Curiosity's first drive on Mars

This image was taken by Rear Hazcam: Left A (RHAZ_LEFT_A) onboard
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 16 (2012-08-22 14:25:05 UTC)
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
click image to enlarge

On Sol 16, August 22, 2012 the Curiosity rover took its first short drive and made its first tracks on Mars in Gale Crater. This activity was to check out the roving functionality of the wheels prior to its long drive to Glenelg. It would appear that Curiosity has started to accumulate dust on its Left Rear Hazcam.

MER Opportunity Rover on the edge of Endeavour

After Opportunity's stay on Greeley Haven it had recently taken a short drive around the northern edge of Cape York and traversed across "Whim Creek" on Sol 3010. After reaching the northern tip of Cape York she continued around to its present position on August 20 "Sol 3048", just past the creek.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State U/composite by Errol Coder
click image to enlarge

These most recent images captured by the Pancam on Sol 3044 is a 6 image composite that points into Endeavour Crater showing the rim in the distance.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State U
click image to enlarge

This 2 image composite also using the Pancam shows a dimple and stone outcropping next to the Opportunity rover.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State U
Traverse Map as of Sol 3044
click image to enlarge

 

 

First Drive and ChemCam lasering of the Curiosity Mars Rover

This image was taken by ChemCam: Remote Micro-Imager (CHEMCAM_RMI)
onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 13 (2012-08-19 11:14:22 UTC) .
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/composite by Errol Coder

Looks like we have our first use of the ChemCam. Today, August 19, Sol 13, Curiosity did a short drive to the rock "N165" recently named Coronation. The three images show over the period of firing at a location measuring 6mm. The ChemCam fires at the rock 30 times over 20 seconds. Right now we don't have any data regard the rocks composition.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRA

If you want details on the drive and the rock Coronation, check out my recent episode on PlanetaryTV.

Full Panorama of Mt. Sharp!

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/composite by Errol Coder
This image was taken by Navcam: Left A (NAV_LEFT_A) onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity
on Sol 12 (2012-08-18 11:38:55 UTC) .
click image to enlarge

What a magnificent view! Curiosity took this shot today of Mt. Sharp. This is the first full view shot of the peak and the "slope" on either side that we have received. I am waiting for the stunning capture of the same view with Curiosity's 100mm Mastcam. The colors will be brilliant.

The images are having a fuss with Photoshop, so at this time a full blended composite wasn't possible. It was brightened, and contrast adjusted to bring out the features. I hope to get the blending figured out soon. But until then, at least we have a a nice shot of what Curiosity will be exploring for years to come.

Glenelg, her first roving location can be seen in the  middle and to the right before the dark dune field.

See Curiosity from HiRISE

Image credit: NASNASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
click image to enlarge

It looks like we have a new great view of the MSL Curiosity rover from our Eye in the Sky. The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image. HiRISE was at a 30-degreen angle from looking straight down. A straight over the head shot will be captured in about 5 days from now.

Curiosity is in the middle of the dark patch on the lower left of the image. It is the silver object in the middle. The darkened area is the blast area from the Sky Crane decent engines blackening the surrounding landscape. She faces SE, down and to the right towards Mt. Sharp.

The majority of the driving paths and science will occur to the right of this image past the present landscape as they work their way to the base of Mt. Sharp, past the dune fields.

On Sol 13 JPL scientists will be testing the steering actuators in preparation for its first drive on Sol 15 for a short drive in an area visible by the Hazcams. Taking a route SW from the current landing sight, they will traverse the dune fields, then heading straight towards Mt. Sharp climbing a few meters of elevation onto its slope. Curiosity can drive on a terrain approx. 20% of slope a long a path they are selecting right now.

All the current images were programed prior to landing, as they did not know exactly where Curiosity would be landing. This is why we have not seen the top of Mt. Sharp. JPL has mentioned that with in a few Sols they have programed a image sequence to capture the top of the mountain.  Look forward to seeing a complete color mosaic of our view of Gale Craters central mountain.

This view from Curiosity's Navigation camera shows the hilly wall of Gale Crater. A full-resolution, 360-degree panorama from the Navigation camera is at PIA16026 .
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

 

See Mars in High Resolution!

What a beautiful sight! Check out Mars in all its splendor. Using Curiosity's High Res Mastcam we get to see the landscape around her in spectacular color. These images were taken by Curiosity on Sol 3 on Friday August 8. The first images we got were low res thumbnails due to the bandwidth needed for the high res images to be received. So the new images received at a later date, puts together a beautiful high res mosaic of the area around our rover.

