Results from the Mars Science Laboratory

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Results from the Mars Science Laboratory NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Results from the John Grotzinger MSL Project Scientist Mars Science Laboratory 4/4/13 Curiosity’s primary scienfic goal is to explore and quantavely assess a local region on Mars’ surface as a potenal habitat for life, past or present • Biological potenal • Geology and geochemistry • Role of water • Surface radiaon NASA/JPL-Caltech Curiosity’s Science Objectives NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/MSSS Target: Gale Crater and Mount Sharp REMOTE SENSING ChemCam Mastcam Mastcam (M. Malin, MSSS) - Color and telephoto imaging, video, atmospheric opacity RAD ChemCam (R. Wiens, LANL/CNES) – Chemical composion; REMS remote micro-imaging DAN CONTACT INSTRUMENTS (ARM) MAHLI (K. Edge, MSSS) – Hand-lens color imaging APXS (R. Gellert, U. Guelph, Canada) - Chemical composion ANALYTICAL LABORATORY (ROVER BODY) MAHLI APXS SAM (P. Mahaffy, GSFC/CNES/JPL-Caltech) - Chemical and isotopic composion, including organics Brush MARDI Drill / Sieves CheMin (D. Blake, ARC) - Mineralogy Scoop Wheel Base: 2.8 m ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION Height of Deck: 1.1 m MARDI (M. Malin, MSSS) - Descent imaging Ground Clearance: 0.66 m REMS (J. Gómez-Elvira, CAB, Spain) - Meteorology / UV Height of Mast: 2.2 m RAD (D. Hassler, SwRI) - High-energy radiaon Mass: 900 kg DAN (I. Mitrofanov, IKI, Russia) - Subsurface hydrogen Curiosity’s Investigation Teams Organic Check Material Sample • Cleans rock surfaces with a brush Observaon Tray • Places and holds the APXS and MAHLI instruments Extra Drill Bits • Acquires samples of rock or soil Turret 2.25-m Robot Arm with a powdering drill or scoop APXS • Sieves the samples (to 150 μm or 1 CHIMRA mm) and delivers them to instruments or an observaon tray • Exchanges spare drill bits MAHLI Drill Brush Curiosity’s Sampling System NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Curiosity progressed toward Glenelg, where three distinct terrain types meet NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS The conglomerate “Link” with associated loose, rounded pebbles Jake Matijevic studied by Mastcam (image), APXS, and ChemCam Composition is similar to alkaline basalts on Earth produced by partial melting of the mantle Si Al sol34 Caltarget 90 min sol46 JakeMatijevic 30 min 10 Mg Na APXS Spectra Fe S K Ca 1 Cl Ti Mn P Zn Br 0.1 Cr countspersecond Ni 0.01 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Energy [keV] NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/U. Guelph Rocknest Scooping Campaign NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Windblown “sand shadow” at the Rocknest site NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS MAHLI view of coarse (0.5 to 1.5 mm) sand from the ripple’s surface, and fine (< 0.25 mm) sand on wall and floor of trench Gases SAM and released CheMin during SAM analyses experiments of Rocknest Sand composed of unaltered basaltic NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames minerals, NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS similar to soils NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard on Mars Also evidence for water, sulfates, carbonates, and X-ray potentially perchlorates diffraction pattern from CheMin Curiosity self-portrait at Rocknest Assembled from 55 MAHLI images Shows four scoop trenches and wheel scuff NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Measurements of Mars’ Atmosphere and Environment REMS’ ground and air temperature sensors are located on small booms on the rover’s mast The ground temperature changes by 90°C (170 degrees Fahrenheit) between day and night The air is warmer than the ground at night, and cooler during the morning, before it is heated by the ground NASA/JPL-Caltech/CAB(CSIC-INTA) Curiosity’s Rover Environmental Monitoring Station is taking weather readings 24 × 7 Each day the pressure varies by over 10%, similar to the change in pressure between Los Angeles and Denver Solar heating of the ground drives a pressure “tidal wave” that sweeps across the planet each day Overall, the pressure is increasing as carbon dioxide sublimates from the southern seasonal polar cap NASA/JPL-Caltech/CAB(CSIC-INTA)/FMI/Ashima Research Earth’s atmosphere = 101,325 Pascals, or about 140 times the pressure at Gale Crater REMS pressure measurements detect local, regional, and global weather phenomena RAD observed galactic cosmic rays and five solar energetic particle events traveling from Earth to Mars Mars’ atmosphere partially shields the surface from radiation. When the atmosphere is thicker (higher REMS pressure), RAD measures less radiation. