>>>MSL Mission Updates 6 (Sol 262 onwards)
MSL Science Reports:
200 Sols of Mars Science Laboratory Meteorological Data - REMS Science Page
Curiosity Rover traces major Atmospheric Loss on Mars - SAM Science Page
MSL's ChemCam characterizes Martian Dust - ChemCam Science Page
200 Sols of Mars Science Laboratory Meteorological Data - REMS Science Page
Curiosity Rover traces major Atmospheric Loss on Mars - SAM Science Page
MSL's ChemCam characterizes Martian Dust - ChemCam Science Page
Mars heads into Solar Conjunction - Curiosity Rover hunkers down
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April 4, 2013
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Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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MSL Curiosity has officially begun its four-week break for April’s Solar Conjunction. From April 4 to May 1, 2013, the Mission Team will not send any commands to the rover as Mars passes close to the Sun coming as close as 0.4 degrees on April 17 – seen from Earth’s perspective. Radio commands can be impaired or altered by plasma in the Sun's atmosphere. That is why communications from Earth to Mars are ceased and communications from Mars to Earth are reduced to a minimum.
Conjunctions occur every 26 months as Earth and Mars circle the Sun in their respective orbits. Every conjunction is different depending on orbital geometry and solar activity. Curiosity will continue to send its daily “status beep” via X-Band which tells teams that the rover is operating nominally. |
Throughout the conjunction period, MSL will continue its basic science tasks such as taking images with the NavCams for environmental studies. Also, Curiosity will operate its REMS Weather Station, Radiation Assessment Detector and DAN Instrument. Data will be stored aboard the rover and sent via the standard UHF passes to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter which will receive and store the data. MRO is expected to accumulate 40 gigabits of data from its own science instruments and about 12 gigabits of data from Curiosity which will be downlinked once communications are restored in May. Odyssey is also continuing its comm passes with MSL and it will attempt to relay data to Earth, but drop-outs are anticipated.
The conjunction gives scientists and engineers time to catch up with open tasks or to look at data acquired recently without having the daily task of planning rover operations on a Sol-by-Sol basis.
The conjunction gives scientists and engineers time to catch up with open tasks or to look at data acquired recently without having the daily task of planning rover operations on a Sol-by-Sol basis.
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Before heading into conjunction, Curiosity completed a wealth of science operations at its current position, the John Klein Drilling Site inside Yellowknife Bay.
Coming out of a nearly one-month hiatus caused by the recent computer trouble MSL encountered, Curiosity resumed science operations on March 21 with two more weeks of time left to complete an important objective – analyze another portion of the first drill sample that was acquired back on Sol 182. On March 23, the rover used its sample acquisition and processing system to deliver a small amount of powdered rock to the SAM and CheMin instruments that completed nominal analysis over the next several Sols. SAM has multiple analyzing modes so several identical samples are required. Additionally, scientists want to verify the findings they made when examining the first data set returned by this sample. Even earlier than that, Curiosity opened its second set of eyes. On Sol 215, the B-String of Nav- and HazCams was used for the first time on Mars. There are two strings of identical engineering cameras on MSL, four sets of two HazCams providing a look at what’s in front and directly behind the rover, and two pairs of two NavCams that are used for engineering, navigation and environmental photography. Each pair of cameras consists of one camera physically tied to the A-Side Computer while the other one can only be operated by the B-Side as a designed redundancy feature. After the rover was switched to the B-Side, these cameras were used on Mars for the first time after being last operated in April 2012 when MSL was cruising from Earth to Mars. All cameras provided good images, but teams were concerned about a different instrument and its response to the computer switch. There was some uncertainty about the pointing accuracy on the B-Side for the ChemCam Instruments, its LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer) and Remote-Micro Imager, which both require extremely accurate pointing to hit the correct targets with the LIBS laser. That is why the rover completed some “target exercises” pointing ChemCam at its calibration target that is mounted on the back of the rover to verify proper pointing. Frames taken earlier in the mission where compared to new ones that were acquired using the same pointing data, to verify pointing accuracy.
Sols 222 through 224 were dedicated to regular science operations such as environmental monitoring and engineering imagery acquisition. The NavCams were used to produce a panorama of the rover deck and the higher-resolution MastCams were used to check the inlet covers of SAM and CheMin. On Sol 226, ChemCam resumed nominal science operations and one Sol later, the instrument was used to perform active spectroscopy on the drill hole. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
First B-Side NavCam Image taken on Mars
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/LANL
ChemCam Image of laser spots on the drilled hole
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A number of spots on the wall of the small hole at different depths were targeted to acquire data on how the composition of the soil and rock change with increasing depth which is an extraordinary feature provided by ChemCam. This also confirmed that pointing was as expected.
On Sol 229, the MastCams were used to perform an inspection of the turret at the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm. The next Sol, MSL used the arm to move MAHLI, the Mars Hand Lens Imager, to a position from where it could acquire close-up images of the drill hole and its “ChemCam scars.” Taking close-up images while the rover is located in range of the hole allows scientists to visually assess any potential short-term weathering processes the exposed material experiences.
On Sol 229, the MastCams were used to perform an inspection of the turret at the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm. The next Sol, MSL used the arm to move MAHLI, the Mars Hand Lens Imager, to a position from where it could acquire close-up images of the drill hole and its “ChemCam scars.” Taking close-up images while the rover is located in range of the hole allows scientists to visually assess any potential short-term weathering processes the exposed material experiences.
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MAHLI Close-Up of the drill hole and laser spots
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MAHLI image of the REMS UV Sensor
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Science operations as well as imagery acquisition of several targets continued on Sols 231 and 232 as the MastCams acquired imagery using its different filters for a number of scientific purposes such as Hydration Mapping. Images of the Sun Dial – the MastCam Calibration Target – were also acquired. These operations continued on subsequent Sols and MAHLI was used to take a picture of the REMS UV sensor to allow teams to assess dust deposition on the photodiodes. More ChemCam operations were also conducted before MSL headed into conjunction on Sol 235.
MSL's Parachute shifts in the Martian Wind
Images taken by MRO's HiRISE between Aug. 12, 2012, and Jan. 13, 2013
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
Curiosity out of Safe Mode & preparing to resume Science Operations |
March 19, 2013
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Curiosity has been transitioned from safe mode back to its nominal surface mode after engineers had completed assessments of a minor computer issue that occurred over the weekend.
The problem that came up when Curiosity was commanded to delete files it was still using is a well understood issue that occurred on a number of previous missions. Teams were able to resolve the issue quickly and make sure similar problems will not occur. With Curiosity out of safe mode, teams will continue to work through procedures to ensure the rover is in the proper condition to continue science operations under control of the B-Side Computer. MSL will go through a free-space motion sequence of its robotic arm to verify that the computer is configured properly and can execute robotic sequences - which are the most complex the computer has to coordinate. Once final checks and verification are complete, Curiosity will get the green light to continue science operations at the John Klein site in Yellowknife Bay. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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"We expect to get back to sample-analysis science by the end of the week," said Curiosity Mission Manager Jennifer Trosper.
With Solar Conjunction beginning on April 4 and communications with MSL being restricted for the rest of April, scientists are in a hurry to perform more science operations to acquire data for examination during the conjunction. Teams want to complete another drill sample analysis run with the SAM and CheMin Instruments to get a second set of data following the successful first drill sample analysis that was completed just before the Sol 200 anomaly occurred.
After completing the second drill sample run by SAM and CheMin, the rover will be buttoned up for the four-week conjunction. Starting on April 4, Mars will be starting to pass right behind the sun as seen from Earth - generating an unfavorable geometry for communications. In addition, interference by the sun could corrupt commands sent from Earth to the rover and cause serious problems in the event the rover executes altered commands.
That is why Curiosity will not get any commands from Earth during the four-week conjunction and will also not send any data back to Earth - meaning that only very basic science operations can be completed during solar conjunction.
Curiosity will be performing REMS environmental monitoring, RAD radiation assessments and NavCam imagery acquisition for environmental studies and store data in its onboard memory for downlink when communications with Earth are re-established.
While out of communications, MSL also has to autonomously execute its daily housekeeping operations such as health monitoring, heater adjustments and transitioning to sleep mode every day. Also, the rover has to detect any problems that might emerge and make sure it keeps itself safe at all times. For that, Curiosity can autonomously switch to its backup computer should any new trouble arise.
After the conjunction, Curiosity will continue exploring Yellowknife Bay and drill at least one more hole for sample analysis. When MSL will start its trip to Mount Sharp is unknown at this time as Curiosity's schedule depends on the scientific findings the rover makes.
Visit our Science Reports Page to see the latest scientific data published by the MSL Mission.
With Solar Conjunction beginning on April 4 and communications with MSL being restricted for the rest of April, scientists are in a hurry to perform more science operations to acquire data for examination during the conjunction. Teams want to complete another drill sample analysis run with the SAM and CheMin Instruments to get a second set of data following the successful first drill sample analysis that was completed just before the Sol 200 anomaly occurred.