We are looking SE towards the base of Gale Crater's Mt. Sharp. The dark band you see at the "foothills" have an unknown composition, and will be a target for Curiosity once she begins her drives.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
click image to see full High Res image

This is the text from NASA/JPL regarding the mosaic.

This image is the first high-resolution color mosaic from NASA's Curiosity rover, showing the geological environment around the rover's landing site in Gale Crater on Mars. The images show a landscape that closely resembles portions of the southwestern United States in its morphology, adding to the impression gained from the lower-resolution thumbnail mosaic released early in the week.

The colors in the main image are unmodified from those returned by the camera. While it is difficult to say whether this is what a human eye would see, it is what a cell phone or camcorder would record since the Mastcam takes color pictures in the exact same manner that consumer cameras acquire color images. The colors in a second version linked to the main image have been modified as if the scene were transported to Earth and illuminated by terrestrial sunlight. This processing, called "white balancing," is useful for scientists to be able to recognize and distinguish rocks by color in more familiar lighting.

The parts of this mosaic that are most interesting to geologists include a section on the crater wall north of the landing site where a network of valleys believed to have formed by water erosion enters Gale Crater from the outside. They are also studying a section that looks south of the landing site that provides an overview of the eventual geological targets Curiosity will explore, including the rock-strewn, gravelly surface nearby, the dark dune field and the layered buttes and mesas of the sedimentary rock of Mount Sharp.

Geologists are also taking a close look at an area excavated by the blast of the Mars Science Laboratory's descent stage rockets. With the loose debris blasted away by the rockets, details of the underlying materials are clearly seen. Of particular note is a well-defined, topmost layer that contains fragments of rock embedded in a matix of finer material.

NavCam captures Curiosity's surroundings

After the deployment of the MastCam on Sol 2, August 8th, 2012 Earth time, JPL scientists swept across the horizon in front of Curiosity using the Navigation Cameras "NavCam" capturing the landscape to the north. In addition, they did a survey of the rover engineering deck.

NASA / JPL / James Sorenson

 This is  20 image mosaic taken on the 1st day after Curiosity landed. You can see that she is in  flat plain surrounded by mountains and the Gale Crater rim. North is down, West is left, East is Right, and South is up. The dark soil seen in the "North" is the same dark band of soil seen on the 1st images received after the rover landed and the "HazCams" deployed. To the left "East" you can see the "foothills" leading up to Mt. Sharp. The mountain line in the West and South is the Gale crater rim. You might also notice the debris of gravel found on the engineering deck of Curiosity, which collected on it from the thrusters that blew them into the air.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/composite by Errol Coder
click image to enlarge

 This first composite is created from using two high-res images taken by the left Left-A NavCam. It faces the north away from Curiosity. You can see a line of mountains in the distance with some very distinct features. This area appears to be relatively flat, with larger pebbles littering the ground. The equipment on the lower left of the image is the top of the stowed Tool Arm which will be used on a  future Sol.

Where did Curiosity's hardware land?

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

The four main pieces of hardware that arrived on Mars with NASA's Curiosity rover were spotted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera captured this image about 24 hours after landing. The large, reduced-scale image points out the strewn hardware: the heat shield was the first piece to hit the ground, followed by the back shell attached to the parachute, then the rover itself touched down, and finally, after cables were cut, the sky crane flew away to the northwest and crashed. Relatively dark areas in all four spots are from disturbances of the bright dust on Mars, revealing the darker material below the surface dust.

Around the rover, this disturbance was from the sky crane thrusters, and forms a bilaterally symmetrical pattern. The darkened radial jets from the sky crane are downrange from the point of oblique impact, much like the oblique impacts of asteroids. In fact, they make an arrow pointing to Curiosity.

This image was acquired from a special 41-degree roll of MRO, larger than the normal 30-degree limit. It rolled towards the west and towards the sun, which increases visible scattering by atmospheric dust as well as the amount of atmosphere the orbiter has to look through, thereby reducing the contrast of surface features. Future images will show the hardware in greater detail. Our view is tilted about 45 degrees from the surface (more than the 41-degree roll due to planetary curvature), like a view out of an airplane window. Tilt the mages 90 degrees clockwise to see the surface better from this perspective. The views are primarily of the shadowed side of the rover and other objects.

