays and sulfates are formed in the presence of water. Orbital studies of Gale Crater have indicated that the water that once filled the crater was less acidic than in other areas previously studied on Mars. Water is more hospitable to life when it is less acidic, so scientists hope that examining the clays and sulfates formed in that water will tell them whether Mars was, or still is a conducive environment to life as we know it.

A lot of people think that Mars Science Laboratory was sent to Mars to find life, but this isn't the case. It is landing on Mars to determine if the conditions on Mars were or still are favorable to life. That doesn't mean MSL couldn't find life, it just means that it isn't searching for it.

Source: NASA/JPL

So why does Mars Science Laboratory's mission matter? If we find out that Mars was or still is an environment that can sustain life, it will raise our hopes that it did once contain life. The mission will examine the layers in Mount Sharp, giving us a better understanding of the timeframe during which the water on Mars disappeared. If we know when the water on Mars disappeared we can better determine why and perhaps learn how to prevent such a catastrophe from happening to us on Earth!

When we determine how long ago water was abundant on Mars we can start narrowing down our search for life by only examining sediments and other material formed during those time periods since water is generally thought to be necessary for the development of life. So Mars Science Laboratory is key to understanding more about the past on Mars and in the solar system!

Learn why MSL's Entry Descent and Landing will be 7 minutes of terror!

Entry, Descent & Landing for Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity - 7 Minutes of Terror

When Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity performs its entry, descent and landing (EDL) sequence, it will be 7 minutes of terror.

"EDL is referred to as the 7 minutes of terror because we've got literally 7 minutes to get from the top of the atmosphere to the surface of Mars. Going from 13000 miles per hour to 0, in perfect sequence, perfect choreography, perfect timing... If any one things doesn't work just right it's game over" - Tim Revellini, EDL Engineer for MSL Curiosity.

Below is the NASA/JPL video about landing Curiosity on Mars. Touchdown is anticipated at 0131 ET on 6 Aug 2012!

Mars Science Laboratory Mission

Mars Photo of the Day - Apr 7 2012

Today's Image of Mars comes from HiRISE and shows the Northwest part of the ellipse where Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity has a 99% chance of landing. This ellipse was showcased in a previous Mars Photo of the Day.

The imaged area is located at the base of Gale Crater's central mound, Mount Sharp, which the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Express, and Mars Odyssey Orbiter have determined is rich in clays and sulfates, both of which can only be formed in the presence of water. The plan is to have Mars Science Laboratory examine these clays and sulfates to help scientists get a better picture of what the environment on Mars used to be like. Doing this will help to determine whether Mars was once hospitable to life and whether it may still be.

Clicking on this image will take you to all other images of Gale Crater showcased by Mars Travel.

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Mars Photo of the Day - Apr 1 2012

Today's Image of Mars shows the landing site for Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity at the foot of Mount Sharp, the 5km high central mound in Gale Crater. The turquoise line shows the expected path of MSL after it lands and begins navigating its way up Mount Sharp. The black oval measures about 20km by 25km and is the area in which MSL Curiosity has a 99% probability of landing.

The lowest portion of Mount Sharp is comprised of clays and sulfates, materials which are formed in the presence of water. The overlying layers contain sulfates, but very little clay, indicative of an environment in which water was evaporating and Mars was becoming drier. Scientists hope that studying Mount Sharp's layers can provide insights into the past Martian climate and give them a better idea as to whether Mars was once, or may still be habitable.

This image combines data from the High Resolution Stereo Camera on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter, with data from the Context Camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and color information from the Viking Orbiter. Clicking on this image will take you to the original higher resolution image from NASA. [See the NASA article on Mount Sharp]

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Mars Photo of the Day - Nov 26 2011

Today's Image of Mars shows part of Mars at the boundary between night and day. You can see Gale Crater is beginning to feel the first rays of morning light. It is the crater in the center with the large central mound.

This will be the landing spot for Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity when it touches down in August 2012. [Learn More About Mars Science Laboratory's Mission]

This image was created using information from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter, which flew on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter.

Clicking on this image will take you to the original NASA Image of the Day. I highly recommend that you click on it because theirs is much larger.

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Mars Science Laboratory Mission

Now that we have a successful launch of Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, here is a repost about its mission!

MSL Curiosity will be the most complex and scientifically advanced robot to ever explore the surface of another planet. See below for a diagram of MSL Curiosity and all of its instruments.

For a description of everything on the payload click the image.
Source: NASA/JPL

For specifics on the launch and navigation I highly recommend you read Universe Today's How Will MSL Navigate to Mars? Very Precisely

But where on Mars with MSL Curiosity land?

Curiosity is set to land in Gale Crater on Mars between August 6 and August 20, 2012 and has an expected operation time of 668 Martian sols (686 Earth Days). Gale Crater is 150 kilometers (~93.21 miles) in diameter, so there is a lot of space for Curiosity to land, but fortunately NASA has given us a better idea! See below for approximately where in Gale Crater MSL Curiosity will land.

Gale Crater with Landing Site Outlined
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/HiRISE

What will Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity study in Gale Crater?

Gale Crater contains an enormous mound near the center that rises even higher than the southern rim of the crater. It rises 5.5 km above the northern crater floor and 4.5 km above the southern crater floor. The mound contains many layers; it is estimated that its foundation may be as old as 2 billion years old. Curiosity will be able to examine these different layers and determine at which point, if any, Mars was able to support life. It is speculated that the mound is what remains of sedimentary layers that once filled the entire crater and that these were initially deposited on a lake bed.

A look at the lower portion of Gale Crater's central mound
Image Source: NASA

As you can see from the labels, the lowest portion of the mound is comprised of clays and sulfates, materials which are formed in the presence of water. The overlying layers contain sulfates, but very little clay, implying they were formed in an environment in which water was evaporating and Mars was becoming drier.

What does the MSL Team hope to find?

Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program claims that Gale Crater was chosen from all candidate landing sites because "the site holds a diversity of features and layers for investigating changing environmental conditions, some of which could inform a broader understanding of habitability on ancient Mars." He also states that "Gale gives us attractive possibilities for finding organics," but points out that it is still unlikely we will find organic life still living on Mars.

Regardless of whether Curiosity discovers past or present life on Mars it is a great step toward manned exploration of Mars. The discoveries that Curiosity makes will at the very least give us a better understanding of the Martian past and its habitability. Knowing this will enable us to plan for future missions to Mars.