After completing the second drill sample run by SAM and CheMin, the rover will be buttoned up for the four-week conjunction. Starting on April 4, Mars will be starting to pass right behind the sun as seen from Earth - generating an unfavorable geometry for communications. In addition, interference by the sun could corrupt commands sent from Earth to the rover and cause serious problems in the event the rover executes altered commands.
That is why Curiosity will not get any commands from Earth during the four-week conjunction and will also not send any data back to Earth - meaning that only very basic science operations can be completed during solar conjunction.
Curiosity will be performing REMS environmental monitoring, RAD radiation assessments and NavCam imagery acquisition for environmental studies and store data in its onboard memory for downlink when communications with Earth are re-established.
While out of communications, MSL also has to autonomously execute its daily housekeeping operations such as health monitoring, heater adjustments and transitioning to sleep mode every day. Also, the rover has to detect any problems that might emerge and make sure it keeps itself safe at all times. For that, Curiosity can autonomously switch to its backup computer should any new trouble arise.
After the conjunction, Curiosity will continue exploring Yellowknife Bay and drill at least one more hole for sample analysis. When MSL will start its trip to Mount Sharp is unknown at this time as Curiosity's schedule depends on the scientific findings the rover makes.
Visit our Science Reports Page to see the latest scientific data published by the MSL Mission.
Curiosity back in Safe Mode after unexpected Glitch |
March 18, 2013
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Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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NASA's Curiosity Rover is back in Safe Mode after encountering a hiccup when being commanded to delete files from its memory that it was still accessing.
The issue occurred on Sol 218 when Curiosity was commanded to delete a file from its memory that its computer was still accessing. The rover detected this conflict and put itself into safe mode to wait for instructions from Earth - just as it was designed to do. This is unfortunate for scientists as Sol 219 was originally planned to be the first Sol dedicated to science operations since the Sol 200 anomaly on the A-Side Computer. Now, teams will have to wait a few more days while engineers make sure they understand and resolve the problem. From initial analysis, the issue seems to be one that has occurred numerous times on previous missions and will not take long to solve. Before entering safe mode, software engineers continued to work with the A-Side computer that was the focus of the last 18 Sols. |
Teams are still evaluating the root cause of the memory issue that occurred on computer A, but have made progress in the recovery process. Software patches were installed that will prevent any data to be written into the corrupted memory location in the future. These patches were loaded as planned and teams validated that the A-Side was capable of controlling the rover once again.
That means that MSL can autonomously switch to the A-Side from now on should the B-Side experience any issues. This is particularly important because Solar Conjunction is coming up and communications with the rover will be restricted over the majority of April. During that time, the rover's computers have to work properly and execute daily housekeeping items, transition to sleep mode every Sol and make sure the rover stays healthy while communications are restricted.
Science Report: MSL's MastCams support the Search for Hydrated Minerals
Science Report: Tracing the Water - First MSL DAN Instrument Data
That means that MSL can autonomously switch to the A-Side from now on should the B-Side experience any issues. This is particularly important because Solar Conjunction is coming up and communications with the rover will be restricted over the majority of April. During that time, the rover's computers have to work properly and execute daily housekeeping items, transition to sleep mode every Sol and make sure the rover stays healthy while communications are restricted.
Science Report: MSL's MastCams support the Search for Hydrated Minerals
Science Report: Tracing the Water - First MSL DAN Instrument Data
Processed, white-balanced Panorama of Mount Sharp (Sol 45)
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity Computer Recovery progresses - Science Operations still on Hold
March 12, 2013
Sol 213
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The Curiosity rover is not expected to resume normal science operations this week as recovery operations following the Sol 200 memory anomaly are still ongoing.
Rover teams are continuing to move forward in the recovery process and continue to asses the A-Side Computer of the vehicle while the B-Side is controlling the rover. On Sol 200 Curiosity experienced trouble when accessing its memory, likely due to a corrupted memory location as the result of a radiation related single-event upset. Refer to the previous mission updates on this site for details. Engineers are still in the process of assessing the A-Side computer to fully understand what kind of work-arounds have to be implemented to recover the computer and restore redundancy to Curiosity's main computer system. While these activities are in progress, mission scientists have to be patient because the rover is not executing nominal science operations while engineers keep the rover healthy. Another hold-up came last week. Teams put Curiosity into an extended sleep period when a Coronal Mass Ejection on the Sun sent energetic particles into the direction of Mars. The rover spent Wednesday sleeping to prevent any additional computer glitches from occurring. When the solar storm turned out to be less-energetic than expected, Curiosity resumed troubleshooting operations on its A-Side computer. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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Teams started loading data into the memory that was hit by the Sol 200 anomaly to see how the computer responds.
"These tests have provided us with a great deal of information about the rover's A-side memory," said Jim Erickson, deputy project manager for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. "We have been able to store new data in many of the memory locations previously affected and believe more runs will demonstrate more memory is available."
Teams will uplink two more software patches later this week that target memory allocation and vehicle safing procedures. When this software load is complete, teams will re-assess when to resume nominal mission operations.
On Tuesday, the MSL Science Team presented the first results of MSL's drill sample analysis by SAM and CheMin confirming that a habitable environment was present on Mars in a distant past. Read the full Science Report.
"These tests have provided us with a great deal of information about the rover's A-side memory," said Jim Erickson, deputy project manager for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. "We have been able to store new data in many of the memory locations previously affected and believe more runs will demonstrate more memory is available."
Teams will uplink two more software patches later this week that target memory allocation and vehicle safing procedures. When this software load is complete, teams will re-assess when to resume nominal mission operations.
On Tuesday, the MSL Science Team presented the first results of MSL's drill sample analysis by SAM and CheMin confirming that a habitable environment was present on Mars in a distant past. Read the full Science Report.
Curiosity out of Safe Mode - Computer Troubleshooting continues |
March 5, 2013
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Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Software Engineers are making good progress assessing the memory issue that recently hit the Curiosity Rover on Mars - examining and repairing a computer problem from 353 million Kilometers away. Although the problem is not solved yet, MSL was able to exit safe mode and re-start nominal operations using its redundant main computer system.
The A-Side computer suffered a memory glitch back on Sol 200 (see previous mission update) and the rover was subsequently switched to safe mode to prevent any complications. The B-Side Computer was commanded to take control of the rover on Sol 201 and teams started to assess the status of the rover and its A-Side Computer. Switching to the other computer involves a complex sequence of steps to ensure the computer has all required information to correctly compute the current state of the rover and control future activities. |
"We are making good progress in the recovery," said Mars Science Laboratory Project Manager Richard Cook. "One path of progress is evaluating the A-side with intent to recover it as a backup. Also, we need to go through a series of steps with the B-side, such as informing the computer about the state of the rover -- the position of the arm, the position of the mast, that kind of information." Teams spent the weekend getting the B-side up and running and making sure that it was safe to transition the rover back to active mode.
MSL entered active mode on the B-Side on Saturday and began using its high-gain antenna again to allow faster communications with Earth to exchange telemetry information and commands. The switchover to the B-Side will take several more days before science operations can resume.
Each of the two flight computers is capable of controlling all of the rover's activities. The RAD750 PowerPC microprocessors that both MSL Rover Compute Elements are using, are built to provide stable services to the Rover for its lifetime and beyond, being designed to work in the radiation environment of space and Mars where most consumer computers would fail rather quick.
Although the rover computers and all their memory elements are radiation hardened, they are still susceptible to single-event upsets that can occur occasionally. Single-event upsets are caused by energetic particles that strike a sensitive component within a micro-electronic device after penetrating radiation shielding and change the state of that electronic component. This state change is caused by the free charge created by ionization in or close to a memory "bit."
The cause of the glitch on the A-Side of the rover is not yet known, but engineers suspect that it was caused by a radiation related single-event upset corrupting a memory location within the Solid State Memory of REC-A. The single-event upset occurred in an area where the directory for the whole memory was sitting which is needed by the computer to find software elements for rover operations. With the directory not providing the expected data to the computer, the rover was unable to execute nominal housekeeping operations such as transitioning itself into its overnight sleep mode.
In case of a transient event, the memory could be restored by rebooting the computer and re-loading its software to overwrite the memory.
To continue troubleshooting in order to pin-point the cause of the issue, teams will power-up the A-Side on Wednesday to check the status of its non-volatile memory. The empty memory will be read-out and this data will show if the bit error is still present. In case the error is permanent and remains when a new set of software is loaded into the memory, software engineers will have to bypass the corrupted locations for future use of the computer.
This has occurred on previous interplanetary missions which were successfully recovered by isolating the corrupted location of the memory and never writing to it again. Nearly every spacecraft that travels through deep space has suffered the effects of the radiation environment including the Mars Exploration Rovers and Mars Orbiters. As long as no systemic damage is found during upcoming operations, REC-A will make a full recovery and be used as a backup to REC-B that will be used as prime MSL computer from now on.
