* Astronomy

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RE: Mars Science Laboratory mission

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NASA Mars Curiosity Rover: Two Years and Counting on Red Planet

NASA's most advanced roving laboratory on Mars celebrates its second anniversary since landing inside the Red Planet's Gale Crater on Aug. 6, 2012.
During its first year of operations, the Curiosity rover fulfilled its major science goal of determining whether Mars ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life.
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NASA Mars Rover Curiosity Nears Mountain-Base Outcrop

As it approaches the second anniversary of its landing on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover is also approaching its first close look at bedrock that is part of Aeolis Mons, the layered mountain in the middle of Mars' Gale Crater.
The mission made important discoveries during its first year by finding evidence of ancient lake and river environments. During its second year, it has been driving toward long-term science destinations on lower slopes of Aeolis Mons. Those destinations are in an area beginning about 3 kilometres southwest of the rover's current location, but an appetiser outcrop of a base layer of the mountain lies much closer -- less than 500 metres from Curiosity. The rover team is calling the outcrop "Pahrump Hills."
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NASA's Mars Curiosity Rover Marks First Martian Year with Mission Successes

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover will complete a Martian year -- 687 Earth days -- on June 24, having accomplished the mission's main goal of determining whether Mars once offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life.
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Nasa's Curiosity Mars rover starts drilling again

The US space agency's Curiosity Mars rover has drilled another hole on the Red Planet.
The rock drill was spun at a scientific waypoint known as "The Kimberley".
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Curiosity Adds Reverse Driving for Wheel Protection

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NASA Mars Curiosity Rover Report -- February 14, 2014

Spoiler

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Curiosity Mars rover to investigate classic rock type

Things have been a bit quiet on Mars of late. During most of April, Nasa's Curiosity rover enjoyed some R&R while the Red Planet moved behind the Sun as viewed from Earth.
This conjunction, as it is known, plays havoc with communications and the robot was forced to park up while the celestial mechanics took their course. But the ability to send commands has now been restored, and scientists have a heavy schedule of tasks they want the rover to work through.
The vehicle is currently sitting in a small depression on the floor of Gale Crater known as Yellowknife Bay.
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NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has resumed science investigations after recovery from a computer glitch that prompted the engineers to switch the rover to a redundant main computer on Feb. 28.
The rover has been monitoring the weather since March 21 and delivered a new portion of powdered-rock sample for laboratory analysis on March 23, among other activities.
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Curiosity breaks rock to reveal dazzling white interior

A rock crushed under the Curiosity Mars rover's wheels has dazzled mission scientists in more ways than one.
Mars is supposed to be the Red Planet, but the rock - dubbed "Tintina" - is a brilliant shade of white.
The unusual colour indicates the presence of hydrated minerals that formed when water flowed through the robot's landing site in ancient times.
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