Space Post - Mars Curiosity

[Neil]

http://phys.org/news/2012-11-curiosity-earth-shaking-discovery.html#jCp


The Mars Science Laboratory team has hinted that they might have some big news to share soon. But like good scientists, they are waiting until they verify their results before saying anything definitive. In an interview on NPR today, MSL Principal Investigator John Grotzinger said a recent soil sample test in the SAM instrument (Sample Analysis at Mars) shows something 'earthshaking.' "This data is gonna be one for the history books," he said. "It's looking really good."

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-11-curiosity-earth-shaking-discovery.html#jCp


Have they found evidence that organics once existed?

[Cykotic]

*slips into BSG mode* Does that mean that life here, began out there?....

[Neil]

Kinda cool - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20094052

[EvilNed]

If you go to google.mars.com and go to street view on coordinates 11.5506, 35.6042 you'll see something that looks almost man-made!

[Neil]

It's successfully drilled - The first time a rover has drilled anywhere else in the solar system.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/msl/130220drilling/


The Curiosity rover's powerful impact drill has successfully collected its first subsurface sample, about a tablespoon of powdered rock that will be fed into the spacecraft's on-board laboratory instruments for detailed chemical analysis, project officials said Wednesday.

The drill is the last major system on the rover to be tested since landing in Gale Crater last August and the successful collection of subsurface material marks a major milestone in Curiosity's quest to find signs of past or present habitability.

"Curiosity's first drill hole at the john Klein site is a historic moment for the MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) mission," said Louise Jandura, chief engineer of Curiosity's sample system. "This is the first time any robot, fixed or mobile, has drilled into a rock to collect a sample on Mars.

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/msl/130220drilling/drillsample.jpg

[Neil]

Now in safe mode :(

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21654308


Nasa's Curiosity Mars rover has been put into "safe mode" after a computer glitch caused by corrupted files.

The robot, which is analysing rock samples on the Red Planet, is now running from a back-up computer.

Nasa engineers are looking into possible causes for the files on the robot's flash memory being damaged.

The fault means the rover's work has been put on temporary hold while the back-up computer is reconfigured so it can take full control.

[Neil]

Loads more info about the memory corruption that has caused the current problem(s) - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/msl/130304computer/