Science operations are still on hold, but will resume later this week featuring basic science observations such as environmental monitoring with RAD, REMS and DAN or image acquisition by the NavCams and Mast Cameras. The full-suite of science operations will resume when the B-side is fully configured and the A-computer is back in a backup mode.
MSL entered active mode on the B-Side on Saturday and began using its high-gain antenna again to allow faster communications with Earth to exchange telemetry information and commands. The switchover to the B-Side will take several more days before science operations can resume.
Each of the two flight computers is capable of controlling all of the rover's activities. The RAD750 PowerPC microprocessors that both MSL Rover Compute Elements are using, are built to provide stable services to the Rover for its lifetime and beyond, being designed to work in the radiation environment of space and Mars where most consumer computers would fail rather quick.
Although the rover computers and all their memory elements are radiation hardened, they are still susceptible to single-event upsets that can occur occasionally. Single-event upsets are caused by energetic particles that strike a sensitive component within a micro-electronic device after penetrating radiation shielding and change the state of that electronic component. This state change is caused by the free charge created by ionization in or close to a memory "bit."
The cause of the glitch on the A-Side of the rover is not yet known, but engineers suspect that it was caused by a radiation related single-event upset corrupting a memory location within the Solid State Memory of REC-A. The single-event upset occurred in an area where the directory for the whole memory was sitting which is needed by the computer to find software elements for rover operations. With the directory not providing the expected data to the computer, the rover was unable to execute nominal housekeeping operations such as transitioning itself into its overnight sleep mode.
In case of a transient event, the memory could be restored by rebooting the computer and re-loading its software to overwrite the memory.
To continue troubleshooting in order to pin-point the cause of the issue, teams will power-up the A-Side on Wednesday to check the status of its non-volatile memory. The empty memory will be read-out and this data will show if the bit error is still present. In case the error is permanent and remains when a new set of software is loaded into the memory, software engineers will have to bypass the corrupted locations for future use of the computer.
This has occurred on previous interplanetary missions which were successfully recovered by isolating the corrupted location of the memory and never writing to it again. Nearly every spacecraft that travels through deep space has suffered the effects of the radiation environment including the Mars Exploration Rovers and Mars Orbiters. As long as no systemic damage is found during upcoming operations, REC-A will make a full recovery and be used as a backup to REC-B that will be used as prime MSL computer from now on.
Science operations are still on hold, but will resume later this week featuring basic science observations such as environmental monitoring with RAD, REMS and DAN or image acquisition by the NavCams and Mast Cameras. The full-suite of science operations will resume when the B-side is fully configured and the A-computer is back in a backup mode.
Curiosity Rover in Safe Mode after encountering Computer Trouble |
February 28, 2013
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NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover has been switched to precautionary Safe Mode on Thursday, February 28, 2013 after the vehicle that is currently processing its first drill samples ran into problems with its flash memory on its main computer.
In the Sols ahead of entering safe mode, Curiosity completed the ongoing processing run of its first drilled sample on Mars. Processing was completed without issues and the rover distributed sample material to its two Laboratory Instruments, SAM and CheMin, on February 22 and 23. Since then, the rover was busy analyzing the material with the two instruments which is a slow activity as both of these instruments consume a large amount of power. MSL also continued regular environmental monitoring and imagery acquisition of both, mosaic images of its surroundings and engineering images of the sample inlets and their covers for assessments by engineers on Earth. In addition, MSL took regular NavCam images to support environmental studies. On February 27, Sol 200 of the surface mission, Curiosity was unable to save data to part of its onboard flash memory and stopped operations to wait for instructions from Earth. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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The rover is equipped with 2GB of Flash Memory with error detection and correction in both of its main computer systems, known as A and B. The fault occurred when the rover was operating on its A computer. Teams decided to switch the vehicle to computer B on Sol 201 to ensure all critical functions such as health monitoring and essential commands are performed without any issues. In addition, Curiosity was placed in safe mode while specialists are assessing the problem which will take several days. Initial analysis indicates that the problem is most likely only a glitch and will be resolved within days, but teams are taking a careful approach and want to understand the problem completely before switching the rover back to nominal operating mode.
"We switched computers to get to a standard state from which to begin restoring routine operations," said Richard Cook, project manager for the Mars Science Laboratory Project. This is not the first time that Computer B is in control of the vehicle. It was used during MSL's cruise from Earth to Mars and early in the surface mission when the A side was unavailable during the surface mission software upgrade which took several Sols. "While we are resuming operations on the B-side, we are also working to determine the best way to restore the A-side as a viable backup," said JPL engineer Magdy Bareh, leader of the mission's anomaly resolution team. Curiosity has two fully redundant main computers and two strings of subsystems like Navigation Cameras, HazCams and rover instrumentation to provide redundancy to the vehicle.
Curiosity continued nominal rover operations at all times and communicated with Earth at the scheduled times, but it did not send any stored data, only current status telemetry. This data indicated that the rover did not enter its nominal daily sleep mode as planned due to corrupted memory at an A-side memory location used for addressing memory files.
Science operations have been suspended until the issue is resolved.
"We switched computers to get to a standard state from which to begin restoring routine operations," said Richard Cook, project manager for the Mars Science Laboratory Project. This is not the first time that Computer B is in control of the vehicle. It was used during MSL's cruise from Earth to Mars and early in the surface mission when the A side was unavailable during the surface mission software upgrade which took several Sols. "While we are resuming operations on the B-side, we are also working to determine the best way to restore the A-side as a viable backup," said JPL engineer Magdy Bareh, leader of the mission's anomaly resolution team. Curiosity has two fully redundant main computers and two strings of subsystems like Navigation Cameras, HazCams and rover instrumentation to provide redundancy to the vehicle.
Curiosity continued nominal rover operations at all times and communicated with Earth at the scheduled times, but it did not send any stored data, only current status telemetry. This data indicated that the rover did not enter its nominal daily sleep mode as planned due to corrupted memory at an A-side memory location used for addressing memory files.
Science operations have been suspended until the issue is resolved.
Curiosity delivers Drill Sample to Scoop & prepares for Analysis |
February 21, 2013
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Drill Sample inside MSL's Scoop
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The last 11 days since our last mission update were very quiet in terms of visible operations of MSL, but teams continued to put the rover through a series of procedures associated with initial drill sample processing.
After drilling was completed on Sol 182, the mission team continued to execute operations at a slow speed to make sure all steps were completed as planned without any damage to the rover while these operations were in progress. Initial drill chamber and transfer tube cleaning with the acquired sample took longer than expected as the rover encountered a number of software glitches that caused Curiosity to pause operations and wait for new instructions from Earth, thus stretching the operation over a period of days. Curiosity used the sample to scrub the internal surfaces of the drill's sample chambers and transfer tubes to remove any contaminants from Earth. After initial processing, the sample was to be transferred to the scoop to allow teams to visually assess the properties of the drill sample via MastCam imagery. On Wednesday, the rover relayed images of the sample inside its scoop, confirming that a sample was acquired during drilling and that initial processing was completed as planned. Curiosity's Scoop is about 4.5 by 7 centimeters . "Seeing the powder from the drill in the scoop allows us to verify for the first time the drill collected a sample as it bore into the rock," said JPL's Scott McCloskey, drill systems engineer for Curiosity. |
"Many of us have been working toward this day for years. Getting final confirmation of successful drilling is incredibly gratifying. For the sampling team, this is the equivalent of the landing team going crazy after the successful touchdown."
Curiosity is now gearing up to put the sample through nominal processing with CHIMRA - the Collection and Handling for In-Situ Martian Rock Analysis, using its sieves and portion mechanisms to ensure the rock powder does not contain any large particles that could harm the rover's instruments.
To process a sample, the robotic arm goes through a range of motions to direct the sample through a number of chambers before reaching the 150-micron sieve. CHIMRA uses vibration to sieve the material before generating small sample portions of 45 to 65 mm³ for the SAM and CheMin instruments.
Curiosity is now gearing up to put the sample through nominal processing with CHIMRA - the Collection and Handling for In-Situ Martian Rock Analysis, using its sieves and portion mechanisms to ensure the rock powder does not contain any large particles that could harm the rover's instruments.
To process a sample, the robotic arm goes through a range of motions to direct the sample through a number of chambers before reaching the 150-micron sieve. CHIMRA uses vibration to sieve the material before generating small sample portions of 45 to 65 mm³ for the SAM and CheMin instruments.
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Recently, the Sampling System Team discovered a potential problem with the 150-micron sieve. A total of three identical CHIMRA units were built, one is on the Curiosity rover on Mars and two are ground test articles. Well into the testing program, engineers discovered that the edge welds on the 150-micron sieve were showing some unexpected wear and tear. The sieves are connected to their frame by these welds which started to pop apart about half way through its design life. With these welds popping and the sieve becoming detached from its frame, larger particles could pass the sieve which could cause a new set of problems.
