NASA today celebrated the one year (Earth year) anniversary of Mars rover Curiosity’s landing on Mars. The rover’s landing was a technical feat for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), who celebrated with plenty…
Mars Rover Curiosity Rolls Toward Its First Anniversary
On August 6, 2012, Mars rover Curiosity landed on the red planet, in a site called Gale Crater. The event was cause for immediate celebration for those who had worked for years to send the rover to Mars, but researchers…
Mars Rover Curiosity’s First Year in First-Person
Next week will mark the one-year (Earth year) anniversary of Mars rover Curiosity’s Mars landing. The rover has performed admirably, and all of its instruments have been successfully tested on the surface of the red planet. It has also, in…
Most “Centaurs” Are Comets, Say Astronomers
For years, the small objects orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune have remained a mystery to astronomers. Dubbed “centaurs,” researchers were unsure what exactly the objects were. Now, new observations using NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) have determined…
Mars Rover Curiosity Sets One-Day Driving Record
Mars rover Curiosity is currently on a months-long journey to a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. The rover has shifted into a distance driving mode and is now roving further than ever along its planned five-mile journey. This week, NASA…
Water on Mars Left With Atmosphere, Shows Rover
It’s been nearly one year since Mars rover Curiosity landed on Mars in August 2012. During that year, the rover has analyzed soil, drilled rock samples to determine whether conditions on Mars could have ever been conducive to life. Now,…
Mars Rover Curiosity Hits a 1 Kilometer Milestone
Last week, NASA revealed that Mars rover Curiosity has traveled more than 325 feet (99 meters) along its 5-mile (8 kilometer) trek to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. This week the agency announced that the rover’s…
Mars Rover Curiosity Drives 135 More Feet
Last week, Mars rover Curiosity began a months-long journey to the base of a Martian mountain named Mount Sharp. This week, NASA revealed that the rover has driven 135 feet (41 meters) closer to its destination. Combined with the 59…
NASA Previews 2020 Mars Rover Mission
NASA’s Mars 2020 Science Definition Team this week released its recommendations for a rover the agency plans to send to the red planet by 2020. The announcement of the 2020 rover mission came in December 2012. The team of 19…
Mars Rover Curiosity Begins Months-Long Journey
One month ago, Mars rover Curiosity began preparing for a 5-mile drive by shifting into a distance-driving mode. Today, NASA announced that the first small steps in that long journey have begun. The rover finished investigating an outcrop named “Shaler”…