NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover Report #8

A NASA's Mars Curiosity rover team member gives an update on developments and status of the planetary exploration mission. The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft delivered Curiosity to its target area on Mars at 1:31:45 a.m. EDT on Aug. 6, which includes the 13.8 minutes needed for confirmation of the touchdown to be radioed to Earth at the speed of light. The rover will conduct a nearly two-year prime mission to investigate whether the Gale Crater region of Mars ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life.

Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science payloads on NASA's Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking rocks' elemental composition from a distance, are the first of their kind on Mars. Curiosity will use a drill and scoop, which are located at the end of its robotic arm, to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out these samples into the rover's analytical laboratory instruments.

[SidGoa]

Keep up the good work NASA. You are making all of us earthlings very proud.

[lunhil]

Just the beginning of exploration, I expect many more fascinating things to be uncovered by Curiosity. Excellent work NASA.

[technobillk]

You can't help but be enticed by his enthusiasm ...he's a great spokesperson :)

[palfabify]

Nice update - keep up the good work !!!

[MonyMG]

He makes it entertaining and interesting. Good job.

[NJCProductions]

Agree, given the atmospheric pressure on Mars, the CO2 gas with act the same way as it does on Earth. The change is called, sublimation. CO2 can only be a liquid if the pressure were to be high enough.

[TheStockwell]

Barsoom! YEAH, Baby!

In retrospect, I think the reason the 2012 John Carter film didn't do so well is that people just aren't into documentaries.

BARSOOM!

[CachorroPodre]

Good question, but as we know it, CO2 goes straight from the solid form "ice" to the gaseous form without going trough the liquid fase.

[Wayworld]

And if the camera scans over the hill you'll see a major Martian city but lets return to the gravel beneath the rovers wheels.

[TheStockwell]

Thank you, M. Machado! It's not easy doing NASA Mars Curiosity jokes that reference landing sites, Ray Bradbury (R.I.P), and also smack talk Nibiru believers.

Well, my work is done. Don't forget to tip your waiter and drive home safe!

[maks]

It is necessary to try soil on Mars to more deeply drill, can there will be a water and so on....

[hazyhalfmoon]

It's a good bet but not a surefire guarantee! Already since the Curiosity landed, we have discovered that the temperature is warmer than expected. When they say warmer, that's a good thing because Mars is very cold! They say temperatures may reach as high as the 20's during the martian summer. Last year, there was presented possible evidence of flowing liquids on the surface of Mars, and now we know it might just get warm enough for ice to become water. I say you have a good wager though.

[MexicoHDnet]

Could there be another liquid flowing on Mars beside water?? There was a report of a snow storm on Mars, but the snow was made of Co2. Can this Co2 snow turn to liquid and 'flow like a river' ?

[bigpurple]

amazing stuff! see what we can achieve when we work together...corporate control of media and wars for no reason are destroying us all

[verioffkin]

big underground worms, yes worms, no oxygen life, yes, no.. well I've got to go now

[VoltageLP]

No, CO2 can be gas or solid state (called dry ice) only, does not have a liquid state

[distractos]

What if mars used to be like Earth but then a major extinction happened, which made us send out our organism's to Earth which explains why tardigrades can survive in space!

[TheStockwell]

But I'm learning from him. He quit his job and moved cross-country because he knew he could do better and deserved better. I'm doing the same thing! Except instead of quitting a network and moving to California, I quit my job at a coffee shop and I'm moving to Vermont. Still, I'm packing all my stuff and it doesn't seem funny, yet.

I'll change my cat's name to Andy and see what happens.

Have a good week, Bosingr.

[element]

"We" have been on Mars? Don't really feel like I ever left earth. Of course water is on mars. Not enough for boating though.

[MatheusMachado]

Google Street View on Mars... COMING SOON