This issue only occurred on one of the ground articles and was not observed on the other unit on Earth and imagery from Mars shows that the sieve and its welds are still in good condition. Even with some damage on its edge wells, the test article was put through a complete design life duty cycle and still fulfilled its function. Nevertheless, teams are taking the conservative approach and have adjusted sample processing procedures to reduce stress on the sieve and its edge welds. When starting sampling operations on Mars, CHIMRA was vibrated for 60 minutes to sieve a given sample. As part of the modified procedure, there will only be 20 minutes of vibration. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
CHIMRA's 150-micron sieve with Edge Welds
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In testing, a sufficient amount of powder was generated with a 20-minute processing period. In the future, Curiosity will only vibrate CHIMRA for 20 minutes to sieve a sample and check whether enough powder was generated. If not, another 20-minute cycle will be performed on a subsequent Sol.
Assessments of the test article showing the popping edge welds will continue on Earth and MSL engineers will keep a close eye on CHIMRA's sieve on Mars, however, no problems are expected during Curiosity's primary mission.
Assessments of the test article showing the popping edge welds will continue on Earth and MSL engineers will keep a close eye on CHIMRA's sieve on Mars, however, no problems are expected during Curiosity's primary mission.
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Over the next several sols, Curiosity will perform sample processing operations before distributing the drill sample to CheMin, SAM and the observation tray for analysis. CheMin and SAM operations will take several Sols due to power constraints.
With the first drilling confirmed to be a success, scientists are eager to examine the Martian subsurface. Drilled rocks hold an extensive record of Martian history as they are not subject to weathering that occurs on the surface. Rocks that are not exposed encounter less environmental effects and could provide new information as they could tell more about an early Martian environment depending on the time of their formation. The drilled sample appears to be gray in color as opposed to the typical red color of the Martian surface. SAM and CheMin analysis and supporting APXS integrations will determine the composition of the rock. Additionally, Curiosity used its ChemCam instrument to perform Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy on a brushed target at John Klein, named Wernecke, and ChemCam was used to analyze the pile of tailings that were left on the surface after drilling. Scientists have not yet analyzed the spectra from the drilling site. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MAHLI Close-Up of the Drilling Site
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/LANL
ChemCam marks near the drilled hole
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
ChemCam raster at Wernecke
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Curiosity completes 1st full Drilling Operation
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February 10, 2013
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The Curiosity rover has completed its first full drilling operation on the 182nd Sol of its surface mission. Drilling was performed at the John Klein Site inside Yellowknife Bay.
After the successful Mini-Drill Test that was performed on Sol 180, teams gave the green light for full drilling near the initial hole at one of four targets at John Klein that were considered for drilling. In the image to the right, those four sites are labeled. Earlier, Curiosity performed pre-load testing on these targets to make sure these rock areas were suitable for drilling. At Brock Inlier, MSL performed MAHLI and APXS (Alpha-Particle X-Ray Spectrometer) analysis. Wernecke was cleaned with Curiosity’s brush before MAHLI and APXS analysis were performed. Thundercloud was also the focus of contact science before the Drill-on-Rock checkout was performed on this site, only using the percussive function of the drill. On Sol 180, Curiosity performed the Mini Drill Test, boring a 2-centimeter hole using the drill’s percussive and rotating function to verify the drill was working as planned. The second hole drilled by the rover is also 1.6 centimeters in diameter, but it is 6.4 centimeters deep. During the Mini-Drill Test, Curiosity did not drill deep enough for any tailings to enter the sample chambers of the drill, but during the full drilling, powdered samples from the fine-grained sedimentary bedrock were allowed to enter the two sample chambers of PADS – the Powder Acquisition Drill System. "We commanded the first full-depth drilling, and we believe we have collected sufficient material from the rock to meet our objectives of hardware cleaning and sample drop-off," said Avi Okon, drill cognizant engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The powder that was acquired during drilling will be used to decontaminate the chambers of the drill bit and associated transfer tubes from PADS to CHIMRA – the Collection and Handling for In-Situ Martian Rock Analysis device, removing any contaminants that might be left from Earth by scrubbing the internal surfaces with the material. "We'll take the powder we acquired and swish it around to scrub the internal surfaces of the drill bit assembly," said JPL's Scott McCloskey, drill systems engineer. "Then we'll use the arm to transfer the powder out of the drill into the scoop, which will be our first chance to see the acquired sample." Once the sample is allowed to enter CHIMRA, it will go through the standard processing and sieving to ensure there are no large particles inside the sample. Once sample processing is complete, CHIMRA will be used to distribute two equal portions of the sample to CheMin and SAM that will then complete analysis of the sample. Due to power constrains, the operation will take several Sols. “The rock is believed to hold evidence about long-gone wet environments. In pursuit of that evidence, the rover will use its laboratory instruments to analyze rock powder collected by the drill,” NASA said in a statement. The drill was the final tool of the MSL rover to be commissioned. With first full drilling complete, NASA officials declared Curiosity fully operational. "The most advanced planetary robot ever designed is now a fully operating analytical laboratory on Mars," said John Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate. Photo Gallery: Sol 182 - Full Drilling
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Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
John Klein Site
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Left: Sol 182 hole, Right: Sol 180 Mini-Drilling hole
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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Yellowknife Bay - MSL Self Portrait
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MSL completes Mini-Drill Test
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February 7, 2013
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Photo: NASA/JPL/CAltech/MSSS
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After performing all preparatory steps ahead of drilling including the Drill-on-Rock Checkout that was performed earlier, the Curiosity Rover has successfully completed the first use of its drill’s rotating function as part of the Mini-Drill Test.
The Mini-Drill Test was performed on Sol 180 and marks a major step in preparation for full drilling. During the operation, MSL used both percussion and rotation to drill a 2-centimeter deep hole in one of the rocks at the John Klein site. The drilled hole is 1.6 centimeters in diameter. The main purpose of the Mini-Drill test was to evaluate how the rock behaves during drilling. Teams are currently performing visual analysis of the drilled powder to make sure it does not present a potential danger to the rover and its drill. Teams want to rule out the remote possibility that the Martian Rock liquefies when interacting with the drill which could cause damage to the rover. If teams give the green light to continue with drilling operations, Curiosity will perform the first full drill procedure close to the site of the Mini-Drill Test. |
In the first full drill operation, drilled powder will be directed into the sample chambers of the drill system to remove any contaminants that might be left from MSL’s stay on Earth. MSL is expected to drill several 5-centimeter test holes to clean the sample chambers and tubes.
Future drill samples will be distributed to the rover’s laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin and the observation tray for contact science with APXS and MAHLI.
A comprehensive overview of Curiosity’s sample acquisition and processing system is available here.
Future drill samples will be distributed to the rover’s laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin and the observation tray for contact science with APXS and MAHLI.
A comprehensive overview of Curiosity’s sample acquisition and processing system is available here.
Curiosity performs Drill-On-Rock Checkout to prepare for "Mini-Drill"
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February 6, 2013
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MSL Curiosity has begun drilling operations at the John Klein Site inside Yellowknife Bay, starting with two runs of the drill-on-rock checkout to verify basic functionality of its Powder Acquisition Drill System (PADS).
On Sol 174, Curiosity completed a lengthy integration with APXS, the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, on the brushed spot that was located next to the first drilling site. Once APXS operations were done, Curiosity moved its robotic arm to the drilling site, established the nominal pre-load pressure between the drill’s prongs and the rock before starting to begin the drill-on-rock checkout which only used the drill’s hammering function and no rotation. Images taken by the rover show that the drill successfully completed the operation and left its mark on the surface of Mars, but data returned from the rover indicated that there was an anomaly that occurred during drilling, according to Ken Herkenhoff of the US Geological Survey. With data being sent back late in the day, teams did not have enough time to adjust the Sol 175 plan, so that Curiosity had to perform a runout Sol consisting of safe procedures. These operations included operations of REMS, DAN and RAD as well as the two NavCams that were used for sky imaging and horizontal shots in the ongoing search for dust devils. Sky images are used to assess cloud cover. |
Frames: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Engineers completed extensive work to resolve the arm issue that occurred on Sol 174 working with the duplicate rover at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To gain additional confidence, teams wanted to repeat the drill-on-rock checkout on Mars after implementing a minor change to arm operations. The Sol 176 drilling operation was similar to the procedure executed to Sols before and left a similar mark on the Martian surface. MAHLI images of the two drilling sites were taken and the drill itself was imaged with the Mast Cameras.
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MAHLI images of Drilling Sites
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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On Sol 177, the Mars Hand Lens Imager was used to acquire the mission’s second self-portrait of Curiosity, taking several mosaic images of the rover deck & mast. Additionally, the rover’s wheels were imaged by MAHLI showing that the wheels are behaving as expected, showing dents and even small perforations. Wheel damage is expected and is of no concern to rover drivers and engineers.
