(Curiosity preparing to test the rock – Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Evaluation of a Martian rock, scheduled to be the next drilling target for NASA’s Curiosity rover, has revealed that it was not stable enough for a safe drilling, therefore Curiosity has abandoned its fourth drilling target and will now continue travelling towards its long term science destination in the Gale Crater. Continue reading
(Photo Credit: NASA/JPL)
I really love this picture.
It shows two engineers standing next to three generations of Mars rovers.
From smallest to biggest you have:
Sojourner landed in 1997, followed by twin sisters Spirit and Opportunity in 2004. The massive Curiosity landed in 2012.
Sojourner ceased operations just months after landing, while Spirit got stuck in 2009 and stopped transmissions in 2010.
Spirit’s sister, Opportunity, is still active as of 2014 which has surprised everyone at NASA. The rover was only meant to function for 90 Martian days; however 10 years since it landed, Opportunity is still going strong
Curiosity has only been active for 2 years, but its mission has been extended indefinitely. NASA hopes that Curiosity will continue to make groundbreaking progress and discoveries on the Red Planet after already accomplishing so much.
Its easy to forget how large Curiosity is, but it actually weighs over 900 kg, and is the size of a car!
The Solar System & Beyond 