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector measures high-energy radiation NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP ChemCam spectra of Coronation Target: Coronaon (N165) Sol 13 Shots: 30 NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS The Glenelg Region and Yellowknife Bay NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Curiosity is currently exploring Yellowknife Bay, a basin within the Glenelg region NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Heading into Yellowknife Bay NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Postcards from Yellowknife Bay showing a diversity of rock types, fractures, and veins NASA/JPL-Caltech ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/ LPGNantes/CNRS/LGLyon/Planet-Terre ChemCam spectra from sol 125 “Crest” and 135 “Rapitan” “Sheepbed” rocks contain 1 to 5-mm fractures filled with calcium sulfate minerals that precipitated from fluids at low to moderate temperatures NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS “Sheepbed” rocks also contain many spherules suggesting that water percolated though pores NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS John Klein drill site showing fractured bedrock and ridge-forming veins NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Targets studied to prepare for drilling NASA/JPL-Caltech/ U. Guelph APXS sees higher sulfur and calcium in vein-rich rock Removing the dust results in slightly lower sulfur NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS APXS and the dust-removing brush NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Bouic Arm deployed at John Klein NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/ LPGNantes/CNRS NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Curiosity’s 1.6-cm drill bit, drill and test holes, and scoop full of acquired sample NASA/JPL-Caltech/ U. Guelph NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/IRAP/CNES/ LPGNantes/IAS/CNRS/MSSS “Wernecke” Sol 169 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Honeybee Robocs/LANL/CNES ChemCam laser shots of brushed rock and drill tailings pile NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames The drill powder contains abundant phyllosilicates (clay minerals), indicating sustained interaction with water X-ray diffraction patterns from Rocknest (left) and John Klein (right) NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC SAM analysis of the drilled rock sample reveals water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide released on heating. The release of water at high temperature is consistent with smectite clay minerals. Major gases released from John Klein sample and analyzed by SAM An Ancient Habitable Environment at Yellowknife Bay • The regional geology and fine-grained rock suggest that the John Klein site was at the end of an ancient river system or within an intermittently wet lake bed • The mineralogy indicates sustained interaction with liquid water that was not too acidic or alkaline, and low salinity. Further, conditions were not strongly oxidizing • Key chemical ingredients for life are present, such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur • The presence of minerals in various states or oxidation would provide a source of energy for primitive biology NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS .
Recommended publications
  • Telling Time on Mars 41
    Telling Time on Mars 41 The InSight Lander will arrive at Mars on September 20, 2016 according to Earth Time, but when will it arrive according to Mars Time? One Earth Day is exactly 24 hours long, so that the time between two High Noons is exactly 24 hours. But Mars rotates a bit more slowly and by Earth units, one Mars Day (called a Sol) is 24 hours and 40 minutes long. This photo was taken by the NASA Phoenix Lander on Sol 90, which is Earth date August 25, 2008 The Curiosity Rover can only safely move during the Martian daytime. This is when scientists on Earth can use TV cameras to watch where the rover is traveling. The Martian day is 40 minutes longer then the Earth day. That means scientists have to move their work schedule forward by 40 minutes each Earth day to keep up with sunrise and sunset on Mars. The rover landed on August 5, 2012 at about 10:30 pm Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), which was defined as Sol 0 for this mission. All of the navigation is performed by Navigation Engineers working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Problem 1 - What time and date will it be on Earth on Sol 5? Problem 2 - Suppose that sunrise at the Curiosity lander happened on February 16, 2013 at 5:20 pm Pacific Standard Time (Sol 190 at 6:00 am Local Mars Time). A Navigation Engineer begins his work shift exactly at that moment. When will his shift have to start after 5 Sols have passed on Mars? Problem 3 – How many Sols have to elapse before his work shift once again starts at the same Earth time of 5:20 pm PST? Space Math http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov Answer Key 41 Mars Sunrise and Sunset Tables http://www.curiosityrover.com/sundata/ Problem 1 - What time and date will it be on Earth on Sol 5? Answer: This will be 5 x (1 day and 40 minutes) added to August 5 at 10:30 pm PDT.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Mars Architecture
