* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Mars Science Laboratory mission

Blobrana · L

Computer Swap on Curiosity Rover

The ground team for NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has switched the rover to a redundant onboard computer in response to a memory issue on the computer that had been active.
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Blobrana · L

NASA Curiosity Rover Collects First Martian Bedrock Sample

NASA's Curiosity rover has, for the first time, used a drill carried at the end of its robotic arm to bore into a flat, veiny rock on Mars and collect a sample from its interior. This is the first time any robot has drilled into a rock to collect a sample on Mars.
The fresh hole, about 1.6 centimeters wide and 6.4 centimeters deep in a patch of fine-grained sedimentary bedrock, can be seen in images and other data Curiosity beamed to Earth Saturday.
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Blobrana · L

Curiosity Mars rover spins its rock drill

Nasa's Mars rover Curiosity has turned its drill in rock for the first time.
The big rover had previously used just the hammer action on the tool, but it has now progressed to operating the device in a rotary mode as well.
New pictures sent back from the robot show a small, shallow, rounded hole that is surrounded by fine tailings.
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Blobrana · L

Mars Rover Curiosity Uses Arm Camera at Night

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has for the first time used the camera on its arm to take photos at night, illuminated by white lights and ultraviolet lights on the instrument.
Scientists used the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) instrument for a close-up nighttime look at a rock target called "Sayunei," in an area where Curiosity's front-left wheel had scuffed the rock to provide fresh, dust-free materials to examine. The site is near where the rover team plans to begin using Curiosity to drill into a rock in coming weeks.
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Blobrana · L

Curiosity Mars rover eyes rock drill site

The US space agency (Nasa) says it is now ready for its Curiosity rover to start drilling on Mars.
A target patch of ground has been chosen in an area that contains a diverse range of rocks, many of which were clearly deposited in water
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Blobrana · L

NASA's Big Mars Rover Makes First Use of its Brush

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has completed first-time use of a brush it carries to sweep dust off rocks.
Nearing the end of a series of first-time uses of the rover's tools, the mission has cleared dust away from a targeted patch on a flat Martian rock using the Dust Removal Tool.
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Blobrana · L

Mars rover finally looks set to drill

Nasa's Curiosity rover is very close to drilling into its first Martian rock, with the set-up operation likely to begin next week.
After breaking for the holidays, the mission team would be raring to undertake the task in the coming days, said lead scientist John Grotzinger.
The robot has driven about 650m from its landing site, dropping down into a depression known as Yellowknife Bay.
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Blobrana · L

Curiosity Rover Nearing Yellowknife Bay

The NASA Mars rover Curiosity drove 19 metres northeastward early Monday, Dec. 10, approaching a step down into a slightly lower area called "Yellowknife Bay," where researchers intend to choose a rock to drill.
The drive was Curiosity's fourth consecutive driving day since leaving a site near an outcrop called "Point Lake," where it arrived last month. These drives totalled 79 metres and brought the mission's total odometry to 598 metres.
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Blobrana · L

RE: Mars Science Laboratory mission