Sol 178 featured a set of robotics again to check another site for potential drilling. Curiosity completed pre-load testing on a rock in front of the rover before taking MAHLI images of the location to make sure it is suitable for drilling. MSL is currently gearing up for the next drilling activity, the "mini-drill" which will use drill rotation for the first time to drill an actual hole in a rock to generate a fine powder. The powder resulting from the "mini-drill" procedure will not enter the sample chambers of the drill system because the purpose of the operation is to see whether the tailings are behaving as expected. Teams want to rule out the remote possibility that the Martian Rock liquefies when interacting with the drill which could cause damage to the rover. If the mini-drill produces a fine powder, teams will go ahead and perform the initial complete drilling operation that will deliver samples to the drill’s sample chambers which will be cleaned with the first drilled powder sample before material is distributed to SAM and CheMin. MSL’s drill, or Powder Acquisition Drill System (PADS) as the instrument is called, is a hammering drill capable of acquiring samples from up to 5 centimeters below the rock surface. The drill generates a fine powder that can be analyzed by the rover’s instruments including the laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin. The system design is a powdering drill that cannot collect intact cores. PADS can physically translate down the drill and into the rock’s surface. It also rotates the bit at 0 to 150rpm to cut out material and it exchanges drill bits from the drill. The actual drill penetrates the rock and provides the powder that will be analyzed. The powder travels up through an auger in the drill and is directed into two chambers with a transfer tube interfacing with the CHIMRA sample processing device. The holes that are drilled into rocks are 1.6cm in diameter and up to 5cm deep. |
Once the powder generated by the drill is distributed to CHIMRA, it will go through the nominal processing sequence before being distributed to the laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin as well as the observation tray for contact science.
More information on MSL's sample acquisition and handling systems can be found here.
Photo Gallery: Drill-on-Rock Checkout
More information on MSL's sample acquisition and handling systems can be found here.
Photo Gallery: Drill-on-Rock Checkout
Curiosity ready to begin Drilling after completing final Tests
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January 31, 2013
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Drilling Preparations - Sol 168-171
Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Spaceflight101
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover has finished preparations and is ready to use its drill on Mars for the first time. Drilling will be performed on the 174th Sol of the mission (January 31, 2013) at a site named John Klein, located inside Yellowknife Bay within Glenelg. The first drilling operation is going to take place after a week of final preparations at the drilling site that will be Curiosity’s home for the next several weeks as drilling continues.
On Sol 166, Curiosity made a 3.6-meter drive to the John Klein drilling site. The drive took MSL’s total driving distance up to 738 meters. Sol 166 also featured ChemCam and MAHLI observations before the drive and NavCam surveys after arriving at the new location. At John Klein, there were a number of candidate targets that were suitable for drilling, so teams decided to assess a number of them and pick the best target. For the first drilling operation, teams wanted a large rock that is stable in its position and provides a flat surface. Drilling into the base layer of Yellowknife Bay eliminates concerns of rocks moving during drilling. Still, teams wanted to pick a scientifically interesting target. On Sol 167, MSL used the Mars Hand Lend Lens Imager to take mosaic images of the area accessible by the drill to give teams a close-up look at the targets. The top two targets were examined closer with MAHLI and APXS and ChemCam’s Remote-Micro Imager was used to take close-up images of the drill bit in order to get a before-and-after picture once drilling is complete. |
On Sol 168, more images of the drill bit were acquired with RMI and the Navigation Cameras took a full panorama image. Because Curiosity will be in this spot for an extended amount of time, teams need NavCam and MastCam panoramas to target future MastCam and ChemCam operations. MAHLI operations continued throughout Sol 168.
RMI Drill Bit Images
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/LANL
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Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/LANL
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Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/LANL
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Sol 169 was spent taking more MAHLI images. Also, Curiosity used its brush to clean an area that appeared suitable for drilling. MSL’s Dust Removal Tool, or DRT, is located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. The tool is used to remove dust and loose material from rock surfaces that are targeted to be examined. Stainless steel wire brushes are driven by a single actuator. The Robotic Arm is responsible for properly positioning the tool at the correct standoff distance to the surface that is supposed to be cleaned.
An area with a minimum circular diameter of 4.5cm can be cleaned by the brushes without motion of the robotic arm. DRT is also used to clean the observation tray when samples that are placed on it are no longer required. DRT is 154mm long, 102mm in diameter and it has a mass of 925 grams. On Sol 170, Curiosity acquired a number of MAHLI images, but the main focus was to take a large MastCam Panorama with the left MastCam that has a 34-millimeter focal length. Later in the Sol, MSL began pre-load testing, pressing its drill against four locations. MSL’s drill assembly is equipped with two contact prongs that are pressed against the rock surface before the drill is extended toward the surface and begins to drill into it by exerting a smaller amount of force than the two prongs. The prongs press against a rock with a force of up to 400 Newtons. In order to see how the vehicle and the rock targets respond to these loads, the prongs were pressed against four targets on Sol 170. Once in pre-loaded position on the last target, the arm was left in that configuration overnight to assess the change in pressure as the vehicle goes through the temperature swing between day and night which is currently about 70° Celsius. As temperatures change, the rover hardware expands and contracts slightly which causes additional loads that teams wanted to know about before drilling. Although the rover's arm, chassis and mobility system grow and shrink by only 2.4 millimeters, the daily variation in temperature could lead to problems when the drill is left inside the drilled hole. "We don't plan on leaving the drill in a rock overnight once we start drilling, but in case that happens, it is important to know what to expect in terms of stress on the hardware," said JPL's Daniel Limonadi, the lead systems engineer for Curiosity's surface sampling and science system. "This test is done at lower pre-load values than we plan to use during drilling, to let us learn about the temperature effects without putting the hardware at risk." |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
Pre-Load Testing
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On Sol 172, Curiosity performed another round of mechanical checks of the drill and took a number of images of the drill bit with the Remote-Micro Imager. Sol 173 featured MAHLI observations of the drill target for before-and-after assessments. As on all other Sols, Curiosity continued RAD, DAN and REMS operations.
The first use of Curiosity’s drill is planned for Thursday, January 31, 2013, Sol 174. Curiosity’s first drilling activity will be the "drill-on-rock checkout" that will only utilize the hammering function of MSL’s drill to make sure the back-and-forth percussion mechanism and associated control system are properly tuned for hitting a rock. MSL will not actually penetrate deeply into the rock during the test, but a mark on the rock surface will be left. After the activity, MAHLI images will be taken to see how the rock responded.
The first use of Curiosity’s drill is planned for Thursday, January 31, 2013, Sol 174. Curiosity’s first drilling activity will be the "drill-on-rock checkout" that will only utilize the hammering function of MSL’s drill to make sure the back-and-forth percussion mechanism and associated control system are properly tuned for hitting a rock. MSL will not actually penetrate deeply into the rock during the test, but a mark on the rock surface will be left. After the activity, MAHLI images will be taken to see how the rock responded.
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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In a subsequent activity, about two Sols later, Curiosity will complete actual drilling, but the drill will only penetrate less than 2 centimeters. This operation will be the first use of the drill to generate a small ring of tailings. The powder resulting from the “mini-drill” procedure will not enter the sample chamber of the drill system because the purpose of the operation is to see whether the tailings are behaving as expected. Teams need to make sure that a dry powder is generated before allowing it to enter the sampling system of the MSL rover.
Drilling operations will continue several weeks as sequences get more complex and ultimately lead to the acquisition of drilled powder for analysis by the laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin. "We are proceeding with caution in the approach to Curiosity's first drilling. This is challenging. It will be the first time any robot has drilled into a rock to collect a sample on Mars," Limonadi said. Photo Gallery: Sol 168 Photo Gallery: Sol 169 |
Curiosity completes first Night Imaging Session with MAHLI: Click Here
MSL Science Operations continue as Curiosity prepares for Drilling
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January 22, 2013
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NASA’s Curiosity Rover has continued to explore Yellowknife Bay over the past seven days as preparations for drilling continue.
On Sol 159, Curiosity used its Robotic Arm to position the Mars Hand Lens Imager above a concretion-rich area of a rock so that close-up images could be acquired. Concretions are small spherical concentrations of minerals. The images were taken using MAHLI’s focus-stacking feature to create in-focus images. Also, MastCam imagery of the area was acquired and ChemCam’s Remote-Micro Imager was used to obtain several images of a target with slightly different focus settings. ChemCam also conducted active spectroscopy on a vein. Once imaging operations were complete, MSL stowed the robotic arm and made a short drive, backing up 1.4 meters to position the rover for robotics and MAHLI operations that were conducted the following Sols. When driving backward, Curiosity was purposefully commanded to drive over a small rock to try and break it to study its interior. Curiosity successfully crushed the rock with its wheels to enable it to conduct contact science on it on Sol 160. The interior of the rock is bright in color as MAHLI and MastCam images that were acquired on Sol 160 have shown. ChemCam was used to perform laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy on the rock target. In addition to examining the rock, MAHLI was used to take images of the area under the rock ledge in front of the rover. The Navigation Cameras were used to take several horizon shots to continue the ongoing search for dust devils. Sol 161 again featured extensive robotics as MAHLI was used to take a variety of close-up images of fractured rocks and regolith. One Sol later, Curiosity used its Mast Cameras to take additional images of the rock it broke and conducted extensive NavCam imaging acquiring sky images for environmental research and photos of Curiosity’s surroundings. MAHLI was used to take another look at the concretions that were found in the area. Later that Sol, MSL performed a 9.5-meter drive starting a lap around the John Klein site that will be Curiosity’s first drilling target. Two more drives of 1.1 and 3.4 meters followed on Sol 163 and 164 – taking the rover to a position just North of John Klein. Sols 163 and 164 also featured more imaging by the MastCams and operations of ChemCam. Along with these instruments, the environmental instruments aboard the rover, DAN, RAD and REMS continued nominal operations over the past week. MSL’s total driving distance is now 742 meters. Over the next few days, Curiosity will enter the John Klein area to position itself for the first drilling operation that is expected to take several weeks. Photo Gallery: Sol 159 - Yellowknife Bay Photo Gallery: Sol 160 - Near the John Klein Site |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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Curiosity gets Green Light for first Drilling Operation
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January 15, 2013
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MAHLI Image
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/Spaceflight101
Sol 158 Robotics
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The Mars Science Laboratory Rover continues operations inside Yellowknife Bay, a depression in the Glenelg area that is located inside Gale Crater. Teams announced on Tuesday, that a suitable site for Curiosity’s first drilling operation was found inside Yellowknife Bay and that drilling will begin in the next two weeks after more science operations are completed in the area.