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Human Mars Architecture Tara Polsgrove NASA Human Mars Study Team 15th International Planetary Probe Workshop June 11, 2018 Space Policy Directive-1 “Lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities. Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the United States will lead the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.” 2 EXPLORATION CAMPAIGN Gateway Initial ConfigurationLunar Orbital Platform-Gateway (Notional) Orion 4 5 A Brief History of Human Exploration Beyond LEO America at DPT / NEXT NASA Case the Threshold Constellation National Studies Program Lunar Review of Commission First Lunar Architecture U.S. Human on Space Outpost Team Spaceflight Plans Committee Pathways to Exploration Columbia Challenger 1980 1990 2000 2010 Bush 41 Bush 43 7kObama HAT/EMC MSC Speech Speech Speech Report of the 90-Day Study on Human Exploration of the Moon and Mars NASA’s Journey to National Aeronautics and November 1989 Global Leadership Space Administration Mars Exploration and 90-Day Study Mars Design Mars Design Roadmap America’s Reference Mars Design Reference Future in Reference Mission 1.0 Exploration Architecture Space Mission 3.0 System 5.0 Exploration Architecture Blueprint Study 6 Exploring the Mars Mission Design Tradespace • A myriad of choices define
    [Show full text]
  • The Rock Abrasion Record at Gale Crater: Mars Science Laboratory
    PUBLICATIONS Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets RESEARCH ARTICLE The rock abrasion record at Gale Crater: Mars 10.1002/2013JE004579 Science Laboratory results from Bradbury Special Section: Landing to Rocknest Results from the first 360 Sols of the Mars Science Laboratory N. T. Bridges1, F. J. Calef2, B. Hallet3, K. E. Herkenhoff4, N. L. Lanza5, S. Le Mouélic6, C. E. Newman7, Mission: Bradbury Landing D. L. Blaney2,M.A.dePablo8,G.A.Kocurek9, Y. Langevin10,K.W.Lewis11, N. Mangold6, through Yellowknife Bay S. Maurice12, P.-Y. Meslin12,P.Pinet12,N.O.Renno13,M.S.Rice14, M. E. Richardson7,V.Sautter15, R. S. Sletten3,R.C.Wiens6, and R. A. Yingst16 Key Points: • Ventifacts in Gale Crater 1Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, USA, 2Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, USA, 3Department • Maybeformedbypaleowind of Earth and Space Sciences, College of the Environments, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA, 4U.S. • Can see abrasion textures at range 5 6 of scales Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA, LPGNantes, UMR 6112, CNRS/Université de Nantes, Nantes, France, 7Ashima Research, Pasadena, California, USA, 8Universidad de Alcala, Madrid, Spain, 9Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Supporting Information: Austin, Texas, USA, 10Institute d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France, 11Department of • Figure S1 12 fi • Figure S2 Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, Centre National de la Recherche Scienti que, Institut 13 • Table S1 de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS-Université Toulouse, Toulouse, France, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Science; College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Correspondence to: 14Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA, 15Lab N.
    [Show full text]
  • Chemical Variations in Yellowknife Bay Formation Sedimentary Rocks Analyzed by Chemcam on Board the Curiosity Rover on Mars N
    Chemical variations in Yellowknife Bay formation sedimentary rocks analyzed by ChemCam on board the Curiosity rover on Mars N. Mangold, O. Forni, G. Dromart, K. Stack, R. C. Wiens, O. Gasnault, D. Y. Sumner, M. Nachon, P. -Y. Meslin, R. B. Anderson, et al. To cite this version: N. Mangold, O. Forni, G. Dromart, K. Stack, R. C. Wiens, et al.. Chemical variations in Yel- lowknife Bay formation sedimentary rocks analyzed by ChemCam on board the Curiosity rover on Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets, Wiley-Blackwell, 2015, 120 (3), pp.452-482. 10.1002/2014JE004681. hal-01281801 HAL Id: hal-01281801 https://hal.univ-lorraine.fr/hal-01281801 Submitted on 12 Apr 2021 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. PUBLICATIONS Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets RESEARCH ARTICLE Chemical variations in Yellowknife Bay formation 10.1002/2014JE004681 sedimentary rocks analyzed by ChemCam Special Section: on board the Curiosity rover on Mars Results from the first 360 Sols of the Mars Science Laboratory N. Mangold1, O. Forni2, G. Dromart3, K. Stack4, R. C. Wiens5, O. Gasnault2, D. Y. Sumner6, M. Nachon1, Mission: Bradbury Landing P.-Y.
