NASAs Curiosity Mars rover recorded this view of a sulfate-bearing area using its Mastcam on May 2, 2022. NASAs Curiosity Mars rover has been taking a trip through a transition zone from a clay-rich region to one filled with a salty mineral called sulfate for the previous year. NASAs Curiosity Mars rover recorded this view of layered, flaky rocks believed to have formed in an ancient streambed or small pond. NASAs Curiosity Mars rover caught this 360-degree panorama near a place nicknamed Sierra Maigualida on May 22, 2022.” We have shown through ground testing that we can safely drive on the wheel rims if necessary,” stated Megan Lin, Curiositys task supervisor at JPL.
NASAs Curiosity Mars rover caught this view of layered, flaky rocks believed to have formed in an ancient streambed or little pond. The 6 images that comprise this mosaic were recorded utilizing Curiositys Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on June 2, 2022, the 3,492 nd Martian day, or sol, of the objective. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
” We no longer see the lake deposits that we saw for many years lower on Mount Sharp,” said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiositys job researcher at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Instead, we see great deals of proof of drier environments, like dry dunes that periodically had streams running around them. Thats a huge modification from the lakes that persisted for perhaps millions of years before.”
As the rover climbs up greater through the shift zone, it is detecting less clay and more sulfate. Curiosity will soon drill the last rock sample it will take in this zone, supplying a more comprehensive peek into the altering mineral composition of these rocks.
NASAs spacecraft on Mars are all affected by the winds of the Red Planet, which can produce a small dust devil or a worldwide dust storm. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/ MSSS/University of Arizona
The hills in the area most likely began in a dry environment of big, wind-swept sand dunes, hardening into rock over time. Interspersed in the remains of these dunes are other sediments brought by water, perhaps transferred in ponds or small streams that when wove amongst the dunes.
Making the story richer yet more complex is the understanding that there were multiple durations in which groundwater streamed and receded over time, leaving an assortment of puzzle pieces for Curiositys researchers to put together into an accurate timeline.
NASAs Curiosity Mars rover captured this 360-degree panorama near a place nicknamed Sierra Maigualida on May 22, 2022. The panorama is comprised of 133 specific images recorded by Curiositys Mast Camera, or Mastcam. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
10 years On, Going Strong
Interest will commemorate its 10th year on Mars Aug. 5. While the rover is revealing its age after a complete years of exploring, nothing has actually avoided it from continuing its climb.
On June 7, Curiosity entered into safe mode after identifying a temperature reading on an instrument control box within the body of the rover that was warmer than anticipated. When a spacecraft senses a problem and immediately shuts down all however its most essential functions so that engineers can evaluate the scenario, safe mode happens.
NASAs Curiosity Mars rover caught proof of layers that built up as windblown sand both accumulated and was scoured away at an area nicknamed “Las Claritas.” This image was captured utilizing Curiositys Mast Camera, or Mastcam, on May 19, 2022, the 3,478 th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Although Curiosity left safe mode and went back to typical operations 2 days later on, JPLs engineers are still analyzing the specific reason for the problem. They think safe mode was triggered after a temperature level sensing unit offered an unreliable measurement, and theres no indication it will considerably impact rover operations because backup temperature sensing units can ensure the electronics within the rover body arent getting too hot.
The rovers aluminum wheels are also showing signs of wear. On June 4, the engineering group commanded Curiosity to take new images of its wheels– something it had actually been doing every 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) to inspect their general health.
The group discovered that the left middle wheel had actually harmed one of its grousers, the zig-zagging treads along Curiositys wheels. This particular wheel already had four broken grousers, so now 5 of its 19 grousers are broken.
The formerly harmed grousers drew in attention online recently due to the fact that some of the metal “skin” between them appears to have actually fallen out of the wheel in the previous few months, leaving a gap.
The team has actually decided to increase its wheel imaging to every 1,640 feet (500 meters)– a return to the original cadence. A traction control algorithm had actually slowed wheel wear enough to validate increasing the distance between imaging.
” We have actually proven through ground testing that we can securely drive on the wheel rims if required,” said Megan Lin, Curiositys project manager at JPL. “If we ever reached the point that a single wheel had actually broken a bulk of its grousers, we could do a controlled break to shed the pieces that are left. Due to recent trends, it seems unlikely that we would require to take such action. The wheels are holding up well, providing the traction we require to continue our climb.”
NASAs Curiosity Mars rover caught this view of a sulfate-bearing area utilizing its Mastcam on May 2, 2022. Dark stones seen near the center are believed to have formed from sand transferred in ancient streams or ponds. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Striking rock developments documented by the Curiosity rover supply proof of a drying climate in the Red Planets ancient past.
NASAs Curiosity Mars rover has been traveling through a shift zone from a clay-rich area to one filled with a salted mineral called sulfate for the past year. While the science group targeted the clay-rich area and the sulfate-laden one for evidence each can provide about Mars watery past, the transition zone is showing to be scientifically informing as well. This transition may supply the record of a major shift in Mars environment billions of years ago that scientists are just now starting to understand.
The clay minerals formed when streams and lakes as soon as rippled throughout Gale Crater, depositing sediment at what is now the base of Mount Sharp, the 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain whose foothills Curiosity has been rising because 2014. Greater on the mountain in the transition zone, Curiositys observations show that the streams dried into trickles and dune formed above the lake sediments.