Over the past week, Curiosity continued to explore Yellowknife Bay, performing contact science, image acquisition and environmental observations. On Sol 152, MSL used its Nav Cameras to take images of its immediate surroundings and continued environmental monitoring using REMS, DAN and RAD. In addition, ChemCam was used to perform active spectroscopy on a number of targets along with Remote-Micro Imagery Acquisition to provide context for the measurements. Sol 153 was dedicated to ChemCam decontamination and calibration activities. For that, the calibration targets at the rear of the rover were analyzed by ChemCam to provide instrument characterization data. Additionally, the Mast Cameras were used to acquire a large mosaic of the geological features close to Curiosity. The NavCams were used to take long range horizon shots in the ongoing search for dust devils and to provide other environmental data. Sky imaging was also performed to assess cloud cover and atmospheric dust abundance. The MastCams were also used for sky and sun imaging. Robotics resumed on Sol 154 as MSL performed another complex sequence to perform contact science with MAHLI and APXS on a number of targets in front of the rover. MAHLI also took an image of the REMS Sun Sensor to help teams assess dust deposition on the sensor. ChemCam was used on three targets and the MastCams continued ongoing imaging of rock features in Yellowknife Bay along with photos of Curiosity’s drill on the turret as part of final engineering checks of the system. Sol 155 featured more operations of APXS, MAHLI and ChemCam along with more MastCam imaging. MAHLI was used on Sol 156 to acquire mosaic images using its focus-stacking feature to provide in-focus images of targets and depth maps for each of the images. On Sol 157, operations of the arm were on hold after teams discovered a minor problem with it on Sol 156 and wanted to make sure that the nature of the issue was fully understood. The issue was not of concern and robotics continued on Sol 158. Two targets were observed by APXS and MAHLI. Also, MAHLI was used to take mosaic images of a rock ledge directly in front of Curiosity. On Tuesday, the MSL team presented science results of Curiosity’s stay inside Yellowknife Bay (which will be covered in our MSL Science Section over the course of this week) and they discussed upcoming operations. Curiosity will complete more operations in the coming days to set the stage for drilling, although all engineering checkouts of the drill are already finished. A short drive will be required to reach the site that was chosen for drilling operations. The site is about five meters from Curiosity and will be Curiosity’s parking spot for the drilling operation which will take several weeks. The target has been named ‘John Klein’ to honor MSL Deputy Project Manager John Klein who passed away in 2011. Drilling is a high-profile activity and teams will approach it carefully to make sure the operation goes as smoothly as possible. "Drilling into a rock to collect a sample will be this mission's most challenging activity since the landing. It has never been done on Mars," said Mars Science Laboratory project manager Richard Cook of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "The drill hardware interacts energetically with Martian material we don't control. We won't be surprised if some steps in the process don't go exactly as planned the first time through." When drilling for the first time, Curiosity’s hammering drill, or Powder Acquisition Drill System (PADS) will acquire samples from up to 5 centimeters below the rock surface. The system design is a powdering drill that cannot collect intact cores. PADS can physically translate down the drill and into the rock’s surface. |
It also rotates the bit at 0 to 150rpm to cut out material and it exchanges drill bits from the drill. The actual drill penetrates the rock and provides the powder that will be analyzed. The powder travels up through an auger in the drill and is directed into two chambers with a transfer tube interfacing with the CHIMRA sample processing device.
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The drill generates a fine powder that can be analyzed by the rover’s instruments including the laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin. But before any material is distributed to the instruments, the drill and its two sample chambers inside the bit along with all transfer tubes need to be decontaminated – an activity that CHIMRA underwent earlier in the mission. Samples from the first drilling operation will be used to clean the drill and its chambers to remove and substances that might be left from Curiosity’s stay on Earth, because teams want to analyze Martian samples and no materials from Planet Earth.
Once decontamination activities are complete, drilled samples can be analyzed by CheMin and SAM, but also by MAHLI and APXS – for that, material is distributed to MSL’s observation tray which is within the reach of the rover’s robotic arm and the contact science instruments. The drilling target is an outcrop that features fractures and veins, with the intervening rock also containing concretions, which are small spherical concentrations of minerals. In the image to the right, the John Klein site is shown with the drilling location just above the scale bar. The three boxes show attributes of the area that are of interest to scientists as they represent a geological diversity found in Yellowknife Bay. Box A shows a high concentration of ridge-like veins protruding above the surface. Veins are fractures in rocks that feature minerals that precipitated in those fractures when water was flowing across the rocks in a past geologic stage. Some of the veins have two walls and an eroded interior. Enlargement B shows a horizontal discontinuity a few centimeters beneath the surface which could be a bed, a fracture or a vein. Box C shows a hole in the sand that overlies a fracture, implying infiltration of sand down into the fracture system. "The orbital signal drew us here, but what we found when we arrived has been a great surprise," said Mars Science Laboratory project scientist John Grotzinger, of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "This area had a different type of wet environment than the streambed where we landed, maybe a few different types of wet environments." |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity's first Drilling Site
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Drilling into the rocks of Yellowknife Bay and taking a closer look at the veins will provide scientists with more pieces of a large puzzle to better understand the past environment that was present on Mars.
Our Science Reports Page will be featuring articles on the findings of the individual instruments over the course of this week.
Photo Gallery: Sol 154 Yellowknife Bay
Our Science Reports Page will be featuring articles on the findings of the individual instruments over the course of this week.
Photo Gallery: Sol 154 Yellowknife Bay
Curiosity uses its Brush for the first Time on Mars
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January 8, 2013
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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NASA’s Curiosity Rover has completed the first-time use of its brush to remove a layer of dust from one of the Rocks it has been examining at a target named Snake River, located inside Yellowknife Bay.
MSL’s Dust Removal Tool, or DRT, is located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. The tool is used to remove dust and loose material from rock surfaces that are targeted to be examined. Stainless steel wire brushes are driven by a single actuator. The Robotic Arm is responsible for properly positioning the tool at the correct standoff distance to the surface that is supposed to be cleaned. An area with a minimum circular diameter of 4.5cm can be cleaned by the brushes without motion of the robotic arm. DRT is also used to clean the observation tray when samples that are placed on it are no longer required. DRT is 154mm long, 102mm in diameter and it has a mass of 925 grams. The DRT was built by Honeybee Robotics, New York. By removing deposited material from rocks, targeted surfaces are prepared for further investigation, such as drilling, contact science with MAHLI and APXS as well as ChemCam analysis of the underlying rock with the upper layer of dust removed. |
Curiosity's Dust Removal Tool
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Image: Honeybee Robotics/NASA
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Curiosity first used its brush on Sol 150 to clean a rock named ‘Ekwir_1’ located close to Snake River, a sinuous rock formation that caught the eye of investigators. Choosing a rock for this first-time activity was a careful process that involved engineers as well as scientists. "We wanted to be sure we had an optimal target for the first use," said Diana Trujillo of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., the mission's activity lead for the Dust Removal Tool. "We need to place the instrument within less than half an inch of the target without putting the hardware at risk. We needed a flat target, one that wasn't rough, one that was covered with dust. The results certainly look good."
MAHLI images from Sol 149 and 150 provide a good Before-And-After comparison showing that the Dust Removal Tool did its job very well.
MAHLI images from Sol 149 and 150 provide a good Before-And-After comparison showing that the Dust Removal Tool did its job very well.
Before
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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After
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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In addition to its recent cleaning activities, Curiosity conducted contact science at Snake River, using APXS on several targets including the brushed spot and MSL used MAHLI to provide close-up images of areas of interest and the brushed rock, providing ultra-close-up images of the brushed area using its focus-stacking feature to provide perfectly focused images along with depth maps of the target. Images were taken at different distances to achieve different resolutions.
