I’m sorry there is no update. Just lots of speculation. Because of the way it was initially presented to the media and subsequent backtracking by NASA it’s impossible to know if we should be hopeful or cynical: [Read more…]
Don’t worry, Mars Curiosity the rover is alive and well and on the verge of beginning the mission it was so ably designed to do! There’s every reason to expect Curiosity will perform brilliantly, and that’s good, because there’s nothing much slated for Mars after it. When Curiosity finally seizes up, likely frozen in place, starved for power and heat and mobility while examining an undisclosed ancient, dusty lakebed, and the mini sat network above stops talking to its creators, it is an end of sorts to our curiosity, until we do something about it: [Read more…]
If Curiosity survives its harrowing descent early next month in one functional piece, it will bring an alien world into focus like no other probe has done before. [Read more…]
The Mars rover Opportunity stirred in the midst of its slumber in the long Martian winter and snapped this beautiful composite image. One month from today it will be joined by the much larger Curiosity and the search for ancient life will begin in earnest. Assuming Curiosity survives NASA’s Rube Goldberg reentry and descent contraption. And a new study suggests signs of ancient life could be lurking just under the surface for it to find: [Read more…]
A rare set of rocks, blasted from the surface of Mars by an ancient impact, surprised scientists with signs the planet’s interior may still be as wet as our own: [Read more…]