The image scale is 39 centimeters (15.3 inches) per pixel.

Complete HiRISE image products are available at: http://uahirise.org/releases/msl-descent.php.

HiRISE is one of six instruments on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The University of Arizona, Tucson, operates the orbiter's HiRISE camera, which was built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, built the spacecraft. 

 

 

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

This close-up view shows the rover Curiosity's parachute and back shell strewn across the surface of Mars. The image was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter about 24 hours after the parachute helped guide the rover to the surface. When the back shell impacted the ground, bright dust was kicked up, exposing darker material underneath. This image was acquired from a special 41-degree roll of MRO, larger than the normal 30-degree limit. It rolled towards the west and towards the sun, which increases visible scattering by atmospheric dust as well as the amount of atmosphere the orbiter has to look through, thereby reducing the contrast of surface features. Future images will show the hardware in greater detail. Our view is tilted about 45 degrees from the surface (more than the 41-degree roll due to planetary curvature), like a view out of an airplane window. Tilt the images 90 degrees clockwise to see the surface better from this perspective. The views are primarily of the shadowed side of the rover and other objects.

The image scale is 39 centimeters (15.3 inches) per pixel.

 

This close-up view shows darkened radial jets caused by the impact of Curiosity's sky crane, which helped deliver the rover to the surface of Mars. The image was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter about 24 hours after landing.

The radial jets from the impact are much like those from asteroids that hit the planetary surface at oblique angles. In fact, these scour marks make an arrow pointing to Curiosity. As the sky crane hit the surface, bright dust was kicked up, exposing darker material underneath.

This image was acquired from a special 41-degree roll of MRO, larger than the normal 30-degree limit. It rolled towards the west and towards the sun, which increases visible scattering by atmospheric dust as well as the amount of atmosphere the orbiter has to look through, thereby reducing the contrast of surface features. Future images will show the hardware in greater detail. Our view is tilted about 45 degrees from the surface (more than the 41-degree roll due to planetary curvature), like a view out of an airplane window. Tilt the images 90 degrees clockwise to see the surface better from this perspective. The views are primarily of the shadowed side of the rover and other objects.

The image scale is 39 centimeters (15.3 inches) per pixel. 

 

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

 This close-up view shows Curiosity's heat shield, which helped the rover survive the harrowing journey through the Martian atmosphere, on the surface of Mars. The image was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter about 24 hours after landing. When the object hit the ground, bright dust at the surface was churned up, exposing darker material underneath.

This image was acquired from a special 41-degree roll of MRO, larger than the normal 30-degree limit. It rolled towards the west and towards the sun, which increases visible scattering by atmospheric dust as well as the amount of atmosphere the orbiter has to look through, thereby reducing the contrast of surface features. Future images will show the hardware in greater detail. Our view is tilted about 45 degrees from the surface (more than the 41-degree roll due to planetary curvature), like a view out of an airplane window. Tilt the images 90 degrees clockwise to see the surface better from this perspective. The views are primarily of the shadowed side of the rover and other objects.

The image scale is 39 centimeters (15.3 inches) per pixel

First MSL Curiosity Rover color image

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

Image Credit: NASA/JPL

This view of the landscape to the north of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity acquired by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the afternoon of the first day after landing. (The team calls this day Sol 1, which is the first Martian day of operations; Sol 1 began on Aug. 6, 2012.)

In the distance, the image shows the north wall and rim of Gale Crater. The image is murky because the MAHLI’s removable dust cover is apparently coated with dust blown onto the camera during the rover’s terminal descent. Images taken without the dust cover in place are expected during checkout of the robotic arm in coming weeks.

The MAHLI is located on the turret at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm. At the time the MAHLI Sol 1 image was acquired, the robotic arm was in its stowed position. It has been stowed since the rover was packaged for its Nov. 26, 2011, launch.

The MAHLI has a transparent dust cover. This image was acquired with the dust cover closed. The cover will not be opened until more than a week after the landing.

When the robotic arm, turret, and MAHLI are stowed, the MAHLI is in a position that is rotated 30 degrees relative to the rover deck. The MAHLI image shown here has been rotated to correct for that tilt, so that the sky is "up" and the ground is "down".

When the robotic arm, turret, and MAHLI are stowed, the MAHLI is looking out from the front left side of the rover. This is much like the view from the driver's side of cars sold in the USA.