    [Show full text]
  • The Water Traces on the Martian Moons and Structural Lineaments
    Flow folds of viscous ice-rock mixture in Phobos and Deimos(Martian moons) Pedram Aftabi * Introduction: Mars has two very small satellites called soil change to dry soils after few Phobos and Deimos( Hall 1887 reviewed in[7]) with minutes(subscribed).Therefore the ice rock mixture 22.2 and 12.6 km across respectively[15]which decreased in the volume and contracted in two type of surfaced by deposits[5]as a thick regolith or dust and the external shape as ellipsoid and the spherical(Fig4). with a significant interior ice or ice and rock mixture[8,4&6]. The small rocky moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos, are irregular in shape and comparable in size to the asteroid Gaspra (Fig1[7]). Fig4-Shrinkage of the moon by evaporation of the ice matrix. Fig1-Martian moons Phobos,Deimos and the asteroid Gaspra(see b)spherical shrinkage c)ellipsoid shrinkage d)shrinkage folds in www.NASA.Gov). section2 of b e)shrinkage folds in the section3 of c compare to All Martian moons have irregular shapes(to ellipsoid), the primary phobos. F)The folds from top to the bottom in the upper most part of phobos. testament to their violent histories(Figs2&4). Their surfaces are distinctly different, most likely because of The PDMS 36[10] suggested for modeling viscous materials very different impact histories(Fig3 from like salt or ice [9, 1, 2&3]. Sand and PDMS mixture is good www.NASA.Gov).but the lines in this fig seen both in material for the simulations of the Ice and basalt articles in the phobos and Deimos[12,13]but presented sharp on the Martian moons[15].
    [Show full text]
  • The Goddard Memorial Mrs
    March 2004 Issue 3 Vol 1 NASA Remembers Columbia Crew with Dedications By Dewayne Washington Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA On February 2, Remembering Columbia ... Page 1 NASA paused to Women History ................ Page 2 commemorate and honor lives lost in the Columbia Supporters ........ Page 3 continuing efforts of space exploration. A What Turns Hurricanes Into memorial to the Monsters .......................... Page 4 fallen heroes of Can We Talk? ................... Page 4 Space Shuttle Columbia was Why Go? ......................... Page 5 unveiled during a ceremony early in the Explorer Schools Visits ..... Page 7 day at Arlington Blind Can Reach ............... Page 8 National Cemetery. Family members of The Goddard Memorial Mrs. Sandy Anderson, wife of Columbia astronaut Michael Anderson, the STS-107crew Symposium ...................... Page 9 looks at the memorial along with astronauts Steve Robinson (right) were the first to see and Carlos Noriega (left). another permanent Goddard in the News ....... Page 9 marker of the dangers of space flight. The new memorial is just a few feet from one Black History Activities .. Page 10 honoring the crew of Space Shuttle Challenger, lost on January 28, 1986. Employee Spotlight ........ Page 11 In his remarks, Administrator O’Keefe stated that future visitors to the site will learn that these space heroes came from all parts of the United States and from the lands Goddard Meet CFC Goal .. Page 12 of India and Israel. “They were pilots, engineers and scientists, all motivated by a fire Gay/Straight Alliance ..... Page 12 within, a passionate eternal flame within each of their souls that compelled them to live lives of distinction, and to bring the heavens ever closer to our grasp.” Movie Days ....................
