Curiosity Rover Arrives At Long-Term Destination 33
When NASA's Curiosity rover landed on Mars, the mission team had a particular destination in mind: Mount Sharp. Just over two years and about nine kilometers of driving later, Curiosity has arrived at Mount Sharp. It will now begin its ascent of the mountain (PDF), first analyzing basal rocks with a "paintbrush" texture, then moving further to observe hematite-bearing rocks further up the slope. It will then proceed into an area laden with clay-bearing rocks, and finally to the upper reaches of the foothills, which contain rocks with magnesium sulfate in them. The team has selected routes and driving modes that they hope will slow the steadily accumulating damage to the rover's wheels.
Knee-jerk reaction (Score:2, Interesting)
Days after being excoriated for essentially failing at their primary science mission [spaceref.com], NASA announces it arrives at Mt. Sharp despite being several miles from the actual mountain.
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"All extended missions were rated higher than "Good""
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Excoriated?
"All extended missions were rated higher than "Good""
Excoriated --- here are a few choice excerpts (there was some positive language, but the panel really did come down hard in this report):
"The panel viewed this as a poor science return for such a large investment in a flagship mission."
"Despite identification of two EM1 science objectives, the proposal lacked specific scientific questions to be answered, testable hypotheses, and proposed measurements and assessment of uncertainties and limitations."
"It was unclear from both the proposal and presentation tha
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Re:Knee-jerk reaction (Score:5, Interesting)
"the proposal lacked specific scientific questions to be answered, testable hypotheses, and proposed measurements and assessment of uncertainties and limitations."
Sounds like the report was written by physicists, not geologists or biologists.
I figure "we're going to look around, crack open a few rocks and do some chemical analyses to see what's there" is pretty good science.
On the other hand I also wonder why in almost 40 years nobody has yet tried repeating the labeled-release experiment on Viking which tested positive per the pre-mission criteria for signs of life.
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On the other hand I also wonder why in almost 40 years nobody has yet tried repeating the labeled-release experiment on Viking which tested positive per the pre-mission criteria for signs of life.
That's not exactly the way it turned out. The test got some major initial results when it was applied than nothing. The results from Viking fit the parameters of a very reactive and toxic surface, not for the presence of life, either archival or extent.
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It still met the pre-mission criteria for life. That the other experiments gave confusing results was a contributing factor to wondering if those criteria were correct.
There's some indication that those other experiments weren't sensitive enough to detect life signs even in Earth soil samples from places like the Atacama desert in Chile.
Spices. We sent you to find spices. (Score:2)
Not potatoes and gold.
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"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people." - Socrates
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That would suggest they redefined the boundary after the criticism came out, like a politician would.
Actually, I've read they were getting fairly close before the critical report even came out.
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Your club is known as a Clue Stick.
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You can see it on episode eight of season two.
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That was "flamebait"???
Looked more like an attempt at humour from where I was sitting.
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The rocks are damaging the wheels?
Call the auto club and have them fix it.
Does Curiosity have a club card?
Flamebait?
Overrated?
Offtopic?
Someone really has a hard on for this stupid buggy. Can't even let a couple jokes about it go.
2 years and nine kilometers... (Score:2)
So the rover is driving 2.8 miles per year.
Obviously used to DC Traffic.
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I hear it was being driven by an 80 year old Floridian.
Apparently it had its right-turn indicator on all the way.
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DC traffic: bumper-to-bumper with lobbyists. Joy. I'd rather be on Mars.
Awww! (Score:2)
Rover gets to his forebber home!