The main purpose of Curiosity's MAHLI camera is to acquire close-up, high-resolution views of rocks and soil at the rover's Gale Crater field site. The camera is capable of focusing on any target at distances of about 0.8 inch (2.1 centimeters) to infinity. This means it can, as shown here, also obtain pictures of the Martian landscape. 

Text courtesy: NASA/JPL

Looking Behind and to the Side of Curiosity Rover

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Errol Coder
click image to enlarge

This is the full-resolution version of one of the first images taken by a rear Hazard-Avoidance camera on NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars the evening of Aug. 5 PDT (morning of Aug. 6 EDT). The image was originally taken through the "fisheye" wide-angle lens, but has been "linearized" so that the horizon looks flat rather than curved. The image has also been cropped. A Hazard-avoidance camera on the rear-left side of Curiosity obtained this image.

Part of the rim of Gale Crater, which is a feature the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, stretches from the top middle to the top right of the image. One of the rover's wheels can be seen at bottom right. 

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Errol Coder
click image to enlarge

This image taken by NASA's Curiosity shows what lies ahead for the rover -- its main science target, Mount Sharp. The rover's shadow can be seen in the foreground, and the dark bands beyond are dunes. Rising up in the distance is the highest peak Mount Sharp at a height of about 3.4 miles, taller than Mt. Whitney in California. The Curiosity team hopes to drive the rover to the mountain to investigate its lower layers, which scientists think hold clues to past environmental change. 

This image was captured by the rover's front left Hazard-Avoidance camera at full resolution shortly after it landed. It has been linearized to remove the distorted appearance that results from its fisheye lens.

Where did the Curiosity Rover land?

Before lander operated down to the surface of Mars under self propulsion, the HiRise "High Resolution" camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped this shop. It shows the parachute above the lander of Curiosity as it drifted down. After the chute was released, under its own power the "sky crane" lander guided the Rover down to the NW corner of Mt. Sharp on the NW edge of Gale Crater.

 At this time the rover is facing a S/SE direction.

The hills seen on the current Rear HazCam images is the edge of Gale Crater.

MSL Mars Rover "Curosity" First Images!

We are proud to announce that at approximately 1:40 EDT this morning, the Mars Science Laboratory "Curiosity" land successfully on Mars. One of the first actions that occurred was the use of its HazCam or Hazard Awareness Cameras. I am proud to be bringing you the most difficult missions to date. NASA has downsampled these images so the resolution isn't the greatest, nor is the size large at this time.

 This image was taken by Front Hazcam: Right A (FHAZ_RIGHT_A)
onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 0 (2012-08-06 05:20:36 UTC)
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

You are looking forward on the Curiosity rover. The dust cover is still on as we are looking through it. Dust has collected along the edges. In this image you can see the shadow of the unfolded rover on the ground. As the HazCam is facing relatively at a diagonal angle pointing towards the ground, you will not see the horizon at this time. Once ground operations continue, the dust cover will be removed, and the remaining imaging tools will be deployed. We will eventually see images from its PanCam "Panorama Camera" and NavCam
"Navigation Camera."

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

 This is one of the first images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars the evening of Aug. 5 PDT (morning of Aug. 6 EDT). It was taken through a "fisheye" wide-angle lens on the left "eye" of a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance cameras on the left-rear side of the rover. The image is one-half of full resolution. The clear dust cover that protected the camera during landing has been sprung open. Part of the spring that released the dust cover can be seen at the bottom right, near the rover's wheel.

On the top left, part of the rover's power supply is visible.

Some dust appears on the lens even with the dust cover off.

The cameras are looking directly into the sun, so the top of the image is saturated. Looking straight into the sun does not harm the cameras. The lines across the top are an artifact called "blooming" that occurs in the camera's detector because of the saturation.

The "mountain" you see on the top right of the images is part of the rim of Gale Crater.

As planned, the rover's early engineering images are lower resolution. Larger color images from other cameras are expected later in the week when the rover's mast, carrying high-resolution cameras, is deployed.

This image was taken by Rear Hazcam: Left A (RHAZ_LEFT_A)
onboard NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on Sol 0 (2012-08-06 06:03:27 UTC) .
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech 

You are looking behind the Rover. You will notice this is the first glimpse of the Sun for Curiosity as it runs low along the horizon in the distance.

Additional images from future Sols will be posted once received. Watch the coverage at PlanetaryTV.