Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Curiosity Rover Arrives At Long-Term Destination

Posted by Soulskill on from the now-kicking-back-and-relaxing dept.

When NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars, the mission team had a particular destination in mind: Mount Sharp. Just over two years and about nine kilometers of driving later, Curiosity has arrived at Mount Sharp. It will now begin its ascent of the mountain (PDF), first analyzing basal rocks with a "paintbrush" texture, then moving further to observe hematite-bearing rocks further up the slope. It will then proceed into an area laden with clay-bearing rocks, and finally to the upper reaches of the foothills, which contain rocks with magnesium sulfate in them. The team has selected routes and driving modes that they hope will slow the steadily accumulating damage to the rover's wheels.

4 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. Knee-jerk reaction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Days after being excoriated for essentially failing at their primary science mission, NASA announces it arrives at Mt. Sharp despite being several miles from the actual mountain.

    1. Re:Knee-jerk reaction by Teresita · · Score: 2

      There's no sharp boundary between the plain and Mt. Sharp.

    2. Re:Knee-jerk reaction by AJWM · · Score: 5, Interesting

      "the proposal lacked specific scientific questions to be answered, testable hypotheses, and proposed measurements and assessment of uncertainties and limitations."

      Sounds like the report was written by physicists, not geologists or biologists.

      I figure "we're going to look around, crack open a few rocks and do some chemical analyses to see what's there" is pretty good science.

      On the other hand I also wonder why in almost 40 years nobody has yet tried repeating the labeled-release experiment on Viking which tested positive per the pre-mission criteria for signs of life.

      --
      -- Alastair
  2. Re:2 years and nine kilometers... by Richy_T · · Score: 2

    I hear it was being driven by an 80 year old Floridian.

    Apparently it had its right-turn indicator on all the way.