On Sol 151, Curiosity performed a short drive of under one meter to get closer to Snake River. Also on Sol 151, MSL performed a Nav and MastCam survey of the area along with extensive ChemCam operations using the instrument and its Remote-Micro Imager. Newly acquired NavCam images show some of Curiosity’s wheels. With the mission’s driving distance now over 700 meters, MSL’s wheels show considerable wear & tear, however, this was expected and the dents in the wheels are no concern to teams and rover drivers. MSL Galleries: Snake River - Sol 149 Sol 150 - Brush |
Frames: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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NavCam Images: Sol 151, Snake River
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Curiosity prepares for busy Year exploring Gale Crater |
January 5, 2013
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The Curiosity Rover has completed its stay at its holiday spot within Yellowknife Bay inside the Glenelg area which has been named Grandma's House. MSL made a short drive on January 4 to begin a year that will be filled with a busy driving schedule, but that will not start until Curiosity has finished exploring Glenelg and completed its first drilling operation which is the first big item on the rover's 2013 agenda.
"We had no surprises over the holidays," MSL Project Manager Richard Cook said. "Now, Curiosity is back on the move. The area the rover is in looks good for our first drilling target." Over the holidays, MSL continued to perform well and teams did not have to work any issues with the vehicle. While waiting inside Yellowknife Bay, Curiosity used its two Mast Cameras to acquire a number of mosaic shots to generate large panoramas. MastCam imagery was acquired on Sols 135, 136, 137, 138 and 141. The rest of the Sols at Grandma's House were dedicated to environmental studies involving RAD, DAN, REMS and the NavCams. Images taken by the NavCams included horizon shots to show potential dust devils and sky images to show the cloud cover above Curiosity. The large MastCam panoramas were used by teams to study Yellowknife Bay and find potential drilling targets. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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In these frames, teams identified an area of interest that was then named Snake River. It is a sinuous rock formation which was located close to the rover. On January 4, 2013 (Sol 147), Curiosity made a three-meter drive to put the target within the arm's reach for contact science. Snake River is a curving line consisting of darker rock material that cuts through flatter rocks and protrudes above the Martian regolith. Before Curiosity proceeds to other targets, teams want to take a closer look at this target as it might hold clues that could allow scientists to learn about the geological history of Gale Crater.
Snake River
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
"It's one piece of the puzzle," said the mission's project scientist, John Grotzinger of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "It has a crosscutting relationship to the surrounding rock and appears to have formed after the deposition of the layer that it transects."
Once leaving Snake River behind, Curiosity will tackle its next task which is the rover's first drilling operation. Teams want to find a rock that meets all requirements for a safe use of Curiosity's hammering drill.
Once leaving Snake River behind, Curiosity will tackle its next task which is the rover's first drilling operation. Teams want to find a rock that meets all requirements for a safe use of Curiosity's hammering drill.
MSL's Turret & Drill
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Engineers and scientists are currently looking for a rock that looks suitable for drilling, but before using MSL's drill, teams will perform contact science on the target to get a basic idea of the rock's composition to make sure that it is safe to drill into the rock. Teams want to find a fine-grained, homogeneous rock that presents to danger to the rover and its drill. One aspect is the chemical composition of the rock. Teams are worried that some types of rock could temporarily liquify during drilling which could be troublesome and cause damage to the drill. Knowing the chemical composition beforehand will allow scientists to perform a thorough assessment before giving the green light for drilling.
MSL’s drill, or Powder Acquisition Drill System (PADS) as the instrument is called, is a hammering drill capable of acquiring samples from up to 5 centimeters below the rock surface. The drill generates a fine powder that can be analyzed by the rover’s instruments including the laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin. The system design is a powdering drill that cannot collect intact cores. PADS can physically translate down the drill and into the rock’s surface. It also rotates the bit at 0 to 150rpm to cut out material and it exchanges drill bits from the drill. The actual drill penetrates the rock and provides the powder that will be analyzed. The powder travels up through an auger in the drill and is directed into two chambers with a transfer tube interfacing with the CHIMRA sample processing device. The holes that are drilled into rocks are 1.6cm in diameter and up to 5cm deep. Once the powder generated by the drill is distributed to CHIMRA, it will go through the nominal processing sequence before being distributed to the laboratory instruments SAM and CheMin as well as the observation tray for contact science. |
More information on MSL's sample acquisition and handling systems can be found here.
MSL’s first drilling operation is planned to take several weeks. Once drilling is complete and Curiosity has finished operations inside Glenelg, it will head out to its ultimate target, Mount Sharp. To reach Aeolis Mons, Gale’s central peak, Curiosity will spend the majority of 2013 on the road. A few stops at targets of interest are expected before Curiosity reaches to base of the mountain and no fixed timeline is set for the operations.
Updated Weather Diagrams using raw MSL REMS Data have been published here.
MSL Galleries:
Sol 132 Gallery
Sol 133 Gallery
Sol 136 Gallery
Sol 137 MastCam Gallery
Sol 141 MastCam Gallery
MSL’s first drilling operation is planned to take several weeks. Once drilling is complete and Curiosity has finished operations inside Glenelg, it will head out to its ultimate target, Mount Sharp. To reach Aeolis Mons, Gale’s central peak, Curiosity will spend the majority of 2013 on the road. A few stops at targets of interest are expected before Curiosity reaches to base of the mountain and no fixed timeline is set for the operations.
Updated Weather Diagrams using raw MSL REMS Data have been published here.
MSL Galleries:
Sol 132 Gallery
Sol 133 Gallery
Sol 136 Gallery
Sol 137 MastCam Gallery
Sol 141 MastCam Gallery
Sol 106 Panorama of Point Lake and Yellowknife Bay
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MSL arrives at Yellowknife Bay & prepares for Holiday Break
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December 20, 2012
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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The Mars Science Laboratory Rover has arrived inside Yellowknife Bay, a slightly lower area within Glenelg. The basin is within a different type of terrain from what the Rover has traversed since landing. It is one of three different types of terrain that intersect at Glenelg. Teams plan to perform MSL’s first Drilling Operation inside Yellowknife Bay and are currently looking for a rock that meets the requirements for drilling. For the holidays, MSL will not perform any drives to give teams some time to rest.
To head into Yellowknife Bay, Curiosity performed its fourth consecutive driving day on Sol 123 after leaving the Point Lake Area four Sols earlier. The December 10 drive was automatically aborted by the Rover about 30 percent shorter than planned because the vehicle detected a tilt level that was different from what was calculated for the drive. As part of Curiosity’s independent drive capability, the rover uses software that is capable of aborting a drive when any limits are exceeded. Usually, limits are set conservatively to make sure Curiosity does not maneuver itself into any potentially dangerous situations. "The rover is traversing across terrain different from where it has driven earlier, and responding differently," said Rick Welch, mission manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We're making progress, though we're still in the learning phase with this rover, going a little slower on this terrain than we might wish we could." |
On December 11, Curiosity performed a 14-meter drive to reach the edge of Yellowknife Bay. One day later, the Rover made a half-meter descent into Yellowknife Bay as part of a 26.1-meter drive. Along the way, Curiosity used the MastCam and ChemCam remote sensing instruments to analyze rocks of interest. On December 14, MSL drove 32.8 meters north to reach rock targets of interest, named ‘Costello’ and ‘Flaherty.’
MSL Route Map (Sol 130)
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Arizona
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On Sol 128, Curiosity discarded the remaining soil that was still within MSL’s sampling system from the 5th scoop sampling back at Rocknest. The two Mast Cameras were used to perform a survey of CHIMRA and the rest of MSL’s turret, to make sure that the sample had been dumped properly and to assess the overall condition of the turret with respect to dust deposition. On Sol 129, Curiosity used the APXS and MAHLI Instruments (Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer and Mars Hand Lens Imager) to examine the two targets directly in front of the rover. In addition, the MastCams and ChemCam made remote sensing observations and DAN (Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons) performed an active Neutron Spectroscopy session at the new location. The MAHLI images acquired on Sol 129 included the highest resolution images taken yet.
Sol 130, December 17, featured another drive of 5.6 meters to a steep exposure of rocks. The Sol 130 drive brought the mission’s total driving distance up to 677 meters. Before departing its location on Sol 130, Curiosity performed another contact science operation and took targeted MastCam images of a nearby outcrop in coordination with ChemCam analysis of the rocks. Sol 131 featured the regular NavCam image acquisition and ChemCam Calibration operations. On Sol 132, MAHLI and APXS were used again to conduct contact science on the Rock that was examined the previous Sol. On Sol 133, Curiosity’s plan included the final drive before the holiday break. This drive targeted a spot from where Curiosity can image the outcrops surrounding Yellowknife Bay. These images will be acquired before the holiday break. During the break, teams will perform essential rover operations such as environmental monitoring using DAN, RAD and REMS, image acquisition and Rover health checks. The images returned from this site will be used to pick a drilling site for Curiosity’s first drilling operation which is the objective for early 2013. Curiosity’s stay inside Yellowknife Bay for drilling will be about one to two months in duration. Once the first drilling operation is complete, Curiosity will spend the majority of 2013 on the road, driving south-west to its main destination, Mount Sharp. MSL Galleries: Sols 119 through 124 Sols 125 through 127 Sol 128 - Turret Survey Sol 129 Robotics & Contact Science Sol 130 |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
MAHLI Image (Sol 129)
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
Sol 130 MastCam Image
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MSL heads to Yellowknife Bay for first Drilling Operation |
December 10, 2012
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Over the past 17 Sols since our last mission update, MSL Curiosity continued a variety of operations in the Glenelg area inside Gale Crater, including drives, contact science and another run of the SAM Laboratory instrument.