    [Show full text]
  • Chemical Variations in Yellowknife Bay Formation Sedimentary Rocks
    PUBLICATIONS Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets RESEARCH ARTICLE Chemical variations in Yellowknife Bay formation 10.1002/2014JE004681 sedimentary rocks analyzed by ChemCam Special Section: on board the Curiosity rover on Mars Results from the first 360 Sols of the Mars Science Laboratory N. Mangold1, O. Forni2, G. Dromart3, K. Stack4, R. C. Wiens5, O. Gasnault2, D. Y. Sumner6, M. Nachon1, Mission: Bradbury Landing P.-Y. Meslin2, R. B. Anderson7, B. Barraclough4, J. F. Bell III8, G. Berger2, D. L. Blaney9, J. C. Bridges10, through Yellowknife Bay F. Calef9, B. Clark11, S. M. Clegg5, A. Cousin5, L. Edgar8, K. Edgett12, B. Ehlmann4, C. Fabre13, M. Fisk14, J. Grotzinger4, S. Gupta15, K. E. Herkenhoff7, J. Hurowitz16, J. R. Johnson17, L. C. Kah18, N. Lanza19, Key Points: 2 1 20 21 12 16 2 • J. Lasue , S. Le Mouélic , R. Léveillé , E. Lewin , M. Malin , S. McLennan , S. Maurice , Fluvial sandstones analyzed by 22 22 23 19 19 24 25 ChemCam display subtle chemical N. Melikechi , A. Mezzacappa , R. Milliken , H. Newsom , A. Ollila , S. K. Rowland , V. Sautter , variations M. Schmidt26, S. Schröder2,C.d’Uston2, D. Vaniman27, and R. Williams27 • Combined analysis of chemistry and texture highlights the role of 1Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, CNRS, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France, 2Institut de Recherche diagenesis en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS/Université de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, Toulouse, France, 3Laboratoire de Géologie de • Distinct chemistry in upper layers 4 5 suggests distinct setting and/or Lyon, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA, Los Alamos National 6 source Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA, Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, USA, 7Astrogeology Science Center, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Evidence for Thermal-Stress-Induced Rockfalls on Mars Impact Crater Slopes
    Icarus 342 (2020) 113503 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Icarus journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus Evidence for thermal-stress-induced rockfalls on Mars impact crater slopes P.-A. Tesson a,b,*, S.J. Conway b, N. Mangold b, J. Ciazela a, S.R. Lewis c, D. M�ege a a Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Science, Wrocław, Poland b Laboratoire de Plan�etologie et G�eodynamique UMR 6112, CNRS, Nantes, France c School of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Here we study rocks falling from exposed outcrops of bedrock, which have left tracks on the slope over which Mars, surface they have bounced and/or rolled, in fresh impact craters (1–10 km in diameter) on Mars. The presence of these Thermal stress tracks shows that these rocks have fallen relatively recently because aeolian processes are known to infill Ices topographic lows over time. Mapping of rockfall tracks indicate trends in frequency with orientation, which in Solar radiation � � turn depend on the latitudinal position of the crater. Craters in the equatorial belt (between 15 N and 15 S) Weathering exhibit higher frequencies of rockfall on their north-south oriented slopes compared to their east-west ones. � Craters >15 N/S have notably higher frequencies on their equator-facing slopes as opposed to the other ori­ entations. We computed solar radiation on the surface of crater slopes to compare insolation patterns with the spatial distribution of rockfalls, and found statistically significant correlations between maximum diurnal inso­ lation and rockfall frequency.
    [Show full text]
  • Surface Sediment Characteristics and Distribution
    United States Department of the Interior United States Geological Survey Inner West-Central Florida Continental Shelf: Surface Sediment Characteristics and Distribution by: Gregg R. Brooks \ Larry J. Doyle 2, Nancy T. DeWitt 2'3, and Beau C. Suthard 1 Open File Report: 98-37 1 Eckerd College, Department of Marine Science, Saint Petersburg, FL 2 University of South Florida, Department of Marine Science, Saint Petersburg, FL 3 United States Geological Survey, Saint Petersburg, FL This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with United States Geological Survey editorial standards and stratigraphic nomenclature. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the United States Geological Survey. TABLE OF CONTENTS page List of Figures iii Introduction 1 Methods 5 Results and Discussion 13 Sediment Distribution 45 References Cited 47 Appendix 1. Sedimentologic data for all sample sites A1 Ill List of Figures page Fig 1. Location map of west-central Florida 3 showing study area. Fig. 2. Map of entire study area showing sites of 7 samples collected at 1/2-hour intervals during seismic survey. Fig. 3. Map showing sample sites of area of 9 concentration off Sarasota Bay (see Fig. 1). Fig. 4. Map of entire study area showing mean 15 grain size values in 0 units. Fig 5. Map of entire study area showing mean 17 grain size distribution. Fig. 6. Map of area of concentration showing 19 mean grain size values in 0 units. Fig. 7. Map of area of concentration showing 21 mean grain size distribution.
