NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover Report #17 -- December 7, 2012

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.

[whiterabit]

These images are phenomenal. This rover is the greatest American explorer

[zkz]

I like the reality check at the end. Good science takes time and lots of patience.

[KARMAISABITCHouch]

Wow!! so exiting ...another rock and more animations!

[spelunkerd]

Wasn't it the water on Mercury report?

[RufftaMan]

of course they would.
the problems getting funds for mars research would be over instantly and human exploration of mars would be pushed dramatically. it's basically the holy grail of planetary research. it would be stupid beyond measure (and impossible) to keep information like this a secret.
but as you may know it is very rare that you find fossils at the surface, so there is almost no chance curiosity would find some, even if gale crater had been teaming with life in the past.

[markyboybify]

I dont know how they can say there has been a discovery ' for the history books' Then claim this isnt true, they were just excited about the mission, just dosn't add up

[davinaperez]

@ 2:03 - 2:07 " I Noticed a dark Greyish to Black colored SOMETHING - flying in the air ...what is that IMAGE" of ?floating in rocky rusty area of rocks ...but, spotted in air angled from white mountain area move in slow motion u can see a little smokey substance flying out either dust rock flying in mid-air or what???? Ps. Luv uR Video...go-go-go Curiousity " yEEhAw

[joshcook]

I agree we are Americans mostly we don't want to know how you did it just tell us what you found. I however am j/k this is the scientific way excellent update.

[XianghuaSmiles]

Is it true they've discovered tiny pebbles and rocks which are usually found in riverbeds?

[gerbog]

Where was that I cant find any follow up?

[andon]

Nasa, WHY U PHOTOSHOP THE IMAGES TO MAKE THEM LOOK RED, WHEN THEY ARE NOUT???

[Cydonius]

The last time they found a fossil very much resembling a Crinoid they ground it to dust using the rock abrasion tool on the rover Opportunity.

[SyddlesFuzz]

So.. uhm... what's the big news that they were so excited about weeks ago? They never said anything...

[lesmoor]

Lets say the found a fossil would they tell us?

[rafael]

Do not tell what you did, tell me what you found!!!!

[davinaperez]

Whoops my bad I'm guessing maybe holes from Caves just spotted another one at almost end of video... Boy -0- Boy that one in middle of screen does look kinda weird ...next 1" found in bottom of screen right hand side at end of Video... Yup those anglers look pretty Tricky to the Eyes...hahaha ...hello it's just CAVES ....in the mountains...thank ya Curiousity awesome....

[pbaggins]

did he say crater? they are looking IN a crater? im not a scientist but to me it sounds like a crater is a awful place to l find complex organic molecules? if it was a impact crater, i would think the area would have been immolated and any organic compounds may have been reduced to ashes, long ago. i could be wrong.

[ArcturusVaughn]

"Gold is not particularly valuable or particularly practically useful, except for its usage as a catalyst in some reactions." - silveRxG

You gotta be kidding with that idiotic statement. Gold is trading around 1.6k an ounce and is used in almost every piece of computer based technology for its super conductive properties. If you can't see that as being valuable or useful then you are totally lost.

[richardt]

Nope. It's a rock. Give us a live feed please.

[KingMatto]

I thought the thumbnail was an animation of a girl in a thong.. woops