After departing Rocknest, Curiosity arrived at an outcrop called Bell Island and teams started to debate whether to stay at the target to perform science activities or make a drive closer to an area called Yellowknife Bay. Teams decided to stay for several sols to conduct a variety of activities. Teams planned multiple Sols of activities for the first time in the mission to allow the rover team to take a break for Thanksgiving. Teams instructed Curiosity to acquire a number of MastCam images on Sols 105 through 108 to create a large mosaic of the Yellowknife Bay area and the immediate surroundings of the Rover. In addition, the Sol 105-107 plan involved the regular atmospheric measurements with REMS and DAN operations at the new location. Sols 109 and 110 featured more imaging sessions with MastCam and NavCam. On Sol 111, ChemCam was used to conduct measurements on the Bell Island Target, performing active spectroscopy along with Remote-Micro Imager activities to provide context footage. On Sol 112, Curiosity made a one-meter drive to place itself close to a rock which was a science target for the following Sols. Sol 112 also featured more imagery acquisitions with the Mast Cameras of the nearby rocks. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Also, NavCam images were taken for environmental studies and ChemCam completed calibration operations involving its calibration target on the rear of the rover. The next Sol was spent with Drill Checkouts that had been ongoing since MSL departed Rocknest to prepare for Curiosity's first drilling operation - likely to take place in the Yellowknife Bay area. Also on Sol 113, ChemCam and the Mast Cameras were active again.
MSL Route Map (Sol 102)
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Arizona
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The focus of Sol 114 was the delivery of a soil sample from Rocknest to SAM - the Sample Analysis at Mars Instrument. A portion of the fifth scoop sample acquired at the Rocknest target back on Sol 93 was delivered to SAM. This sample had already been analyzed by SAM, but teams decided to leave a portion of it inside CHIMRA for analysis at a later time if required. To further increase science data return and to better characterize the SAM instrument, teams decided to go ahead and have SAM examine the sample. Data from that analysis will help teams to better understand results from previous samples. The first results of SAM's solid sample analyses are provided via our SAM Science Reports.
Sols 115 and 116 were dedicated to SAM operations as well as ChemCam and MastCam observations of a number of rocks in the vicinity of Curiosity. Sol 116 featured another raster observation of ChemCam, performing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in a number of spots on a rock target. Images of the sample inlet covers were taken on Sol 116 to provide engineers an opportunity to assess the configuration of the covers and dust deposition near the inlets. The next Sol was dedicated to contact science as Curiosity used its robotic arm to place its contact instruments close to a rock which was then examined with APXS, the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer. In addition, engineering images of the turret and the sample inlet covers on the rover deck were taken by MastCam. Robotics were also the focus on Sol 118 as another target was analyzed by Curiosity's Contact Science Instruments. Also, the NavCams and MastCams were busy once again, taking a variety of images. Sol 119 was a quiet Sol filled with regular rover operations of RAD, DAN and REMS along with sky imaging by the MastCams and nominal imagery acquisition by the NavCams. On Sol 120, Curiosity hit the road again, driving south-east to a target named Shaler. NavCam images revealed some interesting terrain with outcrops and layered material. Curiosity didn't come to stay this time and performed another drive again on Sol 121, this time turning north-east. The Sol 120 and 121 drives allowed Curiosity to avoid a rugged portion of terrain the the Point Lake area and it enabled the rover to check out Shaler. Sols 122 and 123 saw more drives. It is important to keep in mind that Curiosity will have to exit Glenelg again after completing operations in the area, so that teams might get a second chance at these targets after having some time to evaluate possible targets - provided Curiosity's path out of Glenelg is close to the current traverse path. |
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSS
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSS
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Sol 120
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Sol 121
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovers more MSL EDL Hardware Impact Sites
Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Arizona
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Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Arizona
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Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Arizona
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Meanwhile, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has discovered several new impact scars on Mars made by pieces of MSL Entry, Descent and Landing Hardware.
The Context Camera of MRO acquired an image of the predicted impact site of two tungsten weights that were separated from the MSL Entry Vehicle just before entry into the Martian atmosphere. These weights were jettisoned to achieve a Center of Gravity Offset in order to allow MSL to control its angle of attack to generate lift which allowed the vehicle to make a guided entry. The two 75-Kilogram weights also re-entered the atmosphere and impacted the Martian surface. The two impact sites of the weights are located about 80 Kilometers west of Curiosity's landing site. The MRO High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment subsequently imaged the area to provide high-resolution images of the impact craters. The two large impact craters are three to five meters in diameter. |
Credit: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Arizona
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Via these images, teams were also able to find a large number of smaller impacts - these are most likely impacts of Cruise Stage Hardware. The MSL Cruise Stage was jettisoned 10 minutes before entry and broke-up during entry, scattering a number of debris on the surface. The other two impacts seen in the image have asymmetric ejecta, indicating that those are related to the Cruise Stage that probably broke up into two major pieces and a number of smaller debris. "The many smaller impacts may have been formed by secondary impacts of material thrown from the large impacts, or by additional pieces of the cruise stage, or both," NASA said in a statement.
These impacts are of great scientific value because hundreds of impact sites are discovered on Mars every year, but scientists do not know the initial size, velocity, density, strength, or impact angle of the objects. For the craters created by MSL hardware, all these properties are known which allows scientists to study impact processes and Mars surface and atmospheric properties and better understand future and past impacts.
These impacts are of great scientific value because hundreds of impact sites are discovered on Mars every year, but scientists do not know the initial size, velocity, density, strength, or impact angle of the objects. For the craters created by MSL hardware, all these properties are known which allows scientists to study impact processes and Mars surface and atmospheric properties and better understand future and past impacts.
Curiosity hits the Road again to head further into Glenelg
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November 22, 2012
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Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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The Curiosity Rover has started driving again after its long stop at the Rocknest Target, where initial scoop sampling took place. MSL arrived at Rocknest, a patch of windblown dust, back on Sol 56 and completed a total of five scoop sampling operations, analysis of samples by SAM and CheMin as well as activities involving all the other instruments aboard the rover. Last Friday, Curiosity started driving again.
The rover drove 1.9 meters to get close to a rock named ‘Rocknest-3’ in order to place it within the robotic arm’s reach. On Sunday, the APXS Instrument (Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer) completed two 10-minute integrations to determine the chemical composition of the target. Afterwards, the arm was stowed and Curiosity made a 25.3-meter drive toward a target called ‘Point Lake.’ "We have done touches before, and we've done goes before, but this is our first 'touch-and-go' on the same day," said Curiosity Mission Manager Michael Watkins. "It is a good sign that the rover team is getting comfortable with more complex operational planning, which will serve us well in the weeks ahead." While making this drive, Curiosity looked back to take MastCam images of the scuff mark in Rocknest. On Sol 103, MSL completed an active DAN Session to measure Hydrogen abundance beneath the Martian Surface. |
Also, Curiosity checked out the drill on the turret of the Robotic Arm for its first use at some point in the next few weeks when an appropriate drilling target is found in the Glenelg area. Drilling is the final major first-time activity for the MSL mission. Sol 103 also featured another NavCam panorama of the area surrounding the rover to allow teams to plan upcoming operations and observations.
Sols 104 and 105 featured more imaging operations as well as continuing operations of DAN, REMS and RAD. The rover is still carrying material from the final sampling operation at Rocknest that can be distributed to SAM or CheMin if teams decide to perform another sample analysis run by either of the two laboratory instruments.
Sols 104 and 105 featured more imaging operations as well as continuing operations of DAN, REMS and RAD. The rover is still carrying material from the final sampling operation at Rocknest that can be distributed to SAM or CheMin if teams decide to perform another sample analysis run by either of the two laboratory instruments.
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech
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With Curiosity back on the road, the rover will make its way deeper into the Glenelg Area. Glenelg is of high interest because it lies at the intersection of three different surface materials/geological features. The brighter terrain to the North is likely a type of bedrock which could be suitable for eventual drilling by Curiosity. To the East is the next type of terrain which is marked by numerous small craters. This could be material that represents and older or harder surface. The third kind of terrain at this intersection is the surface type Curiosity landed on.
Teams will be looking for rocks that could be potential drilling targets to complete the first drilling operation by the end of the year. MSL will likely be busy at Glenelg until early next year. |
Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech/University of Arizona
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Dust inside Gale Crater
Sol 75
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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Sol 100
Photo: NASA/JPL/Caltech/MSSS
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