    [Show full text]
  • ROVING ACROSS MARS: SEARCHING for EVIDENCE of FORMER HABITABLE ENVIRONMENTS Michael H
    PERSPECTIVE ROVING ACROSS MARS: SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE OF FORMER HABITABLE ENVIRONMENTS Michael H. Carr* My love affair with Mars started in the late 1960s when I was appointed a member of the Mariner 9 and Viking Orbiter imaging teams. The global surveys of these two missions revealed a geological wonderland in which many of the geological processes that operate here on Earth operate also on Mars, but on a grander scale. I was subsequently involved in almost every Mars mission, both US and non- US, through the early 2000s, and wrote several books on Mars, most recently The Surface of Mars (Carr 2006). I also participated extensively in NASA’s long-range strategic planning for Mars exploration, including assessment of the merits of various techniques, such as penetrators, Mars rovers showing their evolution from 1996 to the present day. FIGURE 1 balloons, airplanes, and rovers. I am, therefore, following the results In the foreground is the tethered rover, Sojourner, launched in 1996. On the left is a model of the rovers Spirit and Opportunity, launched in 2004. from Curiosity with considerable interest. On the right is Curiosity, launched in 2011. IMAGE CREDIT: NASA/JPL-CALTECH The six papers in this issue outline some of the fi ndings of the Mars rover Curiosity, which has spent the last two years on the Martian surface looking for evidence of past habitable conditions. It is not the fi rst rover to explore Mars, but it is by far the most capable (FIG. 1). modest-sized landed vehicles. Advances in guidance enabled landing Included on the vehicle are a number of cameras, an alpha particle at more interesting and promising places, and advances in robotics led X-ray spectrometer (APXS) for contact elemental composition, a spec- to vehicles with more independent capabilities.
    [Show full text]
  • Chemin X-Ray Diffraction of the Windjana Sample
    PUBLICATIONS Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets RESEARCH ARTICLE Mineralogy, provenance, and diagenesis of a potassic 10.1002/2015JE004932 basaltic sandstone on Mars: CheMin X-ray diffraction Special Section: of the Windjana sample (Kimberley area, Gale Crater) The Mars Science Laboratory Rover Mission (Curiosity) at The Allan H. Treiman1, David L. Bish2, David T. Vaniman3, Steve J. Chipera4, David F. Blake5, Kimberley, Gale Crater, Mars Doug W. Ming6, Richard V. Morris6, Thomas F. Bristow5, Shaunna M. Morrison7, Michael B. Baker8, Elizabeth B. Rampe6, Robert T. Downs7, Justin Filiberto9, Allen F. Glazner10, Ralf Gellert11, Key Points: Lucy M. Thompson12, Mariek E. Schmidt13, Laetitia Le Deit14, Roger C. Wiens15, Amy C. McAdam16, • First mineralogical analysis of Cherie N. Achilles2, Kenneth S. Edgett17, Jack D. Farmer18, Kim V. Fendrich7, John P. Grotzinger8, sandstone on Mars 19 20 8 21 12 • Windjana sandstone very rich in Sanjeev Gupta , John Michael Morookian , Megan E. Newcombe , Melissa S. Rice , John G. Spray , sanidine, implying a trachyte source Edward M. Stolper8, Dawn Y. Sumner22, Ashwin R. Vasavada20, and Albert S. Yen20 rock • The source of Gale Crater sediments is 1Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas, USA, 2Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, an incredibly diverse igneous terrane USA, 3Planetary Science Institute,Tucson,Arizona,USA,4Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, 5NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA, 6Astromaterials
    [Show full text]
  • Mars Global Simulant MGS-1: a Rocknest-Based Open Standard For
    1 Mars Global Simulant MGS-1: A Rocknest-based open standard for 2 basaltic martian regolith simulants 3 Kevin M. Cannon1,*, Daniel T .Britt1, Trent M. Smith2, Ralph F. Fritsche2, and Daniel 4 Batcheldor3 5 1University of Central Florida, Department of Physics, Orlando, Florida 32816 6 2NASA Kennedy Space Center, Titusville, FL 32899 7 3Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901 8 *Corresponding author: cannon@ucf.edu 9 4111 Libra Drive 10 Physical Sciences Building 430 11 Orlando, FL 32816 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Abstract 25 The composition and physical properties of martian regolith are dramatically 26 better understood compared to just a decade ago, particularly through the use of X-ray 27 diffraction by the Curiosity rover. Because there are no samples of this material on Earth, 28 researchers and engineers rely on terrestrial simulants to test future hardware and address 29 fundamental science and engineering questions. Even with eventual sample return, the 30 amount of material brought back would not be enough for bulk studies. However, many 31 of the existing regolith simulants were designed 10 or 20 years ago based on a more 32 rudimentary understanding of martian surface materials. Here, we describe the Mars 33 Global Simulant (MGS-1), a new open standard designed as a high fidelity mineralogical 34 analog to global basaltic regolith on Mars, as represented by the Rocknest windblown 35 deposit at Gale crater. We developed prototype simulants using the MGS-1 standard and 36 characterized them with imaging techniques, bulk chemistry, spectroscopy, and 37 thermogravimetric analysis.
    [Show full text]